Just Like That, Everything Has Gone Quiet

 

My trail cameras have been working overtime recording bear activity throughout May and most of June. But this morning’s SD card check was unusually quiet. I checked three locations, with eight cameras monitoring bear scent-marking trees and two beaver dams. Seven cameras had zero bear triggers, and one TC captured two smaller bears crossing a log bridge.

Berry patches will likely be the next major food source. With mating season nearly over, sows with cubs should begin moving more freely. My trail cameras do not often capture sows with cub’s scent marking, but one sow with two cubs has been marking consistently in one area since early spring. Now, a second sow—the one in the cover photo—has marked in another location. Maybe sows with cub’s scent mark more than I realized, or perhaps my cameras simply have not captured much of that activity over the years.

Last week, while checking one of my more distant trail camera locations, a TC captured a second collared sow with four cubs. In ten years, this is only the second time my trail cameras have recorded two different sows with four cubs.

2nd Sow w/4 cubs

Jim

 

Gardepro Trail Camera company contacted me to ask whether I would be interested in trying out a TC solar package. The terms were agreed and the package arrived midweek. I set it up at a beaver dam with plenty of open sky. The solar panel needs direct sunlight and should face south to capture as much sun as possible. Because it would be difficult to conceal, I placed it in a secluded swamp. Once everything was set, I realized I had forgotten one thing: zip ties to secure the cable to the tree. I’ll take care of that on my next check.

This area has consistent bear activity, and with blueberries ripening soon, bears will likely use the beaver dam to reach them. It will be interesting to see how this setup performs.

Bear activity in May was high compared with April, as expected with mating season in full swing. April produced 53 bear triggers, while May produced 167. The year-to-date total bear triggers  is now 279 with what looks to be 45 different bears, including 19 new bears that showed up in May. As mating season winds down, males will soon return to their solitary routines and pass my TCs less often. On the other hand, now that males are no longer covering miles in search of females, sows with cubs should begin triggering the cameras more frequently.

Blueberries should be prime for foraging in a few weeks, so I have moved several trail cameras into those areas.

Jim