It's not typical to anticipate the Whitetail opener in Montana, especially when Elk in the nearby mountain ranges dominate the conversation in almost every circle with the local hunting community. And I've been prepping all year with my bow, rifle, gear selection, and personal training. But it's always worth switching it up to try a new process and hunting Whitetail in the velvet near river bottoms or recently cut hay fields (is a new thing for me)—learning how the more prominent inside-spread bucks move throughout the morning and evenings proved challenging.
Game cameras have always served a purpose for a few friends who scout multiple areas as they help improve their overall preseason efforts. I've avoided game cameras, opting for a more natural approach to hunting Elk and Mule Deer—I've spent countless hours in the backcountry learning trails and migration patterns with my eyes and feet. For Whitetail, scent plays a more substantial role in disrupting patterns. They move fast, usually under the cover of early morning or dusk, slipping in and out of the brush with barely a sound. That's why you need reliable 50 degree eyes in the field, so I've opted to try the Edge 2 Pro cellular versions from Moultrie Products. The 40-megapixel sensor and 1440p videos with sound give you the clarity to assess what's moving out there—whether it's the mature buck you've been waiting for or just another spike sneaking through—with the option to submit a request for video beyond the image, which reveals more about the patterns of deer in pinch locations or water and allows me to understand how the deer will move during hunting light.
It's not initially apparent, but Time is the number one selling tool between the subscription and hardware. As a father of two and all the things in life that keep us busy with limited time for scouting, getting a ping on your phone about new movement detected gives you confidence that the deer are moving in the area and that you have accessed the movement patterns correctly—it also gives you information related to the time of day, which provides you with a better indication of when you should do a morning or evening sit based on the feedback you're getting with your imagery. I'm not a big fan of being fixed to one area or a particular way of operating, so I also opted for the Moultrie Stakes, which allow you to mount the camera and a solar panel, giving you unlimited options for placing the camera and not being fixed to a tree and having to use endless accessories to capture the sight picture—the Edge Pro 2 has a LiveAim feature that connects with the app ensuring you are correctly form the frame you'd like to view. The On-Demand feature allows you to check an image or video so that you can view it instantly.
FEATURES
OPERATING MODES
- Multi Shot: Single, 3 Trigger, 3 Burst
- Scheduler Mode: Schedule camera on/off times
- Timelapse: Timelapse, or Motion + Timelapse
- Detection Delay: from 0 sec up to 30 minutes
- On Demand: Remotely trigger a photo, video, and update settings at any time, directly from the Moultrie Mobile app
- Live Aim: Ensure proper camera placement with a live preview
- GPS: Automatically pins your camera’s location to the map
- Smart Capture: Select to only capture and upload certain targets, greatly extending battery life and reducing false triggers
- Smart Zones: Select active zones within the field of view to only trigger in that area
- Daily Test Image: Camera triggers and transmits an image each day to schedule check-ins and confirm operation
CONNECTIVITY
- Nationwide coverage on all 4 major LTE carriers
- Automatically connects to the strongest network
- The multi-carrier auto-connect means it's not messing around with signals; it'll find whatever works best and get the job done. The camera's 100-foot invisible infrared flash ensures you get what you need without spooking the game. These deer are wise to anything that feels off in their territory, and a bright flash would send them running. With this setup, they don't know it's there.
MEMORY
- You don't need to worry about swapping out SD cards. Everything is stored in the cloud through the Moultrie Mobile app, and you have unlimited storage, so there's no messing around with memory cards. Plus, with AI tagging (say WHAT?), you can filter your photos by species and time, cutting through the clutter and showing off the images to the kiddos and your buddies questioning your motivation for not participating in the opening Elk season.
- Internal Memory: 8GB Built-In Memory + Unlimited cloud storage in the Moultrie Mobile App – No SD Card Required
- Managed Memory: Automatically clears space when needed
POWER SOURCE
- Battery life matters when you're dealing with the relentless elements out here. The Edge 2 Pro is built for endurance, running on 16 AA batteries and lasting through the season. There's no need to worry about it running out when you need it most. And if you're serious about long-term scouting, slap a solar panel (3.4W or 10W) on it and let it ride with the rechargeable battery types.
- Required Operation: 8 AA Batteries
- Extended Operation: 16 AA Batteries
- Additional power accessories sold separately
MOTION DETECTION
- Motion Triggered Passive Infrared Sensor
- Detection range up to 100 feet
- Flash range up to 100 feet
- Trigger Speed: .30 seconds
- Field of View: 50 degrees
- Trigger speed is another make-or-break feature in these parts. The 0.30-second trigger speed is as fast as you'll need, with a 100-foot detection range that covers enough ground without picking up every leaf that twitches. The SmartCapture technology ensures you don't end up scrolling through hundreds of worthless photos. It focuses on what matters—game movement—not the wind.
PHOTO + VIDEO
- Max Photo Resolution: 40 MP
- Video Resolution: UHD 1440p
- Video Length: 5, 10, 15, or 20 seconds
- Audio: Records HD Sound
- Flash Type: Infrared, No Glow
What makes this camera invaluable to a hunter isn't just the picture quality or its durability; it's how it helps you minimize disruption. I learned that I want to avoid driving back and forth to check cameras every week, spreading scent, and potentially altering the natural behavior of the deer. With the Edge 2 Pro, I can keep my distance, let the deer do what they do, and adjust my strategy based on real data—data that's coming in without me having to leave my porch or office chair.
smarter, not easier
Hunting Whitetail in the backroads of Montana with the Moultrie Edge 2 Pro isn't here to make the hunt easier; it's here to make it smarter. Whether tracking movement or narrowing down patterns, it's a tool you can rely on, but you still have to use all your training and experience to seal the result. The camera cuts out the unnecessary and gives you what you need: real-time, actionable information without the false triggers. Also, hunting Whitetail in Montana is now our secret between the Modern Huntsman readership and me; keep quiet.
