Checking 4 Cameras

March 28

I went for a long hike to check some cameras. Though it still felt like Winter there were some of signs that Spring is on the way, from birds singing, woodpeckers drumming, and skunk cabbage and other plants starting to grow.

I’ve had a camera here for a long time, but this is the first video I’ve made of this location. The camera developed a leak but kept working even though it had a lot of water inside which is why these clips are kind of foggy.

A tree fell across the main trail passing by this camera so I moved it to a clearing I groomed in an alder grove.

This camera overlooks a skunk cabbage patch which should start regrowing soon. Skunk cabbage leaves and flowers are a favorite food of sitka blacktail deer, and black bear feed heavily on their roots.

I’ve had a camera in this clearing in the old growth off and on for about ten years.

Checking Cameras

Took the kayak out for the first time this year and checked some cameras in a couple of spots south of Ketchikan.
The following pictures are of the cameras I checked; they may be hard to see, look for the rectangular box attached to a tree near the center of the picture.

I’ve had this camera here for over a year. It overlooks a main trail where it passes through an area deer like to feed.

This camera also watches a main trail through a feeding area, I’ve had a camera here for a long time.

M2E92L190-190R381B381

This camera watches a place where animals like to cross the creek, even when it’s near flood stage.

M2E1L0-5R350B300

This is a new location; the camera watches a shallow spot in the creek where animals like to cross, and the fallen tree, which acts as a bridge.

M2E35L77-77R393B305

I set a camera here to catch the beavers working on this tree; it also watches a main trail.

I’ve had a camera here for about a year, it watches a main trail.

M2E1L1-29R355B455

A tree fell in front of this camera, so I moved it to an intersection at the edge of a muskeg and some old growth timber I’ve been eyeing for a while.

Ward Lake and Ward Creek Trails

I took advantage of a break in the weather to walk around Ward Lake, and then take the Ward Creek Trail to Last Chance campground and back.

Ward Lake Nature Trail
Ward Creek Trail

The Ward Creek Trail goes from Ward Lake to Last Chance Campground. All the trails in this area can be accessed by any of the parking lots; at the most, a few hundred yards of road separate the trailheads.

Checking and Setting Cameras

February 21

Set a camera here to cover a deer trail that crosses the creek, and I expect black bear to use the big log as a bridge.

This camera covers a trail that follows the bank of this creek; the brown spots in the moss are where black bear left salmon carcasses, so this will be a good spot to catch bears fishing this fall.

This spot covers a trail that crosses the creek and what should also be a good fishing hole for black bear this fall.

I had a camera here in the past and it proved to be a good spot for deer, bear, otter and mink.

I spooked 3 deer as I approached this camera.