Scouting Mode
Scouting Mode lets you watch what visits your trap without catching it. The trap detects animals and sends photos, but the door stays open.
Use Scouting Mode when you want to:
- Confirm which animals are visiting before you arm the trap.
- Check activity around a new trap location.
- Watch behavior without closing the door.
Before you start
Scouting can only start when the trap is Open / Unarmed. If the door is closed, tap Open first and wait for the trap status to update.
The trap also checks for an obstruction before scouting begins. If something is already in the capture area, clear it and try again.
Scouting vs. Armed
| Armed | Scouting | |
|---|---|---|
| Detects animals | Yes | Yes |
| Sends alerts | Yes, if enabled | Activity feed only — no notifications |
| Takes photos | Yes | Yes |
| Closes the door | Yes, after a detection | No |
| Best for | Capturing an animal | Observing activity |
While in Scouting Mode, the door does not close automatically. The only controls that move the door are Open and Close. Switching from Scouting to Arm does not move the door immediately, but it does allow the trap to close on a future detection.
Start Scouting
- Sign in at app.ocutrap.com or open the mobile app.
- Find the trap you want to scout.
- Make sure the trap status is Open / Unarmed.
- Open the trap's detail page and find the Controls card.
- Open the arm-mode dropdown (top of the Controls card — it shows the current mode) and choose Scout. Each choice lists what it does, so you can see the difference before you pick.
- When the check passes, the trap status changes to Scouting.
If Scout does not start, the door may not be fully open, the trap may be offline, or the trap may not have checked in recently. Wait for the next check-in, then try again.
What to expect
- Scout Alert: Recorded in the trap's activity feed when an animal first enters the pre-capture area. Scout events are routine scouting data, not alerts — they do not send a push or email, do not appear in your Inbox, and do not add to the notification-bell count.
- Scout Trigger: Recorded in the trap's activity feed when the animal reaches the normal trigger distance. The trap takes a photo, but the door does not close. Like the Scout Alert, it stays in the activity feed only — no push, email, Inbox entry, or bell count.
- Photos: Sent about every 15 seconds while the animal remains in the detection area. (You may see a couple of quick frames right when it first enters, alongside the feed entries above.)
Each scout event type is recorded at most once every 5 minutes. During that 5-minute window, new photos may still arrive, but the same scout event will not be recorded again in the activity feed.
Stop Scouting
You can stop Scouting Mode in either of these ways:
- In the Controls card, set the arm mode to Off from the dropdown (or tap Disarm). The trap returns to Unarmed and the door stays open.
- Tap Close door in the Controls card. The door closes and the trap returns to Unarmed.
Use Armed mode instead when
- You are ready to capture a confirmed animal.
- You want the door to close after a detection.
For capture behavior after the door closes, see After a Capture.
Troubleshooting
- Obstruction error: Clear the capture area, then tap Scout again.
- Door-not-open error: Tap Open, wait for the trap status to show Open, then tap Scout again.
- Scouting activity showing up as notifications: Scout triggers and alerts are recorded in the trap's activity feed only — they no longer send a push or email, appear in your Inbox, or add to the notification-bell count. If you still receive push or email notifications, or see Inbox entries, for scouting activity, please report it.