Maine Game Cam Pics

Mooseherder · July 06, 2009, 08:39:24 PM

We got back yesterday from our 2 weeks at camp.
I set up the camera on June 21st by the Stream about 400 feet from camp. It is on a trail we use for ATVs and walking down to the water. Seems the animals didn't mind our presence and were going about their business.
The first Moose was almost missed by the cam. :D
It couldn't have had a better opportunity to work after all the Moose was directly in front of it. :D :

Makes me wonder how many pics it didn't take.

The next two are about a half hour later of what I think is a different Moose. It got this little feller twice. It looks like it is wearing a Bridal. The problem is the pics are a half hour apart. Wonder what the camera was doing in between that time.

Next picture is of a Mooseherder. ;D

Then there was a Bar. Incidently we saw two young bears when we were riding the ATV trails. They were at seperate locations and I'd bet momma wasn't far away each time. We would come into an opening and see them running towards the woods. Never quick enough to take the camera out for a pic.

Then there was this Moose who looks a little different.

I changed the video card 5 days before we left so there maybe some more
and left the Cam up as we are going back in August. Hope the Batteries hold up.

SwampDonkey · July 07, 2009, 05:22:30 AM

Where did you pick up your wild-cam mooseherder? I was driving down the four-lane yesterday and on the other side of the wildlife fence were two bulls grazing, like in a park. Then later out near our brush cutting operation there was a bull and cow running down machine trails. I've gotta look for one at Walmart or Canadian Tire soon. I'm sure there are a bear or two on my lot as usual and lots of moose. I'd like to set one up on my beaver pond and see if I get an otter shot.

Mooseherder · July 07, 2009, 05:48:26 AM

We got this Wildlife Cam at Gander Mountain. They're an Outdoor World Sports Outfitter like Cabela's.
It is one of the cheaper models. We stopped in at the new Cabela's in Scarborough on the way up as we had an afternoon to kill waiting for a Wedding. They had a twin pack of a similiar camera for 119.00
I meant to check at Walmart for another but forgot while there. You'll need a video card also. It makes it more convenient to pop the card out instead of bringing the whole camera to the computer.

pappy · July 07, 2009, 09:23:58 AM

DanG it MH we done missed ya and da misses this trip :-\ We'll definitely catch ya in August... 8) What's the dates a comin' and a goin' ??

When did ya find a dry day ta ATV as it rained 15 days during the month of June with 23 days of cloudy weather total??? :

I set up my game came with a car battery as it has a 12 V port... I used it all last summer and that sure saved on batteries $$$ ..

Hey Donk this is the one I got last year or so and it works great for the $$$ I spent..

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/moultrie-game-spy-d-40-digital-flash-trail-camera.aspx?a=391658

SwampDonkey · July 07, 2009, 04:24:11 PM

Yeah thanks. I checked on Google and that same Camera is $300 here in Canada. Not sure if it's exactly the same but it's the same make and 4.0 MP's. It takes video night and day, infra-red and 150 day battery life. Might be the next step up by the looks of the features I guess.

Camera at Canadian Tire

This Bushnell one looks similar to yours for $99.

Here's the next step up in Bushnell you can hook to solar for $199.

Mooseherder · July 07, 2009, 06:23:07 PM

Pappy,
There is a port to hook up a 12 volt but I gotta buy the connector.
I put 350 miles on my 4-wheeler this trip on 4 different day outings.

(I even found a little time for work)
My wife put about 100 miles on hers. Her cousin and husband came up from Connecticut and I had to show him around. ;D
I didn't see one Star in 2 weeks which is very unusual because we usually get to see the Milky Way most nights up there. We drove around some clouds and got caught in a few but we were prepared with good rain gear and full face helmets. Got caught good twice though with the heavy downpours.
We'll be there August 1st, see ya then

Mooseherder · July 12, 2009, 02:05:48 PM

I was putting some pictures together from our trip and noticed something on the disk that I had missed earlier.
It is an AVI movie of the Bear Walking away from the Game Cam. The camera picked up the Bear or a BigFoot about a second before it went out of the camera frame on the left. The video is only eleven seconds. The Bear is in there for less than 2 of it. :(

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRTugPhwMqE

SwampDonkey · July 12, 2009, 07:19:59 PM

I checked the local stores here for game cameras and they don't stock anything. They have regular digital cameras, but most or so cheap (price and design) they are almost disposable. :D Got to go into the city and look sometime, maybe. ;) At least I know prices and brands now.

