Over the last several years I have targeted skunk cabbage patches in the spring in hopes of catching a North Central Massachusetts bear feeding. This has been an ongoing goal of mine for many years with no success. Reading a number of American Black Bear books over the winter and putting a bit more thought into WHERE a camera trap should be placed resulted in locating an active skunk cabbage patch. All the bear’s needs were met in this location. Assuming the top of the video is north, here’s what convinced me to set a camera trap in this location. To the north of the camera is a young thick stand of white pines that provided cover. This is where the two bears entered the cabbage patch from. Just a few feet east of the trail camera is a small brook that flows through the skunk cabbage. To the south is an open hardwood ridge that most likely wouldn’t see these bears until fall, when they would be foraging for acorns or beech nuts.
Maybe it was luck, or possibly putting more thought into why I would put a camera in this location, or a combination of both.
It resulted and meeting the goal!
Jim
Jim, glad to meet you on Sunday the 17th as you were hiking out. Thanks for the directions and your video and photos are beyond amazing. The daytime fisher. Holy moly. Greg and Janet
ReplyDeleteGreg/ Janet enjoyed our short conversation. Hope you made it to the swamp !
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