Deer activity remains high with the rut in full swing in Massachusetts., Camera traps have captured another buck working a scrape in a different location. So far all activity has been a night. I'm hoping to get lucky enough to capture some daytime footage.
Jim
I had another trail camera ripped off a tree by a bear. Metal camera boxes are a must camera trapping areas that have black bears.
Tomorrow I'm off to check trail cameras in another area that have been recording big bucks. It's a great time of the year to have a trail cameras set out in the woods.
Jim
Early October while bushwhacking I came across a large Whitetail Buck Scrap and luckily had an extra trail camera in my pack. Prime deer rut activity in Massachusetts is usually early November. I was a bit surprised at the size of this particular scrap this early in October .Retrieving the SD card last weekend told the story ( video). This was my fist attempt at putting a camera trap on an active scrape. I couldn’t have been any luckier.
The scrap has been visited by three bucks. The dominant buck that's in the video, an eight pointer and a spike. The spike’s actions have been more curiosity than anything. The eight pointer has stepped into the scrape and has left his scent on the licking branch. Surely a confrontation to follow at some point. I am anxious to see what activity occurred during this week of stormy weather.
Jim.
Last Friday’s SD card check was full of surprises. My efforts to capture a unique bear pic or video this year was coming down to the wire. Another month and sows with cubs will most likely be denned for the winter.
The trail camera that captured the pic (video grab) was set out early last March. It has videoed numerous bears over 8 months but nothing as unique as the picture above. The trail camera in the picture was an additional camera setup attempting to capture a unusual bear picture. I would have never believed that this set would end up being a prop , drawing the bears curiosity and the second camera capturing the (pic) video.
With this type of setup, I only use old trail cameras. The risk of damage or theft is high. Several other camera trap sets in the general area have been literally ripped off trees, no doubt these four had a hand in it.
Jim
As I write this article and reflect on experiences close to the 4000 mile marker hiking the Quabbin Woods. The last two weeks have seen a first time blunder and last weekend a bear approached me in the twilight of dawn. Both will be most memorable in this hiking journey
Several weeks ago, while bushwhacking I was starting to overheat so I stopped took my vest then rolled it up and stuffed it in the large open pocket on the outside of my pack. The corner of this pocket is where my bear spray is stored. Sometime while bushwhacking the plastic wedge that prevents the plunger on the bear spray from be pushed fell out. While stuffing my vest into the pocket it triggered the bear spray. Luckily it was pointed away from me. Unfortunately, when it sprayed it ricocheted off the tree in front of me just catching the corner of one eye and my lips. My exposure was minimal , all I can say is OMG , that was uncomfortable. The worst part was yet to come. When I arrived home, I immediately flushed my eye out, some of the spray made it into my eye. All I can say is LESSON LEARNED !!!
Last Sunday I hit the trail at the twilight of dawn. You could just make out the silhouette of trees. I was walking a road that leads to deep woods, hoping to catch a bull moose on the move. Wouldn’t you know it, a bear steps out into the road ,looks away from me , then turns and starts walking towards me. It took a few seconds before the bear looked up and realized I was there , then it disappeared. Of course, who would have ever figured something like this would happen. First time in ten years I’ve ever thought about pulling out bear spray ( which I had none of)
Jim
I
find it remarkable the amount of sows with cubs that have show up in the
relatively small area. The sow with four yearlings from last week appeared to
be just passing through. Probably a corner of her home range that overlaps.
The
sow that typically rules this area dispersed her yearlings late spring. I’m
thinking that possibly with her being cub-less, is reason for all the
centralized bear activity. Next summer when she
is wandering her home range with cubs will tell the story.
I
still haven’t quite got the picture of a sow with cubs crossing a beaver
dam that I’m hoping to get. Lots of close pics though…. I changed the settings
on most of the Browning TC’s to burst picture mode in a last ditch effort to
capture a pic before the bears den for the year.
A
review of all my bear videos for 2021 would suggest that I should consider
placing camera traps on each end of the dam next year. Bear butts were the norm
with getting several bears moving towards the trail cameras.
No
doubt the 4000 miles hiked in the “Quabbin Woods” will be reached this month.
Eighteen miles to go…… I’m excited about this mile marker. Not sure where this
hiking quest goes from here.
Jim
Wow ! Last weekend bears were really on the move. Camera traps videoed one sow with three COY ( cubs of the year) had crossed five different beaver dams over a two week period. That’s a first for me. Reviewing SD cards from last weekend also showed I missed a sow with four cubs. This is the first time seeing this family of four. It will be interesting to see if camera traps captured video this week of them.
Moose are in rut. Cameras picked up two different bulls during the evening hours. One was respectable Hoping to get a nice day time pic/vid of an impressive bull moose.
I’m closing in on the 4000 mile marker hiking the Quabbin woods. Hope to hit that milestone in October.
