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We caught a photo of this gray fox that we first thought was a cat.  This photo is from under the deck ( ignore the photo flash reflection in the eye).  It seemed to be hunting mice or ground squirrels under the deck. 

See web gallery of Gray Foxes caught passing in the night on our Wildlife cams.
Grey Fox taken by a wildlife camera
Two Gray Foxes pass by the wildlife camera in the early morning hours

Cameras
We have tried two types of cameras; Wildview and Moultrie.  Both have captured some fun shots of wildlife.

If you are interested in trying this out, there are many cameras, some as low as $70.  Sale prices sometimes lower.  See the links below to see some of these fun devices and add them to your yard.  I highly recommend this for anyone who likes nature, wildlife and photography. A great gift idea.
 Other Wildlife cameras to consider
                   
I located our wildlife camera next to the back deck so I could catch things crawling under the chain link fence.  We put a "hair" trigger on the camera and got these shots of jack rabbits coming under the fence.   I love the big ears in the sunlight!
Jack Rabbit wildlife camera Animation
See web gallery of some
of the jack rabbits caught
on out Wildlife cams.
See web gallery of some of the squirrels caught on our Wildlife cams.
These squirrels were having a little fun (or fighting?) just in front of the camera.  Perhaps they were putting on a show for me?   Can you see the third squirrel just beyond the chain link fence? 
   What is going on here?  Is that mom back there calling to her kids?  Or are these two males fighting over a gal? 
How many squirrels do you see?
This raccoon was also headed for the hole under the chain link fence.  He had either been looking for fruit from our apple tree, grapes or perhaps ground squirrels or mice under our deck.
Raccoon cats and other critters
See web gallery of some of the Raccoons, cats and other critters caught on our Wildlife cams.
See web gallery of some of the deer caught on our Wildlife cams.
deer taken by a wildlife camera
Deer are one of the most common animals to be photographed by wildlife cameras.  This set was shot through the fence.  I hope to add more from another camera in the future.
   Cameras   Jack Rabbits   Squirrels   Deer 
                      Raccoons   Gray Fox    Other Critters     Helpfull Hints

    The trick with using these cameras is to find the right spot to place the camera.  One obvious way to capture photos is to locate the camera next to a feeder.  If you have a bird or squirrel feeder, you are likely to catch some photos quickly (feeders not recommended if you are trying to catch a photo of a bear.)    If you are going after deer, you might try the Moultrie feeder shown on the right.

     One of my favorite professional groups that uses wildlife cameras is the Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center (CSERC) of Twain Harte.  They have taken baiting to a new level by nailing chickens to trees to attract animals; that's right, nailing chickens to trees.  It works well.  They have been studying the habitat of animals thought to have left that area of the Sierras.  Check out their web site to see what good work this environmental group is doing on animal habitats  (donate if you can to this cause).
 
Some Helpful Hints on these Cameras
   The first time I tried our camera, I strapped it to a tree and caught only photos of leaves moving in the wind.  We had observed rabbits and raccoons a number of times passing under our deck so we moved the camera to where we had seen animals and quickly caught photos.  With a few tries, you should be able to find a good spot in your yard.
     Even if you live in the city with a small yard, you can photograph birds, squirrels, cats, or other small animals.  This is a really fun hobby!  Our family loves to see the photos and we are hooked on using these cameras to get more and more shots.