The Outside Story
Tips for Game
Camera Success
By: Janet Pesaturo
My town had the job of removing a dead
beaver from a culvert pipe cage, a rather
sad and odorous affair, but also an
opportunity. I alerted the usual suspects –
there’s nothing like a rotting carcass to
bring camera trappers together – and we
moved the body into the woods and set
up a few cameras.
We placed the body in mature forest near
the wetland. We figured that just about
any of our meso-carnivores might appear:
coyote, fox, fisher, and bobcat were all
possibilities. We didn’t get the bobcat, but
we did get the others, and the fisher
photos were especially nice.
Although baiting for wildlife is not
generally recommended – you need to be
aware of state regulations before you
move dead animals – a carcass often
provides a great opportunity for game
cameras. This is especially true in winter,
when the body may become frozen to the
ground or covered with crusty snow. It
will still be detectable by wild noses, but
difficult to drag away. And, of course, the
larger the carcass the better, because it
will last longer.
If you don’t have a bait opportunity, focus
on habitat. To get more color photos, I
recommend that you mount the camera
in remote areas, where shy species are
more likely to move around during the
day. Look for areas of naturally high
animal activity. Habitat features which
funnel animal travel have excellent
potential. The narrowest point between
two bodies of water, and logs over water,
are both attractive crossing areas. Stone
walls cutting through a tangled forest
floor and rock outcrops within dense
forest also offer easy travel. Cameras
carefully mounted at any of these habitat
features can be very productive.
One of our favorite camera locations is a
large rock outcrop in dense forest, far
from noisy humans. This particular
outcrop is on a hill near rugged ledges and
boulders with plenty of caves and
crannies for denning. When we first
viewed the site, we suspected these
shelters would appeal to many species,
and the outcrop would funnel travel to
them. Animals with no interest in the
boulders and ledge might use the outcrop
just for easy passage through the dense
forest, or to rest and scan the surrounds.
Snow tracking confirmed a high level of
travel, and the cameras captured some
winners: deer, moose, and bobcat passed
through. A gray fox paused to scope out
the surrounds. Coyote pups cavorted
under the protective watch of Mom. A
porcupine ambled along. And a bear
examined and repositioned the camera
(but thankfully did not destroy it). What’s
more, many of these images were
daytime photos, and the stone and
conifer backdrop nicely framed the
animals.
Another excellent habitat element is a
beaver dam. Squirrels cache nuts and
mice live within the recesses. Coyotes,
foxes, and bobcats cross the dam,
sometimes hunting small mammals along
the way. Otters slide over them. Even a
foraging porcupine will cross a beaver
dam to access favorite feeding trees. And,
of course, beavers inspect and maintain
the dam. Mount a camera at one end of
the dam, and you’re likely to see some of
this activity.
Janet Pesaturo is the writer and
photographer at OurOneAcreFarm.com,
where she blogs about nature,
sustainability, and backyard farming from
her home in Massachusetts. The
illustration for this column was drawn by
Adelaide Tyrol. The Outside Story is
assigned and edited by Northern
Woodlands magazine and sponsored by
the Wellborn Ecology Fund of New
Hampshire
Charitable
Foundation:
[email protected]
Beaver wetlands are wildlife hot spots in
general, and the dam isn’t the only good
option for camera placement. Coyotes,
foxes, otters, and mink may scat, slide,
roll, or perch atop beaver lodges. In fact,
just about any area of high beaver activity
seems to attract other species. Active
scent mounds and haul outs are good
bets.
While
vacationing
in
the
Adirondacks, I once placed a camera at a
well-used beaver haul out. Over just four
days, I got photos of beaver, coyote, deer,
and raccoon. Only the beaver was hauling
out; the others were just nosing around.
So get yourself a trail camera, look for
high activity habitat, and use your
tracking skills to find that perfect spot. It
might take a little experimentation, but
you’ll learn a lot about wildlife, and with
time you’ll get some great photos.
PO Box 471, Corinth, Vermont 05039
Tel. 802.439.6292 Fax 802.439.6296
www. northernwoodlands.org
This article is reprinted with the permission of the Center For Northern Woodlands Education. A not for profit
organization, Northern Woodlands seeks to advance a culture of forest stewardship in the northeast by increasing
understanding of and appreciation for the natural wonders, economic productivity and ecological integrity of the
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