Deer Scrape Activity Very Good

 

There was a nice turnout for my Mustelid Presentation yesterday. Thank You to all that attended ! Stay tuned for future presentations.

The Whitetail Scrape project I have been working on is going very well. I learned new deer behavior and never expected the level of activity, more to come on this soon.

While bushwhacking another area last week, I came across a number of new scrapes and set three  trail cameras up to monitor.  I figured why not but cameras likely won’t get anything with the rut winding down. I couldn’t have been more mistaken. One trail camera captured the most handsome 10 Pointer I have ever seen on video ( cover pic)

This morning’s adventure took me to a new area; I found a new beaver bank lodge and a bear marking tree. TC’s will be set in the coming week.

Jim

Active Scrape Line Slowing Down

 

It’s been one month ( Oct 15^th ) since starting to watch  ( trail cameras) five whitetail buck scrapes ( one scrape line) . Eight different bucks have visited the scrapes. Three bucks were very respectable . The largest of the three only gave a quick glimpse. It had a very impressive rack and only visited this scrape line once. Activity at and around the scrapes has slowed significantly, with only an occasional  scrape being freshened mid-November. The dominate buck of the area ( 7 Pointer) abandoned the scrape line for ten days. He finally showed back up November 13^th during the day to freshen a scrape.

Next Saturday @ 10:30 I’ll be presenting “ Mustelids of Massachusetts” . at the Rutland , MA. Library

There is still a sow with two yearlings roaming around . On November 14^th the bears triggered a trial camera. The acorn crop is becoming scarce. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the last video of them for this year.

Jim

Deer Rut In Full Swing - Still A Few Bears Active

 

My  deer scrape trail camera monitoring project is going well. The chart shows  highlights of the last few weeks. I have lots of details to sort through. No surprises with the peak rut dates.

Bears still active in central Massachusetts. Over the last three days a sow with two yearlings and two different single bears have triggered TC’s.  Acorns are becoming scarce.  Deer , bear and turkey’s are cleaning the hardwood ridges.

I welcome the first snow so that I can start tracking. This morning, I set two trail cameras for fisher , more on that in the coming weeks.

Jim

Primetime Deer Rut In MA

 

Primetime Deer Rut In MA

 

Mid-October I found my first decent deer scrape of the year. My plan this fall is to find an active scrape line and set TC’s. That has worked out well. Over the last two weeks five scrapes have been found on a hardwood ridge that spans just over three hundred yards. Activity along this scrape line was slow , that was until this morning’s check. One scrape had eighty-five videos with fifty-five of them deer over the last two days. I find watching both buck and doe behavior around a scrape interesting. Buck tally since setting up on the first scrape.

-          9 pointer

-          7 pointer

-          6 pointer

-          Small 4 pointer

-          4 Doe’s near one scrape. There are many videos with Doe’s, I can’t tell them apart

Jim

Might This Be A Den Tree ?

 

Some years back I found a big ole white oak tree while shed hunting It had a large hole ( opening ) near the base of the tree. It looked like a classic cartoon bear den. I have had a trail camera watching this tree for years with an occasional bear and other wildlife checking it out. Last month I decided to hike in and remove the Bushnell Aggressor TC . It would be better used elsewhere. When reviewing the SD card that afternoon at home there was lots of bear activity. A sow with two cubs , sow with three yearlings and a single bear had visited the hollow tree late Sept and early Oct. All three bears showed interest in the tree and one sow climbed into the hole to check the inside out. Needless to say, I returned the following day to set the trail camera back up again in hopes that a   bear will use it for a winter den. Ill head back in November to check again. I wedged two small sticks across the top of the opening. I can see these from a distance

Stay Tuned

 

Jim

Moose Trail Camera Pictures - Best Yet !

 

The moose above were the biggest bulls my trial cameras videoed the last few weeks in Massachusetts. The trail camera used  for the night video was a Gardepro White Flash and the daytime bull video was taken with a Browning HP5. TC’s captured a total of six different bulls. I found a sizable deer scrape last week and set a TC. A very respectable 10 pointer has stopped by once. Hopefully as the rut heats up there will be more bucks visiting this location, Next week I’ll start looking for more scrapes to set TC’s on

 

Just when I think it is time to move on from bears an opportunity presents itself. More on this next week.

 

Jim

Bear Activity Slow - Beaver Chew Project

 

The picture above was a surprise ! I was hoping to video ( trail camera)  a bull moose walking through the old log cut in front of the sapling pines. This sow (has two yearlings ) shows a nice contrast against the green background. Bear activity is winding down quickly. Pregnant sows typically den mid-October, then shortly sow with cubs are in dens by the end of the month. Sows with yearlings will den early November. Males will den when food availability dries up.

The beaver chew tree looks like a good trial camera project. Beavers have been busy gnawing away at night. I went back yesterday morning to make  adjustments to the TC’s . More on that in the coming weeks. While bushwhacking out I came across a deer scrape. It didn’t take much convincing to set two trail cameras.

 

I’m still hoping to get another daytime bull moose before the rut is over. TC’s did video one new moose running in the dark.

 

Jim