Elk Camera Updates
Co-authored by Ally Magnin and Emily Donovan
You may have noticed recently on the blog that the Snapshot team has spent some time in the Northwoods conducting fieldwork in the elk grids. But what was our motive as researchers?
Wisconsin’s elk herds are dynamic and do not necessarily occupy the same area all the time. Young individuals may temporarily disperse, cows split off from larger herds to give birth, and the herd as a whole may shift their range as they seek out suitable habitat. While this is to be expected, it creates an interesting problem for camera trap research.
A bull elk from Black River Falls, WI with a GPS collar.
Since 2015, Snapshot Wisconsin has had a portion of our project dedicated to monitoring reintroduced elk herds. Cameras were deployed in grids much smaller than the usual Snapshot Wisconsin grid, increasing the density of cameras in the herd reintroduction area and making it more likely to capture photos of elk. As the herds shifted their range, however, some cameras no longer detected elk. To begin to address this mismatch between our elk grids and the herds’ ranges, Data and Spatial Analyst Emily Buege Donovan conducted an analysis.
Donovan began by combining several elk-related data sources to assess the quality of each camera site. Among these data sources were the most recent GPS locations of collared elk. A portion of the state’s elk are fitted with GPS collars, which transmit a location every 13 hours. GPS collar data is commonly used in wildlife research and management to better understand the movement patterns and resource selection of animal populations. In the present study, Donovan used these data to predict the likelihood that a camera will regularly detect elk. See Figure 1 for an example of the camera locations in relationship to the collar data. Camera locations in the northwest portion of the map have low probability of capturing elk, whereas cameras in the southeast have a high probability of capturing elk photos.
Fig 1. Example map of Snapshot Wisconsin cameras within the elk grids and the 2019 elk collar data.
However, because not all elk in Wisconsin are collared, the collar data could not be used exclusively to determine whether a camera site should remain active in elk monitoring efforts. Donovan also needed to bring in the historical elk detections for each camera site. How long had it been since an elk was detected at this site? How many elk photos were taken by each camera? By combining the collar data, photo data, and several other factors, such as ease of access by the volunteer and habitat type, Donovan created a scoring system to determine the best camera locations. Low scoring cameras were marked for removal, and high scoring cameras were marked to stay on the landscape.
Once we determined which elk blocks should be removed, we reached out to the volunteer who was assigned to each of those blocks and requested their assistance in removing the camera. For the blocks that didn’t have a volunteer assigned, our team planned fieldwork for the summer of 2020 to remove the cameras.
Snapshot team member Ally Magnin during elk camera fieldwork.
Many of the cameras marked for removal were deployed over three years ago, so navigating to them proved difficult in some cases. We traversed tamarack swamps, bushwhacked through thick understory, hopped across streams, and puzzled over satellite imagery to reach each destination. Our team enjoyed the challenge!
In addition to removing old cameras, we also conducted camera checks on the blocks that didn’t currently have a volunteer assigned in order to get them ready for a new volunteer to monitor, and replaced cameras that had shown signs of malfunction. We made it a priority to take diligent notes about how to navigate to each camera site to make navigation easier for future volunteers.
Overall, it was a very productive field season that provided the team with the opportunity to step away from our computer screens and into the outdoors. It also gave us an even greater appreciation for the work our volunteers do to monitor their cameras.
Are you interested in monitoring a camera as a part of our elk project? Sign up today at elk.snapshotwisconsin.org. Applications are reviewed when blocks open up, and we will contact you with more information once you’re accepted!
Check out our other elk-related blog posts below:
Elk Snapshots Mean Better Elk Modeling
July #SuperSnap
This Wisconsin icon from Iowa County is crowned our July #SuperSnap! Badgers don’t show up often on Snapshot Wisconsin cameras, and it is even more rare to capture one in the daytime. Have you ever seen a badger on your trail camera? Or even better, in person?
A badger captured on a Snapshot Wisconsin trail camera.
A huge thanks to Zooniverse participant @WINature for this #SuperSnap nomination.
Continue classifying photos on Zooniverse and sharing your favorites with #SuperSnap – your submission might just be next month’s featured photo! Check out all of the nominations by searching “#SuperSnap” on the Snapshot Wisconsin Talk boards.
