Volunteer effort
Remote camera volunteers averaged three visits to each site for the season with an
average site visit taking 7 to 8 hours round‐trip. Remote camera volunteer hours for the
2012‐2013 winter season totalled 528 hours.
DISCUSSION
Interstate 90 Transects
This season's transects showed very similar wildlife activity in the study area compared
to years past, with the notable addition of a single species previously undocumented
during the project.
Trailing data documented the use of the interstate corridor by three carnivore species.
In sixteen trails followed, there was not a single documented road crossing. However,
trails of all three species showed these carnivores traveling, hunting, and feeding in
close proximity to the road. The cougar trail in particular, which likely represents this
animal obtaining a deer carcass from the freeway, and the associated tracks of
scavenging coyotes and bobcats, suggest that these carnivores have a complex
relationship to the interstate. The freeway provides challenges to movement and
safety but opportunities for carrion.
Observer reliability
Results this winter are similar to our findings from the two prior seasons, further
bolstering evidence that the reliability of data being collected by our team leaders is
very high. In three years of collecting data on observer reliability, we have yet to
document an error of field identification by team leaders (n=68).
However, as with the previous two years, it was not possible to definitively confirm or
reject the field observer's species identification for a significant number (25%) of data
points. In the three years of data collection, the majority of these non‐definitive
ratings (62%, n=21) were classified as "likely correct but photo is inconclusive" by
19
CWMP 2012-2013 Winter Field Season Report
