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Taking trail
cameras to the next level learning about Massachusetts Black Bears. Now that I can
find bear sign has offered me opportunity to set camera traps and see more into
a black bears world. In this presentation I will share the interesting things I’ve
learned about Massachusetts Bears
Jim
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Bear Whammy Tree – Yes , there is such a thing as a bear whammy tree! Seeing my first whammy
tree ( in video ) was a real surprise and eye opener. The tree was literally beaten up I had two questions after seeing
this. What happened to the tree and why?
What happened is shown in the video, and
why.? A “ Bear Whammy Tree” is another means for bears to use trees communicating their presence in an area.
A whammy tree is visual sign along
with scent marking . Whammy trees are
made anytime of the year. I have several other videos that time stamp this
activity in July and September.
Summary –
Camera Trapping has helped me learn about bear behavior and the three types of bear marking trees used to
communicate. Over the last few months, I have found more bear marking trees. It
will be interesting to see what’s instore for 2025 learning more about
Massachusetts Black Bears
Jim
Video 1 – Bear
Bite Tree https://youtu.be/JyxLAjBSKiw
Video 2 –
Bear Scent Marking Tree https://youtu.be/97Mp_MBfiUo
Video 3 –
Bear Whammy Tree https://youtu.be/hNFnAfmVtt8
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Video
2 -This Black
Bear Scent marking tree with ritual trail passing at its base are good examples
showing different black bear age groups
that use the same marking tree throughout the year. The camera trap watching
this tree was triggered forty-two times in 2024. The compilation shows a good age mix of bears scent marking on the same tree. Most visits occurred between
May and August. Bears will scent mark all year long with the highest activity typically during the mating season.
This is the second
of three videos sharing my experiences learning about “ Bear Marking Trees” in Massachusetts
I’ll share
the third video next week
Massachusetts.
Browning Elite HP4
Jim
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My focus in
2024 was learning more about Black Bear Tree Marking behavior. With the help of
trail cameras, I was able to capture videos of bear behavior at marking trees. There
are four types of bear marking trees. Bite tree, marking tree, whammy tree and
climbing tree. Video One -Bear Biting Tree. Over
the years I have found trees that have a recent bite(s) taken out of them.
After finding such a tree, a camera trap would be set hoping to capture a bear
visiting the bite mark. Up until this year, I have had zero results. Late May I
found a fresh bite taken out of a large conifer tree. A camera trap was set.
The video shares the details. It appears it’s all about timing. Locate a fresh
bite mark made during tree mating season ( May / June Massachusetts ) and
likely you will have regular visits from bears until the mating cycle ends. With
a bit of speculation, the bears in the video are assumed to be all males. If you
have captured a sow making a bite mark, I would be interested in seeing the
video.
This is the
first of three videos. I’ll share the others over the next few weeks.
Browning
Recon Elite HP5 - Massachusetts
Jim
It was a
good week redeploying trail cameras and looking for bear sign. I was surprised
to find recent bear scat. The scat had no evidence of sunflower seeds, and it
looked like the bear was foraging on winterberries and acorns.
I have trail
cameras watching three old fisher scent posts. One was found in 2022 and the
other two in 2023. There have been trail cameras watching the 2023 scent posts
since last December. The height of those two fisher scent posts activity was January through early April, with forty-six
camera traps triggers. May through December had only four fisher camera trap triggers.
In the May – December months no female with kits ever passed by any of the
scent posts.
I spent the
week bushwhacking new and old areas looking for bear sign and new spots to set trail
cameras in 2025. It was time well spent finding new prospects for next year.
I also met
some interesting people last week and enjoyed talking with you all. It’s nice
seeing folks enjoying MA nature
Well,
another year is wrapping up and want to Thank You All for following
my blog.
Wishing
you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Jim
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Bobcat pic
from earlier this year.
It’s been an
uneventful week spending little time in the woods. Shotgun season ended Dec 14th
, I can start setting trail cameras back out next week.
I’ve been
reviewing my 2024 bear videos . Lots learned this year about bear behavior. I’m
working on a few videos to highlight this behavior.
Annual Bear,
Moose and Bobcat Trail Camera Triggers
Moose Bear Bobcat
2023 85 239 n/a
2024 83 619 193
The reason
for the increase in bear triggers in 2024 was due to finding two new bear
corridors earlier this year. Moose triggers stayed about the same. The only notable difference
was not videoing any moose calves in 2024. In 2023 three moose calves were
captured on TC video. One single and one set of twins.
This year I also kept track of bobcats. It
will be interesting to compare numbers next year.
Gathering up
my trail cameras does have a plus side. I clean up and relabel the cameras and
locks Trail cameras are inspected to be sure they function properly. This year
two went on the fritz, They were older Bushnell Aggressors. Santa came early
and replaced them. I’m finding that my TC’s go about five years before having
issues. I think that’s pretty good performance given most of my cameras are out
in the elements for most of the year.
Looking
forward to getting back in the woods next week
Jim
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I thought
the cover picture was interesting with the three does all looking at the trail
camera.
The primary deer
hunting season ends next Saturday. That means the following week I can start
setting out trail cameras again. I’m looking forward to that !
In the last
week or so we have had two nights with snow in central MA. The first storm was
only supposed to drop a few inches. We received seven inches of heavy wet snow .
After the storm ended it turned windy, which put the squash on tracking. I tried
to tracking seeing a porcupine track and a few deer tracks. Last night we got a
dusting to an inch which made for decent tracking conditions. This morning, I was
searching for tracks at first light and hoping to find a fisher or bobcat track. The snow
started around 3:00 AM which didn’t leave much time before daylight for
critters to leave any sign. I had no problem finding a coyote track, so I followed
that for a while. Nothing out of the ordinary came with that track, it wandered through a
hemlock grove checking around downed trees. I also saw a porcupine run along
with deer tracks .It was a beautiful
morning to be out bushwhacking ,but uneventful tracking.
Jim
