This week I am down at Black Gap trying to trap black bears! I had trail camera's set up for about 2 weeks prior to coming down here to do the actual trapping. I had ten cameras up and had bear pictures on every single one! There are bear signs everywhere and I've also talked to 2 people who said they'd spotted 4 or 5 roaming through Brushy Canyon (which is the area on the Management Area that they usually stay within and where I have all the cameras and traps set up). So although I've had the traps open for 2 nights so far and haven't caught anything, I am still optimistic... although a little frustrated! Last night I actually got to see one for myself, and he happened to be right by one of my traps that I was coming to open! I thought for sure he'd be in that one this morning, but unfortunately for me he wasn't. Maybe I'll get him tonight... Anyway, right now there are 2 different dirt tanks that still have some water left in them (Lavern and Rainbow). We still haven't had any significant amount of rain since September, and everything out here is hungry and thirsty. So of course those are great places to set up cameras! The pictures below are all from the cameras I've had set up at various places along Brushy Canyon, including each of the traps that I have set. Enjoy!
First, Lavern Tank...
Just a little cottontail that you can barely even see! They're so cute :)
I had to look this one up because I wasn't sure what it was. But I'm pretty sure now that it's a Harris' hawk.
Looks a lot like the same thing as above, but this is a red-tailed hawk. See it's red tail?
I think this is a burrowing owl. Not positive though since it's a little hard to key it out in black and white.
A badger! I've only ever seen one badger in person and this is the first time I've ever captured a picture of one on the trail cameras. I think they're so cool :) Although I've heard they're not very nice...
The black stuff in this picture is water... can you guess what all those things are shining right at the edge? Frog eyes!
I actually had several lion pictures from this camera. I'm assuming they were all of the same one, and he was just hanging around for a couple days. I thought this was a great picture though! Maybe the best lion one I have so far! Still haven't seen one in person though...
I have a ton of bear pictures from Lavern Tank and wanted to put all of them on here! But instead I went through and picked out the best ones... which is still a lot! I think the bear in this picture and the one right below are the same bear. This one looks like it's in pretty good condition too!
This is the female and you can kind of notice in this picture that she even has white on her chest! I love when black bears have that!
I think this might be her again.
You'll notice the black head sticking out of the water. Having some fun in the pool!
Still hanging in the water.
No wonder they like this area... it must be nice for them to be able to go cool off in the water!
Just sitting by the water.
Shortly after this picture was taken, all the rest of the pictures were of the ground because this bear decided he didn't like having his picture taken and knocked the camera over!
Next location, the second trap along Brushy Canyon (I call it Brushy Draw Trap)
I think this is the female again. You can see the bear trap in the background, but this is before I had them open.
I figured I'd include this picture because I thought it was cute. The fox's ears look so big!
Next is a guzzler along Brushy Canyon (I call it Rainbow Guzzler because it's near Rainbow Tank)
This little guzzler may be enough for this one deer...
...but she's got to share with all her friends too!
Couple of foxes getting their fill.
I think skunk pictures are so funny.
This guzzler attracts a lot of vultures. I know they're ugly, and smelly, and eat rotting flesh, but I think they're cool. Plus I thought this one was funny. Guess the one in the background figured he'd just get in the water completely.
Another lion just walking out of the picture.
And finally! A bear!
And two more bears! Both look to be in good condition too!
Up next, is Rainbow Tank (the other dirt tank besides Lavern. There's even less water in this one!)
This is the edge of the very tiny pool that is left of Rainbow Tank. I actually got a couple pictures of roadrunners. Not sure if they're all the same one though.
Another skunk picture. Look at that tail! And those tiny beady eyes!
I didn't get any full body shots of bears with this camera, but I did get a couple like this one and the one below of one scrambling out of the water. Almost looks like it's slipping!
Next location is pretty close to the tank. It's the trap that I have at Rainbow Tank which I cleverly call Rainbow Tank Trap.
This one was taken a couple weeks back and seems pretty big in this picture!
This picture and the one below were taken last night. Literally an hour before I came to open the traps for the night! I actually got to see this bear in person too! I was so sure that it would be in the trap in the morning but it wasn't :( Maybe I scared it away.
Here is another location along the road down Brushy Canyon where I set up a camera because I always see bear prints.
Again, shortly after this picture was taken, the camera ended up on the ground...
And last, but not least, the location of the fourth bear trap. I call this one Upper Brushy since its the furthest trap back in the Canyon. (Although it's the furthest one south, so maybe I should change that...)
A big jack rabbit. I always get rabbit pictures from this camera.
And a bear! I love this picture. Animal ears are so cute!
Well, this is exciting and frustrating all at the same time! Obviously the bears are there and now I just need to convince them that they need to go into the traps! I've only been at it for two days so I'm going to try not to get too discouraged this early on. I'm just going to keep trying and see what happens. It's difficult doing this, especially now, because the weather down here is so hot! For the past month, or probably longer, the temperatures have been over 110 degrees in the Black Gap area. It's usually over 100 by 10am and doesn't drop below 100 until AFTER the sun goes down. Luckily we had some cooler weather blow through here last night (and by cooler I mean that it will only get to 105 today and not 120) so maybe I'll be able to keep the traps open a little longer in the morning and open them a little earlier in the evening. I want to catch a bear so badly, but I will not put it at risk of roasting in the trap. So although I know from my cameras that they are still moving around after 10am, it would just be too dangerous for them if we kept the traps open that late in the morning. So now I just need to give them a reason to go in at night instead! (While also keeping the foxes from stealing my bait!!) Hope you all enjoyed the pictures! I'll be sure to post any more good ones I get. And if I do catch one I'll be sure to post the pictures of that!
Thanks for reading :)
Laura
