User manual

Page 4 of 17
Citizen Wildlife Monitoring Project Last revised May 2012
goes a long ways, and that too much long can deter animals. Their noses are much more
powerful than ours.
o If you are applying bait you will receive specific instructions from our staff and/or
advisory council on this. Do not apply bait at your site unless instructed. Wolverine
teams are the only ones utilizing bait in the 2012 season.
• Make sure to apply the scent in the area the camera is aimed at so that wildlife spend time
sniffing in the focus of the camera. Also, apply a small drop of lure higher on the tree so that
the scent is better picked up in the wind. Make sure to record the exact names of the
lure(s) applied by your team on your data sheet. This information will be entered into our
database to track the wildlife response to different lures.
o With fish oil, fish fertilizer, or oil from a sardine can, you can apply the scent more
liberally by pouring some with the aid of a branch lower on the tree and also higher,
creating an oil slick that will remain on the tree through rain events.
o With professional scent lures (like those in small bottles) remember a little goes a long
ways. Simply use a branch dipped into the bottle for application, and drop a few drops
at the base of the tree. You can apply some to the bark of the tree as well and hang the
“lure twig” there or insert it in the bark, but do remember moderation.
o If no lure trees are available in the desired location where you would like to place the
camera (game trail, etc), you can always scent a large downed log, large boulder, or pile
of rocks located in the view of the camera. We have had great success with this in the
past as a substitute for trees, especially for species where you are looking to utilize
game trails.
• Carefully fill out the data sheet with all requested information
• Arm the camera to take pictures before leaving the site
After your Camera Check
1. Email a brief report of your visit to your team leader. If there are any important news/findings,
such as signs of a Level 1 species, problems with the camera or location, etc…contact your team
leader immediately upon return and cc: Conservation Northwest –and [e-mail]
and [e-mail] If not critical, still please pass on any information about the site
to your team leader. The next team will greatly benefit from a brief report, including site
conditions, what you learned about animals in the area, topography, hazards, and any outstanding
questions. Team leaders will be the communication point between your team and Conservation
Northwest.
2. Upload photos from retrieved memory cards on online Dropbox (online photos sharing service)
and fill out online data form (see instructions for both below). Or you have the option of returning
the memory card(s) and data sheet(s) to your team leader or the nearest Conservation Northwest
office asap, so that we can get the photos from your camera downloaded and reviewed and store
the camera check information into our database. Mark on your data sheet how data is being
returned, in case the images become separated from it.
Cameras should ideally be checked roughly each month throughout the season, depending on the camera
location and accessibility. Your team leader will schedule checks to ensure that cameras are being checked
regularly and lure refreshed at the camera location.