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

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

9. Track Test

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

17. 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

18. 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.

20. 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

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

22. No. of wolves No. of packs

24. 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.

25. 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.

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

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

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

30. Winter Track Surveys in Wisconsin by WDNR and Volunteers

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

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

33. 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

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

35. Wolf Detection RatesDNR vs. Volunteer TrackersWith Varying Experience

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

37. 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

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

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