Yesterday hiking to change out SD cards I had a bear step out a short distance in front of me. What a look of surprise on its face. I probably had the same look. lol
Certainly no shortage of water in Massachusetts with the record rain in July and tropical storm Henri. In my hiking yesterday I tried to set a camera trap where a big bull was videoed last fall. Water levels prevented me from reaching that same area. I hope to relocate a number of camera traps prior to the early fall moose rut.
Jim
It was a scramble this morning hiking to trail
cameras. With Hurricane Henri forecast predicting three to six inches of rain
in Central Massachusetts tomorrow, I had trail cameras that needed to be raised
or removed before the rains. It was HOT & HUMID with humidity at 94%. I
didn’t hike very far before becoming soaked. Animal activity has really slowed
down the last several weeks. I attribute it to the heat.
The coyote above is a video grab from a camera that
was checked this morning. It’s one of the better coyote’s pic/video to date.
Over the last several weeks I’ve located three separate areas with beaver
construction going on.
_ First is a beaver (pic above-video grab) re-building a bank lodge.
Several weeks ago bushwhacking along a swamp that I haven’t visited in a while,
rounding a cove and there on the bank, fresh beaver cuts laying on top of the
old lodge. I just happen to have a trail
camera in my pack!
_ Second opportunity was located while bushwhacking a new area and came
open several freshly dropped hemlock trees (3”to4”diameter). I put a camera
spying the fresh cuts and a check a week later had some decent beaver video
footage. Unfortunately it’s all at night...
_ Third opportunity is a remote beaver pond with two beavers re-establishing
the pond. They have built up the beaver dam, which has raised the water level,
they are now constructing a new lodge. I made a tripod out of pine branches and
set a trail camera up pointing at it from the shore. The lodge is about twenty
yards from the camera. A check this morning showed additional branches and
vegetation on top of the lodge. I couldn’t wait to view the SD card.
Unfortunately nothing on the card. Positioning the camera was somewhat of a
guess. Well that didn’t work out to well!
Jim
Last weekend you couldn’t ask for better hiking weather. Each morning the
temps started off in the low fifties. The cool weather kept the deer flies at
bay for the first few hours.
I was off to swap out SD cards in
several trail cameras that haven’t been changed in a month or so. When reaching
the first camera trap I knew a bear had been in the area. The camera was spun
on the tree and now facing down. Fortunately the plastic strap holders weren’t
broken. I have a few older trail cameras that don’t have metal security boxes.
On that note, if your camera trapping in bear country I strongly suggest
spending the extra money on a metal case.
The second trail camera is setup a short distance away and does have a
metal case. Three bears were in the area late July and all three checked that
trail camera out.
Still no sow with cubs captured on video last week.
It will be interesting to see what this weekend’s SD cards have on them
Jim
I wonder if this may slowing down activity on beaver dams . Its been weeks since capturing sows with cubs crossing beaver dams. Beaver ponds are high with fast moving water spilling over the dams.
With beaver pond water level high, water is reaching abandoned bank beaver lodges. The lodge pictured above hasn't been used in nearly a decade. I was quite surprised to see activity with new sticks stacked on top of the lodge. While investigating this welcomed find a beaver kept a close eye on what I was doing and slapped its tail on the water waring all around that an intruder was in the area,
As you can see in the picture, what a perfect place to set a camera trap. Hopefully rebuild activity continues and some interesting video comes of it.
Jim
Well,
finally some nice weather coming to central Massachusetts. The next few days
forecast is mid to upper seventies and dry! A welcomed break from the heat humidity
and RAIN.
My camera trapping captures have really slowed
down in July, especially bear activity. I’m sure the heat and bear mating
season winding down are impacting this.
The plan this weekend is to pull my trail cameras from one swamp and
start setting them in new areas that were scouted out last winter for moose.
Last year one of my camera trap sets videoed a beautiful bull with a large set of antlers. Unfortunately it was at a distance, I’m hoping that bull’s home range overlaps this new area
Jim
Bears leave their calling card “scent” in a number
of different ways. I was fortunate moving a trail camera only a few feet to
catch this bear using two methods to leave its scent. The first is obvious with
the bear rubbing its backside against the tree. Did you pick up on the second
method? It’s called stomping. The bear will walk and almost appear to be marching
pushing its legs down and turning its feet which also leaves scent.
