Finally got a bobcat on the log

Only took just over one month but was well worth the wait for this bobcat picture on the log. Nice markings and the flash brings the color out great at night and gives a nice dark background.

Sometimes everything works as planned and you end up with a very nice photograph. This should look in my 2008 calendar.

Very productive game trail

So far I have gotten deer, elk, coyote, bear and now a bobcat on this trail that crosses a small creek. I had the camera set a little farther back from the trail than I normally do so I wouldn't miss an elk, this makes it difficult to get a close picture of smaller predators but still lets you see what passes by.

I'll move in a camera in a couple weeks and set it up low to the ground and get the smaller animals as they cross the swamp. I can also follow the trail and find different locations for the same animals. Problem is once the trail crosses the creek the animals go in all directions using many trails. So when in a new area the best way to cover with just a few cameras is to walk down the creeks and set the cameras on the best used trails that cross the creek, plus if aimed at the creek you will also get all the animals that go up and down the creek, like otter, raccoons and mink.

Coyote on a brushy trail

This trail is very hard to get to because of all the brush, almost have to crawl on your knees to get to the camera. I need a fast camera so I use an Olympus 380 in this location, it works fine for fast pictures and a close background to reflect the flash.

It's fun when you get a coyote before it can find the camera.

Nice color on a calf elk

Color is changing fast this time of the year on the calf elk. Spots are almost shedded out with the new winter coat and the legs are getting dark. Elk will start herding up as breeding season begins so I must keep up with there change of habits and locations.

Game camera for animal study

This location is the same used as that showing the raccoons on July 30th walking the log. I was ready for anything walking the log, had it aimed just right with the flash and focus set for closeup picture. Normally 99 percent of the animals travel the log from left to right at night or during the day but this coyote decided to approach the log from under the camera and climb up on the log to walk, what I believed to be the wrong direction. So much for predicting animal behavior.

I took a picture using the camera out of the case to show the log it was using to climb in front of the camera. It was a nice colored coyote and would have been a very nice picture had it been on the main log walking in front of the camera. You can see the open camera case I tied onto a broken limb I leaned up to have something to hold the camera. The coyote was just a foot or two from the lens and I got 3 pictures of it of which none were looking at the camera.

I am so ready for a bobcat, even if it takes months to get one picture.

Blacktail buck on a 380 game camera

I have several Olympus 380 game cameras that I use for fast pictures up close, so I set one on this trail that crosses a swamp. I got a picture of this 2 point buck (western count, never have been able to convert to counting every point) and it is in very good shape. Also some elk passed on the same trail but never got a picture above the eyes, camera was set for smaller animals.

I swapped cameras on this location with a Sony 600 and should get some nice photos.

Raccoon walking the wrong direction

I took quite a while quessing from which direction a bobcat would be walking down this log. Waited several weeks to get a picture and I was wrong on all counts, but I still like this location.

The flash was just right and the background was very nice for a night picture but think I will aim the camera more at a 45 degree angle to the log so it won't matter which direction an animal walks the log. Glad it was a raccoon and not a bobcat until I get the camera aimed better.

High meg game cameras

This cropped photo shows the reason I use top quality cameras in all my game cameras. I set my cameras close to show better detail on the animals but also gives you a chance to crop the picture to see everything up close without a loss of quality.

I cropped the coyote picture that I placed on the blog a while back that showed a fern covering its face. This is how much you can zoom in and still have a good picture. I think it will still make a fine 8x10 photo.

Fawn by the creek

We had a week or so of hot weather so I tried to get some cameras closer to water. The camera is almost setting in the creek aimed at a well used trail that crosses right where the fawn is standing and is used by a variety of animals. Did see cougar tracks on the gravel bar several years ago when the elk were calving. Be nice to get a picture of one at this location.