Hunting season is still a ways away, but in the cold winter months and the coming spring is when trail cams are among the most fun. In these months, you’re more likely to catch a glimpse of an animal wandering to search for food, shelter, or a mate. It’s also a good time to get a feel for where your favorite game animals are located so that you know where to start in the fall, when hunting season opens.
Each trail cam is slightly different and features different ways to view the images. Some of them require owners to wait til they get home to check the content, while others will include some sort of trail cam viewer which can be used at the site to review the images. However, there’s a much easier way; instead of lugging the viewer all the way to the site and back, simply use your Garmin.
What most people don’t realize is that a majority of Garmin handheld devices are capable of previewing images from trail cams, negating the need to carry yet one more thing out with you. And, as a plus, most Garmin handheld GPS devices are actually going to be lighter and smaller than the trail cam viewer, meaning they’re easier to carry.
In order to use your Garmin as a trail cam viewer, the device must have a microSD card slot. If it does, check to see if the home screen features a the “Photo Viewer” app icon. Most advanced Garmin devices, including the Montana 6xx and Oregon 7xx series, are capable of this.
Here are the steps:
- Turn the GPS off
- Remove the back and the battery (on some models)
- Insert the trail cam microSD card in the correct slot, and replace the battery/back
- Turn the GPS on
- Open the Photo Viewer app
For the best results, you’ll want to use a Garmin that has higher resolution screens so that you can best see the images. However, even if your device does not, it can still preview the footage.
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This is actually a very useful idea. I have a Garmin Montana that will be perfect for this. Since I always carry my Garmin when I go out, I can lose the cam viewer and lighten my load! Thanks for the great post!