Trail Camera Fun

It is so boring staying stuck inside for the deer gun season. Hubby doesn't like me going out in the woods at all for anything. However, I decided to take a short walk yesterday and refresh the camera SD cards in the woods.

Charlie and I both needed some outdoor air and some woods time. He needed more practice with his blaze orange vest. He did fine unless he was jumping logs and rocks. Sigh. So, on good trails, it is fine.

Still the colors keep him very visible. We were both in High Vis vests.

Anyway we found some amusing photos when we got back home.

Apparently some deer like 'Selfies'? 
Deer are supposed to be spooked by cameras. I have two in the woods and they stay in the same spot all of the time year 'round.

These two knuckle heads moved the camera on the tree. I have blurred shots of their noses I think, the camera moves and we see this:

The buck in this next picture actually has some nice antlers, when he walked away, we had a blurred view of some high and wide horns.

Then this guy came through....Wow!

I put one camera at a place I figured was a deer crossing from the neighbor's meadow into our summer pasture. There is a lot of traffic by deer back and forth through this spot.

And...something surprising!

Bobcat visit in the middle of the day!

And a 10 minutes later? Do we have a second bobcat or did the original one circle around?

My neighbor commented that these bobcats were pretty big and I guess they do look large, and certainly much larger than Charlie.

However they have been around since 2017 and haven't bothered any large livestock in the area. Their main meals are squirrels, rabbits, chickens, and small mammals. Apparently they will eat woodchucks and that is fine by me!

It is unusual to catch one on camera during the daytime though.

I've seen Bobcat tracks a lot last winter in this very same spot so I am guessing that they are just using the 'game' trail.

This trail is well used by deer, squirrels, raccoon, 'possum, and once in a while by turkeys so it makes sense to see the Bobcat hunting!

It is rather fun to see what goes on in our forest.

We aren't doing anything special for Thanksgiving. Hubby asked for BLT's as a special supper. Wow, that is great! Easy and delicious! I saved a pumpkin pie from the Mennonite bakery so I have to thaw that and we can have that as desert.

Meanwhile in the Forest

My Moultrie camera has been on this tree and the one behind it for over two years now. I found the Highway and rest area for all types of creatures.

I get a ton of activity in 3 short months. Most of it isn't fascinating, but some of it is hilarious and some of it is curious.

This doe likes her photo taken or is infatuated with the click of the camera. Often she or someone just like her will walk up to the camera and stare at it.

I read a lot of articles in hunting magazines regarding how to place a camera. I had terrible luck in following their directions. However after a few years of experimenting it seems I found some great spots. And obviously the animals aren't bothered at all by the cameras.

This fawn had a great playtime with this camera I had low on a stump.

The racoon love to chew on the camera and try to move it around. Most are slightly curious it seems. I leave the cameras in one location all of the time and rarely move them.

The deer share the same trails as the racoon, the skunk, the 'possum, coyote, and bobcat. I should have saved a fun and curious shot where two fawns were following a lumbering racoon. Tsk, I didn't!

This seems to be a great spot for napping also. As well as family get togethers.

Predators also use these trails often.

Here there is a Bobcat and a coyote coming through a couple of hours apart.

Out of curiosity, I set up a camera that shows the driveway. It does a nice job of catching me going to get the mail. And at night I was surprised to see deer in the yard . 

Another time, there was a coyote that trotted towards the mule's fence and turned and ran. I assume because the mules came up and gave it the evil eye.

It will be interesting as winter moves in with snow and other weather what we will see.

I moved this camera back one more tree to catch more of the criss cross of trails and the log that so many deer like to nap near.

Wild Wild World

Heh. Not the internet either. Outside is the wild world.

First two photos that I actually did take a week ago while I was out looking for cool lichen or moss and checking for the first sign of a wildflower.

Next are some shots from my very old trail cam. It still works but only shoots in black and white. The night shots are not super clear. Oh and the AM and PM were switched. I had forgotten to set it properly after replacing the dead batteries.

Our resident Bobcat. I've seen this or one like it on and off for more than a year and only glimpse crappy shots of it moving through camera range. When I posted a photo of it on FB I was sent messages of alarm from well meaning friends. 

Despite their reputation, they rarely will eat pets. The trail cam shows many rabbits, raccoon, squirrels, and birds that are in this area. I mean this spot in my woods is the virtual highway of wildlife.

The deer love to take naps here as well as play.

And then there were these guys/gals walking on through.
[Funny shots I did not include are the shot of a doe doing her peeing in front of the camera. Then later on? A coyote smelling it and marking the same spot! Pee Mail anyone?]

This last wild beast is Charlie.
No wonder his nose is working overtime when we walk through the woods!

On the other side of the Buckthorn Forest I set up a newer camera thinking I'd see the deer as they came in from the large meadow. I was surprised!

Here are the Tom Turkeys that I photographed last week fighting and probably the same ones that we saw in the back woods while I was riding Sunshine.

Now...If I can move my camera to a likely spot where the resident bear may wander through if he/she is still around.

Bobcat last June

It is a Wild Wild Life

 

I posted these photos in my WildLife album last week on FB.

There is a Bobcat and a Coyote caught on camera. Earlier in June, I caught this same or similar Bobcat in a different part of our land. I see coyotes about once a month on the trail cam. Lately in pairs.

Now there is a bear that I have yet to capture on the trail cam, but he/she has left piles of scat in the creek bottom and has been seen by two neighbors. This bear raided my neighbor's berry patch in July and I saw its behind this summer while out in the wild lands. Bear ran off as soon as it heard me.

Anyway my city friends cautioned me to start being very careful!

I was amused and fielded an actual phone call from one friend telling me that I shouldn't be out in the woods with a Bobcat around or Coyotes for that matter. I assured her that 99% of the time these creatures run amok at night and avoid humans like the plague. Or should I say, avoid me like the Pandemic?

Bobcats are very secretive and it is rare to see one. They normally eat mice, rabbits, and raccoon. They will grab and kill a fawn in the spring but rarely take on large animals. Their tastes are similar to coyotes. 

When I first moved here in 1996, the land next door was over grazed by cattle. Only the deer and coyotes were around. The 'yotes had plenty to eat. The deer had a bit less as most of the underbrush was gone. Most parts of the land next door looked like a golf course with streams and trails. 

Now it is the Wilds. There has been no cattle on the land in 15 years and the forest has taken over.

This spot in my woods is very active. I've seen raccoon, skunk, and an immature eagle on this camera.

This by far is the most active place on our land. It seems to be a resting place for the deer as well as a place they like to play. I must have found the highway for the critters.

Rich says this has been very entertaining. I will keep the camera there and let it observe forest life.

I moved the newer camera that shoots in color to another section close to here. We'll see what it captures in about a week.

Meanwhile, I'll be out and about after this next storm to read tracks. That is another one of my favorite things to do in the winter months.

This by the way is in the Buckthorn Forest which really surprised me. I didn't think that any of the wild life would haunt this area. It makes sense though because the undergrowth is almost non existent because of the heavy shaded canopy. It is on a slight slop with a good view all around. I have been back there on windy days and it seems to be protected from almost all directions from heavy winds. 

It might be the perfect spot indeed!