Diary

Field experience with the ZEISS Secacam 7 trail camera — a comparative analysis from a wildlife management perspective Trail cameras have by now become an indispensable tool in wildlife management, wildlife biology research, and conservation. They allow for non-invasive monitoring of populations, detailed analysis of movement patterns, habitat use, and behaviors (e.g., wallowing, feeding, social…

The hard, frosty nights of recent days have driven the forest’s wildlife to roam far wider areas than usual in search of a food source that could maintain body temperature and supply energy. My Zeiss Secacam 7 has been recording this fascinating activity at the feeder I built and maintain myself, capturing images at 5-minute…

The intense snowfall that arrived overnight cast a dramatic backdrop over the landscape: the winter forest now rests beneath a blanket of at least twenty centimeters of virgin snow. It’s a rare and striking sight, one that even we humans have only rarely experienced during the mild winters of recent years. But just imagine what…

A lively, truly eventful, freezing night at the feeder. My guests included regulars, but newcomers arrived as well. For now I’m only watching the camera images, but if the movement becomes regular, I’ll commit myself to a full night on the stand. The Zeiss camera in the field measured -5°C, while the Spypoint cameras measured…

The second major hunting event of the year began for me on December 19, 2025 — the “Christmas hunting season”. In summer, around July-August, I get two weeks of vacation, and now, in December, during the Christmas holidays, I likewise get two consecutive weeks to indulge my passion for bowhunting. In the week leading up…

One of the notable events of my pre-Christmas preparations was yesterday’s landscaping and feeder maintenance. This wasn’t merely a practical task, but an almost ritual act, during which I nicely arrange and "decorate" the table laid out for the game, in a manner befitting the approaching holiday. While going about my business, I found myself…