I'm using 8 different cameras in Arkansas to watch the hourly activity of deer, bear, raccoon, opossum, turkey, squirrel, gray gox, coyote, duck, goose, swan and bird sightings. The cameras are live stream, with night vision and audio capabilities, so I can see and hear the animals all day and night.

Many hunters believe it is high temperature that causes a lack of deer sightings during the bear season in September. My latest research project on wildlife behavior, using 8 wildlife cameras in Arkansas, may suggest that it is the increase in human activity during the bear season that makes bears seem to become nocturnal, not the temperature. We are seeing bears regularly at temperatures over 90 degrees all week.

They will regularly sit and eat for at least a half hour, before moving on.


God bless,

T.R.

During the week of July 22-28, 2009;
The New Moon occurred on July 22, The Perigee of the Moon ws on July 21.  

Single adult bears, and bears with cubs, were sighted most often between 6 AM and 8 AM, from 11AM to 1 PM, and from 3 PM to 10PM.

Large adult bears, without cubs, were sighted most often between 6 AM and 8 AM, and 1 PM and 8 PM. Total Sightings 28. The 2 largest bears were seen 5 and 7 times each, at the same location each time for each bear, but 2 at different locations.

Deer were sighted most often between 3 AM and 7 AM, 12 AM and 1 PM, and again between 5 PM and 8 PM. Total Sightings 175

Smaller racked bucks (under 120 inches, presumably 2 years old or younger) were sighted most often between 3 AM and 7 AM, an again between 5PM and midnight. Total Sightings 35. There were no "spike" bucks noted.

Larger racked bucks (over 120 inches, presumably two years old and older) were sighted most often between 3 AM and 6 AM, and 7 PM and 8 PM. Total Sightings 41. The 10 pt 170 class buck and the 8 pt 150 class buck were sighted 5 times each, all at the same location.

According to this data the 3 year old or older buck to doe ratio, of this non-hunted population of deer, was approximately 1:6, the overall buck to doe ratio was approximately 1:2 (1 buck for every 2 does).

Most deer left open feeding areas within an hour of sunrise (some were still feeding an hour later), in the evening they began moving an hour before sunset.
Deer were still seen feeding in "wooded areas" a half hour after sunrise.

Turkeys were sighted most often between 8 AM and 6 PM. Total Sightings 100

Squirrels were sighted most often between 6 AM and 8 PM. Total Sightings 179

Raccoons were sighted most often between 8 PM and 7 AM. Total Sightings 340

There was no correlation between the activity times of any of the species of animals, and the predictions of the Solunar Table. Since most of the game activity tables available to sportsman use the gravitational pull of the moon when it is either directly overhead or underfoot, as the primary factor that affects the hours of the day when game animals and fish will be most active, the predicted times of those tables will all parallel each other, with the result that none of them will accurately predict peak activity or feeding times of terrestrial animals.

Abnormally high numbers of raccoons (9+) were noted on July 20 at 21:00 and 22:00 hours in the meadow by a pond at one site. Abnormally high numbers of raccoons (10+) were noted on July 21 at 20:00 and 21:00 hours at the same site. Normal sighting numbers at those times during the prior week were between 3 and 5. In the following two weeks, no sightings of raccoons occurred at any hour. The increased number of sightings of raccoons was correlated with the week of the New Moon, and the week prior to the Perigee of the Moon.

It is possible that less moonlight during the New Moon affected whatever it was that the raccoons were foraging on. It is also possible that predator avoidance strategies by the raccoons contributed to their increased sightings when there was less light during the New Moon, in the open habitat of this site. Jon A. Yunger et al. found that Dune Hairy-footed Gerbils used this strategy while foraging.

It is also possible that the electro-magnetics associated with the perigee of he moon affected the raccoons. And it is possible that the combined effects of the New moon and the Perigee of the Moon contributed to the high number of sightings of raccoons on those two dates. However, since it was noted the raccoons were foraging, it is likely that whatever they were foraging on contributed, to some extent, to the high numbers of sightings during those two days. The meadow by the pond could have produced large numbers of insects, worms/nightcrawlers, crustaceans, frogs/toads or some form of plant matter may have matured on those dates. Research data during the following months may provide more insight into these occurrences.

