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

[CMBigfoot]

When my friend gave me his Bushnell Trophy Cam HD Max no glow black LEDs to test for him. I set my FLIR up to see the reactions of the animals as they went by the trail camera. And they all noticed it one way or another. But the longer I left the trail camera there. The more the animals lost interest in it.

One way I think may possibly work is placing a trail camera in a cave/rock shelter facing the entrance. And when something comes inside, CLICK. Just like this cougar as it came in.

[CMBigfoot]

 And they all noticed it one way or another. But the longer I left the trail camera there. The more the animals lost interest in it.

 

 

I've had a Bushnell HD Trophy Cam set up in my backyard for four weeks now. And in that time the trail camera has captured on video or photo a coyote, gray foxes, raccoons, opossums, striped skunks, deer, cats, and a ground squirrel. In the video mode it has captured two different opossum vocalizations and a raccoon vocalization. I think video clips with audio is the way to go, instead of a photo or set of photos.

 

Another thing I found interesting is that the deer moved their trail over out of the Bushnell trail cameras detection range. So yesterday my friend brought over a Browning Strike Force HD trail camera and I set it up where the Bushnell was. The Browning trail camera has a larger detection range and it got on video/s the deer coming down the hill, walking around the trail camera, and sniffing the new trail camera from behind. I'm curious to see if the deer will move their trail over out of the Brownings detection range if I leave it there for a month.

 

There's always something new to learn.

[SWWASAS]

The deer were sniffing the camera?    We have people who claim that animals are clueless about the cameras.    I have talked much about hiding cameras but not even thought about taking the trouble to mask or eliminate human scent.     Maybe we need to look into that?    Seems like handling them with latex gloves,  wiping them down with some sort of natural solvent like turpentine might be something to try?    It there was some sort of smelly tree sap that stayed liquid maybe that would mask the plastic smell?  

[BigTreeWalker]

Be careful using solvents on plastics. Some dissolve in certain types of solvents. Gigantor has covered trail cam scent in his WV trail cam project thread. Might be helpful to look those up. The sniffing and licking of cams is just one issue. Bears and elk also do it. The avoidance by moving trails is another. Whether it's just to avoid an out of place object or to avoid IR flash, that would be a good science project.

If we take a page from the hunter's book. Tree stands are effective because they are out of line of sight and above ground level air movements. The problem still stands as to how to easily service a cam at 16' from the ground. The more cams you use to be more effective the greater the problem becomes.

[CMBigfoot]

I just checked out the Bushnell trail camera and I'm glad I did. Yesterday I had moved it up hill 30-40 yards max and put it on my neighbors property facing back at my property. And I got photos of two coyotes after a deer. I wish I would of left it in video mode. Actually I wish it would of been a BF after the deer in video mode. So I switched it to 30 second video clips and I am hoping for something cool.

[SWWASAS]

If we take a page from the hunter's book. Tree stands are effective because they are out of line of sight and above ground level air movements. The problem still stands as to how to easily service a cam at 16' from the ground. The more cams you use to be more effective the greater the problem becomes.

I have been looking into that.   Certainly elevating the camera gets it away from sensitive noses.     A rope ladder is fairly light and there are several sources.     House fire escape ladders with steel cable and metal rug or mountain climbing ladders of various types are a couple of light weight portable ladder options.     Looking at larger trees,  if you had an extension pole, you could hook a ladder to a substantial limb, climb up to place or service a camera 12 or 14 feet up in a tree.   Or throw a rope over a sturdy limb with a light rope though a ball, drag a heavier rope over the limb pulling up a rope ladder, and secure the heavy rope to some nearby tree,  climb the ladder, install or place the camera,  then just pull the rope ladder out of the tree after untying the rope.  

 

I just happened across a new spy system the US is getting into.     They have developed drones that fly near some sensitive shore installation,   land in the water, sink to the bottom, gather information for several months, then wake up surface, and fly to and are recovered by naval ships.    The technology exists to have a drone, fly to some overlook totally inaccessible like a ledge on a cliff face,  observe a valley below, then after weeks, wake the thing up so it flies back to you to examine the SD card.    Much more expensive and high tech than a rope ladder.  

Edited March 25, 2016 by SWWASASQUATCHPROJECT

[SWWASAS]

This one would do the trick.     http://www.amazon.com/Liberty-Mountain-Steel-Caving-Ladder/dp/B001OPGU2W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1458946711&sr=8-2&keywords=mountain+climbing+rope+ladders

[BigTreeWalker]

Rope ladder is an interesting idea. Doesn't weigh too much. Not too awkward. I do have to wonder about the distubance every time the camera is serviced though. Still thinking the whole thing through.

[SWWASAS]

I ordered the one I posted the link for.   It only weighs 3 lbs 4 oz  .    So is easily transportable.    If nothing else I can use it to prune some big trees I have in my yard.      Based on your tree stand comment and several sighting reports I have read in BFRO files,    I have wondered it just climbing into a tree and spending all night with a thermal camera would not be a successful tactic?     Pull up your rope ladder to keep BF from using it to climb up to you. 

[BigTreeWalker]

Just remember, they are also reported to climb trees.

A camera could easily spend a lot more nights in a tree than we could.

[SWWASAS]

They may climb trees but flashlights are BF repellants.      I guess it boils down to if anyone wants to get compelling video or pictures of a BF it might take some risk and provocation to get a BF to show itself.     The only feedback I get from habbers and people who claim frequent interaction just the passive act of hanging a game camera on a tree is viewed as an aggressive act by BF.    Seems that little we do like that is pleasing to them.   

[CMBigfoot]

The other night I finally got a cougar or its rear-end and long tail on video as it came down my hill in the pouring rain. I also got a video of a Scrub Jay landing in the grass and a gartersnake? strikes at it. That was pretty cool.

The Browning Strike Force trail camera takes way better day and night videos than the Bushnell. But the Browning only takes up to 10 second videos at night. Both trail cameras are supposed to have a fast trigger around .6 seconds. But looking at some of the photos or videos if an animal is moving by quickly the trail cameras might just get the end of it like the cougar. And yes both trail cameras are facing up the trail, not across it. Also both trail cameras have that whiteout in early morning photos and videos when its getting light out but the IR still comes on.

So I'll keep practicing with them and learn as much as I can before taking them up into Mt. Hood N.F this summer. I still have to go check out Dinger Lake and some boulder field that I can set my FLIR up at night and watch.