Mooseherder · August 17, 2009, 11:12:39 PM

The camera went off quite a few times while we were gone and when I saw the picture count over 40, I was really excited about seeing what was on the disk. Well, all there was, ( was ) disappointment in the camera not working properly. It was just a bunch of flashes that showed nothing on it for a picture. >:(
I changed the batteries and set up at a different location and it still mostly malfunctioned except it got a baby Moose and Deer. I'll bet their Mama's were close enough for pictures during the malfunctions eh.

TimberGhost · August 23, 2009, 10:35:43 AM

Cool pics!! Thanks for sharing them.

Radar67 · August 23, 2009, 12:13:39 PM

Moose, when I first set my camera up, I was disappointed as well. I soon learned that limbs and branches waving in the wind, in close proximity of the lens, would cause the camera to take a shot. I also learned that the reaction time of the camera was slow, so I had to compensate by aiming the camera a little further away in the direction I thought the game would travel. I have caught a couple of fox, deer, squirrels, and a snake with mine since I made the corrections. I use a Moultrie.

Mooseherder · August 23, 2009, 12:55:36 PM

I set it up in a location you just described the morning we left all though the previous areas were good also.
Loaded it with new batteries and hope it functions properly. It looks like more of an over-exposure type problem as the slide is just a glare. It is supposed to take 3 pictures when the motion detector is tripped. I'm hoping something reset when the new batteries went in.
My brother is going to put it away and mail me the Card before the snow flies.
These are on well traveled paths to the Stream and really close to the camp. We use these same paths during the days when we are there. Our presence doesn't seem to bother them. 8)

SwampDonkey · August 23, 2009, 02:24:34 PM

I find moose are just like cows and horses. They just roam and graze and follow their same old pathways. ;D :D

Radar67 · August 23, 2009, 04:05:20 PM

Oh, one other thing I failed to mention, if the camera is pointed toward the sun an any way, it will take random shots as well. I started setting mine up so that it generally faces a northerly direction.

Ron Scott · August 23, 2009, 09:02:28 PM

Yes, best to face them to the north, the sun will trigger them. I use the Moultie also.

Jeff · August 23, 2009, 10:48:40 PM

I got just one and part of another season out of mine. The flash went to heck so all I get is daytime shots. No warranty as the kids bought it for me at Christmas, so I didnt use it until the following fall, got one season out of it, used it this past year for Lynda's hunt and it quit around the first of December. :-\

Mooseherder · October 26, 2009, 07:06:10 PM

My brother sent me the video card from the Game Camera we left out at camp. It seems to have worked flawlessly taking well over 550 shots on this round of batteries. 8)

Now if I had only trimmed those branches or put the camera at a different place we might have some great shots. :

I did get 2 pictures of this baby Moose so all is not lost.

Here is that DanG Branch. The camera is in an opening on a path to the stream.

beenthere · October 26, 2009, 07:12:09 PM

Are you thinking the branches affected the flash/exposure time? or what?

Mooseherder · October 26, 2009, 07:19:57 PM

Oh yeah. I have the times showing on the bottom. It finally wore down the Batteries after so many shots it was done by August 27th.
The good news is I had already written this camera off but now it seems if da operator gets some training it might be salvagable. :D

iffy · October 27, 2009, 02:31:29 PM

My wife works for the NRCS office and awhile back a local farmer/hunter came in and showed her pictures he got with his new trail cam. First picture was of a tractor pulling a cultivator north. Next picture was of the tractor pulling the cultivator south. Next picture was of the tractor pulling the cultivator north -------------About 30 pictures. :D

Mooseherder · June 06, 2010, 04:41:59 PM

Set up the Game Cam with a new Video Card and Batteries upon our arrival at Camp on the trail the animals use down to the Stream.
I was excited it had 12 pictures on it by the end of the week even though I knew 3 of them were probably me driving by.
Well once again this thing failed miserably taking the picture while a Moose is already past.
I figured it was time for a new Venue.

Maybe the Bear will have better luck with it on this path to the Stream.
He can Maul it so serves some purpose. :D
It'll be there till August unless someone steals it. Boy, won't they be disappointed

Radar67 · June 06, 2010, 06:50:44 PM

I had the same problem when I first set my cam out, turned out I was setting it up too close to the trail. I backed it off 20 or 30 feet and it started getting shots if the game wasn't running.

