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JustinHoffman

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  1. JustinHoffman
    Hello All, Spent the afternoon with the barred owl family today. Definitely lucked out, as I was able to capture on film the female vocalize a number of times to her mate - who was roosting some 200 yards away. It was my hope to capture this on film so I am pretty excited! (watch in 1080p HD for best quality) Thanks for watching... Cheers, Justin
  2. JustinHoffman
    I did, Nipfisher. Fur, a jaw bone, various bones, and a partial skull. Black squirrel. Cheers, Justin
  3. JustinHoffman
    Definitely will, SaltyDawg... Here is a shot of the male. Beautiful birds... And the female on her nest... Cheers, Justin
  4. JustinHoffman
    Haha! Nice one, Bushart... Yep, he had some moves alright Cheers, Justin
  5. JustinHoffman
    Hello All, Was fortunate this past week to find a nesting pair of barred owls. The last few days have been spent shooting photographs and video. I was fortunate, and very lucky, to have the camera running when the male owl regurgitated a pellet. I have never witnessed this in the wild so was definitely a very cool moment. My guess is the chicks will be hatching in 3 to 4 weeks - can't wait to document it all. (watch in 1080p HD for best quality) Cheers, Justin
  6. JustinHoffman
    Hello All, With the spring finally showing itself, I located a spot down in Merrickville, Ontario that had a collection of garter snakes coming out of their winter hibernation. After shooting some photographs, I was fortunate to begin filming two snakes begin to mate. It was quite the intricate process - and very neat to witness. In total, it lasted approximately 15 minutes. (watch in 1080p HD for best quality) Cheers, Justin
  7. JustinHoffman
    I think I will be giving that a try soon, barefootwader - have an awesome spot to set up my blind and actually have a call, but have yet to use it. Worth giving it a try to get some cool action shots! Cheers, Justin
  8. JustinHoffman
    Hey Doug, Great tip! I have done that in the past when putting it up in the fall to capture bucks, but didn't have any with me last week when it Algonquin. Good reminder to travel with it at all times... Thanks, my friend.. Cheers, Justin
  9. JustinHoffman
    I don't hunt, ch312, but tag along on various hunts to shoot photographs for OOD magazine and other publications. Just picked up another trail cam today. We'll see what I can film next month when I return... Cheers, Justin
  10. JustinHoffman
    I can imagine it would be a little on the unnerving side, Brian....especially sitting in a ground blind. A couple of my buddies have had it happen at last light while up in tree stands. They said it was slightly spooky, lol!
  11. JustinHoffman
    Tough to say, ch312. From what I understand, no coyotes are seen in Whitney. I think the ears might be pressed back in one shot, but without daytime footage, can't be 100%. Could very well be two different wolves, as the time stamps are different. I was told 3 to 4 wolves are using this area from locals that live less than a minute away. With how hungry they are right now due to snow conditions, if there were 'yotes in the area, I think they would have a death wish to show up in the same place. Again, I have been told no 'yotes are present this close to the park boundary. Hopefully get better footage my next time I am down. Cheers, Justin
  12. JustinHoffman
    ch312 - Just shoot them with the camera. Not a hunter myself, but tag along on many hunts to compile images for various outdoor publications. This area shown in the footage is littered with 'yotes. It is greenbelt land, however, so no hunting allowed Cheers, Justin
  13. JustinHoffman
    Thanks, Joey. This was my first time using a trail camera, as I won one in a contest. Cool units and I now travel with one in the back of the truck or out on hikes. I wish I had positioned it a bit closer to the deer carcass - wasn't sure of the range when setting it up. Last week I found an active red fox den in Algonquin Park. I will be setting it up outside of that for a couple of days when I return in early April. Definitely a cool purchase for the wildlife and nature lover... Cheers, Justin
  14. JustinHoffman
    Hello All: Filmed this trail camera footage back in early December, on a section of the greenbelt here in Ottawa, Ontario. Early in the morning, my friend and I discovered a fresh road kill buck, with two coyotes feeding on it. I set up my trail camera that evening in hopes of capturing them returning to feed during the night. Of interest to note is the pecking order when it comes to feeding. As well, the vocalizations at the end of the footage is pretty cool. They made quick work of this big buck over the course of the week. )
  15. JustinHoffman
