Couriosity Killed the Camera

The results are in for the third camera we had placed in West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest. And they are mostly the same as the others. The results from the three cameras are:

of 140 photos, 87 pictures were deer

0f those 87 photos, we had 108 deer total, although they were probably the same few deer many times.

2 photos were bear (one bear taken 2 times)

2 were of unknown animals (most likely a raccoon)

the rest of the 50 or so photos were triggered by an unseen object (light, leaves, small animals).

Not what I had hoped for, but the pictures of the bear gave a nice variety to the deer. The title of the post is what happened with camera number three. Instead of along the road as the other two camera were, the third camera was placed in a grassy opening in the trees where hunters usually go. When we retrieved it, we found the camera was scratched in several places. Although the camera didn't sustain damage that was enough to stop it from working. It seems that the couriosity of the wildlife (either the bear of raccoon) can be detromental to the success of the camera trap.

Unknown animal in the camera. Possibly a raccoon