Trail Cams, Habitat IQ, and Building Tactacam: Conversation with Jeff Peel

EP 680: Jeff Peel | Tactacam What does it actually take to build something from nothing in the hunting industry?

Not the polished version — the real one. The trailer-hooked-to-the-back-of-a-Buick-Enclave, sell-your-house, answer-customer-service-calls-at-4AM version. That’s exactly what Jeff of Tactacam pulls back the curtain on in this episode, and man, it’s one of the more refreshing conversations I’ve had on this podcast.

Jeff and his wife Tara started Tactacam with almost nothing — a plastic folding table, a dream, and an obsession with taking care of customers in an industry that had largely forgotten how. What started as a point-of-view hunting camera has grown into a 500-employee powerhouse that now dominates the cellular trail camera market. But the part nobody tells you? It took 10 years of brute force to make it look like an overnight success.

We dig into the pivot from software to hardware (and why everyone told him not to), the customer-first philosophy that drives a $2 million monthly CS budget, and the launch of Habitat IQ — a genuinely exciting AI-powered platform that takes the collective knowledge of the country’s best whitetail property managers and turns it into actionable data for your specific ground. Think SimCity meets your food plot plan meets 20 years of Jeff Sturgis notebooks.

And yeah, we talk about dream hunts. Jeff’s answer? Polar bear with a bow on frozen ocean where you’re the bait. His wife thinks he’s crazy. I get it.

Whether you’re a hunter who loves to nerd out on habitat, an entrepreneur trying to figure out how to break into the outdoor industry, or someone who just wants to hear what it actually looks like to bet everything on something you believe in — this one’s for you.

Timestamp Chapters 0:00 Intro & Sponsor – OnX Hunt 1:30 Sponsor – Bridger Watch 3:00 Welcome Jeff Peel | Catching Up on Spring Hunting Plans 5:30 The Origin Story – From Cemeteries to Cameras 9:00 Meeting Ben Stern & The Decision to Go All In 12:00 The First Employee, the First Trade Show, the Buick Enclave 15:30 Why They Won – Customer Service as a Competitive Moat 20:00 Advice for Entrepreneurs Looking to Break Into the Outdoor Industry 24:30 The Pivot to Cellular Trail Cameras – Did He See It Coming? 29:00 Hardware is Hard – Why Everyone Said Don’t Do It (And Why He Did Anyway) 33:30 Building the Tech Team & Why the CTO Was the Most Important Hire 37:00 Habitat IQ – The Genesis of an AI-Powered Property Management Tool 43:00 How Cameras & Habitat IQ Work Together to Track Real Deer Movement Data 47:30 How Far Should Technology Go in Hunting? Drawing the Line 52:00 Dream Animals – Polar Bear with a Bow on Frozen Ocean 55:30 Tara’s Retirement Season – 5 Deer, All the Jealousy 57:30 Why Billings, Montana? Elk. That’s Why. 59:30 Where to Follow Tactacam & Wrap Up

Episode Sponsors OnX Hunt If you’re serious about hunting out west, OnX isn’t optional — it’s foundational. Land ownership, access, terrain, and a full suite of tools not just for the hunt itself but for the planning, the scouting, and everything that goes into being a backcountry hunter. The difference is simple: it’s confidence. Confidence you’re in the right spot. Confidence you’re legal. Confidence you can get back to the truck. Download the OnX Hunt app and become an elite member today. Use code TRO to save 20% on your membership. Website: onxmaps.com

Bridger Watch This one’s personal — Bridger Watch is Cody’s company, and it’s a full-featured smartwatch built by hunters, for hunters. Not a general-use watch with a camo skin