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I need a security camera or two to watch my mailbox. Do you have any suggestions for do it yourself monitoring on the cheap.

Do you need video or just still photos when some miscreant is around your mailbox ?

If still photos are ok, check out sporting goods stores for a couple of Game Cameras, they should be on close-out sale now. You might want a flash less Infrared version for after dark.

Red Oak wrote:Do you need video or just still photos when some miscreant is around your mailbox ?

If still photos are ok, check out sporting goods stores for a couple of Game Cameras, they should be on close-out sale now. You might want a flash less Infrared version for after dark.

Are the pictures continuous? Would you need anything else with them?

I'll be honest here. It's not MY mailbox, it's the neighbor's mailbox. They are accusing my oldest child of taking their mail and then putting dirt and rocks in it. I understand why she is leaping to that conclusion (previous issues), but don't think it's true. So I need a security camera to protect myself. If it is my child, I need to know that too. But it doesn't make sense. I'll leave out the long story.....

They are self contained other than needing batteries and they may or may not come with a SD card to record the pictures. They will take a series of photos as long as there is activity that the camera detects. Some even have a USB port that you can connect to your PC or Tablet.

If all of mine weren't 270 miles away I would loan you one. If you know any hunters, they may have one you could borrow.

Red Oak wrote:They are self contained other than needing batteries and they may or may not come with a SD card to record the pictures. They will take a series of photos as long as there is activity that the camera detects. Some even have a USB port that you can connect to your PC or Tablet.

If all of mine weren't 270 miles away I would loan you one. If you know any hunters, they may have one you could borrow.

Thanks, I will go check out some game cameras. I don't think it's happening at night, but it wouldn't hurt to have night vision for anything else that might be going on.

It could be worse

ST. CLOUD, Fla. - Several residents in Osceola County have found catfish in their mailboxes and yards, prompting questions whether it's a prank or something more serious.

Maddison Fertic said she received an unusual delivery Monday morning when her postman discovered a large, dead catfish inside her mailbox.

"I was honestly in shock because it doesn't make any sense," Fertic said. "It's just one of those things where it's, just, 'Why?'"

Fertic said the fish was 12 inches long, and she had to use a stick to pull it out.

"It looked like it could have been a live fish that somebody stuck in there and then it flopped around like fish do because the whole mailbox is dirty," she said.

Fertic is not the only one to get the unwelcome mail. According to a Facebook page for Osceola County residents, two other people reported similar incidents this week. One resident reported finding a catfish in her mailbox and another said a fish was thrown into the yard of her St. Cloud home.

"I was kind of in shock that somebody would do that. It's not something you hear of every day," Fertic said.

Fertic said she lives in a quiet, family-friendly neighborhood. She thinks she is a random victim, adding that no one else on her street was targeted. She believes the incidents could be related to kids playing pranks, but she is worried the silly stunts could turn into bigger potential crimes.

"It starts with the catfish in the mailbox, but then it starts with breaking into a car. You never know where things escalate to," she said.

Fertic plans to file a police report.

Man, that story brings back some memories.

grouchy wrote:Man, that story brings back some memories.

Were you a naughty kid Grouchy?

crocmommy wrote:

grouchy wrote:Man, that story brings back some memories.

Were you a naughty kid Grouchy?

Not really naughty but wild as heck. Someday if we can ever get a group together for a meal it would be interesting to hear some stories of the younger days. I will acknowledge that dead jackrabbits under front seats can really disturb some folks.

Our game camera takes still photos or video.
Video sucks the batteries like crazy. Of course it works during the day or night. We wait until dusk to put it out/turn it on, 'cause we don't need endless photos of squirrels and birds.

Crockmommy, make sure it is in a place where a thief won't carry it off. Not sure how you can do that and view her mailbox.
When you get it, play around to find the height you need to film what you want. We wanted the animals, so we had to put it low to the ground, but not too low.

LL have you seen any hogs ?

Just my neighbor's Harley. LOL

You would think the hogs would have worked their way up to our property, but they have not so far. I think they are staying in Irving.

I saw a dead Hog on Loop 12 around Shady Grove a month or two ago.

We used game cameras to catch the person stealing massive amounts of gas from our bus yard. They would maneuver around to miss the regular cameras. After losing several hundred gallons of gas, cheap game cameras did the trick.

Red Oak wrote:I saw a dead Hog on Loop 12 around Shady Grove a month or two ago.

What were you doing over in my part of town? Don't be messing with our hogs...

What do you set up the game cameras on? A tripod or something? I am wanting to mount it on the dormers about one of the windows in the front of my house. But that will make it hard to get to. Can you get it to download to a computer or your phone without having to remove an SD card?

We attached ours to nearby trees. We had to remove the SD cards to see the photos.

crocmommy wrote:

Red Oak wrote:I saw a dead Hog on Loop 12 around Shady Grove a month or two ago.

What were you doing over in my part of town? Don't be messing with our hogs...

Driving into Big D for work

Jim Jack wrote:We attached ours to nearby trees. We had to remove the SD cards to see the photos.

Ok there is a tree I could attach it to instead of my house. Might be a better plan....if I attach it to my house, it will also take a picture of every car that goes by. I don't need that.

Try to camouflage it as much as you can, to prevent someone from avoiding it or stealing it.