Moose - Late Season Sparring

 

Wonderful way to start the new year ! I have been trying for YEARS to video ( TC )  a bull moose in the snow. In past years, I couldn't find a bull, or Massachusetts didn't have snow before the bulls lost their antlers. Over the last weeks three minor snow events in central MA set the stage. The snow with each storm was enough to track  moose finding there general location. Over the last  weeks I’ve been adding and moving trail cameras daily. It came down  to a bit of luck, having a trail camera facing the right way on the right tree,  Also, it was persistence, having the snow to track and no job (retired) set this opportunity in play. TURN THE VOLUME UP!! The video is short but interesting. The larger bull gives a slight head swing showing aggression, then …. You’ll see,

 https://youtu.be/jAS7NlLBN_k

Happy New Year !

Jim

Best Of Wishes

 

Not much going on this week in the woods. I did make some winter sets for moose. The hope is to get a respectable daytime video with a bull in the snow. Guess I’ll have to wait until the next snowstorm.

There's a lot going on the next few weeks with the holidays, I ‘m going to put the blog down. Before I do, I want to wish you all the very best for the holidays and thanks to all that follow my blog , watched YouTube videos or attended one of my presentations.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Jim

 

Pic is a sow that has two yearlings

It has been a busy week in the woods. I was able to set out a few winter trail camera sets , which was until I became preoccupied with a bear track. Not to often you get to track a bear in the snow , especially in Massachusetts. You can see more about this on my Hiking Camera Photography Webpage https://hikingcamerawildlife.smugmug.com/ Lower left corner. Tracking a Blackbear in the Snow

With the little bit of snow today it will make for a good tracking day tomorrow. I will pack a few trail cameras and set them out in hopes of winter moose activity.

I finished my fall Whitetail Scrape Project and summarized the activity in a brief PP presentation. https://youtu.be/crIEVszmehs

Jim.

 

Deer Rut Just About Done

 

With only two of the six scrapes showing rut activity I pulled all the trail cameras. After getting home and giving it some thought , that was foolish . I returned the next day and set two trail cameras up on the two active scrapes, I'm sure glad I did !

https://youtu.be/95lgAIEd6uc

Tomorrow I start making my winter TC sets, 

Jim

 

MA 2025 Whitetail Deer Rut

 

My Massachusetts Whitetail Deer Rut project is winding down

In early October the first of six scrapes were found spanning approximately three hundred yards across an open hardwood ridge. Trails Cameras were set up at each of the six scrapes .Numerous Bucks and Does have visited the scrape line. Trail cameras were checked on a regular basis with several cameras needing minor adjustment and one trail camera was moved. There will be more to come on this “ Whitetail Rut Project” when the last trail cameras are taken in.

https://youtu.be/_JZeYIwQD-Q

Jim

Deer Scrape Activity Very Good

 

There was a nice turnout for my Mustelid Presentation yesterday. Thank You to all that attended ! Stay tuned for future presentations.

The Whitetail Scrape project I have been working on is going very well. I learned new deer behavior and never expected the level of activity, more to come on this soon.

While bushwhacking another area last week, I came across a number of new scrapes and set three  trail cameras up to monitor.  I figured why not but cameras likely won’t get anything with the rut winding down. I couldn’t have been more mistaken. One trail camera captured the most handsome 10 Pointer I have ever seen on video ( cover pic)

This morning’s adventure took me to a new area; I found a new beaver bank lodge and a bear marking tree. TC’s will be set in the coming week.

Jim

Active Scrape Line Slowing Down

 

It’s been one month ( Oct 15^th ) since starting to watch  ( trail cameras) five whitetail buck scrapes ( one scrape line) . Eight different bucks have visited the scrapes. Three bucks were very respectable . The largest of the three only gave a quick glimpse. It had a very impressive rack and only visited this scrape line once. Activity at and around the scrapes has slowed significantly, with only an occasional  scrape being freshened mid-November. The dominate buck of the area ( 7 Pointer) abandoned the scrape line for ten days. He finally showed back up November 13^th during the day to freshen a scrape.

Next Saturday @ 10:30 I’ll be presenting “ Mustelids of Massachusetts” . at the Rutland , MA. Library

There is still a sow with two yearlings roaming around . On November 14^th the bears triggered a trial camera. The acorn crop is becoming scarce. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the last video of them for this year.

Jim