Moultrie Edge 3 Cellular Trail Camera: Artificial Intelligence, Real Results

Artificial intelligence (AI) seems to dominate the news nowadays. From positive predictions such as avoiding traffic accidents and automating mundane daily tasks to gloom-and-doom forecasts such as eliminating most human jobs or even going rogue and staging a global machine takeover, it seems just about everyone agrees AI is going to have a big impact on the future.

The hunting world is no exception, and if the all-new EDGE 3 camera from Moultrie is any indication, this exciting technology has the potential to make us far more efficient and effective bowhunters. Although the EDGE 3 is packed with a ton of useful features, to me the headline is on-board AI integration that allows the camera to instantly identify whether it has captured an image or video of a buck, doe, turkey, vehicle or person. As a user, you can tell the camera exactly how you want it to handle images and videos based on what’s in them. For example, I recently got my hands on the new EDGE 3 and set it up just inside the woods of an active field corner. When bucks are detected, I told the camera I want it to take both still images and video and upload immediately. I did the same thing for people and vehicles. For does, however, I instructed the camera to take just a single still image per event and upload them on the regular, four times per day cycle I prefer. And for turkeys, I told the camera to capture up to three still images per event, also uploading them only during regular check-ins.

The EDGE 3 also has “General Motion” settings where you can select what happens for all other types of motion that trigger the camera. You can set the number of images to capture, whether to capture video, motion-detection sensitivity, image and video delay and more. You can even turn general motion capture off, which will eliminate things such as squirrels and racoons from showing up in your image gallery at all.

As you can see, AI integration allows you to get exactly the information you want, exactly when you want it. Based on my testing, Moultrie AI is highly accurate and reliable. This is both extremely useful as a hunting tool, allowing you to get near real-time intel on target bucks and toms, and as a camera-management tool, since delaying uploads of less important data — or eliminating many images altogether — will dramatically extend the camera’s battery life.

Considering the EDGE 3 costs less than $100, and the AI functionality is included in all Moultrie’s standard data plans (starting at $8.99/month), the EDGE 3 is a great value, especially in light of all its other capabilities, such as: quick and easy setup that includes automatic camera registration by scanning the on-board QR code, automatic connection to the strongest cell network in your area and “live aim” using a Bluetooth connection to your smartphone; elimination of SD cards via integrated, on-board data storage; the ability to request on-demand images and videos; automatic GPS tagging of the cameras in the mapping area of the Moultrie app; remote camera monitoring and management via the app; and “offline” camera management that allows you to use a Bluetooth connection with your phone to change camera settings and download data when within range of the camera.

Of course, the EDGE 3 also offers great image quality, with 40MP stills and 1080p video, along with fast, .5-second trigger speed and a low-glow infrared flash for discreetly capturing nighttime footage. The EDGE 3 is also compatible with Moultrie solar panels for extended deployment in the field, as well as the new generation of Moultrie Connect feeders that allow you to manage and monitor a nearby feeder via the camera’s Bluetooth capability, all without a separate feeder subscription.

$99.99 | moultrie.com