New Water Shrew trail camera location

Well, I hurried and was able to get a camera ready to set out for the water shrew, I was worried it would move on to a different location or became food for another animal. It was a long walk just to check the camera on the creek and set this one upstream about 30 feet aimed over a small pool of deep water. Took over 15 minutes to get everything aimed and the rod holding the camera solid in the ground.

I just shut the camera off that was aimed at the creek and would check it on the way out. After looking at the photos on the camera I wasn't too excited about getting my water shrew photo. All I can hope for now is for a large family of water shrews.

I tried to zoom in on the Barred Owl to make sure it was a shrew and it sure looks like one, there are cuthroat trout in the deeper holes that try and avoid the shallow water but it doesn't look like a trout.

Calf Elk getting a drink

This calf stopped long enough for a drink and a nice photo. The lighting was good and nice background this time of the year. This is the camera location on the creek where I took the water shrew photos. Always a good place around water with a well used trail.

Next checking I'll take in an Olympus 380 and set it close to the water and try to get some water shrew photos with the trail camera. The 380 is good for close pictures and very fast, so hope the shrew lives long enough for some photos.

Water Shrew, first one I've ever seen

I was checking my trail camera where a small creek enters a beaver pond when I heard a small splash like a frog jumped into the creek in the tall grass. Much to my suprise a Water Shrew came swimming down the creek, stopped when it saw me and then started swimming back up the creek. I wasn't sure what it was but knew it was a large shrew of some kind.

I had the camera out of the case and took several photos, one as it was watching me and the other as it was swimming back up stream. Wish I would have had my larger camera with me, the Sony p41 doesn't have a good zoom lens.

Coyote for Father's Day & first day of summer

Had to go back to October 05 for this coyote photo to place on the blog for the first day of summer. I set this camera up close at 3 feet on a good predator trail and had some good results of porcupines, bobcats, turkeys and the famous coyotes. Never did notice the animals leary of the camera, even though I had it hid quite well the flash didn't seem to bother them either.

Cow elk and small calf

This cow must have had the calf within the last week and looks to be heading back to the herd. I like to find the trails they use when getting ready to have their calves, they use the same areas to calve each year so it narrows the number of trails I have to cover with my cameras.

Heat produced on new antler growth

I have several photos of bull elk during the time the antler growth is very rapid. This is the time the blood is flowing and bone is growing in the antlers which produces a lot of heat and will trigger a camera quicker than the animal can get to the center of the picture on game cameras.

Not really a problem unless you set the cameras very close as I do on occasions. I set the camera between two uprooted stumps for a photo of a bull elk either going up or down the trail. I used a camera that is a little slower than my others to give the animal time to center in the picture but sometimes things don't work as planned. At least I got a bull photo as planned.

Elk with hoof problems

Seems in some areas in Washington State the elk have been seen with hoof problems, I have always checked my elk photos after hearing of this and nothing ever showed up in the photos until today.

Today's photos of this elk, 25 in all as it fed in front of the camera, certainly proved there is a problem and it shows the difficulty an elk would have walking or running with what looks like a crap claw for a hoof.

I cropped a couple of photos to show how deformed the hoof is with overlapping hooves.

Finally, bull with new antler growth

Set a few cameras out for bulls, bucks and predators and got all three on one trail. It's a good location and difficult to get to because of all the brush and swamp, but that's where the animals seem to be this time of the year. The bulls and bucks aren't bothered and have room to move without banging the new antlers against trees while they are in velvet and growing fast. Plus the mosquitoes are thicker than hair on a dogs back, so few people go into the swamps this time of the year.

Young scrawny black bear

Had a few health issues to take care of so brought my cameras in for a month or so, but set some out the other day and got this young black bear. Looks like it needs a good meal to fill out the body and make the legs look shorter.