June #SuperSnap
It is time to bring back the monthly #SuperSnap ! Check out this series of a bobcat from Trempealeau County. This individual is wonderfully camouflaged with its environment, blending in with last year’s decaying plant matter in this spring photo series. Bobcats (Lynx rufus) have a distinctive mottled fur coat that allows them to disappear from sight in a great variety of landscapes. This characteristic contributes to their impressive adaptability; they are the most widespread wild cat in North America!
There were lots of amazing submissions this month. A huge thanks to Zooniverse participant @AUK for this #SuperSnap nomination.
Continue classifying photos on Zooniverse and sharing your favorites with #SuperSnap – your submission might just be next month’s featured photo! Check out all of the nominations by searching “#SuperSnap” on the Snapshot Wisconsin Talk boards.
Sources:
https://sciencing.com/adaptations-bobcat-8153982.html
https://www.britannica.com/animal/bobcat
January #SuperSnap
Check out these fawn triplets from an Oneida County Snapshot Wisconsin trail camera. Whitetail deer can have one to three fawns each spring, but twins are most common. Finding a set of triplets while classifying photos is certainly a treat!
A huge thanks to Zooniverse participant @pito for the #SuperSnap nomination!
Continue classifying photos on Zooniverse and hashtagging your favorites for a chance to be featured in the next #SuperSnap blog post. Check out all of the nominations by searching “#SuperSnap” on the Snapshot Wisconsin Talk boards.
December #SuperSnap
There were lots of great photos tagged as #SuperSnap this month, but our top pick has to be this series of a coyote scampering up a tree! This is very interesting behavior for coyotes, as they lack claws that can adequately grip tree bark. This individual was likely chasing after lunch when its prey escaped up the tree.
Tree climbing is far more common in gray foxes. Check out this past blog post!
A huge thanks to Zooniverse participant @firehorse66 for the #SuperSnap nomination!
Continue classifying photos on Zooniverse and hashtagging your favorites for a chance to be featured in the next #SuperSnap blog post. Check out all of the nominations by searching “#SuperSnap” on the Snapshot Wisconsin Talk boards.
Bald Eagles in Wisconsin
Happy Fourth of July!
The bald eagle serves not only as a national symbol, but also as a conservation success story. Bald eagles were at high risk for extinction in the early 1900’s due to habitat destruction, illegal shooting, and contamination of their food sources. They have since made a comeback both in Wisconsin and across the United States through the Bald Eagle Protection Act, federal listing under the Endangered Species Preservation Act, the banning of the pesticide DDT, and conservation actions by the public. Over the last 40 years, they have recovered from the brink of extinction and their range has expanded to 71 out of 72 counties in Wisconsin. There are plenty of ways for anyone who is interested to continue supporting bald eagles in Wisconsin and across the country. Members of the public can purchase an endangered resources plate or participate in the Adopt an Eagle Nest program. More suggestions from the American Eagle Foundation can be found here!
Check out some of our favorite bald eagle photos captured on Snapshot Wisconsin cameras from across the state!
How It Feels to Discover a Rare Species on Camera
On Friday, April 12th, Snapshot Wisconsin volunteer John came across something extraordinary. After making routine checks of his elk cameras in Black River Falls, he headed home to upload his photos. During the standard process of review and classification, one photo in particular stood out amongst the sea of deer and turkeys. John recognized it immediately. “That’s a big white crane with a red head!” he exclaimed. “Woah, this is a whooping crane!”
John knew how rare they are, having only seen them at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo. That was 30 years ago, when his kids were young. John wanted to verify his discovery before sharing his excitement with the Snapshot team. “I went to my smartphone to verify that I was seeing the correct animal, and I said, ‘Yup, that’s a whooping crane!’” Sure enough, not only had John captured a rare species, but he had photographed the first whooping crane in the history of Snapshot Wisconsin.
He couldn’t believe how spectacular the image was. “It was a beautiful photo! It was at 8 in the morning, and it must have just landed. It had its wings up – it looked like it was dancing in front of the camera! I thought wow, what a perfect picture.”
John has been involved in the project for one and a half years, and currently maintains five cameras in the Black River Falls elk reintroduction area. John’s passion for the outdoors and interest in Wisconsin elk motivated him to become a Snapshot Wisconsin volunteer after retirement. “I like to get out into new locations and explore. It’s kind of a spiritual experience for me to be in the outdoors.” He also appreciates the opportunity to stay active. “I get a little exercise. I don’t like to be on a treadmill, I would rather be walking in the woods and seeing things. [Snapshot Wisconsin] is a good fit for me.”
