Auditory Stealth

There has been some speculation that it may be possible for some animals to hear the very high frequency whine given out by the flash prime of some cameras. Recently, experiments I have done using remote cameras seem to support this notion. What appears to be happening is that when the I.R. sensor in a remote camera detects a heat source, there is a slight lag between the time of detection, and the instant that the camera trips. During this time, the flash primes if the lighting situation requires it, which gives off a slight, relatively high-pitched sound. This can be heard by most humans to a distance of perhaps a few feet.

My personal take on this is that even the very acute hearing of bear, deer and wolf likely cannot detect this sound beyond about 10-15 feet. The reason for this speculation is that in no case have I had any of the above animals appear to react to the camera before the first photo is taken, at any distance beyond this. However, I have had wolves, bear and deer seem to detect the camera on occasion inside of this particular distance before the first photo snaps, as evidenced by the fact that in the photos, they are looking directly at the camera.

This wolf seems to be aware of the camera.

The most likely scenario to explain this is that the wolf in the above photo, taken by a stealth camera in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula by the author, heard the flash prime in the second or two prior to the shutter. The wolf had just enough time to turn and look at the sound source. This brings up a major point bearing on this subject; the time frame indicated here between the initial detection and the trigger of the shutter did not even allow such a hair-trigger animal as a wild wolf to react and move out of camera range. So even IF it is possible for a Sasquatch to hear this sound and thus detect the camera, the chance of it being able to move out of the shot is minimal. Indeed, without previously being exposed to a camera, a Sasquatch would not have any idea what the result of the sound would be. The natural reaction of any animal when exposed to a new sound or experience is to freeze for a moment before fleeing to determine what it is or where it’s coming from. Thus, even if detection is possible, it is unlikely to result in a ruined opportunity. It is more likely to result in an almost perfect portrait, as in the wolf photo above.

Having said all of this, it is still possible to mitigate even the very slight chance of detection. The easiest method of doing so would be to simply line the inside of the camera housing with a foam sound dampener. This is simply a thin layer of closed cell foam, available at most stores dealing in music recording equipment. While like the scent idea it may well be moot, it’s something to consider trying if you have the inclination. This foam has been shown to greatly reduce the amount of ambient sound given off by electronics, and thus may be applicable here to some degree.