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

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

Setting TC Goals

 

Keeping Track – Every year I set goals for my trail camera work. For 2025, I aimed to find a new area, and after scouting a swamp with a beaver dam and a big boulder in it, I thought it would be great place to try and capture a bear standing on a rock (Goal #2). I set up two trail cameras, which over six months recorded over a thousand videos—only 21  showed bears passing the rock. Most TC triggers were from moving vegetation, so after adjusting for spring growth, I set the cameras to one-minute . This week a TC finally videoed a bear stopped on the boulder. Not quite what I envisioned, but I’ll take it.

Jim

Time To Setup For Moose

 

 Young Bull Pic above is from a trail camera moose set a few years ago,

It was a busy week moving trail cameras around in anticipation of the moose rut activity in Sept./Oct.  Moose activity on my trail cameras this year has been 3X more than any previous year. I’m not quite sure why that is. All I can hope for is 3X more bull activity than any prior year. That would be incredible.

Trail Camera YTD bear activity this year through August was up slightly from last year. Although bear activity was consistent April – August, I didn’t have any real hot spots as in previous years,

With little rain this summer, wetlands have low water. That makes for ideal tracking conditions in soft substrate ( mud / wet sand )  I spent the morning looking for tracks and was hoping to find a bear track in the mud, No luck with that ! I found deer ,raccoon, otter and coyote tracks

The injured bear YouTube video continues to draw interest. A few weeks back II shared the video, it had 40k views. This morning it reached 51k views.

In case you missed it,

Part 1   https://youtu.be/L96iYigKDQg

Part 2   https://youtu.be/1IjdGgA0M4g

 

Jim

 

Well, I guess this is the summer to see bears. While bushwhacking this week along a ridge, I caught movement in the distance, stopping, I watched a bear wandering aimlessly while foraging. It would feed on a variety of plants then investigate rotten logs and stumps looking for insects. I didn’t get to watch it for too long before it picked up my scent and vanished in the blink of an eye. Neat to see for sure. Continuing, I came upon a BIG long deadfall that had been moved by a bear. I attempted to roll the log, and it wasn’t happening. The log was approximately twenty feet  long and the biggest log I have ever found in Massachusetts. About a quarter mile from the log, I found a decent size birch tree that was used as a scent marking tree with the bear leaving a large gouge in the tree. This is only the second hardwood tree that I’ve ever  located in MA. with bear markings. Hope to find more this fall.

https://youtu.be/cf3KEd6Zvvk

Injured Bear - How The Story Ends

 

It was another slow week with TC Activity; it appears wildlife is minimizing movement with the heat. One TC videoed a cow moose passing directly in front of one of the cameras ( cover pic ).

 Just for the heck of it I checked out a new wooded area many miles from any trail camera location I currently have. I wanted to see if there were bears in that area. I did find light bear markings on several trees, and a few torn up stumps. A TC was set on a small, dried stream bed to see if any bears are still  passing through the area.

The injured bear YouTube Video that I shared a month or so ago  has been viewed 40k times. More so than any of my earlier videos, it’s interesting that it sparked that much interest. A second follow up video shares how the story ends, both videos are below. Many mornings in the field went into setting trail cameras last spring in hopes of learning  more about bears. The injured bear story was a bonus,

Part 1   https://youtu.be/L96iYigKDQg

Part 2   https://youtu.be/1IjdGgA0M4g

Jim

Interesting Early Bear Review Observation

Pic above is one of the five sows with two offspring

I have started analyzing my 2025 bear data reviewing sows with offspring and noted, this is the first year ever only videoing sows with two cubs during  April – July. Typically, my trial cameras video all combinations of sows with cubs or yearlings (usually  up to three offspring – four was the exception several years back)  . April videoed many different sow cub / yearling combinations.( listed below). This is most unusual given sow cub / yearling data from 2021 – 2024. My next question was, how many different sows  with two cubs were using the twenty square mile area that I am monitoring with trail cameras? After pulling video grabs from what looked like different sows, I estimate four or five are using the area. Two of the sows are frequent visitors, two sows were occasional visitors, and the fifth sow had passed through once. It is just a fluke  I’m sure ,but an interesting observation.

 

	2025
Sow with one Cub	x
Sow with two Cub	x
Sow with three Cub	0
Sow with four Cub	0
Sow with one Yearling	x
Sow with two Yearlings	x
Sow with three Yearlings	x
Sow with four Yearlings	0

 

Jim

Pictured below are the five sows.