Magicman · June 06, 2010, 09:19:24 PM

And point it ether up or down the trail, not straight across.

Mooseherder · August 27, 2010, 09:31:48 PM

I went to retrieve the Game Cam when we got to camp after the Pigroast.
The camera had been on the trail since early June.
It was exciting to see the batteries were dead and I was thinking there must be a couple hundred pictures taken. :D I took it off the tree and proceeded up to the camp so I could install the video card into a regular camera.
There was 48 pictures on the card. :

The batteries had gone dead with 48 pictures. 8 of them were my brother and I riding or walking the trail. I had got over 500 pictures of a windy branch with a previous set of batteries. :D
Anyways it wasn't a total loss. Got 3 Moose anyways. Here is the best one. Picture 1 and 2 are the same Moose.
The third caught the Hind Qtr. of one and the 4th picture got a youngin'. The 5th picture is me verifying the camera was working before we left.

beenthere · August 28, 2010, 03:04:43 PM

Big moose. When will you get a chance to hunt for moose ?

I have one cam out and last night was a good night. But going to be tough on the batteries as there were 188 shots in 24 hours. Many of turkeys and some of raccoon. Also some deer as well as three good bucks. I thought at first only two, but one was a smaller 9 pt.

Here is an 8pt behind a 10 pt. (right beam is apparently bloody from bumping the velvet covering).

Mooseherder · August 28, 2010, 05:55:23 PM

Nice pics BT.
The Moose lottery decides who can hunt for them.
I think Maine is allowing about 3100 for 2010.
Each zone has different hunt and amounts for harvest.
This information is from the Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
---------------

Multiple Choice Options and Fees

Participants in the annual moose lottery have had the opportunity of increasing their odds of being selected for a moose hunting permit by purchasing additional chances. The so-called "multiple choice option" works like this:

Maine Residents

$7.00 = One-chance
$12.00 = *Three-chances
$22.00 = *Six-chances

*Maine resident must possess a valid big game hunting license to apply for 3 or 6 chances.

Nonresidents

$15.00 = One-chance
$25.00 = Three-chances
$35.00 = Six-chances
$55.00 = **Ten-chances

** Nonresidents may purchase multiples of 10 chances at $55.00 each.
Example: 5 multiples of 10 chances would cost $275.00 (5 x $55.00 = $275.00)

SwampDonkey · August 28, 2010, 06:12:39 PM

We have a lottery here to, but there is only 3 days. The last weekend of September (Thurs-Sat). They need to extend it for this zone, we have too many. The Natives come in and get one or two after the regular season. But, when you still look out and see 8 at the end of the garden........well. :-\ Now mind you they aren't there all the time in a group, they roam around a big area and will stay one place for awhile and then move on. For some reason though, they come around the house in the fall.

Mooseherder · August 28, 2011, 10:33:29 AM

The Game cam disappointments continue. :

Here is the video card I purchased with the Cam at Wally world and what it looks like taken apart.
The video card is junk and I'll never purchase this brand again. I tried some engineering to make it work and retrieve it's contents to no avail.

I am high on the camera as it appears to be doing it's part because there was 38 pictures on the counter.
It is a Moultrie for 75 dollars and I'm thinking right now there isn't a thing wrong with it.
I'll find out next week when we return to the cabin because it is set up with another video card along a known wildlife trail.

SwampDonkey · August 28, 2011, 10:45:27 AM

Now, I've had SanDisk brand cards here SD and Compact Flash. My Laptop and the older PS3 took SanDisk SD as does the GPS. I took one in to the Source (Radio Shack) to get the PS3 latest system update as they have a fast connection. Their brand new Acer they tried to save the file to kept saying it was write protected. We dried opening and closing the write tab to no avail. But, my computer here at home works with that same SanDisk SD card fine, and works in my brother's video cam. It's practically never even been used, but it always works here. At the time I got a 4 gig thumb drive to get the file home for $10. But, years ago I had experience with Acer machines and non of them lasted a year. The office had 2 and they would just lock up all the time. My brother had one, it would crash and lock up to. Junk. ;D

Mooseherder · June 02, 2012, 10:38:44 AM

Captured a couple of pics from our recent visit to the cabin.
I had cut 10 Red Pine where this camera was located to make way for the Power line coming in.
Our activity didn't appear to phase the wildlife.

The young Moose with it's fur filling out.

