Over the years I have tried every known trail camera on the market. Some pretty good and some really not so good. When I heard about a guy in small town Saskatchewan making his own camera's I had to check them out. When I first met Jeremi Skelton I knew right away I was dealing with a man who was passionate about what he does and had the integrity to be successful with his business. The first 3 cameras I bought from Jeremi, now Monarch Images, are still in use to this day and remain my go to cameras when I want the best quality picture I can get. Jeremi continues to upgrade his product line on a yearly basis with the latest and greatest technologies which I don't pretend to understand but what I do understand is any camera I do buy from Monarch Images will be of the highest quality and backed by unmatched customer service, and that is a fact.
Jeremi has 3 new custom cameras out this year, all of which have their own custom "Bear Can" to protect them from our furry four legged friends and our 2 legged, not so friendly kind.
Monarch Elite Custom Line-up for 2011/12
River Otter Series
The River Otter series is Monarch Images "work horse" camera. By using the S3 - 3000 case paired with the extremely small SimpleSniper II control board, allows room in the case to add a 3 C cell battery pack that will run your camera several months and several thousand photos before having to change the batteries. The Simple Sniper II board is powered by a 1/2 AA lithium battery that will run the control board for as long as 2 years! Living up to it's name the Simple Sniper II board offers 2 time delay settings (Trail and Feeder), and is controlled by a main 3 way power/time delay switch making it super easy to set-up and operate in the field. The River Otter is just a great overall Trail camera and a Monarch Images favorite!
Black Moth Series
The smallest trail camera in the Monarch Elite custom line...but don't let the size fool you! By using the S3 2000 case and the SimpleSniper II control board, the Black Both series is able to accommodate a 3 AA cell battery holder that will increase the camera battery life by up to 3 times. The Simple Sniper II board is powered by a 1/2 AA lithium battery that will run the control board for as long as 2 years! Living up to it's name the Simple Sniper II board offers 2 time delay settings (Trail and Feeder), and is controlled by a main 3 way power/time delay switch making it super easy to set-up and operate in the field. Due to it's compact size the Black moth is great for covert set-ups, close-ups and smaller target animals.
Canadian Guide Series
The Canadian Guide series is a cross between the River Otter and Black Moth series trail cameras but with some added features. Controlled by the Bigfoot board and housed in the S3 3000 case the Canadian Guide series is able to accommodate a 3 AA cell battery holder that will increase the camera battery life by up to 3 times. The Bigfoot control board is powered by 3 AAA batteries that will run the control board for up to 6 months. Although not the battery life of the Simple Sniper II, the Bigfoot board makes up for it by offering more time delay options such as: TrailMaster, 1 minute, 3 minute and 5 minute time delays. A very user friendly trail camera powered by common battery sizes (AA and AAA) makes the Canadian Guide Series one of Monarch Images most reliable hunting buddies.
The BearCan Security Box
Made from 16 gauge powder coated steel and built specifically for the Monarch Elite Custom trail camera line, the BearCan box will give your high-end trail camera the protection it needs. The BearCan box is very simple, easy to set up and can accommodate a padlock, python security lock and/or lag bolts.
Monarch Images Comercial Trail Cameras
LTL-Acorn
Monarch Elite now offers the LTL-5210A Little Acorn 5/12 MP Trail camera. A reliable little manufactured game camera as a more affordable option to the high-end Monarch Elite Custom line. The Acorn runs in full color daytime and IR (black&white) at night. With an impressive 1.5 second trigger speed and 2 side "prep" sensors the Acorn is almost sure to get that animal, not only in the frame, but centered in the frame. The battery life of the Acorn is one of it's best features. Running on either 4 or 8 AA rechargeable batteries the Little Acorn will run for several months and take upwards of 5000 photos on a set of (8) batteries. The Acorn has also performed very well in our cold Canadian climates and is rated to run at -30 c. Although the Images from Acorn are not that of the Monarch Elite custom line, it's still one great little scouting tool at a very affordable price!
CamLock Box
Monarch Images is one of the Canadian dealers for Camlock box, a company that specializes in producing high quality steel security boxes for pretty much any manufactured game camera. Here at Monarch Images we will stock the CamLock LTL-Acorn box and accessories, but are also able to bring in boxes for a variety of other manufactured game cameras upon request.
One thing I am not is a gadget guy. I like reliable, well constructed, simple and effective gear. I avoid pulling an open trailer. In fact, I would rather make an extra trip, than have my ATV and gear pounded by flying gravel, in the back of a small open trailer pulled behind my truck. I guess that’s why I am one of a dying breed that still drives a truck with an 8ft box.
Now, in a typical day at work, I probably load and unload my ATV 10 times at least. My two 7ft ramps, although fairly heavy duty, always manage to slip and slide a touch, as I load and unload, not usually a big deal before the snow flies, but after the snow turns to ice, it becomes a major deal. So, when I first saw a Buddy Ramp, I knew I needed to check it out.
When I finally got my hands on one I thought the instructions had been lost. One small sheet of paper with a few steps was all that came with it. I must admit, I was more than a little surprised when I realized I wouldn’t have to drill any holes in my truck box to install it. The weight surprise me as well; there was no question this tail gate was made solidly. With the help of a 45 gal. Drum to balance the weight, (I would recommend a second person) I managed to attach it to the existing truck box just like a regular tail gate. It was really that simple.
I unfolded the ramp to its full 8ft and walked up and down it a few times, it felt sturdy. I read in the instructions that it was guaranteed to 1,000 lbs distributed weight so I fired up my ATV and loaded it up with no problem. I walked back down the ramp, folded it up, and closed it all in one motion. This was slick! But, I was still skeptical.
Over the next month I used and abused this ramp every day of spring bear season. Loading and unloading extreme weights, I paid close attention for any flaws or breaks. This thing was tough! As the season went on it proved not only to be tough but practical too. The odd time I had a need to use a trailer I simply manipulated the configuration of the ramp to extend my box by 33”. An ideal use for the majority of today’s trucks with less than an 8 foot box. Also, when fully extended, it made loading and unloading gear a breeze, no more jumping over the wheel wells or onto the tail gate to get in the back.
All in all, the Buddy Ramp is ideal for what I do. It’s reliable, tough, effective and simple, just like most great inventions are. Unfortunately for my old tail gate and ramps….they are now out of a job!
Brad Fry
Tough, well designed, and comfortable are just a few of the words I use to describe my backpack when fellow hunters and guide’s ask my opinion of the Mystery Ranch 6500 pack. Being a starving professional guide most of my adult life, I always got by with just the basics, and my wall of used and torn packs hanging in my garage can attest to that. But, after guiding horseback hunts in the Yukon & N.W.T. for the better part of 2 decades, I made the conscious decision to do more straight backpack hunts, and as a result, I needed a better pack. My research led me to Mystery Ranch out of Bozeman Montana, and all I can say is, I have put it to the test this year, and so far, I have zero complaints!
Brad Fry
It's been 7 years now since I first picked up an APA bow and I can honestly say I have never wanted to shoot anything else! My first single cam Suphan was very good to me and now their new Viper V7 has moved up to the starting rotation this year with it's tough as nails construction, compact size and blistering speed.
I am a "if it aint broke don't fix it" kind of guy, but within the first 4 arrows I was hooked on the new V7's speed and accuracy. So Look out critters the new Viper's comin'!!!!!
