Trail Camera Workshop

40 Minute Video

Based on 22 years of filming and studying mountain lions in Colorado and Montana.

 Trail Camera Workshop

David Neils and his dog Autumn.

I’m using the term “remote camera” to refer to any camera, trail camera or DSLR camera, that is left in nature, sans human, to capture wildlife behavior. This workshop is focused on where and how to set up a camera for maximum results. A trail camera, like the Browning Recon Force Elite HP5 Ultra, my favorite trail camera, is an obvious choice for most people. The cost is less than $200 and is much easier to setup and maintain than a DSLR camera trap. If you want to capture video versus images, I highly recommend starting with this Browning camera. Contact me for best prices.

There are many tips worth leveraging that will result in much higher quality results. Some are obvious and some are not. In this workshop I’ll share tips and strategies that have made the biggest difference for me.

The online course covers:

Topography, plant cover, two types of air currents and the rock pile under the mountain lion’s chin all come together to provide a perfect spot to film mountain lions. This is the same location as the photo above, June versus December.

  • Understanding the factors for choosing camera locations for different wildlife species. 

  • Using Google Earth and GaiaGPS to pre-scout camera locations.

  • Using state wildlife data effectively.

  • Leveraging seasonal differences.

  • Camera Selection based on your goals

  • Camera Setup Tips

    • Camera Height

    • Camera Direction

    • Topography

    • Reducing False Triggers

    • Video versus Images

    • Post Processing

    • Refinements based on results

  • Making your cameras invisible to humans and wildlife

Cost: $37.00 (link to video will be sent after payment is received)

Contact: David Neils, davidneils@gmail.com, 970-481-9795

If you want help understanding how mountain lions hunt and navigate in areas you want to explore, consider the deep dive Mountain Lion Workshop. I’ll map up to 100 square miles of mountain lion activity and show you exactly where to look for mountain lions.

Client Testimonial

"Photographing mountain lions is hard work.  After trying on my own for years, I decided to try and find some help/mentorship.  At first, I could only find outfitters that would tree a lion which was too invasive for me.  I found Wild Nature Media and was immediately impressed by David Neils and his non-invasive methods to not only study mountain lions but also think like one!  His knowledge was astounding and novel to me and soon after, I signed up for a workshop where I learned how to view mountain lion behavior and their habitat in new ways.

Most recently, I also signed up for an outdoor workshop which helped me test some of the knowledge I had gained.  I hope to apply the knowledge from those workshops and continue to capture images of mountain lions, learning more and contributing towards a greater understanding of mountain lion behavior."

— Matt Cohen