Jeff · June 02, 2012, 10:54:37 AM

You need a moose groomer. ;)

Mooseherder · June 02, 2012, 11:06:15 AM

It is kinda homely a critter. :D
When we first got there I was looking around to see which trees needed to be cut that were threatening the cabin. There were 5 piles of fresh moose poop on the south side of the cabin walls less than 50 feet from the porch. There was droppings everywhere in the woods but none in the fields. :

We took a couple days and walked the entire woods and exploring. In spite of seeing signs of the Moose everywhere, we never saw one on our property except for the game cam. We did see a couple while running errands on route 1 and while 4 wheeling I got video of one in a pond just off the trail.
I think they had a nice winter and expected to see a lot more.

Mooseherder · June 02, 2012, 01:10:15 PM

Here are some clips put together as we approached a young one in a pond on the trail a mile from our place. His Geese friends were trying to alert him of our presence while he was feeding under water. :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzRr2GDH4Kg&feature=youtube

doctorb · June 02, 2012, 01:21:54 PM

Very cool! Looks like a beautiful area. I'm envious.

SwampDonkey · June 02, 2012, 06:58:57 PM

:D Moose are just as dumb as Bro_Noble's cows. I "thought" I had a video on the camera of one a couple weeks back, but got home and it wasn't there, just a still. I was in the car and it was just off the ditch line on the opposite side of the road. It stood still so a picture was just as good. I had to toot the horn a time or two to get it to move a little. :D I've probably seen 20 different moose so far this spring and at least 10 bear. You can go for a long stretch and never see a moose, then all the sudden they "come out of the woods" to the roads and fields. No rhyme nor reason. ;) I see them lots of times along the highway fencing to. Up in my area all the good ground is cleared to farms pretty much and the woods that's left is a lot of wetland, cedar and other lowlands where move like to "muck" around in. This week on a block I found a big wide open moose trail and a spring hole where they have been coming to a lot to much around in. They'll take an old skidder trail and keep it open from browsing like a hare will a trail.

SwampDonkey · June 04, 2012, 05:43:08 AM

In the city of Fredericton they have had moose problems this spring. One just passed by the radio station windows trotting down the busiest street in the city. Darn scatter brained, long eared, long legged ruminants. :D

WDH · June 04, 2012, 06:56:42 AM

I know some people around here like that

.

Norm · June 04, 2012, 07:36:10 AM

Had me worried for a minute there until I realized I had short legs... :D

sandhills · June 04, 2012, 01:48:14 PM

Not to highjack the thread but the other day I was fixing fence on one of our pastures and came across a game cam tied to a tree. Nobody has permission to hunt there but a few people (mostly family) so I call the bil to see if they had one up there, yes they did but this one wasn't theirs, cell service is terrible there so after I left I talked to him again, and the other person who has permission, nope not theirs either. I went back to get it (I know who's it is I think, if they want to be honest they'll get it back, I'm not a thief). Anyhow bad part was I forgot exactly where it was so I pull into the trees, jump out of my little Jimmy and relieve myself quick, low and behold when I look up what do suppose I'm staring directly into? Once again I would be our stupid smiley, luckily the batteries were dead :

.

SwampDonkey · June 04, 2012, 05:02:15 PM

A black bear was also spotted in the city this morning.

Black bears are getting as thick as the moose. Can't be anyone hunting them anymore or darn poor shot. ;D I see the local guy going with bate barrels this spring but he never has got the bear on the woodlot for years now. Might be different bears, but they are territorial. The bear climbs the red oaks every fall and strips the limbs for the acorns.

Ron Scott · June 04, 2012, 07:00:04 PM

One needs to watch for game camera's all over the woods now days. I run in to them often when marking timber.

Cypressstump · June 05, 2012, 08:15:59 AM

Down here a man can't keep his rightful belongings without another stealing it. Trail cams are a hot item as more and more people are using them. I have 6 that I monitor my property with a food plot/box stand I built for my 84 YO Mom to hunt whitetails on. Sure enough tresspassers found the plot and stole a camera or two.
I ended up having to purchase a metal secuity boxes for each of my cameras. They lag bolt to the tree instead of straps. I'll attached them to some trash swamp gums or other non desirable species. It will take a little more determination to steal them now, but they only keep a semi honest man honest.

