Game Cameras, Worth the investment!

Game cameras have been used for years by hunters and trappers to know what "game" animals are on their property. Today, we see these cameras being used for security, wildlife research, and many other tasks, though they are still most commonly used to monitor game species by hunters. 

The act of using a game camera is called "camera trapping". A game camera is a weather proof camera that is left outdoors for long periods of time. Heat or motion trigger the device to take a photo or video, depending on the user's preference. Most cameras come equipped with different settings which can be altered to yield the desired product. 

The great thing about these cameras is that they provide a minimally invasive and cost-effective way to answer simple questions about a habitat, ie, which animals are found where, and when?

At White Memorial, game cameras are used to explore which species are using different habitats. In previous blog posts you can see all the different species we recorded remotely using these cameras. Whether it was pointed toward a carcass to view scavengers, or aimed at a headwater stream to view animals using water, they always provide some insight to wildlife habits. 
However, our scope is limited to our four cameras and small research staff. We hope that citizen science can help fill in the gaps of our knowledge of the local wildlife. 

As game cameras increase in popularity, they've also decreased in cost. Advances in technology have made it easy to get a relatively cheap camera that will last you a few years. We'd like to encourage local landowners to invest in one or more of these cameras just to see what species you can capture on your property. You may be surprised at what you find! 

The Rhode Island Natural History Survey has outlined some advice for landowners who may want to use game cameras on their property. Topics such as using them for security reasons, and the legality of using them at a land trust or other popularly recreated area. That link is here.

The Nature Conservancy has gathered some insight about using game cameras for citizen science, along with advice for purchasing cameras. That content is available here. 

We hope you are inspired to explore the unknown side of your land; the side that you don't get to witness in person. The elusive animals that escape the limited field of your vision may be captured by a game camera! 

To further inspire you, please enjoy some of my personal favorite photos gathered from camera traps this season. 

Happy Trapping!

This Catbird was captured after a river otter changed the angle of my camera.

This White-tailed Deer was captured at Apple Hill
upper field along a stone wall that separates the open field
from the dense vegetation. 

A River Otter spotted at Cat Swamp off the Laurel Hill trail.
This camera was placed about 12 feet high in a tree
facing down toward the swamp

This is the River Otter that chewed on and tossed around the 
game camera I placed on a log in at Mallard Marsh.

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This fawn was found at Mallard Marsh (between 202 and Whites Wood Road) after my game camera was messed with by the River Otter. 

This Black Bear was captured off the Mattatuck near Beaver Pond

River Otter Tracks at Butternut Brook

River Otter Tracks and Slide Marks on Butternut Brook, Litchfield, Connecticut, USA, February 12, 2016

A group of River Otters (Lontra canadensis) traveled along Butternut Brook toward the Bantam River/Lake outlet where it was ice free.  The group consisted of at least 3 animals but there may have been one more.  It was not possible to get a closer look at the tracks because the ice is not thick enough to walk on but a photograph was taken from the bridge on North Shore Rd.  It is difficult to determine from this spore the group composition but it is very likely that this was an adult female with her kits but it could also consist of a group of males.  River otter home ranges tend to be larger in the winter because they need to travel between areas where the water surface is ice free.  They will often travel along waterways but may occassionally traverse along upland routes.  River otters consume meat, primarily fish, but their diet will include frogs, crayfish, and other prey depending on their seasonal availability.

Waterfowl Nest Box Monitoring Winter 2015/2016

It's that time of year to take advantage of this short window of time when the ice on the ponds is thick enough to walk on. We monitor several waterfowl nest boxes on the property and have been for over 75 years.  Wood ducks and hooded mergansers frequently use the boxes during their breeding seasons, which occurs in March and April.  

I also observed river otter tracks at Beaver Pond today.

Posted from the field

February 2011 Monthly Volunteer Meeting Recap




River Otter Tracks at Cranberry Pond in Late December 2010.
Photo By James Fischer

 
Last night several folks (a total of 14) came out to catch up with the program's current events and to share their observations while helping on the property.  We began with some announcements. 

1. Wetland Bird Callback Survey and Frog Call Survey Workshop on March 19.  We are combining both surveys into one protocol.  Last year we initiated the Frog Call Survey but the season became too warm earlier than we had anticipated so we missed the peak of frog calling activity.  Several species of wetland birds inhabit the property for the breeding season and as migratory stopover habitat, so we will orient you to these calls, too.  Details will be announced soon.  Check back at the Wildlife Monitor and Forum for further information. 
2. Connecticut Conference on Natural Resources is March 7 at the University of Connecticut, Main Campus in Storrs.  Please consider attending this conference because there will be many natural resource professionals presenting their original research performed in Connecticut.  James Fischer will be presenting a poster titled "An initial survey of crayfish (Order Decopoda) species inhabiting the White Memorial Foundation, Litchfield and Morris, Litchfield Co., Connecticut."  Check this link for more information http://www.ccnr.uconn.edu/ 

Several of our volunteers have been observing loads of meso-predators throughout the property, while some species that are traditionally observed are observed less this year.  White-tailed deer have been impacted by the deep snow so they are moving less to conserve energy, therefore their tracks are infrequently observed this year versus previous years.  Most of the meso-predators are having to move greater distances so that they can find food because most of the small mammals are living under the deep snow and are detected less.  Result of these subtle changes has been translated in our volunteer's observations on the property.  Meso-predators (bobcat, coyote, & red fox) tracks and sign are being observed throughout the property and consistently between each of the transects (a total of 19).  On the other hand, white-tailed deer spoor are observed less frequently by our volunteers even though they are distributed throughout the property.  Our Winter Track Transect Monitors logged a total of 65.5 cumulative hours of effort during the month of January!  The tracking conditions have been really challenging this year but they are all strapping on the snowshoes or lacing up the ski boots so that they can contribute their observations.  Kudos to all of them!