Bears Are Active !

 

Off to a good start, capturing five different bears with camera traps in Massachusetts so far this year. The pictured bear is dark and is number five capture for April. I’m hoping to video a sow with COY (cubs of the year) crossing this dam. Reviewing 2021 videos, I only documented one sow with COY’s using that dam last year. However, there were multiple sows with yearlings that used the beaver dam from May through October

Checking cameras this morning from a new swamp had only night videos of raccoons and a bobcat. Glad I checked them out. One of the trail cameras needs minor adjusting to get a better look at the beaver dam and the second camera needs to be moved. The morning sun triggered nearly five hundred pictures.

Jim

First Time Finding Whitetail Shed & Last Fall Capturing Video

 

The weather this morning wasn't ideal for bushwhacking. Light rain and heavy mist . The last thing I would have expected to find would be a very large whitetail shed ,and have a video from last fall of that buck. That goes to show you, you never know how how any adventure is going to turn out. Finding that shed made for  exiting day for me.

Hoping to find another shed before the woods turn green. 

Jim

Late Season Buck With Antlers

 

 Several weeks ago I spied this young buck while hiking  and was surprised to see that it still had antlers. This morning’s camera trap check revealed that he still has them. Last year my camera traps videoed a late March early April buck with antlers.  This probably explains why I haven’t found any sheds the past month. 

I have high hopes this beaver dam will give up an incredible bear pic/video this year

Jim

Bear Time!!!

 

“Fresh Out of the Den”

And we’re off!! This is my first Massachusetts bear of 2022. The pic is a video grab from a Browning Recon Force Advantage. This bear has weathered the New England winter well. It’s still plump! I am also surprised how clean its winter coat looks. The added bonus was a decent bear track in a muddy cart road about a half mile away from this location. Yep, I’d say this was a good Saturday morning on the camera trap trail!

Jim

I Suspect Winter Ticks - Massachusetts Moose

 

Bushwhacking Central Massachusetts over the winter was very promising with locating new locations to camera trap. This morning checking SD cards in one of these new locations revealed something of concern. Pictured above is a video grab with three moose. The cow on the left has a calf with her and there is a partial pic of a third moose on the right. I suspect the bald spots on the two adult moose are winter ticks. I know Maine is challenged with the decline of their moose population due to winter ticks. I sure hope this isn't a start in Massachusetts.

 

Jim 

Time To Start Setting Out Trail Cameras

 

I spent the day in the woods setting camera traps. March is a good time to get things going with your trail cameras. Spring was certainly in the air . I heard  Redwing Blackbirds chattering and  I saw my first wood ducks. 

While making one of my swamp sets a mink swam by nearly hitting my boot.

Bears will be out an about soon. I hoping for another spectacular year !Will one of my camera traps catch a March bear? Sure hope so ! 

Gas prices are sure going to put the squeeze on the frequency of checking distant trail cameras. I found a new area a few miles from the house that looks promising. I spent last weekend bushwhacking checking things out. I also set out a few trail cameras.

Tomorrow sounds like a washout in Central Massachusetts. I'll be back out Sunday setting camera traps

Jim

2021 MA Bear Summary

 

The picture above is my favorite 2021 trail camera capture. 

I recently submitted a 2021 Bear Summary article to The Ware River Nature Club. This article summarizes my 2021 bear camera trapping efforts. It was an interesting year for sure, and am looking forward to 2022.

http://www.warerivernatureclub.org/uploads/4/4/1/6/44166651/jims_bear_study_wrnc.pdf

Jim