Fascinating Photos Captured By Trail Cams

By: Lauren Wurth | Last updated: Oct 24, 2023

Trail cams are great for capturing the beauty of nature, particularly for those who enjoy watching animals in their natural habitat. In addition to having long-lasting batteries and waterproof cases, these cameras are well-suited for outdoor use.

Of course, not everyone is fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of wildlife. But every so often, some people are lucky enough to capture photos like the ones below.

Tumbleweed Tangled Buck

Say that headline ten times fast without stuttering! We guarantee the number of times you’re able to do so will still be a few more than the number of times you catch a photo like this.

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Source: imgur.com

This buck looks like it’s got a few antlers too many, but the truth is, it just got its antlers all tangled up with a random tumbleweed. The way this buck is proudly posing makes us think it’s enjoying its new look, though!

Too Close For Comfort

Anyone seeing this view from behind the lens will probably either flee or freeze. After all, it does seem like the bear is ready to charge straight into whoever’s taking the picture.

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Source: geology.com/ pinterest

In reality, these bears are typically lazy and prefer to eat grass and berries. However, the sight of their massive body against the trees in the background can be intimidating.

Owl On The Prowl

Did you know that an owl’s eyes are way bigger than its stomach? That’s why it is a huge surprise that this owl seems to be taking on a full-grown deer–probably 20 times its size, as its favorite course, just in time for dinner.

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Source: Reddit.com

Impossible as it may seem, owls have been known to eat small deer sometimes. It may want to go for larger animals to have more than enough meat for the entire winter season.

Squirrel Leaping Into Action

It does seem like deer are a small animal’s favorite snack, seeing that this time, it’s a squirrel that’s leaping into action. The buck appears oblivious to the fact that it’s on the menu, or maybe it just doesn’t see the squirrel as a risk.

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Source: Safe-shoot.com

Regardless of whether the squirrel can really take on this deer or not, this is still an amusing photo that tells an exciting story we are eager to know more about.

An Unlikely Forest Pair

Whereas the previous photos make it seem like there’s always an animal under pressure, this image tells a different tale. A buffalo and a cat might seem like an unlikely pair, but this photo shows that nothing is impossible.

Source: Mongabay.com

The cat and buffalo both have a spark in their eyes, and the cat’s position on the buffalo’s back showcases their size difference. Is the buffalo protecting the cat, or is the cat bossing the buffalo around? We may never know.

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An Eerie Encounter

What possible mission could this girl have, creeping up on a deer of this size? Someone might have challenged her to do it, and she took the challenge by the antlers.

Source: Liveabout.com

When you think about it, though, the girl in this picture looks a little unusual. Could this be an eerie encounter with the unknown? Is that really a living human in the picture, or could the deer be the only living thing in this scenario? 

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A Reversal Of Roles

In the usual setting, a coyote would be the alpha, and the deer would run away. But this image shows an interesting reversal of roles as a pair of deer seem to be ganging up on a single coyote.

Source: Boredpanda.com

By the coyote’s stance, it seems confused not just about which animal to pounce on first but also about why the deer seem to be unperturbed. Looks like the deer both deserve a big congratulations, though, knowing that it isn’t always easy to stand up against the bully.

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Losing Its Stripes

Speaking of predators being out of character, the tiger in this picture seems to be in the process of losing its stripes!

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Just kidding. Obviously, this tiger isn’t losing its stripes at all. It seems like it just finished a refreshing day at the spa, soaking up all the goodness from its usual mud bath.

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Will You Give Me A Lift?

Another pair of buddies can be seen in this photo. Here, we have a warthog and a raccoon adventuring together. In the distance, you can see another raccoon.

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Maybe this is how animals order Ubers in the wild, and the other raccoon is going to hop on as well. You can only imagine the hijinks that this trio is about to get up to.

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Interrupting A Big Family Meal

This trail cam was aimed at a feeding trough that someone set up outside of their house. You can see a whole family of deer are enjoying their Thanksgiving together when the camera rudely takes a picture!

daily-stuff.com

Can’t a deer get some privacy when they eat!? We wonder if the trail cam owner could have expected such a great turnout for their photo.

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What’s Up, Gang?

Some deer are simply not photogenic. That’s the problem with our friend here. This goofy-looking deer was just trying to pose for the camera, but the trail cam caught him off guard.

reolink.com

The result is a hilarious picture of a shocked deer. One day this deer is going to be a star and he’ll use this picture as a headshot for his acting career.

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The Perfect Escape

And they say raccoons aren’t smart! Here we see a brilliant fella running up a tree to escape an angry and hungry coyote. With its mouth open, it almost appears as though the raccoon is feverishly yelling as it climbs the tree.

daily-choices.com

A surefire way to escape becoming lunch. We applaud the raccoon for its resourcefulness.

