OAK ISLAND, Minn. >> The growing popularity of trail cameras has provided glimpses into the natural world that otherwise would go unseen.

Such is the case at Oak Island on Minnesota’s Northwest Angle.

Frank Walsh, who owns Walsh’s Bay Store Camp on Oak Island of Lake of the Woods with his wife, Laura, has three trail cameras on his property. The other morning, Walsh was scrolling through the card he’d removed from one of his cameras when he came across the image of a deer on a full-speed run through the brush.

According to the time stamp, the deer was caught on camera at 4:30:46 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3.

A mere 25 seconds later, at 4:31:11, the next photo shows a gray wolf in hot pursuit.

How the chase eventually ended is unknown, but Walsh said the two photos tell a story that marks one of the more memorable outdoor encounters he’s captured on his trail cameras.

All of this just a short walk from camp.

“I’m virtually sure it was the wolf chasing the deer,” Walsh said. “I’ve never gotten a picture of a deer jumping like that.”

Walsh’s latest check of that particular trail camera also showed two other striking photos of wolves, both looking directly at the camera. One of the wolves, photographed in the dark, has a black coat. The other photo, of a gray-colored wolf taken in daylight, “was one of the prettiest pictures I’ve ever gotten,” Walsh said.

“There are four pups this year, but I keep seeing — and they’re obviously quite big now — but I’ve been kind of watching them grow all year,” he said. “I’ve got so many of those pictures, I don’t even bother with them anymore — there’s two, three, four of them caught on the camera. At least four black ones.”

Despite the wolf activity, Walsh says he has yet to come across evidence of a kill, whether it’s finding a deer carcass while walking or snowmobiling down the trails or seeing crows, ravens or other scavenger birds circling overhead.

He also picks up “lots of does and fawns” on his trail cameras, along with a buck that makes regular appearances and is alive and doing well.

“I just can’t believe how they coexist,” he said. “I’m sure (the wolves) are eating something.”

Or, in the case of the trail camera images, at least attempting to chase down a meal. Every check of the cameras is an adventure, Walsh says.

“It’s just amazing how close the encounters are, between the wolves and other critters,” Walsh said. “I’m seeing snowshoe hares, a little while later wolves — they seem to be active all day. A lot of times, you’ll see pine martens or whatever.

“You just don’t know what’s coming up. ”