Family bonds over bear cam
A POND on the Thoft property near St. Ignatius is a favorite swimming area for grizzly bears. (Ashley Fox/Lake County Leader)
ONLY ONE camera has been destroyed by wildlife over the last several years, as the Thoft family positions the technology on their land to capture images of wildlife on their property. (Photo provided)
THE THOFT family sets up hunting cameras around their property, capturing video and photos of grizzly bears which are posted on their Facebook page, Mission Valley Montana Grizz Cam. (Photo provided)
FOR THE last several years, Stacey Thoft-Plimmer has posted images of grizzly bears and other animals to the Facebook page she manages, Mission Valley Montana Grizz Cam. (Photo provided)
AS BEARS gain weight through the year, the trails they make and regularly use widen, too. (Photo provided)
As she explained some history of her family’s hobby, Stacey Thoft-Plimmer’s cell phone kept buzzing and dinging.
Unphased, she explained after a quick glance that one of the five hunting cameras on her parents’ property captured an image, hopefully of an animal.
Thoft-Plimmer maintains the Mission Valley Montana Grizz Cam Facebook page, which is supplied with videos and photos of grizzly bears, along with other wildlife, thanks to five cameras throughout her parents’ property.
Thoft-Plimmer’s parents, Bob and Susie Thoft, have lived near St. Ignatius since 2000.
It took a cancelled trip to Alaska for Bob for the family to brainstorm a way to not only bond, but show what the bears do through the night.
Initially, “it started out as ‘let’s see what we can get pictures of,” Thoft-Plimmer said.
“I don’t know if we’re any good at it,” she thought out loud, with Bob adding, “it’s still a learning process.”
Bob said that Thoft-Plimmer moves the cameras around, while he goes along with bearspray in hand.
The bears occassionally move around during the day, but typically the most action occurs through the night or just before the sky starts to brighten.
Scattered through the property are apple trees, some of which looked to be raked over and others bushy and promising.
That, they said, is from the bears perusing for a night snack of apples.
So far this year, not as many bears have come through.
Last year, Bob said that three sows traveled around the property, which includes a large pond.
This year, the Thofts have recorded a boar and couple other bears.
As they look at the bears, the Thofts are getting better at identifying bears, but they “aren’t as good as someone who has professional training,” Thoft-Plimmer said.
At one point, a massive boar, which Susie named ‘Refridgerator,’ made his way around the property but she said she hasn’t seen her favorite just yet.
Another thing that the family has learned is that bears will make their own paths which they’ll continue to follow through the season.
“We’ve got two or three major bear trails,” Bob said.
As the bears get weight through the year, the trails get wider.
He and Thoft-Plimmer said when they’ve gone along some of the trails, they’ve noticed that they are unseen from structures.
“They’re really smart,” she said.
Since she’s started the social media page, Thoft-Plimmer said that people from around the world have shown interest, messaging her from Italy and Hungary, for instance.
“It’s pretty neat” that the page allows people to connect globally, she said.
When they go out around the property or anywhere that wildlife could be, Thoft-Plimmer said she, her family and friends make noise as well as wear bear bells and carry bear spray.