How a Hunter’s Trail Cam Helped Catch a Killer

Doug Howlett

Hunters have a way of finding things no one else does, and sometimes, even things nobody wants to. Dead bodies are high upon that list. Because hunters are a group most likely to go far off the beaten path, through thick brush and forests in search of game, that they often stumble upon those things others would’ve rather had gone undiscovered. And even when we don’t actually make the discovery in person, our trail cameras do.

That was the case this past weekend in Minnesota when a trail cam helped authorities track down Vance Boelter, the fugitive accused of killing two people and wounding two others in a pair of targeted and now apparently politically motivated shootings. Two lawmakers and their families were targeted in the attacks. A Sibley County Minnesota hunter’s camera snapped a photo of Boelter slipping through the woods and sent it straight to the owner’s phone. The astute hunter recognizing the man on his property as the same one police were searching for, quickly called 911 to alert them of the find. That tip brought SWAT teams to the area, and Boelter was captured without incident in hours.

It’s far from the first time hunters — or the tools we rely on — have helped solve mysteries, crack open cases or uncover things the rest of the world would have otherwise overlooked. Hunters have stumbled onto plane wrecks, mass crime scenes, caches of drugs and even saved lives. Our boots hit the ground in places most folks will never see, and sometimes that makes all the difference.

In Boelter’s case, it was a trail cam that sealed his fate. The hunter’s cam, a cell-enabled model designed to send photos in real time, spotted Boelter and delivered the image straight to the owner’s phone. The man relayed what his cam captured to authorities, which led law enforcement to deploy teams, surround the area and make the arrest. Modern trail cams are a far cry from the battery-draining boxes of years past. Today’s versions — often under $200 with affordable monthly plans — can send images and GPS data through cellular networks the instant they detect motion. Even if someone smashes the camera, it does them no good. The images are already stored and sent.

Here are a few other times hunters or their tools made discoveries that mattered:

Plane wreck near Pyramid Lake, NV (2019) — Hunters found a downed small aircraft, solving a months-long search for a missing pilot (Reno Gazette Journal).

Mass murder evidence in NC (2019) — Hunters found a burned truck with human remains tied to a mass killing (CBS19 News).

Hunters Discover Serial Killer Victim (1999) – Two hunters found the body of Tiffaney Shereese Wilson, a 17-year-old South Carolina mother, who was one of at four victims murder by a serial killer (The Greenville News).

Marijuana field in Polk County, TX (2014) — A deer hunter stumbled onto a hidden pot farm deep in the woods (Houston Chronicle).

Rare wildlife sighting, Kazakhstan (2025) — A hunter’s trail cam captured a rare image of a snow leopard, aiding conservation efforts (The Cool Down).

Hunters stumble on plane crash, save pilot (2024) – A pair of lost pilots happened upon the burning wreckage of a small crashed plane and pulled the injured pilot to safety (NY Post).

Whether wandering the backcountry or working the suburban greenway, it’s not always about the hunt — sometimes it’s about being the one who finds what nobody else does.

Check out these stories on trail cameras:

The Best Cellular Trail Cameras for Fall Season Scouting

New Trail Cameras from Moultrie

SpyPoint Flex G-36 Cellular Trail Camera