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Populations of less than 100 individuals are thought to inhabit northern-Washington state (Stinson
2001). Adult male lynx will travel long distances to seek appropriate habitat as a response to low prey
abundance (Montgomery R. 2014). They will often range over an area that also includes areas used for
human recreation opportunities if it provides suitable habitat for the snowshoe hare. Human activity in
these areas is typically diurnal, the time of day when lynx are least active. The emigration of lynx,
primarily adult males from southern Alberta and British Columbia populations into northern Washington,
is important for the long-term regeneration of the region's population (Burdett C. 2007). Identifying
connectivity of south-central BC Lynx populations with that of northern-central Washington populations
will provide important information to provide clarity as to how to more effectively manage the
populations (with regards to hunting and trapping, forest management practices, and the recreation
industry) in a trans-boundary manner.
Documenting the occurrence of lynx across wilderness areas and broad landscapes is important for their
conservation and development of responsible land management practices (Squires et al. 2012). Lynx are
cryptic in nature, live in remote areas, exhibit crepuscular activity, and appear in low density over large
expanses of land. Studying their movements is very challenging as a result of these characteristics despite
efforts with radio telemetry (Burdett et al. 2007). Snow-track surveys are a relatively economical, less
disruptive way to document the presence of carnivores on the winter landscape. A recent study done by
Squires et al. (2012) discovered that the presence of a lynx population can be determined within broad
landscapes through 2 subsequent snow track surveys with 95-99% confidence. BC Resource Inventory
Standards Committee (RISC) guidelines state that lynx snow tracking must be done 3 times in a winter,
for 3 consecutive winters, or until positive ID is made (RISC 1999). The disadvantages of snow tracking to
document the presence of lynx are the potential for misidentification and requirement of suitable snow-
tracking conditions. RISC guidelines indicate 2 to 3 days following a minimum 2 cm snowfall for best
results.
Positive DNA identification by species is an important accompaniment to this type of survey because of
the implications associated with lynx conservation on land management practices. Identification of
individuals by DNA analysis will also provide information about the genetic connectivity of populations
and identify isolated populations that may require specific management. Wildlife cameras and hair
