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Contents
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………1
Camera Trap Site Selection-General Location…………………………………………...……………2
Scouting Guidelines.………………………………………………………………………...…...………3
Camera Trap Set Variations……………………………………………………………………..………4
Trail Sets………………………………………………………………………………………….5
Carcasses and Natural Baits…………………………………………….………………….......6
Potential Rendezvous sites…………………………………………..…………………..……..9
Considerations for Documenting Breeding Status and Numbers……………………………….....10
Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………………..12
References………………………………………………………………………………………………..13
Appendix 1: Wolf tracks, scat, and sign………………………………………………………………14
Appendix 2: Field team equipment list……………………………………………..…………………17
Introduction
Wolves (Canis lupus) are currently undergoing a range expansion in Washington State. The primary
object of the Citizen Wildlife Monitoring Project (CWMP) in regards to wolves is to use remote camera
traps and other non-invasive methods to document new populations of wolves. Secondarily, the project
aims to verify breeding status and actual numbers of wolves in new and documented packs. The focus of
this document is provide relevant information for CWMP volunteers to effectively set remote camera
traps to capture images of wolves in areas where their current presence is unknown. The final section of
the document discusses methods and considerations for documenting breeding status and actual
numbers using remote cameras in areas where wolf presence has already been established.
Wolves are wide-ranging species whose home range can vary considerably based on seasonal changes in
prey species distribution, snow conditions, and human activity on the landscape. On a day-to-day scale,
they will often travel many miles in a single night. On the broadest scale, young adult wolves typically
disperse from their natal home range and travel up to hundreds of miles before localizing and
establishing a new home range for themselves. Young non-resident animals that have not set up a home
range may pass through an area and never return to it. Because of these features of wolf biology,