    No argument whatsoever, Doug - and I certainly didn't see it that way. Just providing some information, as, much like you, I was under the assumption as wolf would be much bigger. Many don't realize the eastern wolf in Algonquin Park is much different than it's cousin. Yes, I would love to get a daytime shot. I spent three days driving through the park. Found plenty of fresh tracks but no luck on a sighting. I hope to get lucky in three weeks when I return. And yes, I travel with a ground blind. Unfortunately, no moose carcasses Here is a wolf print I found in the interior of the park late this past fall. It was snowing rather heavily at the time. As you can, they don't come much fresher than this. If I had to guess, I missed it by less than a minute. He was actually trailing a red fox down a dirt lane for a good 200 yards before veering off into the woods. I was fortunate to find and photograph my first pine marten last week. Very cool little animal! Cheers, Justin
  16. JustinHoffman
    Hey Doug, Thanks for the note. The spot where this video was shot was less than a kilometer from the east gate boundary of Algonquin Park, in Whitney. According to the locals (my friend gets many tips as he resides in Whitney and runs the Mad Musher Restaurant), 3 to 4 wolves have been seen in this one area for some time now - traveling from inside the park. They are actually scavenging in the local dump as food is scarce due to snow depth this season. Our friends have photographs of these animals and live less than a minute from where I set up my trail camera. Keep in mind that eastern wolves are not gray wolves - the size difference is very noticeable and they are definitely closer to the size of a coyote - in fact, only a few centimeters taller at shoulder height. (58 to 66cm's for yote compared to 60 to 68cm's for an eastern wolf) My friend, who is very well-versed in wildlife, has never seen nor heard of a coyote in the Whitney region. He has lived here for 20 years. The wolves have pushed them out and the heavily forested areas are not the type of habitat they desire. This area was filled with tracks. Large paw prints (much bigger than any coyote and definitely an adult wolf) and smaller ones - again, most definitely wolf. According the locals that live down from this area, a young wolf has been traveling with this small pack. This very well could be the juvenile I caught on tape. Here is an excerpt from Algonquin Park wolf research: Eastern Wolves (and therefore Red Wolves) are very small in size compared to the Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) living in the boreal forest north of Lake Superior in Ontario. Unlike the Gray Wolf, the Eastern Wolf in Algonquin Park has never been recorded with an all-black or all-white coat. Instead the Eastern Wolf typically has a reddish-brown muzzle; reddish-brown behind the ears and on the lower legs; with a black, white, and gray back. Most people lucky enough to catch a quick glimpse of an Eastern Wolf in the wild for the first time are surprised by the animal's small size (only about 60 to 68 centimetres at the shoulder). People from more southern areas dominated by agriculture often believe that they have seen a Coyote (Canis latrans) in Algonquin Park. Coyotes are generally absent from Algonquin Park, since wolves will regularly kill any trespasser into their territory and Coyotes have a difficult time finding food in completely forested environments. However, wildlife biologists do know that Coyotes have on occasion bred with wolves here in Algonquin Park. Although this was likely more common when the land was cleared by loggers in the late 1800s and early 1900s, some coyote genetic material continues to find its way into some Eastern Wolf packs along the Park's borders. I have attached an image of an eastern wolf... So, due to all of that, I am 99% certain it is an eastern wolf. I will leave a small margin for error Cheers, Justin
  17. JustinHoffman
    Thanks, guys. Was definitely cool to open up the camera the next morning, turn on the screen, and see that we had captured a number of videos during the night. Davey Buoy - Yes, this is an infra-red camera. When the camera is tripped, a small red light comes on on the unit. I am wondering if this is what spooked or alerted them. It is funny how it stays right on the peripheral of the infra-red "lit" area. As for coyotes to wolf comparison, great link Brian posted. Where this video was shot (in Whitney) there are apparently no coyotes - and we had heard word that 3, possibly 4, eastern wolves were being regularly seen in this one area - traveling from the eastern side of the park out to feed. Will be back to Algonquin in less than a month. Will be trying to capture more wolf footage....as well as fox, as I discovered an active fox den on my last day there. Cheers, Justin
  18. JustinHoffman
