Game Cameras

A simple way to expand your ability to get eyes on wildlife

by Tim Duclos, Conservation Manager

Are you interested in discovering the secret behavior of wildlife, keeping track of what is going on in your neck of the woods, and/or just looking for a little excitement in your life? Well, adding a game camera to your routine is one easy way towards these ends. Checking game cameras can feel rich with excitement and possibility. It also makes for a great activity with kiddos.

For under a hundred bucks you can set yourself up with all you need: a game camera, standard size SD card, and batteries. There are many options out there, but just about anything these days will work well for you. For example, this is one of my current units that I am running, with a bike lock for added security:

After you get the camera, start by setting it up in a location that seems likely to experience animal travel. For more information on tracking and animal behavior, check out MFFC’s digital tracking workshop available for rent on the Merck Forest website. Check your unit regularly and move it around as you see fit. Use it to explore and test your predictions about what might be found when and where. Get a second SD card to swap out cards each visit, for added convenience.

Think as well about using your camera for science. Using the iNaturalist tool (iNaturalist.org), you can upload your wildlife sightings to the web- to share with others and also to get help with identifying what you found. There are also several ongoing game camera citizen science projects, research projects, and social media efforts in place to share and celebrate your game camera discoveries.

To inspire you, below are a few choice sightings from cameras maintained at Merck Forest and in the region by Conservation Ecologist Tim Duclos.

Have fun and happy trails, all.