I have had some high dollar units that were very disappointing due to poor battery life and quality of the pics. I sold those and bought some Primos Truth 35 IR cameras. The battery life is crazy good. I can get 450 pics day/ night easy, and still have 80% battery life. They were at Bass Pro for 90 bucks a pop and are worth more to me than some of the 300 dollar cameras I have gotten rid of.

You never have a real clue of whats in the woods until using one of these things. Amazing

JohnM · June 18, 2012, 10:55:08 AM

Quote from: Cypressstump on June 05, 2012, 08:15:59 AM
You never have a real clue of whats in the woods until using one of these things. Amazing

Totally agree, these cameras are really fun! Caught this 'lady' down by our small pond about 200yds from the house.

Never would have known she was around without the camera. Btw the camera was set low to try to locate the fox that killed a couple of chickens this spring...grrr. >:(

JM

Cypressstump · June 19, 2012, 09:51:03 AM

JM, I see you use a Truthcam 35, I am going solely to those for future needs if any. I had a lock on one of my security boxes freeze up on me. It was left in the swamp for about 2 months after I removed the rest of the cameras at the end of deer season.
I recently went back in with a drill, popped the lock,, was amazed to see I had 80% battery life still on the Truthcam 35 and have 860 ish pictures still left to be viewed !
Stump

JohnM · June 19, 2012, 10:06:18 AM

Stump, I like the camera for the most part, the range is limited and the trigger a bit slow but for the price it's hard to beat. You get much better battery life down there than we do up here, once the temp drops below freezing the batteries drop with it. I want to get a 2-3 more, it's fun just seeing what's crawling around the woods. (I'd like to catch the *&^%!#@*'s that pulled my posted sign down too...grr)

JM

Mooseherder · September 25, 2012, 08:04:43 PM

I was able to pull the pictures out of the faulty video card I talked about in reply 27 from last year and found a few nice surprises.
The first 2 are from that card. The others are from a card I thought had been erased by the camera in error.
The scary part is the camera is about 100 feet from Route 1. This is their highway to the other side of the road.

I also was able to reset my Moultrie and it is working again.

SwampDonkey · September 26, 2012, 03:00:32 AM

I scared up an old cow yesterday on the woodlot. She took off to the south end of the lot and started blat'n for her beau. :D

Mooseherder · May 31, 2015, 09:00:33 PM

This is the same area that captured the Moose pics a few years ago by Route 1.
The date is right but the time is off.
Is it a Cat? It looks like a line was draw where the eyes should be. I don't know why it did that.
I switched the camera to video after discovering this creature on it.
Only got a small moose on it though. The camera remains in this area to check on when we return.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0RMfMgy0DQ&feature=youtube

fishpharmer · June 01, 2015, 12:31:56 AM

Mooseherder, I think the eyes reflect the infrared light from the camera, so they look white at night. Probably the animal is moving its head back and forth, as well as its forward motion, makes the relatively long exposure pic appear that a line was drawn across the eyes. My limited experience with game cams makes me think the trigger mechanisms are generally slow and the exposure is longer at nighttime to get a better image. Almost seems they are designed for use over looking feed or bait, where an animal is not moving much, not certain. Would love to hear if someone has a cam with fast trigger speed to catch moving critters.

Sorry I got long winded. Looks like a coyote with long black tipped tail, can't say that with much certainty. :-[

beenthere · June 01, 2015, 11:22:15 AM

I'm of the conclusion that fast trigger response to movement will cause the cam to snap when birds fly by, or maybe even a leaf falling, or a breeze blowing a stalk of grass, or a other movements that one doesn't want. Could be wrong, but also would like quicker trigger.

I'm considering going back to flash, for better pics and shorter exposure times.

fishpharmer · June 01, 2015, 01:56:35 PM

beenthere, that makes sense that a quicker trigger would catch birds and such. I know a slow trigger catches lots of tails.

There is bound to be a game cam with adjustable trigger as well as exposure, or not.

Mooseherder · October 08, 2015, 05:53:31 PM

I got a few pictures from the Game Camera that was left up this summer.
The am-pm isn't right but the dates are. It also had hundreds of pictures taken of the leaves moving.

A picture or partials of Moose on June 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 9th, 28th and July 11th.
Rabbit on June 2nd and 15th. A Deer on July 4th. Skunk on June 5th and August 3rd. Raccoon on June 12th and Coyotes on June 11th, July 5th, 26th, 28th and 31st, August 6th, 7th and 14th.
Late afternoon August 14th is the day I got back there.
Here's the cutest one.