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A Happy Family of Raccoons

This fun photo shows a family of raccoons enjoying their night together. You can make out six raccoons just relaxing and taking a break.

YouTube

In the foreground appears to be some type of feed, so you can only imagine the feast that these guys are having. Is this the equivalent of a raccoon Thanksgiving?

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The Beauty of Birds of Prey

In this picture, two massive eagles are shown flaunting their size. It’s great to see the perspective of just how large these birds are in contrast to the large limb on the ground.

fieldandstream.com

It appears as though the two birds are fighting about something. Animals in the wild are known to make themselves larger when they want to scare another animal off.

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A Gathering of Deer

It looks like we interrupted a deer party, here. The trail cam went off and snapped a pic, and every deer made sure that they posed for it. Hunters probably have dreams that look a lot like this picture.

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It almost looks like all of these deer were posing for a group photo. The loyal photographer was of course the trail cam.

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The Camera Didn’t Survive This Terrible Attack

In this angry selfie, a bird doesn’t understand just how close they are to the lens. We believe this is a woodpecker, and the blur is probably thanks to them viciously attacking the tree and the trail cam.

spotlightstories.com

The owner of the camera later found a hole in the lens, no doubt pecked by this little guy right here.

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A Wolverine That Thinks It’s A Human

This fuzzy little wolverine is only adorable from a distance. It might look like a miniature bear, but it’s actually part of the weasel family. This little guy must think that he’s a human, the way he’s striking a pose for the camera.

honesttopaws.com

The wolverine might have perceived the camera as a predator and it’s looking to make itself look larger to scare away the camera. The joke’s on him, he just looks more adorable.

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Sorry About This Santa

Did you know that the Grinch was actually a grizzle bear? In this picture, we can see a bear gently eating a stuffed Santa decoration. This curious little guy was looking to get into the holiday spirit the only way he knew how – by eating the mini Santa.

YouTube

Hopefully, he’s a little more welcoming to the actual Santa, otherwise, he’ll find his den filled with coal.

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Let There Be Food!

Next up is a group of genius raccoons. The one mastermind realized that he can swing on the birdfeeder in order to feed the whole group.

YouTube

It looks like Miley Cyrus on a wrecking ball in this photo. The spillage from the sides is presumably birdseed. This is one of the biggest heists in raccoon history.

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Enjoying the Fireworks Show

Did you know that deer like to celebrate Independence Day also? Well… not really – but in this photo, it appears as though a buck is enjoying a nice firework show. In a field alone, the deer found a prime location to enjoy some fireworks.

spotlightstories.com

You can tell that the photo wasn’t taken on New Year’s Eve because the deer doesn’t have funny glasses or a hat that says the new year on it.

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A Beautiful Mama-Baby Moment

Everyone needs a helping hand from time to time. In this case, we see a mama bear helping their young bear grab some food.

YouTube

There’s something eerily human about this picture, and we can’t stop laughing while we look at it. It looks like a human in a bear suit helping to raise an actual baby bear.

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What Happened Next?

It’s rare that you see a picture taken moments before disaster, especially on a trail cam. These two wilderness enemies locked eyes.

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You see a raccoon peering out of the car right at a fox. Either a fight went down, or the raccoon started the car and drove away – it’s hard to say!

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Cats Are Always So Cool

It seems like every cat just exudes coolness. This picture is no exception. We see a cat chilling on a platform with two deer staring curiously at it. The platform looks far from stable, but it doesn’t seem like the cool little cat minds at all.

fieldandstream.com

This little guy is just relaxing and enjoying his evening. Thankfully a trail cam was here to capture the moment so we can all laugh about it.

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A Very Sneaky Otter

Here’s something you don’t see every day. This sneaky otter was walking past the trail cam with a midnight snack in his mouth. It looks like a big fish of some kind. The otter probably felt like he hit a jackpot with such a big fish, and we hit a jackpot getting this great photo.

YouTube

A lot of people don’t realize that otters are such good hunters. They move quickly, have sharp teeth, and can swim really well.

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Howl to the Moon

A lot of us have heard howls in the middle of the night, but not a lot of people have actually seen what it looks like. This great trail cam picture shows three coyotes howling to the moon.

pinterest.com

They do this to tell other coyotes where they are so they can all hunt together. In this picture, it looks like they’re all singing their favorite song together or sharing a good yell.

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“Look at me, I’m a human!”

