Look What the Camera Traps Caught

For more than a decade my camera traps have been capturing photos and videos of birds and mammals, and once in a while even insects.

During all that time they’ve occasionally caught the most abundant large mammal in Pennsylvania, it’s allegedly the most intelligent mammal on earth – although recently there have been times that it seems to me that their intelligence has been grossly over-rated. They’re active in the forest year-round, although their activity seems to be minimal in winter which leads to the conclusion that many are adverse to cold weather.

These mammals are seen in many sizes and shapes, apparently they grow throughout life in the manner of trees, first taller and then larger in diameter.

Fortunately, in all the years my camera traps have been out in forest and field only one has been taken and none have been damaged by these large mammals. Some of the mammals noticed the camera traps, some didn’t, some were on public land, some were trespassing (especially the one in the first clip who wasn’t just trespassing but fishing out of season). It’s interesting to see the reactions that noticing the camera traps generate, but many passed by without seeing them.