Not much is going on with trail cameras this week. Most have been pulled and will be put back out next weekend. I’ve been hiking searching for new locations to make sets for 2024. The log bridges that I located earlier in November show promise. Looks like a bobcat uses it weekly. It will be interesting to see if the weekly frequency is used during the winter months.

Higher elevations in central MA had a little snow early last week. It wasn’t enough to try any tracking. I’m hoping to locate a few fisher tracks in fresh snow and  follow them to a scent post where  a  several cameras’ traps can be set.

I’ve been checking old bear den sites. Unfortunately, no takers . Last spring, I found two dens ( not sure if bear or not)  Trail cameras were set up on both locations early November. Sometime in December I’ll check them again. Both sites look ideal for a fox or coyote den

Jim

TC 2023 Massachusetts Moose Tally

 

I taken the time to review this year’s  Massachusetts moose footage taken with trail cameras and conservatively calculated the number of different moose videoed in 2023.

1	cow with one calf
1	cow with 2 calves
8	different bulls
2	cows with no calves
12	Moose conservative estimate

 

 This is the first year keeping detailed data. It will be a good start for cumulative data in the years to come. I can accurately state that trail cameras this year captured more moose videos than in any prior year.

There's still a chance for a late season bear capture. On November 11^th a bear did cross the stream bridge. I spent more time bushwhacking in the stream bridge area and located a second downed tree laying across the stream. It’s a larger diameter tree so it will be interesting to see if it attracts more wildlife. This winter these logs / tree bridges will hopefully be used by bobcats. I’m going to head back into this location next week to change out SD cards and do so more scouting.

Jim

No Bears The Last Week

 

It’s been a GOOD Year camera trapping bears in Massachusetts. Bears were plentiful with trial cameras videoing twenty-five different bears over an eight-month period. This is the first-year camera trapping bears swimming. It was just luck getting those videos. Trail Cameras also videoed several bears that were comedians.  In addition to the many neat bear videos, I’ve had a good year learning and finding bear sign while bushwhacking. The biggest highlight was finding a small hemlock that a bear raised havoc with.

https://youtu.be/s1Kovy30Rqo

Another lucky find was a bear “stomping trail: with a scent marking tree next to it. Many bears would “Stomp “then rub their back side on the big hemlock tree leaving scent.

Then finishing the year up with a decent size bear using a small diameter tree to cross a stream.

Most of my trail cameras have been pulled and will be put back out in December.

 

Thanks to all for following my adventures!

Jim

Bear Activity Has Slowed Down

 

Bear activity has just about stopped. The cover pic is the last sow / cub activity to date Oct 22nd.

It’s that time of the year when I start bringing in my trail cameras for a month or so. The Massachusetts woods have become busy with fall activity, and I don’t want to leave anything to chance. I do still have a few TC’s out that I’ll give till the middle of the month, hoping for a late season bear.

I’m looking forward to snow and tracking. Hopefully I can locate a few fisher scent posts and set camera traps. I also want to spend more time following bobcat tracks. Last year I was fortunate to follow tracks finding an otter skull.

Jim

2023 Massachusetts Bear Activity

 

What a year it’s been camera trapping bears in Massachusetts. It will be interesting to see when trail cameras capture the last sow with cubs for 2023. This week a sow with a completely black face was videoed (cover picture). She had three yearlings with her. That mom is new to my camera trapping area, making her the twenty fifth different bear caught on camera traps so far this year.  This is up from eighteen in 2022. Also, in October last year, my trail cameras went dry not capturing any bears during October. This year, October has reached thirty-seven camera trap triggers with a few days to go. Also, the last bear captured on a TC in 2022 was November 10^th. What date will it be this year?

I had a neat experience this week while out in a swamp setting a trail camera. I felt like something was watching me. Typically, when this happens, I look up and there’s a deer looking at me. That morning it was a bear! How neat. When I stood up it ran the opposite way.

Jim

Bears Soon To Den - 2023 Camera Trapping Goals

 

Just one more plug for my upcoming “Quabbin “presentation October 25^th 7:00 PM Rutland Massachusetts Library. Would enjoy seeing you all.

Bears will soon be looking for their winter dens. Sows with cubs and females will usually den early November. Food is the determining factor.

My focus on bears the last four or five years has been quite a
learning experience. I can now recognize bear sign while bushwhacking and have located ideal bear habitat with the best camera trapping results yet.

Time to start thinking about 2024 camera trapping goals. As shared in the past, these enjoyable goals motivate me and assist me in learning about nature. Let’s review my 2023 goals. I’m pleased with the effort but didn’t quite get a bear / den picture suitable for the wall but came close. Here were 2023 goals:

-          Video of a bear with a beaver lodge in the background – hopefully nice enough to frame.

-          Video a bear crossing a log or what I call a log walker.

-         Video a day daytime video with a cow moose and calf

 

 

 

Jim

Presentation - Rutland Massachusetts Library - Oct 25, 2023