As I mentioned in a recent post, I’ve been trying out a Bushnell® HD Trophy Cam game camera, provided courtesy of Bushnell®. This is the first game camera I have used and I am very impressed with the quality of the pictures over varying conditions. I am also impressed with how sensitive the camera is to movement. A small Red Squirrel climbing a tree triggers the camera, as does a dove landing under the feeder. Snow and wind doesn’t seem to set off the camera, which is a good thing in Vermont.

Startled Deer

The camera records the camera name (useful if you are using multiple cameras), the temperature, the moon phase, the date, and the time the picture was taken. After viewing dozens of pictures, a certain repeated sequence of events has started to emerge: animals feeding around the bird feeder; startled animals flee; Cabot (the wonder dog) appears in the next picture frame. Needless to say, I have at least as many pictures of Cabot as I do of any “real” wildlife. Cal (the Brittany) is also in a couple pictures, but, at 13, he’s a bit slower out of the gate.

I’ve also learned a thing or two playing with Bushnell® HD Trophy Cam game camera. First, if you don’t push the camera on switch all the up, the camera stays in the set-up mode. If the camera is in the set-up mode, you get no pictures. Second, you can tell a lot from the sequence shots – where the animals come from, how long the feed or stay in the area, and how frequently they return. I’ve also learned that the dogs will chase anything off that little hill.

The infrared flash also works great. The benefit of an infrared flash is that you can take night photos without scaring off game.  Early this month I woke up to the smell of skunk. It smelled like it was in the house…just terrible. My wife didn’t smell anything since she could sleep through Armageddon (or my snoring). I went up to the game camera a couple days later, took out the memory card, plugged it into my computer, and, sure enough, the camera caught the skunk heading off after its odoriferous ruination of my sleep.

So far the camera has taken pictures of an English Setter named Cabot, deer (lots of does), Red Squirrels, an English Setter named Cabot, Grey Squirrels, an English Setter named Cabot, Karen going to the compost bin, Karen returning from the compost bin, birds of all sort, and an English Setter named Cabot. I can’t wait for spring and the possibility of getting photos of more game. I’m hoping to catch a bear when the weather improves. We’ve also seen Fisher and Barred Owls around the house.

Cabot, center of picture, stalking his shadow

I was talking with my friend Leo the other day about the game camera and he told me of all the wildlife he has seen over the years. Leo travels Brown’s Trace Road four days a week to work and, as one would expect, Leo has seen quite a few critters. He has seen a great number of deer and several moose.  In one month period a few years ago, Leo saw a Fisher cross the road six times at the same spot and at almost the exact same time of day.  Just a couple weeks ago, Leo saw a bobcat about a mile past Clark’s Truck Center, an animal he has only seen twice before, despite having been a hunter for over 60 years.  The last bobcat Leo saw was over 40 years ago.

I have to admit I absolutely love the Bushnell® HD Trophy Cam game camera.  However, I am wondering if maybe I shouldn’t just strap a camera to Leo and send him on his daily commute!