Knowing the speed of your camera helps !!!

I use different sensor boards to fine tune the speed of the camera on the first picture, then I use the different locations to my advantage to center the animal. This works well with logs and locations where one or two pictures a week would be great. This helps to not miss a great photo, sometimes. In this setting I use a slower setup because of the narrow log and some trees on the left side that will slow the animal down before getting centered in the picture, I even walked the log to get the timing just right for a predator or a deer.



















Because of this first picture I knew the camera was too slow, just couldn't believe the deer would have went faster than a walk across this narrow log. With that in mind, I went with a faster setup in the same location.


This next photo shows the frustration that goes with this hobby. If a grown man gets mad, stomps the ground and yells loud in the woods, and nobbody hears this, does it really happen?


















A close up of what appears to be a 4x4 buck just starting into the picture, my slower camera would have been perfect timing.

Still a few big Blacktail bucks around.

Finally had some extra time to set out a few cameras for deer, been busy trying to catch up on work around the house before the wet weather. I have some favorite locations for bucks this time of the year and they paid off in just one week. I also spend more time hiding my camera when setting them out for bucks, nothing worse than getting the picture with the deer looking at the camera at night, just too much glare in the eyes for a good photo.

This 4x4 was a great catch and never had a clue of the camera, never stayed around for a second picture either.



















Set the camera up in another good location but forgot to trim the ferns, and as luck would have it, they blocked part of the head and antlers but still a nice buck.

Vandal tries to destroy one of my cameras

I had 2 cameras aimed at a well used otter log and I didn't realize the the farther camera had the closer one in its field of view, this was fortunate because I ended up with a good picture as the camera was being vandalized. I had forgotten to turn on the camera that was vandalized so missed some good pictures.

I showed the photos to our local police officer and wanted quick action to apprehend this vandal that I believed was still in the area and a night search would be best. Can't print what the officer said to me, but made me believe it wasn't going to happen...

This picture shows the vandal spotting the camera.
















Vandal attacking the camera...


















Cropped to show a better view ...

Not much of for security, but not even a shoe lace to help out here.

Had enough nylon twine to tie up all my cameras when I left the house, but had to use two on one camera which left me one short. After a 4 mile walk in I wasn't about to carry a camera back out, so did what anyone would do and improvise.

This was on the river for an otter set, but think we need a good rain to bring the otter out of the pond and down to the river. Most of the salmon are waiting for a rain before heading up to spawn and it doesn't look like rain for a while.

Here's what the picture should look like but the stick on the uphill side looks like it might be too close and be in the photo.

Looks like a little romance with the Otter

First camera I had set on this pond was a failure and the otter played underneath the camera without getting one photo, so I placed another one aimed down at the opening they used to play on the mossy log. Nice day pictures of a male and female playing and resting, they will be leaving the pond in a few days and head for the river where the salmon are finally heading up stream to spawn.


You can tell which is the male by the width at the base of the tail, the male is much wider than the female.

















The male is resting in the sunny moss, what a life in this secluded pond. This is my goal, to catch animals in their natural daily activities.

Logs across trails

In our area there are many old logs where the animals have to jump even though there are trails that go around the logs. I was curious to find out how many deer go over the logs using the shorter route than walk around them as both trails are well used.

I found a good location on a slope where the animals would have to either jump the log going up or going down the hill, not thinking I would get any good photos of the animal in the air, but rather how often they would go over the log. It appears now that it's just a way of life for the animals and not a problem, unlike me, who always takes the easiest trail.

Sometimes things don't work out as planned

I spent quite a bit of time finding this location, but after setting the camera I was pleased with how everything turned out. I wanted either a doe with fawn or a nice buck in velvet, preferably a daytime photo but would take whatever I could get. As I walked through the brush to get to the camera, the first thing I saw were quite a few tracks so I felt good, then I saw the camera twisted at an angle on the tree.

I had several good photos of deer at night and a couple during the day but no fawns or bucks. Then a deer knocked the camera out of alignment and the next picture is of a nice buck.