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Wildlife Pictures from Exclosure Cameras
In the fall of 2008, Harvard Forest researcher and Highstead ecologist, Ed Faison along with Greta VanScoy mounted flashless digital game cameras on the moose and deer exclosures north of Fisher House and off Locust Opening Road. The goals were to document
- the relative use of the unfenced plots by deer and moose,
- the use of the partial exclosures by deer and
- any other wildlife passing through these harvested areas.
The first year of photos documented moose only in the Locust Opening Road cut, perhaps indicating an avoidance of the "Fisher Pines" cut, which is closer to a major road and to residential development. Moose were only detected in the morning before 8:00am or in the evening after 5:00pm, indicating their activity was limited to cooler parts of the day. Deer pictures were more common than moose at both sites, and deer were active at all times of the day, although they were more active in the morning and evening. Deer also foraged readily inside both partial exclosures. Other wildlife shots were uncommon, but included coyote, turkey, robin, and raven.
