Over the past decades, the use of cameratraps have increased tremendeously. Cameratraps have been around for over 100 years. The invention began with an American congressman, George Shiras III, a pioneer in nature photography. He imitated a hunting technique of the Ojibwa tribe, called 'jacklighting'. This worked as follows: the hunter puts a pan of fire in the front of the canoe, takes a seat in the back, and waits patiently until the animal came close to the fire and froze, with the result of a clear aim on the animal. Shiras replaced the fire and rifle with a kerosene lamp, tripwire and a camera, which led to a stunning collection of photographs of wild and cryptic animal species; published in 'National Geographic' (ed.1906). Over the years, the complex and heavy cameratraps from the past have evolved into compact and sophisticated cameratraps that are available today.
George Shiras III (in front) and his assistant John Hammer (behind) on board on their fully equiped canoe, Michigan, 1893 (by Shiras, 1906)