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NOW - what would I do with this information. If it was the hunting season for either deer or bear, I'd figure out where the bigger bears or bigger bucks were coming into the three meadows (with feeders) they are coming in to, set up a stand or blind, and wait for them to come by. Often, in the evening deer, (not bears) are coming from their daytime core areas, and use the same travel routes on a semi-regular basis.

Although the deer were coming in during the night, they did come in in the early morning too (they may have spenf the night there). In that case, I would figure out where they were leaving the meadows, and set up there. Usually, in the morning, the deer are going back to their daytime core areas, and often use the same travel route, on a semi-regular basis, as they leave early morning food sources.


God bless,

T.R.

I finally found an interesting piece of research, that may explain why hunters believe bears are nocturnal when it is hot, but our research here shows bears are active when it is hot.

This is from the Wisconsin bear research site.


"Bears were crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk) during the pre-breeding season, diurnal (active during the day) during breeding and foraging, and nocturnal (active at night) during fall denning period."

We are currently in the foraging season, so the bears should be active during the day. Hunters are observing bears during the denning period, when the bears should be active at night.

If this is true, our research will reflect it, and, as it gets closer to the denning season, we should see more nighttime activity - and less daytime activity - of the bears.


If the statement from Wisconsin is true there is still one more question that needs to be answered. (There is always the question of why.)

Why would bears be crepuscular durng the pre-breeding season phase, diurnal during the breeding season phase, and nocturnal during the fall dennning season period?

What do they gain by being that way at those times, and changing at other times? I can see why they would be crepuscular or nocturnal, during any phase (for security). But I can't figure out why they would want to be diurnal (unless the fact that they are the largest predator out there) during the breeding phase, allows them the luxury of being diurnal any time they want.

On August 25, 2009, between the hours of 3:30 AM and 8:30 AM, it was noted that higher numbers of deer were seen than normal, and that both bucks and does were more aggressive than normal, and the deer remained in open feeding areas much later than normal- and it occurred in two different locations. The fact taht it occurred not in one, but in two different locations, suggests that some type of environmental factor was the stimulus for this behavior.

The day when this occurred - was the first day of the week before the Apogee of the moon.

Correlations between peak monthly movement of deer and the Perigee of the moon have been noted by deer researchers in the past.

The Perigee/Apogee cycle of the moon is 27.5 days long, and it affects the electro-magnetics surrounding the sun, earth and the moon. Kepler's Law states that the moon is at its fastest acceleration during the week prior to the date of the Perigeee of the moon, which is when the moon is closest to earth, and farthest from the sun. Likewise the moon is at its slowest acceleration, around the earth during the week before the Apogee.

The combined effect of the grvitational pull of the sun and the earth, on the moon, causes the moon to speed up during the week before the Perigee, an slow down during the week before the Apogee. This chnge in speed results in a change in the electomagnetics surrounding the earth and the moon, which in turn affects biological organisms (which is referred to as biomagnetics).

In the case of mammals,these biomagnetics may affect seratonin levels. Seratonin is a mood regulator, and as such, it may cause animals to become more aggressive, have a stronger sex drive, or feel depressed. In other words, the affects of biomagnetics during the week before the Apogee of the moon, may have resulted in the abnormal behavior that was evident in the activites of the deer on August 26, 2009.

This - combined with the elevated testosterone levels of the bucks, evident by thefact that some of them had just begun to shed velvet from their antlers, may have resulted in the aggressive chasing, kicking and anterl thrusting behavior of the older bucks, which was directed toward the younger bucks. A change in serotonin levels may also have resulted in the aggressive behavior, and the willingness of the does to stay out in open areas later than normal.

This being said, there may yet be other explantions for the behavior of the deer on that date.


God bless

T.R.

Some very interesting reports. I was able to learn something from them. Thanks for posting.