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Counting Wolves & Other Carnivores (with a little help from our friends)

Counting Wolves & Other Carnivores (with a little help from our friends). Jane E. Wiedenhoeft Sarah Boles Adrian P. Wydeven. Welcome to Wisconsin Volunteer Carnivore Tracking Program. Who made this trail?. Who Can Become a Volunteer Tracker?. What’s Expected of Volunteer Trackers?.

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Counting Wolves & Other Carnivores (with a little help from our friends)

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  1. Counting Wolves & Other Carnivores (with a little help from our friends) Jane E. Wiedenhoeft Sarah Boles Adrian P. Wydeven

  2. Welcome to Wisconsin Volunteer Carnivore Tracking Program

  3. Who made this trail?

  4. Who Can Become a Volunteer Tracker?

  5. What’s Expected of Volunteer Trackers? • 1. Attend training - Wolf Ecology Workshop Track Training Course

  6. Wolf Ecology Workshops

  7. Track Training Courses Wisconsin CanidsF4 h4 C Gray Wolf Coyote Dog Red Fox Gray Fox

  8. Track Test

  9. What is Expected of Volunteer Trackers? 1. Attend training • 2. Conduct 3 good track surveys following DNR guidelines

  10. What is Expected of Volunteer Trackers? 1. Attend training 2. Conduct 3 track surveys • 3. Notify coordinator of 1st wolf, or any other rare species tracks you encounter

  11. JaneWiedenhoeft Park Falls DNR 715 762-3204 4” 3.5” VT 2 wolves - tx Yes - attached 16 37N 1E Tx of 2 wolves crossed Price the road traveling along the creek. Scat on road. Cross Cut Rd. 1 mi. east of Phillips Went into tag alders along creek 11-7-03, ~8:00 a.m.

  12. What is Expected of Volunteer Trackers? 1. Attend training 2. Conduct 3 track surveys 3. Notify coordinator of 1st wolf, or any other rare species tracks you encounter • 4. Turn in results of your surveys on time

  13. Goals • 1. To determine wolf numbers, distribution, breeding status, & identify wolf packs.

  14. No. of wolves No. of packs

  15. Goals 1. To determine wolf numbers, distribution, breeding status, & identify wolf packs. • 2. To develop an index of the abundance and distribution of other carnivore species.

  16. Goals 1. To determine wolf numbers, distribution, breeding status, & identify wolf packs. 2. To develop an index of the abundance and distribution of other carnivore species. • 3. To determine the existence of rare carnivores such as lynx & puma.

  17. Why Volunteers? • More wolves in more places • Limited # of DNR trackers • No extra $

  18. Recruiting • Initially from wolf ecology workshops • Personal contacts • News articles • Radio • Pamphlet • Website

  19. How Many Volunteers? From 1995-2003 > 450 volunteers > 5,000 hours > 40,000 km

  20. Winter Track Surveys in Wisconsin by WDNR and Volunteers

  21. Survey Blocks Tracked by DNR & Volunteers 2003-2004

  22. Can we use the Data Volunteers Collect? The Big Question -

  23. Tracks Detected/100 miles (1995-2000)Co-surveyed blocks Training is Important Untrained volunteers 54% of WDNR rate Trained volunteers 70% of WDNR rate but isn't enough

  24. Wolf Detection Rates Volunteer vs. DNR Trackers in Co-Surveyed Blocks

  25. Wolf Detection RatesDNR vs. Volunteer TrackersWith Varying Experience

  26. Formula for Volunteer Success Training + Experience = Useable Data

  27. HOW DO WE USE VOLUNTEER DATA? • To provide information for survey blocks DNR trackers don’t survey • To alert DNR to wolf activity in new areas • To help estimate the state’s wolf population, distribution, and breeding status when volunteers have adequate training & experience

  28. Program Evolution • More survey blocks • More training • Proving the data is useable • Communication • Regional coordinators

  29. Where do we go from Here? • More volunteer administration • Recognitions • Certification of trackers? • Changes in wolf monitoring • Population estimate vs. counts

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