Wildlife Biologist and Land Manager Mark Thomas Uses Motion-Sensor Cameras to Improve Lands
Day 4: What You Can Learn About Your Land’s Predators by Using Trail Cameras with Mark Thomas
Editor’s Note: Mark Thomas (forestrywildlifeintegration.com/) is both a registered forester and a registered wildlife biologist and an active member of the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) and the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF). Thomas consults for the timber and the wildlife industries and constantly evaluates and improves properties for hunting. One of the key tools he uses in his daily work is motion-sensor cameras, often having as many as 50 cameras on one piece of property doing various surveys. This week we’ve talked with Thomas about what he’s doing with his motion-sensor cameras, and how cameras can help you improve you land.
  Question: Most outdoorsmen think of using motion-sensor cameras primarily to survey deer herds and to locate and take big bucks. Can you also use your cameras to survey all the wildlife on the property?
Thomas: Yes, I finished a census of 2800 acres. I put 56 cameras on that land and used a variety of different types of baits, including fox, raccoon, coyote and deer scents as well as corn, sardines, tuna and catfood, to census the wildlife on the property. Then I put some of the cameras on game trails to survey the wildlife.
Question: Why were you using various types of scents?
Thomas: I used the scents to attract different types of wildlife. For instance on the census I mentioned, I photographed bobcats, feral cats, coyotes and predators using predator scents. Many times when you’re censusing coyotes, you’ll get a picture of a coyote urinating on your scent pole, because he’s trying to mark his territory.
  Question: Why is knowing what predators you have on the land important?
Thomas: If you have a large number of predators on your land, they’ll often cause a reduction in the game species you’re trying to manage. For instance, one property on the Alabama-Mississippi line that I was involved with had a noticeable decline in its turkey population for 3-5 years. I was called in to do a census of that property. What I learned from my photo-census using motion-sensor cameras was that the property had unusually-high bobcat and coyote populations. Once we determined that there were a large number of predators, we instituted a trapping program for 3 years on that property that produced 47 adult bobcats. Forty-six of those bobcats were males. The male bobcats were running up and down the river system. Once we reduced the predator population to a more-normal level, the turkey population rebounded and became more numerous on the property. So, by using cameras to census your entire wildlife population, you can get a better handle on what may need to be done to better manage a specific species.
You can learn more about hunting deer in John E. Phillips’ Kindle eBooks by clicking on these: “How to Hunt Deer Like a Pro,” "How to Hunt Deer Up Close: With Bows, Rifles, Muzzleloaders and Crossbows,” and “PhD Whitetails: How to Hunt and Take the Smartest Deer on Any Property.”
About the Author
John Phillips, winner of the 2012 Homer Circle Fishing Award for outstanding fishing writer by the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) and the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA), the 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the year and the 2007 Legendary Communicator chosen for induction into the National Fresh Water Hall of Fame, is a freelance writer (over 6,000 magazine articles for about 100 magazines and several thousand newspaper columns published), magazine editor, photographer for print media as well as industry catalogues (over 25,000 photos published), lecturer, outdoor consultant, marketing consultant, book author and daily internet content provider with an overview of the outdoors. Click here for more information and a list of all the books available from John E. Phillips.
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