Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 50
The Naturalist’s Eye
By Marcia Bonta
Although individuals have realized the enjoyment and learning experience that trail cameras provide, so, too, do wildlife professionals.
The Joy of Trail Cams
LMOST AS SOON as they settled into their new home, back in 2009, our caretaker couple — Troy and Paula Scott — installed three strobe cameras. As avid hunters, they were interested initially in monitoring the movements of deer over our square mile of mountain property. But soon they were capturing other critters on their cameras, especially at night. Paula quickly became the chief monitor of their cameras, and when the company that produced their strobe cameras — Wild Game Innovation — came out with video cameras, the Scotts purchased three of them. Paula admits that monitoring the cameras throughout the year is addictive to her. She used to dislike winter, once hunting season ended, but now it’s her favorite time of year. That’s because she uses bait to attract a wide range of wild animals. She hangs a discarded deer carcass by a wire from a tree limb, so it swings a foot or two off the ground directly in front of a camera. Of course, when bears are abroad, she does not use bait, although she did get a bear on the surprising date of February 27. And that’s what she likes most about the cameras. She learns more about animal
50
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behavior, especially with the video cameras. In less than two years, she has gotten excellent footage of 15 species of birds and mammals. Her favorite sighting so far has been of two different fishers that kept returning to the bait. One, especially, she describes as a “camera ham.” It swung back and forth with the carcass and often faced the camera. Then it turned on its back and rolled with the carcass. All the while it seemed puzzled by this strange source of food. Both Paula and I have had excellent sightings of fishers in our woods. We’ve also seen tracks in the snow. But the video footage of fishers gave us a whole new perspective on fisher behavior. Watching two raccoons and an opossum feeding peacefully around the carcass was another surprising behavior observation for Paula. “I figured they would be competitive and they weren’t,” she says. She was also surprised that an American crow fed beside five turkey vultures. And both she and Troy were amused and chagrined when an old hen decoy they had used to unsuccessfully attract gobblers years ago proved irresistible to six jakes at
GAME NEWS
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011
History of the Whitetail
Contents
In Those Days
Flintin’ With the Flatlander
Late Season Duck Hunting
The Perfect Opening Day
A Moment for Redemption
Deer Harvest Estimates
Beware the Pogonip
Habitat for Hunter Access Cooperato
The Cadet
Field Notes
Conservation News
Off the Wire
Another View
The Naturalist’s Eye
Straight from the Bowstring
Fun Game
Lock, Stock & Barrel
Annual Index
Crossings
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - Cover2
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - History of the Whitetail
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - Contents
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - In Those Days
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 4
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 5
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 6
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - Flintin’ With the Flatlander
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 8
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 9
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - Late Season Duck Hunting
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 11
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 12
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 13
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - The Perfect Opening Day
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 15
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - A Moment for Redemption
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 17
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 18
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - Deer Harvest Estimates
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 20
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 21
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - Beware the Pogonip
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 23
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 24
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 25
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - Habitat for Hunter Access Cooperato
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 27
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - The Cadet
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 29
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 30
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 31
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 32
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 33
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - Field Notes
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 35
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 36
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 37
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 38
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - Conservation News
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 40
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 41
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 42
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 43
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 44
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 45
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - Off the Wire
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - Another View
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 48
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 49
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - The Naturalist’s Eye
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 51
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 52
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 53
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - Straight from the Bowstring
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 55
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 56
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - Fun Game
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - Lock, Stock & Barrel
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 59
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 60
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - Annual Index
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 62
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - 63
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - Crossings
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - bb1
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - bb2
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - Cover3
Pennsylvania Game News - December 2011 - Cover4
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