Tag: trail-cam

Watch: Incredibly fat grizzly bear beyond ready for hibernation

Footage from Canada’s Yukon Territory shows an extremely plump grizzly bear that seems beyond ready for hibernation.

A trail camera in Canada’s Yukon Territory has captured footage featuring an extremely plump grizzly bear that seems beyond ready for hibernation.

“This rotund grizzly sure knows how to prep for the big sleep that awaits,” David Troup of Yukon Wildlife Cams stated this week via Facebook, in reference to the impending hibernation season. “While not the biggest grizzly I’ve captured on camera, definitely the fattest, which is meant in the most admirable of ways.”

Troup’s footage (posted below) shows the massive bruin strolling past the  motion-sensor camera with sleepy eyes that almost seem closed. (Please click here if video player doesn’t appear.)

https://www.facebook.com/yukonwildlifecams/videos/1200441621186859

Understandably, Troup’s followers were impressed enough to chime in.

One suggested that the bear is pregnant, to which Troup replied, “Nope, just fat.”

Another remarked that the bear could have been a contender in the annual Fat Bear Week competition that features coastal brown bears of the Brooks River in Alaska’s Katmai National Park.

Another comment: “Great footage, you can see he/she is very content, even looking happy.”

Troup’s reply: “It looks like its eyes are even closed as it walks along.”

The top comment refers to lyrics in the 1978 song by Queen, “Fat Bottomed Girls.” The revised verse: “Fat bottom bears they make this rocking world go round.”

‘Cautious eyes’ focus on grizzly bear family in Yukon meadow

Momma grizzly bear and two large cubs have a wary audience in wild horses that appear ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble.

A trail camera in Canada’s Yukon Territory has captured an interesting scene involving a momma grizzly bear and two cubs being watched intently by wild horses.

“A beautiful grizzly family strolls along on a recent autumn morning as cautious eyes watch from afar,” David Troup of Yukon Wildlife Cams described Thursday via Facebook.

Viewers will note that the horses appear frozen into the landscape; they’re that wary of the bears and making a move that might prompt a predatory charge. (Click here if a video player does not appear below.)

https://www.facebook.com/yukonwildlifecams/videos/839394361509756

Troup told FTW Outdoors that his camera captured this scene Sept. 15 and added that he was not aware of grizzly bear predation involving this group of horses.

Grizzly bears will sometimes chase horses in the hope of catching a tired foal or causing a large horse to fall.

The scene captured by Troup’s camera is reminiscent of a dramatic scene captured by a trail-cam network in 2022 in Alberta, Canada, involving grizzly bears chasing horses that were clearly running for their lives.

Regarding that scene, the Help Alberta Wildies Society stated on Facebook: “The next time someone tells you that the Wild Horses have no natural predators, send them to me.

“We are losing a lot of horses this year, sooner and quicker than in past years. Not just the foals. Adults also.”

Watch: Wolf pup learns hard way that squirrels will fight back

Extraordinary trail-cam footage shows the young wolf receiving at least two bites to its snout while trying to secure its meal.

Trail-cam footage captured recently in Minnesota shows a wolf pup discovering that capturing squirrels can involve painful consequences.

“This wolf pup learned that squirrel bites on the nose don’t feel so good,” the Voyageurs Wolf Project stated via X.

The footage opens with a slow-motion sequence in which the pup sends the squirrel flying after receiving a bite on the tip of its snout.

It picks up with more of the hunt, at regular speed and in slow motion, including a second bite to the snout.

One viewer described the action as a “food fight.”

The footage certainly underscores that life as a young predator includes working hard for just about every meal.

The Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem is a vast boreal forest that includes Voyageurs National Park. The Voyagers Wolf Project, with the help of trail cameras, studies wolves in the region.

Grizzly bear cub breaks out moves in hilarious trail-cam footage

The approaching bears are robust and the vibe is suspenseful until one cub pauses to scratch its back on a tree.

An organization that monitors wild horses in Alberta, Canada, has published a video “re-run” showing a grizzly bear with two large cubs approaching a trail camera.

The bears are robust and the music is suspenseful until one cub pauses to scratch its back on a tree, at which point the audio becomes lively and the mood upbeat.

