If you have a trail camera, chances are you’ve already set it up, or are planning on doing so soon. I set my camera up in July, and finally had a chance to check it last weekend. What I found was interesting to say the least!  When I found the camera it was on the ground below the tree I had strapped it to.   One of the straps was broken and there were suspicious claw marks all over the tree. I had heard stories of bears disturbing cameras, but wasn’t sure this was the case for me. That is, until I took a look at the pictures.  One of the first pictures was a black bear wandering through my area in the dead of night. After seeing the picture of the bear, I became more suspicious that maybe it was indeed playing around with the camera. My suspicions were answered just a few pictures later.

The day after I set the camera up, there is a picture of what appears to be a bear’s arm right next to the camera. It must have played around with the camera for a bit, because the camera faces a different direction entirely than when I had initially set it up the day before. Little did I know, the bear still wasn’t content with this camera angle.

A few days later, the bear returned, and this time was caught red-handed. The camera angle was facing a different direction entirely. It must have returned, and eventually cut the strap with its claws, causing the camera to fall off the tree.
While it was disappointing I wasn’t able to capture many deer pictures, which was the intended use, it was still awesome to capture some images of the bear. Plus, I was able to learn a lesson or two about placing your camera in the woods!
I would strongly recommend that you wear gloves when you put up your trail camera, especially if you are in a bear inhabited area. Judging by the fact the bear was readjusting my shot the day after I put it up, I’m positive it caught my scent on the camera.
In my situation, I wasn’t too frustrated, but if you have a long drive to your camera, and aren’t able to check it often, you might be a bit more angry than I was at finding your camera on the ground.

If you want pictures of that monster buck instead of the grass he’s walking on, take it from me; use gloves when putting up your trail camera!