Bushbandit ® / Struikrover® - Customized construction kit
In addition to the Assembled Bushbandit / Struikrover® with a Browning Browning 2019 Strike Force HD PRO, you can install your own camera trap after you have specified the desired camera trap type. The package of the Bushbandit / Struikrover® Custom - Construction Kit does not contain a camera, but does include a custom-made and tested conversion lens, softbox for the flash, shelf for mounting the camera and the tube with light window.
Please note: some types of cameras cannot be used due to their construction. In addition, cameras with a trigger time of less than 0.4 seconds are absolutely preferred for use with the fast species of ermine and weasel. The Bushnell Natureview HD low glow, the no longer available Bushnell trophycam HD, the Bushnell Agressor brown/grey-green low glow and the Bushnell Agressor Camouflage low glow and all Hyperfire models from Reconyx can be installed directly. The other camera trap models are in consultation.
We also supply loose parts to replace lost parts. Only a set of batteries and an SD card need to be added. We recommend Eneloop Pro batteries (8 batteries, 2 boxes) and a 32GB SD memory card. The camera runs even better on lithium batteries.
About the Struikrover®
The Bushbandit / Struikrover® is a research instrument developed by Matthijs Smaal. It is a specially designed tube with which all martens and other predators (e.g. fox, raccoon, raccoon dog) found in Western Europe can be photographed or filmed with a trail camera. But songbirds are also easy to capture on camera. The Bushbandit / Struikrover® is a further optimization of previously devised research instruments and meets the following 6 requirements:
- Suitable for inventorying all mustelids
- Easy to transport and quick to install
- Easy to use and without any specific knowledge
- Cheap lure that maximizes detection chances
- Sturdy, robust and virtually indestructible Can be placed virtually invisibly in the field
The Bushbandit / Struikrover® works with the well-known, very effective and cheap attractant, which remains scented for weeks: a can of sardines that is camouflaged. A hole is pierced in the front of the can. This way it cannot be eaten and it will not be washed away by the rain.
In addition to the effective lure, the strength of this method is mainly the specially designed PVC tube, one side of which is opened and the camera (with conversion lens) is secured to the other side. Martens are attracted to cavities and inspect the opening of the PVC pipe. The martens therefore always appear with their heads in the picture (no photos with their backs). The distance to the lure is also very short, which increases the chance of detection and the animals appear large and can sometimes even be recognized individually. Tests in the field show that mice can also be easily identified and hedgehogs can be easily monitored.
The tube keeps the wildlife camera dry and prevents it from getting dirty or condensing. Due to its robustness, the Bushbandit / Struikrover® can even be placed in nature reserves with large grazers. The window in the PVC pipe prevents the camera trap from flashing during the day or producing overexposed images.
An additional advantage of Struikrover 3.5 is that this closed arrangement is virtually invisible and therefore reduces the risk of theft. Especially when you place soil material over it with, for example, a camouflage net. In addition, the camera trap is thus protected against weather influences.
About the camera trap: Browning Strike Force 2023 Pro X
At night, the flash intensity with the Browning Strike Force 2023 Pro X camera trap is just right. The camera trap on the photo mode ensures a fast response time of just 0.15 seconds. The use of films is strongly discouraged not only with the Browning, but also with all other camera heads, because the trigger time is slower.
Set up camera trap
As a setup, it is best to set the camera trap to "Interval" 2 pictures per interval and "Interval" 1M. You don't know what you're missing, but this setting is based on a database of observations of more than 200 Bushbandit / Struikrovers® where the camera took a series of 3 photos every 10 seconds. Of course you can choose to record everything. That means "working through" a lot of images, where there is a chance that you will accidentally let a flash of a weasel or ermine pass through them.
Delivery time
The Bushbandit / Struikrover® is made by Bureau Smaal. The delivery time is 1-2 weeks
