New Territory Setting Camera Traps

This mornings hike started at a familiar beaver pond ,then hiked upstream, I haven't been in this area in the best part of a decade. Amazing how the beavers have changed things
Locating this secluded beaver pond was a home run..The dam spans about fifty yards and clearly is a travel lane for mammals. Look closely at the picture and you will see the trail camera. A pine bark roof on the top  minimizes snow building up on the front of the camera.
Scouting the area before setting any camera traps  revealed deer,otter,bobcat & hare scat.
Many of my camera sets are remote and would be a challenge to reach in heavy snow. The two sets made this morning can be reached with snowshoes.
Jim

Wet Hike ! Well worth the effort.

I have been camera trapping a several acre beaver pond in effort to capture a picture of a daytime bobcat . I also was attempting to add a bit of composition to the picture.
Very pleased with the result !!
 It took about four weeks to capture this picture. Patience and persistence payoff when camera trapping.
It amazes me hope well a bobcat is camouflaged
Tomorrow I'm off to scout another area and make a few camera trap sets. Weather will certainly be much better than today.
Jim

Neat Early Winter Find

There is still at least one bear out and about. Whats interesting is the pole the bear decided to chew on, is the exact spot I rest my mono pod  with my weekly hikes to this area. Coincidence , maybe !
Last Saturday there were no bear marks on this pole. This pole is several miles from any sustainable food source. So it appears this bear is traveling from deep woods to the boundaries of  homes & woods to find food.

Jim

Lots Of Hiking With The Holidays

The time off has allowed me to put many miles on the ole'hiking boots. Still carrying my SLR on weekly TC camera checks. Been slow with any decent SLR pictures. I like walking shorelines and with the water levels this year, it's been a challenge.
I have many trail cameras out with no snow ( Yet) to hinder checking them, Activity has been slow and mostly night captures, This weekend I did note a number of bobcat scats while hiking.
I have been saving my gift cards for a while and decided to cash them in at Cabela's,  purchasing a higher end TC. I hope to continue improving the quality of the videos and pictures which will enhance future presentations.
Jim

Should I or Should't I

Got to my spot this morning and the sky opened up. That made the decision to leave my camera in the truck. This mornings hike was to check a number of trail cameras in north central MA. The mild temps had many critters on the move. The heavy rain and warm weather pretty much melted the ice on a few swamps I checked.

 Ducks, beavers, pileated woodpecker and kingfisher kept the swamp pond busy.
Trail cameras captured a few pics. The cover pic is a doe crossing a beaver dam and hears the camera.
Other tc;s captured a distant coyote and bobcat crossing on the thin ice during the cover of darkness.

Jim

Got an early start this morning. Loaded up a bunch of trail cameras and ran a long camera trap line in anticipation of catching a daytime bobcat picture on a trail camera. The sled worked out great and saved some wear and tear on my back.
Jim

Thank You To All That Attended

" Camera Trapping Massachusetts Bears "

What a nice turnout and many thanks !

Special thanks to my son Mike ( pictured) for sharing his bear knowledge.

A few weeks ago I had pulled in all my cameras to clean , change batteries to lithium and inventory all equipment. . I had a good year , only lost one small padlock.
Its time to make winter camera trap sets. I will setup a few cams in previous areas. I  currently have a new spot and will focus most of my efforts learning this area and see what nature has in store.

Jim