The footage was captured in 2022 and edited by the Help Alberta Wildies Society, which uses remote motion-sensor cameras to help monitor wild horse herd sizes and behaviors.

Grizzly bears share the same habitat and HAWS has published several clips showing bears trying to run down a foal or catch a fallen horse.

Most HAWS social-media videos are sharp and cleverly edited.

An editor stated Wednesday via Facebook: “I’m waiting for a new iMac computer to arrive, hopefully tomorrow, before I can build new movies. In the meantime we can watch some re-runs.”

Giant Yukon grizzly bear provides riveting trail-cam moment

A trail-cam operator in Canada’s Yukon Territory has shared several compelling grizzly bear video clips recently, but one stands out above the others.

Last week, a trail-cam operator shared video footage that revealed his “near encounters” with grizzly bears in Canada’s Yukon Territory.

This week, David Troup of Yukon Wildlife Cams shared footage showing a “marvelous” grizzly bear scent-marking a tree on which one of his cameras was attached.

It was reminiscent of perhaps Troup’s most compelling related footage: that of a massive grizzly bear back scratching, or scent-marking a tree before charging toward the camera.

The accompanying slow-motion footage, captured by Yukon Trail Cams in August 2021, lends a unique perspective of what a grizzly bear charge in your direction might look like.

Reads one of the more popular comments: “Can you imagine standing where the trail camera is?”

Another: “Remember, you only have to be faster than your hiking partner!”

Troup maintains a network of trail cameras in the Yukon and periodically shares footage to showcase the region’s wildlife.

Trail-cam operator reveals grizzly bear ‘near encounters’

A trail-cam operator in the Yukon Territory has shared “near-encounter” footage showing grizzly bears in front of his camera on the same days as his maintenance visits.

Those who monitor trail cameras in grizzly bear country must wonder how close they might be to bears when they check their devices.

The accompanying footage, featured by David Troup of Yukon Wildlife  Cams, provides an interesting perspective of what it’s like to be the person who maintains the cameras.

In his Facebook post, Troup revealed how much time passed between grizzly bear visits to the camera site and Troup’s visits on the same days.

“On four occasions this summer I checked cameras on the same day as grizzlies visited, with an increasing trend in separation times, thankfully,” Troup stated. “The near encounters were separated by times of (hours:minutes) 2:24, 4:38, 6:56, and 7:27.”

The bears include a probable large boar at the beginning of the footage, and a sow with cubs.

Troup, who appears in front of the camera between bear appearances, cautioned anyone entering bear country to carry bear spray, make noise, and “hope the space-time continuum is on your side.”

Facebook followers thanked Troup for showcasing the Yukon Territory’s wildlife, but some expressed concern for his safety.

Troup told FTW Outdoors:

“I just responded to a comment of what my point of the post was so it’s not interpreted as me presenting myself as some ‘brave outdoorsman’ narrative.

“Everyone who spends time outdoors likely has near encounters with a variety of wildlife yet may not realize it. But with trail cams we sometimes capture those moments.”

Viewers will note that the first bear sniffs the camera before continuing its journey.

Wild animals have an acute sense of their surroundings and react to motion-sensor cameras in different ways.

Last year, one of Troup’s cameras captured footage of a “camera-shy” coyote that paused in front of and quickly bounded away from the device.

Troup explained that his cameras are well disguised, but added: “Inevitably wildlife can detect peculiarities in their environment, whether it’s by sight, sound or smell.”

Cougar pursues coyote past trail camera, audio reveals likely result

Recent trail-cam footage showing a mountain lion hunting a coyote is reminiscent of a similar but more dramatic scene captured last fall.

On Monday we featured trail-cam footage showing a mountain lion’s successful nighttime hunt in the Southern California wilderness.

The mountain lion, or cougar, was shown following a coyote past the camera and returning minutes later with its kill. The footage revealed a predator-prey interaction that plays out routinely on trails when most people are in their beds.

It’s also reminiscent of a similar but more dramatic scene also captured via trail-cam in eastern Orange County. (See video below.)

