A second ( different ) bear  quickly checks out the torn snag

It’s been a busy week of hiking and bringing in many of my trail cameras. In October, the Massachusetts woods fill with outdoor enthusiasts, and my cameras are triggered by more people now than at any other time of year. To limit camera exposure and avoid other potential problems, I scale back the number of cameras in the field each fall.

Collecting them gives me a chance to inspect the cameras and clean the security boxes.

 

I also looked back at my camera-trapping goals that were set last March. The results weren’t perfect, but I did reasonably well.

                 2026 Trail Camera Goals

-          Capture bears walking along a pond shoreline or stream.

-          Find new spots where logs cross water – “log bridges.”

-          Set trail cameras in new areas.

-          Frame shots with visually appealing backgrounds.

-          Monitor a wider variety of bear-bite trees.

 

Jim

-          Bear(s) walking along pond shoreline or stream                          -                                         Not quite what I was looking for.

 

-          New Locations with logs spanning over water – “Log Bridge.”

pic above is previous location with new fallen log bridge

-          Deploy TC’s in new locations. 

       Aesthetically pleasing backgrounds

-          Set up on different bear bite trees

   
                                         

Bear Activity Consistent - Several Locations

 

At last, five months after I found the torn snag last May, a small bear stopped (cover picture) and peered inside.

 Several of my trail-camera sites continue to record steady bear activity, mostly sow’s with their offspring and a few young bears.

                      Yearlings travelling together - Collared yellow circle

A few weeks ago, a trail camera recorded what looked like two yearlings traveling together. One appeared to be collared. They were dispersed from their family group in late May or early June. In past years my trail cameras have videoed other siblings teaming up for the summer and fall. I wonder whether these two will den together?

Late summer beaver dam find has been active the last several weeks with several bears and a small bull.

                                                Small bull crosses dam

                                                   Sow / 2 cubs cross dam

Jim

Bear Activity Good - Near Miss TC Damage

 

I decided to add one cell camera to my inventory. It is a new model, and CAMLOCBOX is currently fabricating metal security boxes for it. So far, so good—though the camera nearly needed an overhaul this week. I set a non-cellular trail camera to watch the cell camera, mainly to confirm whether the new camera was triggering properly. Earlier in the week, my iPhone dinged with two new photos. Both were slightly blurry. Hmmm...

Concerned, I hiked in to check the new camera and review the SD card from the non-cellular camera. Sure enough, a small bear had been messing with it. I moved the trail camera to a new location and will order a metal security box as soon as one becomes available.

 

Jim

Bull Moose Finally Moving -Rut

 

My wife and I just returned from what may be our last camping trip of the year. The weather was not ideal, and foggy mornings made it difficult to sit in any swamps with my camera.

Before we left, I checked a few trail cameras and finally started seeing moose rut activity. The pictured bull passed a camera while calling, with his dewlap hanging noticeably. I’m hoping this week’s SD card check brings more videos. I currently have eight “Moose Sites” monitored by trail cameras.

Although I do not have many cameras still set up for bears, one area has produced consistent activity. Three bears are using this location: a small bear I call “Resident Bear,” which has triggered cameras regularly since spring; a medium-to-large bear that appears every few weeks and is getting noticeably fat; and a sow with two cubs that has been visiting often. During last week’s video check, one cub appeared to have a back-leg injury. As it passed the cameras, it held the leg up and tried not to put weight on it. The cub trailed slightly behind the sow and its sibling but remains under its mother’s watchful eye. I hope the injury is minor and that one of my trail cameras captures the cub again before denning so I can see how it is doing.

Jim

 

                                                                   Gardepro Trail Camera

This secluded beaver pond has drawn a variety of wildlife crossing the beaver dam. Gardepro trail cameras are monitoring the small pond. The cover image is a video grab of a young bull moose feeding crossing the dam, while a young buck and several doe’s feed on swamp grass. I’m hoping a larger bull with an impressive set of antlers crosses the dam. They are certainly in the area—fingers crossed.

I have moved and repositioned many of my trail cameras, raising them higher on the trees in hopes a bull passes by. The moose rut has begun in North Central Massachusetts, which means bulls and cows will be moving more often, especially during daylight hours.

Jim

                                          Gardepro Trail Camera

Fingers Crossed , Hoping Another Bear Visits Snag

Four months passed before a second bear visited the dugout snag. I found the snag in early May while bushwhacking for bear sign and hoped a curious bear might enter the cavity while a trail camera monitored the opening. The ridge now has white acorns scattered across it, which likely explains why this bear was in the area. I’m still hoping one investigates the opening in the coming months. The stick across the hole helps me see from a distance whether anything has entered. So far, the only other visitors have been a squirrel, a pileated woodpecker, and a fat raccoon.

Video I posted back in May when snag was located

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8teXJp-H4rk&t=2s 

Jim

Several Unusual Happenings This Week !

 

It was an interesting week with several unusual things happening while checking  trail cameras.

After checking TC’s in a beaver pond  I started up a hardwood ridge when a barred owl flew out of a tree a short distance from me, and then landed on a branch about fifteen feet away
. It looked like a mature bird and was not injured. The owl sat perched looking around like I wasn’t even there. The event lasted several minutes giving me time to take my cell phone out of my pocket and take a picture ( cover picture)

Two days later while making moose sets with trail cameras,  I looked up and a sow with one yearling were foraging on blackberries and grapes about thirty yards from me. It didn’t take long before the sow caught my scent in the breeze and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

I located an area with a bit of moose sign. I can’t say I have ever seen a moose plop as large as the one below.

 

Jim