It's Been A Good Winter Camera Trapping N. Central Massachusetts

This weekend I made the final rounds collecting SD cards and moving trail cameras in anticipation of bears leaving there dens. It been a good winter camera trapping . I've put together a video for Winter 2019 .You can view by clicking on the "Click Here" link below the cover picture.
Just as a note,using lithium batteries worked out very well for the winter,minimizing  weekly checks.

The swamps are beginning to coming " Alive " Heard lots of Red-winged Black Birds and Mallards..

Next weekend I'll make several more camera trap sets and we are good to go !

Jim

Quite The Work Out This Morning !

Did some bushwhacking this morning to reach this trail camera. It was COLD! I didn’t expect it to be so cold given the weather forecast last night.  Hopefully this is the end of single digit temps.

Time to round up all the trail cameras, give them a good once over, new batteries and set them back out. I did get a few interesting captures over the winter. I’ll put something together and post in the coming weeks.

Won’t be long now before bears are on the move. Doubt I’ll locate a bear den like last year. Let me tell you though, it wasn’t for the lack of not trying.

 I have a few new areas to camera trap this year which will hopefully give up a bear or two.

This morning I watched the ice for coyotes. Today was my last day doing this. Tomorrow it’s time to start setting camera traps for bears
Jim

Beat The Snow

 Found this track in close proximity to one of my trail cameras. Its a good representation of a bobcat track in the snow. Unfortunately when I dug out my tape measure and tried for a second picture with my phone the battery was dead. 

I expected snow on the ground with my early rise this morning. Not even a snowflake got me out early and hiking just as the first flakes started falling. There were plenty of animal tracks in the snow from the few inches the other day: deer,porcupine,coyote,bobcat,moose. The only critter seen this morning was a distant squirrel.

I watched this swamp as it started to snow Peaceful setting  and super quiet. Maybe to quiet. Would of been nice to see the coyote or deer that left tracks crossing the ice.

Porcupines were out and about seeing tracks from three different quill pigs in my travels.

Jim

One can Only Hope .......

This bobcat is passing the entrance of a bear den that has no occupant this year. This den site would make an ideal location for a bobcat or coyote. It's been three weeks since my  last visit and battery change. Concerned with the many cold nights in February, I didn't want to chance dead batteries. Hopefully the cold blast coming this week is the last of the real cold nights.

The last three weekends many hours have been spent watching the ice for predators. Very surprised I haven't seen one! Maybe I'll give it one more try next weekend.

On the hike back to the truck this stonewall looked like an ideal spot for a camera trap. It;s a long way in .May be awhile before getting back to this one.

Jim

Spent the weekend sitting and hiking the shoreline watching for coyotes. Unfortunately no sightings. I did see where a moose rolled the dice and crossed the ice . It was lucky for sure!. Not far from where it crossed, the water had current and you could see black ice. 

Trail Cameras have been busy with consistent night activity showing bobcats,coyotes and an occasional raccoon.
Jim

Winter Bear Den Check

 A winter bear den check in North Central Massachusetts houses a sow with three second year cubs. All appeared to be healthy, sleeping away the winter blues.

Pictured is my son with one of the cubs weighing approximately forty pounds

Wind Was BITTER COLD ......

No critters stirring this  morning. Wind was brutal !
I was able to check three trail cameras this AM. All  had night pictures of  raccoons,bobcat,coyote,weasel,
The cover picture is a wet coyote camera trapped.in one of my new locations.

 I have been looking for private land to set out camera traps in north central MA. . Last week a landowner gave me permission for some sizable acreage not far from my house. It has a swamp with a  small beaver pond , thick laurel and mixed hardwoods. Looks promising , we shall see....

Tomorrow morning I'm off to some of the new spots in Quabbin. Need to change batteries and set out a few more trail cameras

Jim