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

New TC Location Has Potential - Best Lifetime Deer Shed Find

 

It’s been a productive week in the Massachusetts woods ! Bear TC’s have been set in the new areas . I spent one morning scouting a  twelve-acre swamp that really didn’t show much potential  using Google Earth and OnX Satellite View. Was I in for a surprise? Approximately nine acres of this swamp are thick tangled bushes and swamp grass. Three acres on the backside are a camera trappers dream with two beaver dams and two active lodges.

Earlier in the week I found my first deer shed of 2025 and what a find ! My Best Find Ever !!!    

https://youtu.be/U4Ko5jC6f4c

Jim

Backside of new swamp.

This Was A First - Fisher Resting In Tree

 

It was a productive week making TC bear sets, I have the new areas finished and have made sets in prior year locations.

I enjoy hiking with a camera in hand as well as setting camera traps. Saturday morning a female fisher was seen sleeping high in a hemlock tree . It was overcast and dark in the clump of branches where she was resting. Watching patiently, it took about three hours before a sliver of sunlight reached the top of the tree. I was able to squeak out two halfway decent pictures, One with her sleeping and the other with a slight twinkle in her eye. No doubt this fisher had a den nearby with recently born kits.

This week more TC’s will be set out in hopes of capturing an elusive short-tail  weasel.

Jim