Been A Busy Week In A Blueberry Patch

 

Finally, a break in the weather ! Animal movement over the last week was very slow with the extreme heat . The bear in the cover picture along with a sow with two cubs and two other single bears have spent the last several weeks foraging a six acre  back swamp loaded with blueberries. A morning hike around the swamp yesterday gave up sixteen bear scat piles. It’s been a busy place . Now that blueberries have past, bear activity will slow in this area.

Jim

Bear Sign Plentiful In Bush Blueberry Swamp

 

With mating season over, bears are now seeking food sources to gain weight. A swamp with a banner blueberry crop attracted four different bears this week, as seen on my trail cameras. . Low water levels have revealed muddy areas with bear tracks. I tried to cast—though not perfectly, it made for an interesting morning.

The swamp edge was loaded with bear sign. https://youtu.be/sVpl4DNW9t4

Jim

Moose Activity Increasing Soon

 

The snow in the photo above certainly looks inviting given the hot & humid summer so far. The photo is a video grab from a trail camera that has been in the field since last November. This TC captured nice moose footage over the winter.  https://youtu.be/6GkbfRcr9UY

The injured bear is still wandering around. More info to share in upcoming post.

Won’t be long before moose activity starts picking up. I’ve been moving and adjusting cameras last week.

 

Jim

Moose activity Picking Up

 

Just back from a week’s camping trip. Checked trail cameras this morning, got some daytime moose footage  Bears are busy eating wild berries, especially blueberries—found  eight piles of berry-filled bear scat while bushwhacking. Most trail cameras are set up at bear marking trees, but bear activity has dropped since mating season ended. Now I am preparing for the fall moose rut.

 

Jim

Injured Black Bear Resilient !

 

One of my trail cameras recorded an injured sow on June 1st, with a male following her. The extent of her injuries became clearer when she appeared on a second trail camera on June 8th, revealing a top rump injury that could be road burn and a lower wound with a significant piece of flesh missing. It is possible the injuries resulted from a collision with a vehicle. On June 14th, the sow scent marked using her non-injured side, and on June 15th, she was videoed crossing a log bridge, showing agility despite her injuries. By July 3rd, footage from a fifth trail camera showed the wound healing and no apparent decline in her mobility or condition.

The reason for sharing this video is to show how resilient a black bear can be, Despite her injuries. She likely mated,  continued scent marking “ Gently rubbed on ritual scent marking trees, appears to still be foraging, and has put on miles wandering central Massachusetts. Hopefully, she continues healing and passes another TC to see her continued progress.

Jim

STOP – video graphic, showing injured bear!

https://youtu.be/L96iYigKDQg

TC Slowed With HEAT!

 

Trail camera activity was minimal last week due to high temperatures. The cow moose with one calf remains in the vicinity, occasionally captured on camera as they pass by. Bear activity has decreased in several areas. Blueberries are about to ripen, which may increase bear activity in these regions.

Jim

Eaglets Will Fledge Soon

 

Earlier this week, I went kayaking, caught a few fish, and took pictures of eaglets before they fledged. Bear activity at the scent marking trees is slowing as mating season winds down by the end of June. Deer flies require wearing a head net for woodland walks. Blueberries will soon be ripe, with bushes full due to the wet spring.

 

Jim

Bear Encounter - What Would Of You Done ?

 

An eventful week in the woods.

This sow with cubs hasn’t been around in a while, ( Pic Above)  The cubs are getting big.

The video was a surprise. Likely not to see this again. https://youtu.be/_i1z-ahuzZo

 

 

While hiking behind a beaver pond, I met a sow and her yearling eating skunk cabbage near the trail. I didn't notice them until I heard loud tearing sounds. The bears were so focused on foraging skunk cabbage that they didn't hear me approaching. The incident lasted about twenty seconds, giving me time to decide what to do.

My first thought was "Oh crap!" as I never expected this! I was so close that sudden movement might startle the sow, who was just a short lunge away. I chose to freeze, hoping she would scent or see me and leave. She looked up at me in disbelief before bolting off, stopping thirty yards away and looking back for her cub. The yearling cub stayed by a small tree, watching me. I slowly backed away, and after a few steps, the yearling ran to its mother.

Thankfully, my decision worked out well. Let me know your thoughts . What would you have done ?   hikingcamera@aol.com

Jim

Moose Cow & Calf

 

Every year I hope to get at least one cow and calf video. Last year I struck out. Hopefully with this early capture they’ll be more to come.

Tc’s captured two pregnant cows earlier this year.

 

Jim

 

Mating season for bears is in full swing. My TC’s videoed two different females being followed by males. Sows with cubs have all but disappeared around bear marking trees and for good reason. A mother bear wouldn’t want conflict with a male bear. I have read that a male bear will kill cubs in attempt to push the female back into estrus. Think about that for a moment. It doesn’t make sense. The likelihood of a lactating female coming back into heat is rare and do you think the male is going to stick around that long? If it were true that killing a cub does send female back into estrus , wouldn’t all the cubs need to be removed.

