In spring, the male ruffed grouse chooses a “stage” from which he displays and “drums” to attract females. He is a great camera trap subject, because he displays repeatedly in the same place throughout the mating season. A well placed … Continue reading →
Almost two years ago I wrote about tracking badgers in Wisconsin and setting camera traps for them. I did end up with some badger photos, but getting them was challenging. My first attempt involved targeting an old badger den and … Continue reading →
Like other members of the mustelid family, the small weasels use their scats to “mark” important resources. They often leave scat on elevated surfaces at territorial boundaries, where they meet or cross paths with other weasels, along travel routes, and … Continue reading →
The timing and length of a black bear’s hibernation depend on food availability, weather, and reproductive status. In the west, bears tend to sleep straight through till spring, but in eastern North America where acorns or other nuts may be … Continue reading →
Winter is a good time for camera trapping pileated woodpeckers, because the birds usually return to feed at carpenter ant infested trees discovered the previous summer. It’s thought that the birds find ant colonies by sound, but they can do … Continue reading →
Strictly speaking, a coyote rendezvous site refers to an above ground home site that a family uses in summer or fall, when the pups are too big and too active for a den, but not yet old enough to accompany … Continue reading →
So for a long time I’ve been fascinated by the different feeding signs that different rodent species leave on mast, especially that of flying squirrel on hickory nuts. The reason is that it’s fairly distinctive. Flying squirrels often create a … Continue reading →
It has been a long time since I’ve posted here, but now that I have a bit more time on my hands, I thought I’d revive this blog and share some of the material I have accumulated over the past … Continue reading →
A deer scrape is a scenting area where the animals scrape their hoofs on the ground and chew, mouth, or nose the end of a thin, low, overhanging branch. They sometimes urinate on the scrape, allowing the urine to run … Continue reading →
I enjoyed giving this camera trapping presentation at the 2016 Northeast Wildlife Trackers Conference. It was wonderful to connect with so many enthusiastic naturalists! Some of the participants at my workshop requested a copy of my slides, so here’s the … Continue reading →
