Mountain Bucks

Starting to get more pics of the bigger bucks now. Daylight is getting shorter and days cooler now. These two bucks were at the mountain pond checking things out.

Bear , Deer, and Turkey

Got a nice variety from the camera on Cedar Ridge. The flock of turkeys had a couple of big birds in it. Unfortunately I also had a camera stolen last week. Went to check it and the tree was empty and the weeds around it pack down by whoever take it. I thought this was one of my most secure cams just by it's location but I guess not.

Predators

Got an interesting series of a doe staring at something last week. See the doe in the first three pics and then what she was looking at in the fourth pic. Also got a rare pic of a hawk and crow together.

I know. I've been a bad blogger this summer. Just been too busy and I had to cut way back on some things and the blog was one of them. Just completed county fair week or Hell Week as we like to call it and things will hopefully start slowing down some. Wrapped up several big projects at work that had been taking a lot of time also. Not to mention numerous power outages and even a lighting strike that set an air handler on fire and run in on the electrical system at the plant.

Hopefully I can start posting consistently again.

I generally like to check my cameras every week but there were times this summer when it was three weeks before I got a chance the check them. Below is some rare daytime pics of two gray foxes.

Not sure if this is a mother and kit or two males running together. I'm guessing two male as they both like to big to be a kit.

Odds and Ends

Didn't get to check the cameras today. It started raining a little after midnight and we've gotten more wind and rain all day. So I thought I'd post some pics I've wanted to post over the last several weeks but haven't done had time to.

The first set is a sow and her two cubs. I like the cub on the far bank. I'm sure it's watching the frogs in the pond by the way it's head is turned in each pic.

The next set is a hen turkey feeding by the camera. The hens are laying eggs right now. We had an unfortunate accident yesterday with a nest. We were planting corn before the rain hit and one of the coulters on the corn planter hit a nest and break most of the eggs. That was the first turkey nest any of us could remember being in one of the corn fields. Usually all we have to worry about in the spring are to fawns laying in the hay fields when we're mowing.

The last set is some of last years fawns having a pool party in the pond.

Pileated Woodpecker

Another first for my camera traps. We have a lot of these woodpeckers in my area but this is the first
one I’ve got on camera. A lot of folks in my area also call them Indian Chickens. I’ve watched many
from my hunting stands fluttering from tree to tree over the years hammering away. They make a loud
drumming sound when they peck on a tree looking for insects and beetle larvae. It sounds a lot like a
hammer striking a tree. They also make a loud squawking call that can be heard for a good distance. I had hoped to get to posted last week but it seems the more I get done the more I have to do this Spring. Heading out later this afternoon to check the cameras and see what we've got.

First Bear of Spring

I’ve been expecting to get a bear on camera for the last couple of weeks and last week I finally got
one. We’ve had unusually mild weather since the first of February and I thought the bear would be out
earlier this year. This looks like a good size boar bear making his rounds looking for food.

Pepe Le Pew

Or a few of his relatives. I don't get a chance today to check my cameras. It rained most of the morning and drizzled this afternoon. I went to the WNIT basketball game between JMU and UVA this afternoon anyway. It was a great game with JMU advancing to the semi finals on Wednesday. If you've never went to a women's basketball game with two well coached teams and good players you're really missing out. The brand of basketball played is as good as any you'll see. We've had season tickets for both the JMU men and women's games for years and I actually enjoy the women's games more than the men. Of course the men aren't very good...I want to keep this a G rated blog so you'll notice I used "aren't very good" and I'll leave it at that ;). O.K. back on topic. Even though we have quite a few skunks in my area I really don't get a lot of pictures of them. I'm guessing these two are a pair.