Cautious Doe

      This whitetail doe showed a bit of caution when approaching the camera. In my experience, wildlife showing caution can depend on a number of factors. To name just a few: season, number of animals present, time of day, size and health of the animal, and status within the species. Some species such as black bears and moose always examine the camera. Often the bears force the camera off the tree while the moose being less dexterous leave me dozens of foggy pictures with the whiskers pressed up against the lens.
        In some of my remote camera sets located within heavily hunted areas during the hunting season, wildlife will not tolerate a camera flash,. In the same locations out of hunting season the same animals will remain relaxed in front of the camera. Video units can be particularly helpful in providing insight into behavior....and, with a little luck, I should be able to provide some footage to show exactly that for the next post.

Coyote and deer come for a drink

        This camera got "wacked" pretty early on by a bull moose during the rut, so the camera angle isn't perfect for the coyote shot. This camera was only correctly positioned for a week before a moose changed the angle, and three days later it dealt the camera a final blow, knocking it to the ground. When I returned to the camera it was still working ~4 months later, although all the pictures were close up shots of moss and ferns once it was knocked down. I'm sure the camera angle isn't something a little photoshop couldn't fix, but I enjoy presenting photographs of nature as they are-without being touched up.

     During the rut the moose tend to knock any small and un-assuming stick down that stands near their path. Whether it's out of curiosity of anger, they target the sticks I use for holding up my cameras like it's their job. Have I learned my lesson? Nope. I'm always after the perfect shot, and as it so often happens, there isn't a tree in the middle of an animal path for the perfect angle so I will continue using large sticks to hold cameras, I'll just have to be a little more picky during the rut.