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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
1. 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.
2. 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).
3. 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.*
4. 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 toward this area. Avoid sites
within 500 m of campsites or human sign, or 250 m of human trails if possible (this may be difficult for
some of the I-90 locations). At a minimum select a site out of the line of site from major trails and/or
roads.
If setting up a camera to target a trail, try to aim it at a 45-degree angle to the trail (instead of
shooting up or down the trail, or directly perpendicular to it). A 45-degree angle generally captures
the best images.
Find two trees (or a tree and a rock, log or other feature the camera can be aimed downward
at), about 10 feet apart; one tree that is both large enough to mount the camera on and
sturdy enough that it won't sway too much in breezes. The other tree or landscape feature is
for spreading the lure on and can be any size, but make sure it is large/sturdy enough though
