6. Ensure you review the camera technical tips and field manual for your camera, and if you have
access to the camera conduct a mock set up.
7. Research the target species for your camera, including its habitat preferences, tracks and signs,
and previous sightings in the area you are going. (The Background Guide to Species in the I-90
Corridor, along with a track ID field guide, are good resources for this. We also have track ID
documents for specific species in the office that we can provide).
8. Research your site, consider your access and field conditions. Where will you park? Do you
need a permit to park in this location? What is your hiking route? Call the local ranger district
office closest to your site for information on current field conditions, especially when snow is
possible to still be present.
9. Review this protocol the night before your check if possible.
Getting to Camera Site
Use the site write-up, maps, directions and/or GPS coordinates to locate your cameras. It might be
helpful to take a copy of the data sheet from the installation and/or previous visit, which may have
useful notes on it. Take digital photos of the site when you get there (or bring them if already available)
to help you/others find and identify the camera location on future visits and to send to our office as a
pictorial record of the camera location and site setup.
1. Be on the lookout for tracks, scat, or other wildlife sign on the way to the camera and if
encountered, document per Wildlife Sign Documentation Protocol section (below).
2. Look for flagging along the route and near the actual camera location if your team has elected to
place it, but don't rely on it because it can disappear and there may be flagging out there
unrelated to our project. *Be careful about placing flagging that could give away our camera
locations for security reasons. Use your judgment as to whether flagging is necessary and
where and how much to use.*
3. For the next team, note on the back of your data sheet any landmarks or unique characteristics
of the site to make it easier for them to find the camera. Or, if you move camera location for
any reason be sure to not only mark the new GPS coordinates but to make a detailed write-up
that will allow others to find this camera.
Camera Setup
For the first time the camera is placed in the field for the season, or in case you move the camera
These are some things to look for when deciding where to setup the camera:
•
Find a location where wildlife will most likely pass by – a game trail, a location with tracks or
sign, travel corridors (valleys, river corridors), and/or excellent habitat for your target species
(i.e. dense forested cover for martens). Landscape features that tend to funnel wildlife
movement and areas close to water may be good sites. Place the camera so that it is pointed
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