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

Woods Busy With Wildlife Activity

 

A few weeks back I shared a picture of a cub standing on a light-colored rock looking out into a swamp. I was hoping to get a trail camera video of a larger bear standing on that rock. Last week the same cubs and sow passed the light-colored rock, only this time the sow stopped briefly with the TC capturing a nice fall colored video. She is a small bear, I estimate her to be three or four years old.

Bear activity is winding down, slim possibility for a bigger bear passing through that swamp and getting a video. I will set up TCs again next year.

Bull moose are now highly active looking for cows. Several trail cameras have videoed distant bulls. TC’s were repositioned  closer to their travel routes. One TC videoed a smaller bull crossing a beaver dam. Hopefully, he passes the camera again during the day.

 

Yesterday while checking SD cards, I came across a Golden Birch tree that had fresh signs of a beaver chew. This looked like a good opportunity to set TC’s and video a beaver taking a tree down. Two trail cameras were set, A Gardepro White Flash and a Browning HP5. Hopefully with the next SD card check there is downed tree.

 

 

Jim

Moose Rut ( Massachusetts) In Full Swing

 

The effort in the last three weeks setting and moving trail cameras around in anticipation of the Massachusetts moose rut is paying off. Based on what I am seeing on the TC’s, moose are in full swing with rutting activity. Most activity has been at night, but one camera did take a daytime video of a respectable bull crossing a beaver dam. You have heard me reference several times , find the cows and the bulls are sure to follow. Well, the bulls have arrived! To date 4/5 different bulls have been videoed.

 

A little over a month ago I started scouting new areas for bears. I found one location that caught my interest and set one TC hoping to catch a little late season bear activity. The camera stayed out for exactly one month. I couldn’t believe the bear activity ! The trail camera had 94 videos, and 34 videos were of BEARS…. There were nine different bears not including cubs.

-      Four sows – two sows with cubs – one with yearlings – one that had sent her cubs off on their own late spring ( collared bear )

-      Five single bears ranging from a yearling on its own to mature bears. Most looked good putting on the pounds

I’m not sure why there is so much bear activity in that area, I’ll do

 more scouting over the winter.

https://youtu.be/y3oImyncCQc

 

Jim

Slow Start With Moose Videos

 

Last week, I camped in North Central MA near the NH border and enjoyed perfect weather for hiking and looking for bear sign. Not much bear sign  around, but  I did find minor scent pole activity, and several torn up  logs.

 Trail cameras that were set a few weeks back for moose only videoed one small bull moose so far. This week, I’ll check all my trail cameras hoping for a daytime bull.

 The sow with two cubs on the cover photo has appeared on TC’s regularly since April, amazing how they have grown in six months.

I never really put much effort in videoing  (trail camera) bucks working a scrape. Mid-October I’ll look for a few scrapes and set TC’s.

Jim

Bears are in the Nuts and Moose are on the Move

 

This week I’ve been on a mission to find a stand of beech trees in central Massachusetts. I put on many miles hiking before finally finding an area with a dozen or so trees. Only two trees had beech nuts. As hoped, a bear had climbed the tree leaving scratch marks and two small punctures in the bark of the small diameter tree. That provided enough evidence to explain why the tree had only a few nuts left on it branches. There were still a few beech nuts on the ground. Bears are also feeding on hickory nuts and white acorns.

While setting a trail camera this morning, I looked across the beaver pond and there was a cow moose standing in the water browsing. I watched  her for a few minutes hoping a bull would show. No Luck ! Find the cows and the bulls will follow this time of year The next several weeks moose activity will increase with bulls looking for cows.

 

Jim