The Researchers Habituation And Field Observations Thread "a Place To Discuss Your Activities, Thoughts, Observations, Methods And Results.

[LeafTalker]

Good luck, Nightwatcher! Sounds like you have a good plan. 

[Guest]

One thing I do not hear much or see much is trying to distinguish the numbers in your area.  

 

I see and read a lot of talk about feeding them and trying to get them to accept you etc etc.

 

Does anyone have any idea how many they may be dealing with in their particular area? Has anyone tried to somehow do a viable guess?

 

There are dozens of reports if not more in the Sam Houston National forest. Does this mean there is one animal that is being seen or 50?

 

Just curious if anyone has really put some science and forethought as to how many BF's they may be dealing with?

[David NC]

One thing I do not hear much or see much is trying to distinguish the numbers in your area.  

 

    

 

Size16, I really do not know science and forethought, that sounds like having a picture of each individual to distinguish them. In my experience the only thing I had to go on was tracks and sound. I found 2 different tracks that had enough difference that it was 100% they were made by 2 different individuals. The sounds were communication between only 2 individuals. Bipedal steps I never heard more than one moving at a time and never heard anything in enough different directions that suggested more than 2. That was the best I could do, so I had definite evidence for 2. If there were any more around then I cannot say for a fact there were more because the evidence and experiences did not support it.

[bipedalist]

I saw three in one evening during my Class A.   There was a game cam set off that could not have been one of those three, so at least four probably present.   Noises heard coming from another area could have made five in one night-time encounter.  I saw the green eyeshine(glow) of three on another occasion Class B, definite green coming from heads on shoulders.  

Edited September 12, 2015 by bipedalist

[Guest]

Thanks guys for your honesty.  I think a determination of numbers in an area is next to impossible but I think it is a fascinating and needed part of their story.  

 

Obviously with the dozens of reports in my area there has to be a lot of animals in the Sam Houston National forest. I have read reports where a researcher could hear them in several different areas communicating between groups or individuals.  They do not have a lot of places to go so they must be nomadic within the forest which is aprox 163,000 acres. Keeping out of sight with a family unit must be extremely tough for them. The other National forests in East Texas all have lots of activity being reported also.  Could there be hundreds or thousands in the East Texas forest?

 

Sorry to go on so much guys but I only get 1 post per day so I have to make it count!

[CMBigfoot]

After visiting the Glen Thomas Site and Skookum Lake in Clackamas County, Oregon this year. I'm thinking about finding a nice boulder field away from the road with timber nearby, a water source, and pika's. Then I'll put a game camera up set on time lapse during the day facing the boulder field. And at night I'll have my FLIR set up facing the boulder field. 

 

If bigfoots do come around boulder fields to hunt rodents, pika's, or other animals at night or day. It might be a good place to get a photo or video of one or more in the open. 

 

I've never tried it, so I think it would be interesting.

[SWWASAS]

There is a series of pits on Silverstar Mountain in SW WA that the forest service claims are old pits used by the Native Americans in the distant past.     The Native Americans have no idea what they are talking about or how they might have used the pits.     I think they are similar to the Thomas Site pits and are pika farms for BF.  

[CMBigfoot]

Pika farms for BF? That's interesting. Thanks SWWASQUATCH.

 

Silverstar Mountain is a little far for me. I was thinking of Pyramid Lake in Clackamas County. There's a boulder field on the otherside of the lake that I could maybe try out my experiment. 

[BigTreeWalker]

CM, I think your daytime time lapse idea is a good one. That way the camera doesn't give itself away at night. Probably one of the biggest problems with camera traps. I've tried that with my game cams but I can't turn off the nighttime trigger function. So they will still go off if something triggers them at night. It's the main reason I've switched over to the Plotwatcher.

[SWWASAS]

I have a new interval camera that I have yet to deploy.   I had a vitreous humor detachment in my right eye last week and was told to take it easy with physical activity so have not been in the field lately.      The camera is a Brinna   1/3 the size of a plotwatcher.     It also has a low light mode that can take pictures down below 5 lux.    Otherwise it goes to sleep at night and stops taking pictures.    With normal batteries,  taking one picture a minute the batteries last 48 days.    It can use an external power source for extended operation.   I need to get a fake rock to hide it inside.  I could also hollow out a large branch and put it inside that and just lay it around someplace.      It comes with a waterproof case.     

[BigTreeWalker]

I looked at those when you posted that link. Keep us posted on how it works out. I did notice the lower light capabilities.

Take care of that eye.

[CMBigfoot]

Then I'll put a game camera up set on time lapse during the day facing the boulder field. And at night I'll have my FLIR set up facing the boulder field. 

 

 

 

Over the past several days & nights I've been testing out my Bushnell Trophy Cam HD Max in my backyard. So far I've got on video or photo a striped skunk, 2 gray foxes, an opossum, raccoon, deer, and a ground squirrel. I've tried the field scan mode, video mode, and photo mode. And the field scan mode is not going to work for what I would like it to. The photo mode isn't very good either. So far I only like the 30 second video clips with audio. So I don't think I'll be using this game camera at the boulder field, only my FLIR to record all night. I'll just keep the game camera in my backyard and try to get the cougar that was here last month instead.

 

FYI: gray fox, raccoon, and opossum's love bbq buffalo wings.

[BigTreeWalker]

CM, you have a lot of critters wondering through your backyard! Sounds like you have some good attractants there.

I never could get my Bushnell to do just daytime only either. At least not in field view.

[CMBigfoot]

Hi BTW,

I think I need to get a camera that will record all day. Then at night have the FLIR on record all night so I won't miss anything. I don't like the field scan mode with this trail camera.

What mammals have you got with your plotwatcher vs your Bushnell?

I checked my trail camera this morning and I have another animal to add to the list of backyard wildlife.

[BigTreeWalker]

I've gotten about all the same animals on both. One thing I have seen is that they notice the Bushnell at night quite a bit. But I don't recall any animals taking notice of the Plotwatcher during the day. But now that I think of it, they don't seem to notice the Bushnell during the day either, except bears. Which is one reason I think the IR flash gives them away at night.