Posted February 10, 2022
It has been about ten years since I saw a deer stride through my neighborhood. I figured that we just got too developed on Rose Point. Then I purchased a wildlife camera. Not only do we still have deer visiting but a variety of critters. One of my favorite visitors is a female coyote that came a couple of times each night that we put the camera out.
A wildlife camera is designed to be outdoors and is tripped by movement. Most function day and night and can take still photos or short video clips. I place my camera about 24 inches above the ground at about 30 feet from my compost pile and birdseed area. Even though I never put meat in the compost, there are always some good smells to attract visitors. I set it up at about 5pm and then collect it at 8am to download the photos or videos. It’s fun to find out who stopped by for a visit while you were asleep. I’ve had foxes, raccoons, skunks, domestic cats, and even rabbits that come out at night.
I now have a great collection of photos and videos of our neighborhood critters. Even the songbirds and gray squirrels can take a good photo at times. The photos can even reveal the health of some animals. Our resident coyote has been looking great with a nice fur coat and a good weight. One of my favorite photos is the early morning bunny that we photographed on Easter.
There are several cameras on the market. If you would like to purchase one, expect to spend $100 to $200 for a basic one. Do some research to determine the features that work for you. Some features to consider are camera resolution, number of batteries required, if the camera includes an SD card, video duration, and night imagery capabilities. You can even go high end and get Wi-Fi enabled cameras.
Written by Kevin Bartsch, WLT Board Member
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In other trail camera news, Wareham Land Trust has installed a trail camera at our Stoney Run property. Below is a short video of an eastern coyote that passed by a couple weeks ago.