the intrepid trail cam

- a series by g. geddes

2nd Instalment:

To Trail Cam or Not to Trail Cam?

The beginning ... One of the first things I asked myself before getting into trail cams was “do I want to even do this at all?” At the end of the day a trail cam picture will probably not be the missing piece of evidence that solves the mystery, so why bother? The same can be said of track casts, audio, etc., and yet many credible researchers and scientists alike spend large amounts of time working with these methods. To some it’s about accumulating evidence from several different methods and together they may build a case. For many it is more for personal satisfaction and that is where I was coming from when I decided to give trail cams a try.

For me, my main motivation is to try and get a photo or video footage that satisfies me. Period. I’m not really worried about having the “community” analyze and endorse any trail cam shots I may get. Of course, in the case of OSR, we share what we learn and provide constructive feedback to each other. But even if someone somewhere gets a really nice shot, that alone will not be conclusive. Still, I decided to go ahead and give it a try.

So worst case, I reasoned to myself, I’ll probably get some pictures of animals common to the areas where I place the cameras. Deer, rabbits, coyotes, and foxes would all be shots I’d be happy with since nature photography has always been an interest. In addition I have a goal of getting a shot of an Eastern Puma (Puma concolor couguar. Kerr 1832).

An endangered species coming back in Ontario from the brink of extinction, the cougar/mountain lion/puma would be a very good shot to get. In fact, my basic plan is to position the camera and bait for deer hoping to attract a cougar as they and our large friend may follow the same trails.

The next part of my plan is to get good at shooting wildlife when using the cameras so that when I’m in a situation where I’m on a research expedition, deploying the cams won’t be as much of a gamble.

On the other hand, if I just position the camera and hope someday a BF walks by, there would be no fun in that all by itself. So by upping the ante and trying to get a cougar shot, I am adjusting my plan to not just shoot deer, but to get shots in a location that a predator could approach relatively undetected.

Here’s an example of the types of shots you can get when you use trail cams. This beauty is by Chris Wenner, a trail cam pro. I figure if I can get even close to this type of shot I’ll be very happy.