Dusting-off the Trail Camera

Winter brings a short list of challenges to the trail camera that is patiently performing its observations in the woods.  Cold temperatures can shorten battery life.  Freezing rain can ice-over a camera rendering it useless.  Even an accumulation of snow can temporarily impact a camera's field of vision.

Like this one.

 

Fortunately someone will eventually come along and brush the snow away...

First time out snowshoeing - Christmas eve. Posted on new year eve.

Saving Hunting

Can bows and arrows save hunting in America?

The Economist just published a fascinating piece on America's egalitarian hunting and wildlife ethic.  Including the role that (my favorite president) Theodore Roosevelt played in advancing our culture of respect for wild things, fair chase and a deeply-rooting hunting ethic.  Teddy characterized the role of hunting in America as  —“to keep men hardy, so that at need they can show themselves fit to take part in work or strife for their native land.”

Of course Roosevelt could never have imagined the technological advancements that modern hunters can avail themselves of.

Even bow hunting as we know it is now under assault from the popularity of the modern crossbow.  Of course bow hunting today is a far cry from stick and recurve bows of several generations ago.  Flint-tipped arrows have been replaced by modern arrowheads that can expand upon impact with deadly results.  I recently acquired a crossbow - so perhaps this is just another technological advancement in a long line of evolutionary changes for hunting enthusiasts.

It's a very good read - learn more about it here. 

Schnee Hirsch

Snow deer.

Taken during a snow storm.

There's not much that causes these critters to hunker down.  Getting pictures under all sorts of weather conditions...

Quick Kill

What are the odds of this?

A coyote comes out of nowhere, pounces on its prey and beats a hasty retreat to enjoy breakfast.

Captured it all on the 'burst mode" of the trail camera...

Same Location

Wisconsin's state animal is the badger.  If we hadn't already decided on the badger I'd vote for the whitetail deer - Odocoileus virginianus.  Some nice pictures of Wisconsin's favorite animal.

A fine daylight picture...

And a picture taken just after dusk of a doe and her almost fully-grown fawn...

Sly Visitor Returns

Been getting images of fox on various of the trail cameras.  But they're generally of poor quality.  Blurred and fuzzy from their quick movements.  Take this series for instance.  Not very good quality but it's definitely a fox.

Judging from the white tip on the tail (last image) it is a red fox - Vupes vulpes.  All other wild canids lack a tail with a white tip.

Merry Christmas

The staff here at The Platz would like to wish our legion of readers all the best on Christmas...

Hot Location

This camera location is simply amazing for the quantity and variety of wildlife it has captured in digital format.  The current camera is one of the newer models just placed into service.  The location has been in use for about a year.  It's been fun to monitor the activity of the critters over all of the seasons. 

Another nice series of daytime deer photos...

 

Absolutely no attractants are being used.  It's just a hot location.

Racoonasaurus Rex

From earlier this month a raccoon pay the camera a visit.  He even sticks his schnoze in the camera lens.  Check out the size of this bad boy.

I may have take-up trapping...

Oh Dear - The Deer

They're everywhere.  Except when you're hunting them.

A nice series of daytime deer shots...

Guess The Critter

Recall the mystery critter from last Sunday?

Mystery solved!

Check out these frames taken from another location...

It's a mink. 

Have found tracks in the snow and its toboggan-like trail.  First photographic evidence of one.

Smurf House

When the birds have left for the winter the smurfs move in.

I think this is a smurf house...

Winter

Now that there's snow on the ground the Labs are loving their walks.  I think they love snow more than anything.  And winter always brings plenty of surprises.

There are mice and voles to search for under the snow.  There is snow to eat since all the puddles are frozen.  There is snow to run through.  The blonde Lab even broke through the thin ice of the creek into the cold water below.  What fun!

Winter.  Embrace it!

Even More Deer - Oh Deer

Like I said a few days ago.  We have too many deer.  Killed a half dozen and more show-up to take their place.  Yikes!

Ditch Tiger

When I first retrieved these images my initial thought was - Bobcat!  But no.  The coloring is all wrong and the tail isn't 'bobbed' like a bobcat tail.  Although the size is about right.

This is a feral cat.  The scourge of ground-nesting game and song birds.  Also called a ditch tiger feral cats are not fuzzy, cute pets.  They are non-native predators and generally come down with a fatal case of instant lead poisoning here on The Platz.

More Deer - Oh Dear

More deer.  These have that 'frozen in the headlights' look.  Even though there are no headlights.

 

This is turning out to be a hot location for one of the new trail cameras.

Guess the Critter

Pretty cool stuff lately on the trail camera.  Two visits of a sly fox.  I think he's sly because he moves around so fast all of the images are blurred.   But it's a fox for sure.  I captured images of another critter that I'll post later. 

Then there is this.  Smaller, dark critter with a glint in the eyes.  You can see it in the center of the first two frames.  And then it is a blur in the left of the third frame.

Any ideas as to what it might be?  I'm stumped.

Deer - Oh Dear

This year six deer have been harvested at The Platz.  That's a pretty good tally considering all the bitching coming from the deer hunting community.  (Don't take my word for it - just login to any Wisconsin hunting message board).

You'd think that having killed six deer on an 80 acre parcel that there'd be neither hide nor hair of deer.

Guess again.  Tracks and sign everywhere and a gazillion trail camera pictures taken over the last couple of weeks.

Anyway, There's three of us here for the weekend to see if we might knock down an additional deer.

Sometimes I think there are too many deer.

Small Town

I went to town this morning to run some errands.  Bank, post office and grocery store - in that order.  The curious thing about a small town is everyone knows everyone else.  And goes out of their way to be friendly.

Everyone was all smiles at the bank.  And everyone was wearing the Packer attire.  Packer Friday at the bank. 

At the post office the Postmistress gave me a big smile and - How are you doing, Tom?  She always greets me by my first name.  Unprompted.

At the grocery the guy behind the meat counter always remembers how thick I like my bacon cut.  And the lady at the checkout asked me where my green canvas bag was today.  I forgot it.  So I asked for paper instead of plastic.  Funny she would remember me and my green canvas tote.

Small town America.  You gotta love it.

Deer Attractant

If I drink enough of this do you think I can draw-in a big buck?

Deer Odds and Ends

Some deer pictures collected before all of the commotion of the big gun hunt.

Wily Coyote

Common to the surrounding countryside I hear these canines yipping and howling almost every evening.

They're exceedingly shy of people.  Can you see the coyote in the series of pictures below?