Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas!

Some photos from Christmas last year, while visiting in-laws in Minnesota.

They live in a rural setting, so (of course) I couldn't help but bring a camera with!

The snow had been deep along their back lot-line, which butts-up against some light agriculture and wooded buffers.  Shin-deep snow, almost knee-deep...you can sort of see this in the picture of me and the faithful pooch below.



Also....not only was the snow pretty deep (which, as you know, isn't conducive to wildlife traffic), I could only find a lightly-used game trail that appeared to be a little old.  I scoped around for a better spot, but didn't find much.  So I put the camera up there and hoped for the best.

The dog and I checked the camera every day.  Unfortunately, for about 4 days straight, we got skunked (aside from a squirrel or two).

Finally, however, early Christmas morning, a pair of white-tailed deer trudged their way past.


That day, the kid and I went outside to play.  She was only 2 at the time, and with the deep snow, she couldn't even take two steps without doing a face-plant.  So...we adopted a different strategy.  We played in the driveway and the road.  I realize allowing your child to play in the road sounds like a 'terrible father' moment...but it was a little traversed road in a rural suburb.  Plus, I was right next to her and we stayed along the shoulder.

Anyways...while we're playing, I happen to look down at the snow that had gotten packed down along the roadside and saw tracks.  White-tailed deer and a Canid.  Could have been a domestic dog, but also very reminiscent of Coyote.  Then another set of tracks...then another.  I followed them for a while and realized what an idiot I had been.  Critters don't like pushing through deep snow any better than the rest of us, which I knew.  But I also thought they'd be alittle more reluctant to choose a road as their corridor...especially with all of the wooded buffers around to hide in.

That night I moved the camera and strapped it to their mailbox.  And, of course, my hypothesis on me being an idiot was supported.


Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and all that!

I wish you and yours the best in the coming year!

See you at the other end of the trail.

2 comments:

  1. I love that you can poke fun at yourself!!!! In past years, I've used the same reasoning and have staked out my driveway. For some bizarre reason, the wildlife aren't even using my driveway this year. Go figure...

    I traditionally have terrible luck in the forest in the winter but this year I've instituted a new rule. When I snowshoe to my cams, I pack down a trail that goes *in front* of the cams. That way, if the animals are following the packed trail, I get their photos. Last year, I just went behind the cams to check them - so most of the animals went behind the cams too. We'll see if my new strategy works...

    I was really glad to read in your last post that you were able to replace those Reconyx cams. Do you have any new tricks for attaching them so that they're hard to remove? I just strap 'em to trees and use a cable lock.

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  2. Hey KB!

    well, I've tried to institute more stringent security measures (and what I was previously doing was pretty intense...). But, it was all for naught....because even those failed me a few weeks back when another one of my cams was stolen (with added security AND on private property!). If people want them bad enough, they'll get them somehow.

    The only thing you can do is insure them, I guess.

    The human condition always prevails, unfortunately.

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