Winter is here, yet don’t bail on your trail cameras. If you are a deer hunter, odds are you own from one to a dozen trail cameras that probably are “hibernating” among your hunting gear. You may not want to deploy the entire trail camera arsenal, yet nature doesn’t stop at the last day of deer season. A big buck may wonder past the lens or you could see the predators that your deer herd will battle over the next rugged months. Facebook carries a video of eight 30-40 pound coyotes in a pack and as you watch those beasts parade past the camera you can practically smell the death they will bring. Coyotes in those number can kill any animal they choose and your herd will be decimated should that occur.
Nature is Fun
Many of the most beautiful and interesting natural interactions in winter are never seen due to cold temperatures and deep snow. Imagine what your favorite trails and hunting sites look like in a fresh blanket of snow. Post your camera high on a tree with the lens pointing downward and you can actually see images of tracks in the snow, getting those animals that made the camera click as well as a reading on animal traffic. If retrieving images is difficult, don’t overlook chances to photograph wildlife nearby. You’ll probably be amazed at how many opossums, skunks, raccoons, and other creature roam the night, even in urban areas. Additionally, you can keep tabs on marauding cats, one of my personal grudges against my neighbors. I take great care to provide food for birds, squirrels, and even provide marginal habitat for rabbits, yet feral and house cats constantly stalk those places to kill creatures that I protect. House cats, should remain in the house where they are pets instead of the relentless killers they become when allowed to roam free. In the documentary, “The Secret Lives of Cats” one beloved tabby killed an average of 12 animals per night and ate none of them. I’m a cat person and have always had one as a pet, yet I don’t allow the carnage that my neighbors choose to ignore. … [continued]