When asked about his favorite part of participating in Snapshot Wisconsin, John shared that he enjoys being in the woods, seeing the wildlife and exploring new areas. He also welcomes the challenge of finding his camera sites. “Navigation is challenging,” he explained, “finding a camera based on a certain grid coordinate is kind of exciting.”
Capturing the memorable photo of the whooping crane has only added to John’s experience as a volunteer. “I’m glad I got an animal that was interesting. I have gotten bear, wolves, and bobcats [and] of course a lot of deer and turkey. But the whooping crane was kind of the icing on the cake. I am looking forward to getting other interesting animals.”
John also recognizes how this whooping crane sighting is significant in terms of the conservation of this endangered species. When asked what it means to him to be a part of this crane’s story, John said, “It’s kind of interesting. I think my job is kind of small but sometimes it ends up being a big production. It shows how small the world is and how everybody can make a difference no matter what they do.”
2019 Spring Fawn Survey
The goal of the Southwest Wisconsin CWD, Deer and Predator Study is to comprehensively examine factors that could impact deer survival and deer population growth in southern Wisconsin. Those include Chronic Wasting Disease, predation, habitat suitability and hunter harvest. In late May and early June, members of the Snapshot Wisconsin team had the opportunity to help out with the project’s spring fawn search. Snapshot staff joined the CWD team and volunteers from across the state to search for fawns in the study areas near Dodgeville.
Study areas to the east and west of Dodgeville, WI.
On each day of the 3-week survey, DNR employees and volunteers assembled into a line spread fingertip to fingertip to sweep across the survey area. It takes a keen eye and diligent searching to spot a fawn, as newborn fawns can be as small as a football. When less than 5 days old, fawns stay bedded down and in hiding amongst tall grass and brush. Does often leave their fawns for hours at a time to give the fawn a better chance of survival.
When a staff member or volunteer came upon a fawn, they rested their hands on the fawn’s back to gently keep the fawn from getting up. A children’s sock was then placed over the fawn’s eyes to keep it calm as DNR employees promptly fitted the fawn with ear tags and a radio collar. These collars are made of elastic material with pleats sewn into them that pop, expand, and eventually fall off as the fawn grows – usually within 18 months. Important information such as the fawn’s sex, weight, and rear leg length was recorded before carefully placing the fawn back where it was bedded down.
The Snapshot Wisconsin team learned a lot about fawns, CWD, and how the Southwest Wisconsin CWD, Deer and Predator Study gathers valuable data about white-tailed deer. This unique fieldwork opportunity also gave our team an up-close look at the wildlife we usually see in trail camera images!
For more information, please visit the Southwest Wisconsin CWD, Deer and Predator Study’s webpage.
Check out these other Snapshot Wisconsin blogs related to the project:
1) Southwest Deer and Predator Study
2) In the Field with the Southwest CWD, Deer and Predator Study
Black River Falls Fieldwork
On our way up north for a recent outreach event, Taylor_Peltier and I swung through Black River Falls to check two Snapshot Wisconsin cameras deployed for the elk reintroduction project. Black River Falls, located in central Wisconsin, is one of the three locations where Snapshot Wisconsin has a dense network of trail cameras to monitor the reintroduced elk populations. Trail cameras support data needed to make management decisions at the WDNR, all while capturing captivating photos of local wildlife.
A reintroduced elk, Cervus canadensis, captured on a Snapshot Camera in northern Wisconsin
Being relatively new to the project, this was my first time doing fieldwork – and I couldn’t have been more excited! While our amazing Snapshot volunteers do the majority of fieldwork, we never shy away from an opportunity to get out in the woods as well. We suited up and grabbed our gear: a handheld GPS with coordinates entered for each camera site, swamp boots, bug nets, and camera equipment. We replaced one camera at the previously utilized camera site and moved the other to a better location, free of tall ferns and at the intersection of three wildlife trails. This was great opportunity for me to gain experience in the field and I look forward to future fieldwork opportunities!
July #SuperSnap
July’s #SuperSnap features a mother opossum, called a jill, carrying her babies, called joeys, on her back! Joeys are quite small when they are born, only about the size of jelly beans (source). The joeys continue to develop in their mother’s pouch until they are large enough to ride along on her back, as we see here. Thank you to @enog for nominating this series!
Continue classifying photos on Zooniverse and hashtagging your favorites for a chance to be featured in the next #SuperSnap blog post. Check out all of the nominations by searching “#SuperSnap” on the Snapshot Wisconsin Talk boards.
Snapshot Wisconsin 