game camera success

[woodjin]

I have a game camera that I have put out on a number occasions with little success. I have caught deer, but little else. I'm not a hunter but just do it for kicks. I had a spot near my house that I have had the camera at, off and on, for months. The bait (meat) is always consumed but never any photos. The best I got was catching a fleeting glimpse of a bog lemming as I walked to my camera. I tried everything from tying the bait up so the animal(s) would have to struggle and create more motion, to trying different camera placement.

I had the camera set very close to the ground and I was certain from my test photos that it was sensitive to the bait area, however this last time I put a pine cone shim near the top of the camera to get a serious downward angle. I thought it was too much of an angle but low and behold...I got 50 exposures. I figured it was a raccoon or opposum. What I got was a gray fox and a raccoon. Hope you enjoy these few (of many) photos.

The gray fox:

the coon:

Getting away with the goods

Raccoon mooning the camera. I also had a close up of this nose sniffing the camera but it was way too over exposed.

Jeff

 

[kingofthepines]

thats cool. keep it up. no success with my camera yet.

 

[PancoastDrifter]

That is great. Very cool colors on the fox.

 

[RednekF350]

That's great stuff Jeff.
I have to get a camera this year.
My trapping bait station consisted of deer parts, goose carcasses and fish.
It has been visited only by a skunk and some vultures, based on a review of the tracks in the snow.
I can't believe the vultures found it because I centered the bait in a tight cluster of young cedars so as not to be visible from above.
I just reset in another area with flounder stuffed inside a hollow stump.

 

[glowordz]

Amazing. Surreal colors, like something extraterrestrial. The fourth one down is my favorite . . . I can identify with the look in his eyes.
--G

 

[bobpbx]

Good stuff Jeff. I have never seen a gray fox in the pines. That is something special.

 

[ecampbell]

That's great Jeff. I've had my camera out all 2009 with little success (deer don't count). I see more by just hiking. It's been out over a week now. This weekend I checked on it and saw it had 6 pictures, I'll probably retrive it Friday. The bait's still good so I left it. Just little nibbles so nothing big. What are you using for bait? Is your flash visible or IR? I found that even with a visible flash the animals stick around, probably temporary blindness.

Also when using the flash if I point it too much down or there are objects in the foreground I get alot of reflection back making a bad picture. Mine is set to take 3 pictures in a row and then wait 1 minute.

Ed

 

[dragoncjo]

Bob, I'm very suprised you've never seen a grey fox......there are lots around caranza road. I see them occassionally crossing the road towards evening.

As for catching more things on your camera try to put your cameras near a water source, lake, pond, stream, etc. Also most of these cameras have to sit real low. I had mine out last summer and had it about waste high(I'm 6'1) and it wouldn't trigger if someone was under 5'8.....I placed mine pretty low, around knee high and have gotten yote, otter, deer, racoon, skunks, rabbits on mine.

 

[Teegate]

Raccoon mooning the camera.

Did you teach him that?


Guy

 

[woodjin]

What are you using for bait? Is your flash visible or IR? I found that even with a visible flash the animals stick around, probably temporary blindness.

Also when using the flash if I point it too much down or there are objects in the foreground I get alot of reflection back making a bad picture. Mine is set to take 3 pictures in a row and then wait 1 minute.

Ed

I am using left over meat. Mostly chicken, this last time was a pork roast and chicken, ham bone. My flash is visible. Mine is set to take a pick every minute which is the fastest setting on the camera.

 

[woodjin]

As for catching more things on your camera try to put your cameras near a water source, lake, pond, stream, etc. Also most of these cameras have to sit real low. I had mine out last summer and had it about waste high(I'm 6'1) and it wouldn't trigger if someone was under 5'8.....I placed mine pretty low, around knee high and have gotten yote, otter, deer, racoon, skunks, rabbits on mine.

yeah, this is by a bog. It is literally sitting on the ground (and secured to a tree) but it took that position, plus a pine cone shim to point it more downward to get the shots.

 

[woodjin]

Did you teach him that?


Guy

 

[woodjin]

Amazing. Surreal colors, like something extraterrestrial. The fourth one down is my favorite . . . I can identify with the look in his eyes.
--G

Thanks, the graininess (is that a word) could probably be cleaned up a little with some of the photo editing stuff I have but it does give it a cool look.

Jeff