Setting up a "trail camera" at a campsite in the mountains purchased on Amazon, can we capture wildlife?

With the trail camera bought from Amazon, I decided to go photograph the relaxed appearance of wildlife. Since I had visited the Kofu City Forest Bathing Square before, I should be able to get good footage with the animals being so close. The real question is, will I actually be able to capture anything?

I wanted to capture the usual姿 of wild animals, which are hard for people to discover

and I thought it would be fun to take photos of animals in their natural state myself, so I became interested in getting a trail camera. Therefore, I looked for a camera that could shoot at 4K resolution or higher and was as affordable as possible, and I decided to buy the "KJK Trail Camera" because it seemed well-balanced. I bought it on Amazon for 8,900 yen.

By the way, a trail camera is an outdoor monitoring and shooting camera that automatically takes photos only when infrared sensors detect the body heat (heat) and movement of people or animals. Usually, it can take both still images and videos.

I was looking for opportunities to use it while fishing or camping in deep mountains. On this day, the location I chose for shooting and camping was the Kofu City Forest Bathing Square, a place I had visited before. It is a high-altitude area with few visitors, very close to nature. Since the distance to wild animals seems close, I hope they will show up in front of the camera.

Upon closer inspection, the Kofu City Forest Bathing Square is well-maintained

An important factor is the installation location of the trail camera. While exploring the area to decide where to place it, I felt that this forest is normally maintained, and almost all visible areas had been pruned and thinned out. I also sensed human presence in various other areas. First, I decided to install it in an open location that is close to the car and easy to retrieve.

I felt that many saplings were planted within the range of the trail camera's angle, and thanks to the efforts of the people involved in its management, this beautiful nature is being preserved. On the flip side, there were a few brand-new bento boxes and empty cans thrown away, which is a disappointing aspect given the presence of signs encouraging people to take their trash back. Since it is a rare forest that is hard to come by, I can only hope for improvements in the future.

Just a few minutes after setting up the trail camera, a huge female deer appeared.

I was able to capture a large female deer right after setting up the trail camera. Rather, the deer alerted me to its presence with its calls, and I was able to see it with the naked eye. From my experience, it's not difficult to spot deer in the forest, but it's rare for one to come close and announce its presence like this.

This trail camera detects brightness and switches between color and black and white, so it is in color at this time. I was on the right side of the screen, but it came close, looking at me while making calls. It seemed to be trying to intimidate me, and I couldn’t help but laugh a little at its behavior, which didn’t seem typical for a deer.

This female deer walked proudly and alone, standing about 160 cm tall from its feet to its head. It appeared to be one of the largest individuals I've ever seen among the deer. Perhaps it was a dominant presence in the area, getting angry at me for intruding.

After that, a cute mother and fawn appeared on the camera.

An hour later, a mother and fawn deer were photographed without the author noticing. At this time, they also had the lights on and were having a campfire, so they must have definitely sensed our presence, yet they were walking quite leisurely.

The fawn was munching on the leaves of the planted saplings and looking towards the camera. Damage caused by deer has been reported in various places, and it seems that the young leaves of saplings have indeed become their food. I once again felt that it's really difficult to balance nature with human intervention.

For that reason, by trying out a trail camera, I was able to capture the natural appearance of wildlife that cannot be observed with the naked eye. Utilizing trail cameras for wildlife observation is also a great way to deepen our understanding of nature.

Interview/Article by Kazuma Tanaka

Search KJK Trail Camera on Amazon

Search Trail Camera on Amazon