Site Selection
Prior to the season, sites are selected and prioritized in coordination with our Advisory Council. We
present our Advisory Council with the number of sites we are able to dedicate to the season based on
equipment inventory and a preliminary list of recommended sites. We seek their input on our
recommendations and any additions they may have, then finalize a list for the season that guides a
refined look at each site and volunteer recruitment.
Each site has a stated purpose to either record the presence of a target species, or monitor wildlife
presence in general in a specific location. Project staff work with specific site advisors from our Advisory
Council or their peers to develop a description for our volunteers that provides the stated purpose for
the site, general directions and tips for selecting a specific site within the selected geography, maps, and
contact information for support during the season.
We utilize volunteer field knowledge to guide and reassess site location in the field based on their
experiences and results during the season. Our volunteers provide an effective feedback mechanism for
consistent reassessment of the best site location, and actual field conditions for their site based.
Lures and bait
Scent marking is an important means of communication within the animal kingdom. Animals use scent
to mark territories, to find mates and prey, and to assess levels of danger by ascertaining when, who,
and what has been in the area. Scent lure is used at the majority of our sites to bring area wildlife into
our camera's field of view to be recorded, and bait was used in combination with scent lure at our
wolverine stations this season. The application and selection of attractant at our station is determined
to meet the specific objectives of a site and in consultation with our Advisory Council.
This season, we did not utilize attractant at one of our stations along I-90 due to its proximity to the
roadway. At all other stations, we utilized Gusto as our scent attractant.
Bait in combination with a scent attractant was only utilized in our camera sites focused on the
detection of wolverines. This followed a unique protocol that included the construction of a run-pole
station. In this set-up the bait is hung from cables above a run-pole station to strategically place the
animal in front of our cameras to non-invasively capture evidence of the unique morphological fur chest
markings and sex of wolverines attracted to the camera station. Wild bait (deer, elk, etc., often from
road kills) was used whenever possible, and in instances when it was not available store purchased bait
was utilized.
IV. Results and Discussion
Results are reported for the priority level 1-3 species of interest to our program. We do not report
photographs of birds, hares, small rodents, or dogs or cats. Domestic livestock are reported per site in
the Recorded Level 3 species tables but are not included in the Diversity of Species by Priority Level
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