Male black bears are opportunistic foragers. If a cub or fawn were in its path, likely it would be killed and eaten.

MassWildlife put together an excellent presentation about co-existing with bears. The presentation is informative.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnH_7ZHlFNo

Jim

You Just Don't Know ! Trail Camera

 

Two trail cameras have been monitoring this location for at least three years with minimal wildlife captured on video. I pulled the trail cameras this week looking to redeploy in another area and  hopefully video more wildlife. After reviewing the videos, I returned to that same  location two days later and reset the trail cameras

 https://youtu.be/6lMUBdLhhEw

Jim

This Was A First - Hours Old Fawns

 

The fawn in the cover photo was a surprise. After snapping a quick picture, the twin fawns followed their mother deeper into the woods.

Last week was busy with wildlife activity in Massachusetts. I hiked to an eagle nest and observed one eaglet after 1.5 hours. When I arrived, the female was on the nest and the male was in a nearby tree, indicating a recent food drop.

In April, my trail cameras videoed bears seventy-five times. A sow with two first-year cubs was videoed in three different locations during her eleven-mile loop.

Jim

 

I did get back to the peninsula to check trail cameras and wasn’t disappointed. The video provides several tips on trail camera placement and things to look for when setting trail cameras. Bear activity is beginning to pick up with the start of bear mating cycle in Massachusetts. Sows with yearlings will start breaking up the family group and sending the cubs on their own. https://youtu.be/kIlFO_8OnTY

There is no shortage of water here in central Massachusetts. I’ll need to stay away from most beaver dams until the water recedes. A wet hike this morning checking TC’s and high waterproof boots were aa must. The forecast for next week looks good and I should be able to check all the bear bite tree sites.

Jim

Bear Bite Marking Tree

 

I returned to the peninsula last week and set up more trail cameras. A medium-large bear scented the tree from last week's cover photo. Looking forward to returning this week to check tree cameras. Stay tuned !

 In another location, a bear stripped away bark creating a very visual bite mark tree. https://youtu.be/VxNacWt9bIw

Jim

Another Bear Hot Spot Found !

 

Last week, I set trail cameras at my final bear hot spot. To the east, I noticed a game trail leading into the swamp and decided to follow it. Surprisingly, a small beaver dam provided access to dry land, forming a fourteen-acre peninsula filled with bear-marking trees. The photo above shows one of the main bite mark trees. I couldn't hike back to the truck for more cameras, I moved one from an earlier setup to this new area. This week, I'll return with more cameras to cover the new location.

Jim

 

I've had a busy week exploring the Massachusetts woods—hiking and paddling, I checked three eagle nests, two with females on eggs. I'll revisit the active nests in May when the eaglets have grown a bit.

Next week, I plan to set trail cameras in one last area  for bears before their May breeding season starts. My other bear cameras have shown activity this year. Surprisingly, a bear freshened a bite marking tree last week, which is unusual this early from what I’ve seen in past years. The video shows the bite marking tree and an SD card error.

https://youtu.be/D8blQqOTxLI

Jim

What A Great Start Camera Trapping Massachusetts Bears

 

The trail cameras in Massachusetts have been busy this week. Typically, it's May before they capture a sow with first year cubs, but on April 1st a sow with two cubs was videoed. Additionally, five sows with nine yearlings were videoed over the last several weeks. These yearlings will be independent in six to eight weeks as mating season begins.

I have several trail cameras set up to capture bears in their habitat. The picture above shows a sow in her environment .

Jim

New Spring Beaver Project

 

The picture above is an area that I haven’t been in for many years. I was surprised to see a new beaver lodge built on the shoreline, I guess you could call it a bank lodge. The lodge being close to the shoreline and having a few trees around was an ideal location to set trail cameras. This will be my Spring / Summer Beaver Project. Trail Cameras were set back in February. Earlier this week I hiked in to check SD cards and was surprised to see minimal beaver scent mounding activity . Just as I was leaving two beavers were working their way towards the lodge, so I slipped away undetected.

Jim

1.                                     A coyote over looks the beaver pond.

 

A bear gives the lodge a quick glance. I'm hoping to get a picture of a bear investigating the lodge.

Bears On The Move - Early Scent Marking

 

Massachusetts 2025 bear activity starts with a bonus. A single bear crosses a newly monitored beaver dam, then four days later a  sow with three yearlings crosses the same dam. Then earlier this week  a bear scent marks a popular tree from last year. I was hoping this area would remain active again this year. Now that the tree is scent marked other bears in the area will also leave there scent.

Jim