A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Game Cameras at CREW

Wildlife at CREW

Tom Mortenson, CREW Volunteer

June 30, 2015

 

I operate five game cameras on trails, roads and edges at Cypress Dome and Caracara Prairie Preserve.  You may have seen one or more of them when hiking trails there.  They are tied to trees, often cabbage palms, or posts where they get a clear view of whatever walks past.

These cameras photograph anything that walks past them, day or night. Since these cameras were installed, they have photographed raccoons, deer, bobcats, wild hogs, panthers, raccoons, turkeys, sandhills, hikers, their dogs, horses, hawks, cows, raccoons, possums, vultures, and more raccoons.  Most of these pictures—at least for animals– were taken at night because that is when wildlife are most active and least likely to encounter humans.

Here are a very few of the many thousands of pictures.  I also share these with FWC and Collier County Conservation Collier in effort to help enhance the monitoring program they established years ago.  These are mostly daylight pictures to capture colors.  Remember that you share the hiking trails of Cypress Dome and Caracara Prairie Preserve with wildlife who call this home.

If you happen to see my game cameras while you are out enjoying the CREW trails please respect the ongoing research by not tampering with them. You can get involved with the CREW volunteer program, or report any suspicious activity by emailing crewtrust@crewtrus.mystagingwebsite.com or calling 239-657-2253.