The Perks of Camera Trapping

​Summer field work recently came to a close for the Washington Predator-Prey Project.  For my research (see community dynamics), this entailed deploying camera traps across both study areas to photo-capture medium- to large-bodied carnivore and ungulate species.  After completing this first field season of my PhD work, I’ve come to appreciate the charms camera trapping has to offer.

A coyote pup carrying a yellow-bellied marmot.

​The obvious perk of camera trapping is the incredible images you end up with.  Given that we have 120 cameras placed across the two study areas and will leave them out year-round for the next 2 years, we will have quite a collection for photos by the end of the study.  Each photo-capture of an animal gives us a wealth of information including the location, date, and time at which the animal was observed, the habitat it was using, and possibly even its age, sex, the number of individuals in its group, or behavior at that moment.  In addition, because any passing animal will trigger a camera trap, we will end up with information on a wide variety of species.  This is a huge advantage of camera trapping because we can collect data on multiple species with minimal additional effort.

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​Camera trapping also encourages you to think about how an animal uses its environment.  To ensure we have the best chance of detecting an animal if it’s in the area, we’ve placed the cameras along linear features most carnivores and ungulates like to travel (i.e., dirt roads, hiking trails, and game trails).  But beyond thinking about which road or trail an animal will use, we consider how the animal will use that feature.  Is it most likely to walk straight down the center or on the side of a road?  Will it have to step over or skirt around an obstacle?  Is there an intersecting road or trail that would increase animal traffic near the camera location?  We take all of this, and more, into account when we’re deciding where to place a camera trap.

An elk stands at the intersection of two game trails.

A bobcat investigates a large rock in the middle of a decommissioned road.

Deploying camera traps sometimes requires inventive tree-climbing (Photo credit: Brielle Jaglowski).

​Finally, setting up a camera trap is more acrobatic than you might expect.  We often place cameras high up in trees to minimize theft and reduce the likelihood that animals will notice the cameras.  Depending on the tree, this may require a precarious balancing act and some creativity.  We also test the cameras to ensure they are aimed well to trigger on any passing animal.  This entails a “carnivore walk” where we crawl in front of the camera at a height that mimics that of a carnivore.  If the camera triggers on us, it will also likely trigger on medium- to large-bodied carnivores, as well as ungulates.  

​To top it all off, we get to explore some of the most incredible places eastern Washington has to offer as we travel to and from the camera traps.  This technology allows us to collect detailed data over large areas while still getting us out in the field to enjoy and appreciate Washington’s diverse ecosystems.  We’re thrilled with the data we’ve collected up to this point and look forward to what we will catch on camera in the years to come.

Summer field technician, Brielle Jaglowski, does the “carnivore crawl” to test a camera trap’s aim.

Looking west over the Cascade Mountains. Camera trapping takes us to some truly amazing places in Washington (Photo credit: Sarah Bassing).

-Sarah Bassing