Deer commonly rear up on their hind legs as a way to intimidate rivals for mates. They might even engage in a boxing match by hitting one another with their front hooves. Those hooves are wickedly sharp. So this pose isn’t exactly unusual in some contexts. But this guy seems to be on his own.

pinterest.com

Maybe he’s defending himself against an enemy off-camera. Or maybe he’s perfecting his human walk. Who knew deer were so talented?

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A Buck Battle for the Ages

Not all deer are peacefully posing for cameras. This pair of bucks is looking to settle something. Bucks will use their horns to charge one another and attack.

daily-choices.com

We think this battle looks pretty epic, and it took us a while to realize there is an audience of raccoons in the background watching this epic fight. If you don’t have a television, you have to get your entertainment from somewhere, right?

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Does It Taste Good?

You might think that this goofy deer is the same one from before, but it’s not. Maybe a distant cousin, this deer is trying to figure out what the trail cam is. The result is an up-close and personal shot of a deer studying the cam.

pinterest.com

It might have even tried licking the camera to see what it tasted like. In the background, you can see another deer standing there. There’s no doubt that the other deer is making fun of the curious little guy.

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Up Close and Personal

After seeing this picture, you better hope that your trail cam isn’t anywhere near your house or tent. In this picture we see a curious little cheetah taking a look at a trail cam.

newscientist.com

This picture is so fun because it’s cool to see a natural predator look so curious and adorable. This cheetah just wanted to take a look at the trail cam and see what was going on before continuing down the trail.

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Amazingly Adorable Fox Cubs

Now it’s time for another cute family get together. In this case, we see a mama fox feeding her little family. Foxes are known to be good parents, and this picture is no exception to that idea.

honesttopaws.com

This mama is making sure that her babies are taken care of until they’re ready to face the wild. Too bad she blinked when this photo was taken!

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A Beautiful Wolf Photo

Here’s something else you don’t see every day – a pack of curious wolves are pictured here taking a close look at a trail cam. The wolf in the foreground is perfectly in focus, and you can make out some pretty remarkable details about it.

reddit.com

The handsome eyes and dark fur make you think this wolf is just a cute little puppy. We would definitely suggest against trying to pet it, though!

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Just Having a Little Snack

Is this the otter from earlier? This little guy is enjoying a midnight snack on a fish that they caught. They wink for the camera as they take a nibble.

wideopenspaces.com

The expression is really funny in this picture, and it almost seems like the otter is posing for the picture. It’s also impressive to see just how large their paws are in relation to their body.

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Well, This Is Awkward

Talk about an embarrassing photo! This deer was getting some motherly love and had no idea a camera was there to snap a picture of the pair.

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It’s like when your mom gives you a kiss when she drops you off for school, but this picture will last a lot longer than an embarrassing memory. The mom was just letting her know that she loves her daughter, nothing wrong with that!

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The Heart of the Hunt

The chase is on! In this dynamic picture, you can see a mountain lion chasing after what seems to be a deer. The legs and tail of the mountain lion suggest that they just took a sharp corner, but they won’t let their dinner escape so easily.

getoutgetlost.com

Or maybe they’re just playing a harmless game of tag and they take it very seriously? Who knows. But it is an amazing photo captured by a trail cam.

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Move….Get Out The Way!

This deer had better be off that roadway in a matter of seconds, or it will be… bye-bye so long. The deer is blinded by the headlights of the oncoming vehicle, which has left it confused.

reddit.com

We don’t know what happened next, but it’s one of two things. The driver stopped in the nick of time or like many before him; he died quickly. We think he’s still alive though.

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Trails Cams Can Catch People Too

Here we see a man with his deer buddy enjoying the evening together. The man poses humorously for the photo while the deer takes this opportunity to grab a little snack.

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This is the first photobomb we’ve seen where a human interacts with a trail cam while an animal is right behind them. We can’t help but wonder if the guy even knew the deer was back there.

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What Are You Looking At?

How dare you look at me, is what this Wolverine appears to be saying to someone or something ahead, which we can’t see. Either way, looking at those eyes, I sure wouldn’t want to be the one getting that stare

reddit.com

Wolverines are strong creatures so don’t mess. around. Watch them from a distance, or even better, from your computer, so you don’t get a beat down with those eyes.

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Let Me Take A Selfie

If you’re a raccoon, how are you supposed to get a decent selfie with your friends? This little guy found the solution.

pinterest.com

Take your posse to the nearest trail cam and snap a pic. Of course, his friends are a little camera-shy. At least no one blinked in the photo, though!

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Heading Home with Dinner

Just like the otters from earlier, here we see a bear proudly showing off its catch. It walks with a fish in its mouth, most likely a salmon.

heraldweekly.com

The bear might be taking this meal to its den to share with its little ones. At any rate, we can be sure that the bear is definitely proud of this catch.

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