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Bear selfies

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by ChapmanF, Jan 29, 2023.

  1. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    I've seen countless recent news stories about bear selfies.

    Not one of the stories asks the questions I want to ask:

    What did the trap camera look like? Sound like? Does it do something noticeable when a critter triggers it?

    Just what about it did the bear notice, that was interesting enough for the bear to keep triggering it?

    Lamestream media ....

    (I did read in one story that maybe it uses an IR flash, to be less disturbing. Does bear vision go into IR?)
     
  2. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Here is a blog piece explaining the camera set up used by City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP).

    https://bouldercolorado.gov/news/city-wildlife-cameras-track-bears-deer-and-other-animals

    It does not describe the specific model used, but most trail cameras are very similar in their appearance and functions. I had one to monitor wildlife in the backyard apiary. Looks similar to this https://www.campark.net/products/campark-tc07-4k-60mp-solar-trail-camera-the-highest-hd-solar-trail-camera
     
    #2 Salamander_King, Jan 29, 2023
    Last edited: Jan 29, 2023
  3. hkmb

    hkmb Senior Member

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    I know bare selfies are a popular thing. Didn't know about bear selfies, though.
     
  4. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Ok, so that model looks a little like an owl. But probably doesn't smell like an owl. Maybe that's puzzling, to a bear.

    I'm still wondering if OSMP's camera makes a flash or a sound or something ... anything ... that you would notice, if you were a bear.

    Shannon Aulabaugh, a spokesperson for OSMP, is already on record saying "we don't know male or female as the bear did not take that kind of selfie."
     
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  5. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    With a bear, it was likely the smell of the camera that intrigued it.
     
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  6. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    No flash. It may make a very faint sound, but the idea of the trail camera is not to disturb animals as stated in the article I linked.

    "At night, the cameras use infrared light to create photographs that minimize disturbances to nocturnal wildlife."

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  7. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    My brother once had a game camera in dad's orchard, and deer clearly knew it was there. I think it made some occasional noises, but it also had human and unnatural smells to it, prompting some to come check it out closely.

    Do some IR LEDs also emit a bit of detectable red light? This would certainly grab their attention too. Some security cameras do, though I don't know if this is a separate emitter junction, or possibly a component selection matter.

    Any old-style flash tube recharging with a switch mode power supply would also be quite audible, though today's LED flashes should be more quiet and unobtrusive until the first flash actually fires. Boulder most likely selected for models without this issue, but it could still be on various other cams.