In Nathalie Orozco’s footage, captured last fall, the coyote is shown trotting down a trail and a stealthy mountain lion sensing opportunity. The ambush occurs in the darkness beyond the camera’s infrared light, but audio reveals the likely result.

Mark Girardeau, who featured the footage on Orange County Outdoors, stated:

“Just before entering the frame, the mountain lion noticed the coyote and went into action to secure his next meal. Notice how the mountain lion pounces quietly rather than sprinting.”

A scouting mission the next day turned up coyote fur but no carcass. Girardeau, who theorized that the cougar had hauled its kill off-trail, commented:

“Our guess is that the mountain lion was successful based on other nearby cameras which showed him hanging out in the area for the entire night afterwards.”

Wild horse definitely feeling its oats in bizarre trail-cam footage

Trail-cam footage captured in the Yukon Territory picks up mystery sound as wild horses bolt across snow.

A motion-sensor trail camera has captured footage showing wild horses bolting across snow in Canada’s Yukon Territory. But the Yukon Wildlife Cams footage also picked up a mystery sound seemingly issued by the lead horse.

However, David Troup, who monitors the cameras he positions on remote game trails, is reasonably sure he solved the mystery.

“I’m not sure what else this could be other than flatulence from the first horse on a warm winter morning,” Troup wrote on Facebook.

Add this to the many behaviors exhibited by critters as they pass Troup’s cameras.

In the past week Yukon Wildlife Cams has shared footage of grazing wood bison (a first for the cameras), a bugling elk, a lynx, and a compilation featuring appearances by a lynx, a black bear, two moose, a coyote and another black bear.

One of our favorite clips, from 2021, shows a large grizzly bear scratching its back on a tree before charging within feet of the camera, revealing its ominous bulk and massive claws.

Best trail-cam reaction – Yellowstone wolf or Yukon coyote?

Which animal has the best reaction after encountering a trail camera, the Yellowstone wolf or Yukon coyote?

Remote trail cameras wonderfully showcase the natural behavior of wild animals, but that’s not always the case.

For example, the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project recently shared footage showing a wolf in Yellowstone National Park licking a trail-cam’s lens.

“Just a short clip of some wild wolves from Yellowstone, courtesy of our colleagues at the National Park Service,” the RMWP stated March 27 on Facebook.

The footage, posted below, shows a lead wolf become curious about the camera before stopping to lick the device. Several other wolves ignore the camera.

The footage was somewhat reminiscent of a clip featured here last December, showing a coyote’s comical response after encountering a trail camera in Canada’s Yukon Territory.

In the footage, posted below, the coyote bows briefly before bounding from a perceived danger.

David Troup of Yukon Wildlife Cams stated: “Inevitably wildlife can detect peculiarities in their environment, whether it’s by sight, sound or smell.”

Last September, one of Troup’s cameras captured footage of a grizzly bear responding like the Yellowstone wolf.

Troup wrote on Facebook: “A family of grizzly bears find a camera and investigate the peculiarity in September, with a quick view inside mom’s mouth included.”

–Editor’s note: A similar version of this post, with more focus on Yellowstone wolves, was published April 18

Bobcat shown stalking raccoons in surreal nighttime footage

A trail camera in Colorado has captured footage showing a large bobcat hunting raccoons at night in a narrow passageway.

A trail camera in suburban Colorado has captured footage of a large bobcat stalking raccoons at night in a narrow passageway.

“Raccoons are some of a bobcat’s favorite meals, due to their small size and lack of an effective defense system,” Twitter user Suzanne Dickerson explained in her video description.

At 13 seconds, before the bobcat saunters into view, the nearest raccoon scurries forward as if trying to escape the threat. (Footage of the raccoons is shown at four times the normal speed; the bobcat is shown at normal speed.)

Dickerson routinely tweets footage of raccoons and other critters passing through this area, which she refers to as the Racoonobahn.

Asked by a follower how many raccoons use the Racoonobahn, Dickerson answered: “I’m guessing we have 10-13 raccoons around here based on different cameras. Some or all use the Raccoonobahn each evening.”

Her pinned tweet shows a skunk using a rock to break ice in a water bowl to access water below the ice. Images from that sequence were used in a scientific paper about tool-use by striped skunks.

–Image is a video screen shot