NEW Wildlife Research Study

[T.R. Michels]

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.

[T.R. Michels]

The first week of September, and of the deer rut in this part of Arkansas, has come to an end - with a lot of velvet being shed and a little bit of sparring among bucks, and a lot of social hietarchy kicking and chaising going on by all the deer - as hormonal levels rise. It is also the end of the week of the full moon. The amount of light available at night during the different phases of the moon - may affect "daytime deer movement" - on a "weekly/moon phase" basis.

I'll be adding up the number of deer seen during daylight hours, so I can compare that number to the numbers seen during the other phases of the moon - to see if there is a correlation between "moon phase and daytime deer activity". I will be noting the # of deer seen during each 10 degrees of temperature - to add to a graph of "deer movement versus temperature" for this latitude - to determine the temperature extremes of deer movement, and peak (optimal) deer activity. But, I have to be careful with this, because during the next few weeks - the deer will be growing their winter coats, which will alter the temperatures they feel comfortable in. So, I'll have to divide the "temperature verus short coat" & "temperatrue versus long coat" findings.

We are seeing far fewer bears in general in the past two weeks, but specifically during the day, than we did a couple of weeks ago. This could be due to the fact that bears appear to become more nocturnal than diurnal, in the weeks prior to hibernation. It could also be a result of the bears having to roam farther to find preferred forages, as the summer forage base diminishes. Nuts and berries are probably hard to find, insect populations may be localized, and succulent grasses, sedges and forbs may be hard to find. So, the bears may expand their home ranges, outside the preserve.

God bless,

T.R.