June 16, 2019
I didn’t have much time to race into the woods to retrieve the May game camera images, but I was a few days late already and I was very anxious discover the secrets held by the memory cards. The woods were wet, with puddles in places I had never seen before and the normally docile creek nearly overflowing its banks. Not the mention the vegetation, as nearly everything had grown up in grand fashion in the few weeks I had been away. With so many changes in the terrain, I had high hopes for the camera images.
The deer
I thought for sure I would find a some new fawns on the cameras, but no luck. The best I could muster was an apparently very pregnant doe on the last day of May. However, there was still plenty of deer activity both day and night. Many of the bucks are showing nice antler growth, but all have a long way to go.
The oddities
The May game cameras recorded some new and unusual animals this month, some of which I attribute to the very high waters this May. The creek on the property is a few miles from the Missouri River which is at near record highs this spring. The river backs up and the creek levels rise. The cameras captured mink (I initially called them otters on social media but now believe that they are mink), snapping turtles, and armadillos walking through the narrow land bridge between the creek and the woods. We also captured an owl landing on a branch as well as a few skunks and coyotes. The bobcats that were prevalent last month were no where to be found.
Turkeys
The wild turkey on the property always manage to confound me a bit. Sometimes I see them on a regular basis, other times they disappear for weeks at a time. They certainly have plenty of pressure from the predators. Also, the suburban environment complete with traffic, construction, and other general disturbance probably contribute to the wild turkey wanderings. I knew of a nesting hen at the end of April but did not see any poults on camera and did not spend enough time on property to see if they hatched successfully. It is possible that they may have been lost by the wet weather as well.
The unknowns
Sometimes the game cameras capture images that you simply cannot decipher. I posted the following images on Facebook and Instagram (please click icons on this page and follow if you don’t already) and garnered many opinions about what they might be. I sure don’t know and guess we will never really know. Guesses ranged from turkey, otter, beaver, bobcat, armadillo, chupacabra, raccoon, and even porcupine. Any thoughts??
What is ahead for June?
Certainly we will get some images of fawns this month. If I’m lucky we will find some young turkeys, and as always I hope for a variety of other wildlife. Time will tell and I am already anxious for what is in store next month when we pull the memory cards.
