Woodpeckers versus game cams

Ok, these damn woodpeckers are going thru my game cams like a hot knife thru butter, pecking out holes in the plastic cover over the sensors. A couple of questions for those who might know: 1) What can you do to stop them other than the obvious...... 2) Can these cameras be fixed once they have pecked out the plastic piece that covers the sensor with plexi glass or similar materials? I am thinking you have to use a non reflective material to cover this sensor area, not sure. I am two down this season and expect more when I go back. I have probably lost somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 cameras over the last 5 years to these terrible creatures.

Maybe put up one of those owl's for gardens to scare them away?

What brand camera? I have only had one in the last 10 yrs that I thought was a woodpecker and one more to a coon. Most sensor covers require a special plastic cover. A new can be bought from the company and sometimes it is cheaper to buy a new housing.

stx, It' the Moultrie's they are tearing up. It seems that like to hang upside down from the top and peck out the little sensor area. Now that you mention this, it seems they only hit the cameras with the circular sensor area and not my Bushnell's with the square oblong sensor. Maybe that's the key, don't look like a knothole and your good to go?

Not sure what the issue is with certain TC's but I know some brand(s) have more issues. I think it is a noise that TC(board??) makes that causes the woodpeckers to think there is a bug inside the box. I know years ago with the Camtrakkers and the thin plastic sensor cover, we had to cut a short piece of 3/4" PVC pipe about 2" long and glue it over the sensor. The sensor could still shoot thru the pipe but coons could not get to it. Might try a piece of PVC pipe on your TC sensor to see if it effects how the camera works first.

Good idea stx. I also was reading elsewhere that you can use plastic milk carton to replace the sensor cover. Make sense as it should be non reflective. I will experiment with both.

I asked that to SpyPoint when I had a sensor cover(think it was a woodpecker) I needed replaced. They said no it won't work due to the circular pattern molded into the sensor cover. Let us know how your experiment works out. Sure would save some money and be a quick repair.

fix up a cage that goes around the camera and keeps them about 6 inches away from the lens then cut out just enough for your camera to still catch quality photos but not big enough for most birds to get in.

Might be work painting two mean looking eyes on the TC?? or even glue a couple of those little white ones that the black disc in side can move??

Interesting...

I had thought a lot of my issues were WP or Coons till I sat one day and watched a Red Squirrel chew one while I sat in the stand and watched him thru a spotting scope...I have started having more Squirrel issues than any other pest

Decoys maybe?

Maybe try one of those attachments that allows you to put the trail cameras onto a t-post instead of a tree?

It seems they mess with them when a)they are attached to trees (of course) and b) when they are sort of off by themselves IE on a tee post. I have mounted them directly to the feed pens and can't recall having an issue, it's just the pics aren't as good when the cams are on the feed pen. I'm not sure woodpeckers taste good either.

A fake snake perhaps