Joe's Trailcams

Another Camera that Went Unchecked for Months

Otters

Next trip to this area I am going to set this camera for video.

Setting 4 Cameras

Decided to set some cameras in an area on Gravina Island that I haven’t been to since the deer population recovered after being decimated by wolves.

The first animal I came across on my trip was a doe that was far more concerned with a bear than a guy in a kayak. The doe ran into the woods as the bear got closer, but the bear was too busy eating grass and didn’t notice she was there; the bear didn’t notice me until I drifted in pretty close.

Set the first of the four cameras at this intersection of two trails. It is more out in the open than my usual camera locations, but it should do well until mid or late August, when the seasonal plants turn brown.

Set the second camera here. This spot should do well year round. Several trails meet here, and it is surrounded by thick forest; plus it appears to be a popular place for deer to bed down.

Set the third camera here. Two main trails meet here, and there are a lot of plants that both deer and bear like. We’ll see if the animals that move through, if not feeding, will stop and sniff the log to see who else has passed by. This should result in more pictures that are clear and not blurry.

Set my last camera here. This is another intersection; in this case, it is where a trail entering or leaving a muskeg meets a trail in the brush that runs parallel to the muskeg.

A Trail off of a Creek

When I originally set this camera, I thought it would be a good place for black bear, especially when the salmon are spawning. It worked out okay for bear, but it’s been great for deer!

A New Hot Spot

This spot is a classic funnel. It is formed by gentler slopes on both sides of the creek in an otherwise steep ravine. Multiple trails converge at the creek here, where there is a short stretch of calmer rapids and the banks are low and easy to negotiate.

These pictures are the highlights from the first time I checked this camera. When I checked the card I thought the camera had malfunctioned because it recorded over 1,700 images, but very few were false triggers.

Late February – Early May

This is a good feeding area for deer; they like places like this with green leaves year round, and plenty of cover in which to hide.

Too Many Squirrels

This is a good spot, but a little too popular with squirrels, so I moved it in order to avoid spending so much time deleting pictures of them.

More Winter Pictures

This was a good spot but moved this camera to spread them out a little farther.

A Favorite Spot

This spot has been really good for a few years, especially for bucks, they really like to scent mark on that low hanging branch.

Blurry and Poorly Exposed Pictures

If you are new to using trail cameras, it’s easy to become frustrated when checking cameras and finding out that many – or even most – of the pictures are blurry or poorly exposed. Don’t be; your camera is on its own in the elements, and you have no control over what nature will dish out. The main purpose of a trail camera is to see what is out there, and a beautiful picture is a bonus. If 1% of your images are worth framing, you’re doing pretty well!

While lousy pictures are unavoidable, there are a few things you can do to improve your chances of not getting burned by the weather or the lighting.

Always set your camera to take a burst of at least 3 pictures; you never know when your target might slow down so that the shot will not be blurry, or clear the smear on the lens. Video also helps avoid blurs, and the camera will usually adjust to the lighting within a second or two of recording.

2. Always aim your camera at a downward angle, even if only slightly. If storms usually come from one direction, point your camera the opposite way. If there is a choice, a good size tree between your camera and a driving rain storm helps a lot; plus the bases of big trees don’t shake in the wind.

Tie your cameras on tightly after you buckle the belt and pack them in with moss, leaves, or whatever is handy to prevent another act of nature – known as bears or rutting bucks – from tearing them down or readjusting your aim.

This young buck taught me to tie cameras on tightly; he tore one camera off the tree and wore the strap on his antlers for the rest of the rut, but that didn’t stop him from thrashing my other camera almost every day. Somehow, that one stayed up.

3. Photo editing software can save a lot of pictures and make a mediocre picture a good one. At the very least, it can make a blur identifiable.

I use the adjustment tools that come standard on Macs in Photos, but I’m sure there are other programs that are as good or better.

The main tool I use for daytime or full color photos is the shadow tool. Dark images can be a problem, especially if you put your cameras in the big timber or in the brush. I also find black bears don’t photograph well in less than optimal lighting, but adjusting the shadows can help bring out some of their details.

Another common problem I encounter is the infrared flash going off when it doesn’t need to. This happens most often under shadowy conditions in the timber, or when the camera is shaded but the subject or the background is well lit. Most of the time, adjusting the slider at the top of the tools is the best option to bring some sort of clarity to the image if it’s really bad, or make a mediocre image presentable, and it can make a good black and white image better.

Bugs, falling branches and trees, and other acts of nature can cause problems that are best dealt with by checking your cameras often, but sometimes you just have to get lucky.