    Hello All: Visited Algonquin Park this past week, both to meet up with friends and do some wildlife photography. On my second last day, my good friend and I decided to drive some back roads on the outskirts of the park, in and around Whitney. We discovered an open area that had a large amount of fresh wolf tracks visible. Since I had my trail cam in the truck, we decided to set it up that afternoon and retrieve it the next morning. As luck would have it, a lone eastern wolf returned that night! My first wild wolf sighting - albeit on my trail cam - but still a cool discovery. Here are four short clips I edited together. Enjoy.... )
  19. JustinHoffman
    Thanks, Brian - appreciate the kind words. The spruce grouse were shot in Algonquin Park approx. a month or so ago. Took me a full year to finally cross paths with them. Beautiful birds to say the least... Cheers, Justin
  20. JustinHoffman
    Hey Brian, I have a new stock portfolio website that I upload my images to. It has easy to use categories/species, and my most recent shoots can be found under the "Recent Photos" folder in the drop down menu. This site was mainly designed for art directors, but is the best way to see my images and work. I will be uploading yesterdays shoot tomorrow when I am back in town. Had an awesome shoot with Mr. 10. Feel free to check it out if you are interested. All sorts of deer, turkey, grouse, moose, and fox porn to drool over.... www.JustinHoffmanOutdoors.zenfolio.com Cheers, Justin
  21. JustinHoffman
    Hi Mark, Thanks for your comments. I don't believe it is post-rut. I have been searching these same areas for the last month. Although in that time I have found many scrapes and rubs, I had yet to see a buck until this week. They are now visible throughout the day, and in numbers. I have seen sporadic chasing down of does (last night in particular) but not the all out chases I am used to seeing last year. Also, other than one small scrap, these bucks seem to be tolerating each other, at least the day I found four together. Strangely enough, yesterday I only found the biggest buck in each of my two areas, so perhaps he has chased the others off. I am finding many of the bucks tight to does - either bedded down close to one or near the vicinity. I checked back at my notes and images from last year - the full-out chases and scraps occurred over the next two weeks, meaning the last two weeks of this month. My best action last year was November 28th. All of the bucks I am currently filming and photographing are actively making scrapes, rubs and scenting does along the trails. My guess is this coming week will be full on. As for finding sheds of deer I have followed, it has happened. Photographed a small five pointer last year one evening. The next morning I found both of his sheds (inches apart) on a main trail. A couple hundred yards away I found the buck - with the still fresh blood from where they dropped. I also have found a gnarly rack of a buck I had watched last year, as well as one other. The big 10-point buck in this video is one I spent many days photographing last year. He is in a new spot this season, about a km east and across a busy road. My goal is to find a shed of his Will keep you updated how the coming weeks go... Cheers, Justin
  22. JustinHoffman
    Hello All, Put together a short video tonight showcasing some deer buck behaviours I have been privy to witness over three days this week. Mr. 10 and Mr. 9 are the main stars of the show, but long and skinny Mr. 8 also makes an appearance. Has been a fun first week documenting the rut with the camera. For best viewing, please watch in 1080p HD (circular icon at bottom right under viewing screen). Enjoy...
  23. JustinHoffman
    Hey Skud, This is part of Ottawa's NCC Trails - a massive expanse of designated public land deemed for green space. It is no hunting, so deer numbers are much higher, and fear of people is much lower. I bushwhack off of the trails to find the deer that I do, but it can be relatively easy. Works awesome for photos and video. Cheers, Justin
  24. JustinHoffman
    Rattletrap2 - He was a little preoccupied with me, but more so with the doe that was just out of camera range and about 20 yards to his right
  25. JustinHoffman
    Thanks for the comments and ideas, guys. Much appreciated. Headed back out today. Came across nine different bucks. At one point I had four bucks all within a 40 yard radius of me. My most productive outing for bucks yet. Surprisingly, only one small scrap between two 9's. Unfortunately, they were behind some brush so I couldn't get a clear shot with the camera. Shot a bunch more video today and took some cool shots of a big 9 that decided to bed down only 20 feet away from me. Now that was cool. We'll see what tomorrow brings Cheers, Justin
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