Projects
The primary goal of the Weasel Working Group it to improve monitoring of weasel species across North America. To that end, we meet regularly to develop collaborative projects that improve our methods for detecting and studying weasels.
Drift fence based weasel surveys
Starting in 2024, members of the working group will be deploying camera trap based drift fences across multiple states to evaluate the effectiveness of that technology as a tool for monitoring weasels. These sites will be unbaited and run for at least 1 year. Email David Jachowski ([email protected]) for more details on how to become involved in these trials.
Winter 2022-23 Bait/Lure Trials
Project Duration: January - April 2022
Objective: Determine which lure is most effective and how much bait influences detection of weasels. Methods: We selected sites to deploy clusters of cameras where we though we were most likely to get a weasel detection (i.e., places where there are recent sightings of weasels). The clustered design was chosen to evaluate if weasels are making a “choice” at a site among different bait/lure combinations. Each camera/lure treatment within a cluster was between 4 -20 m apart, and we randomized which which 4 of the 6 treatments (see below) were deployed at a cluster such that only 2 lures are used at a single cluster. Most sites were in different range states and ran ~3 clusters. Cameras were deployed for at least 2 months between January - May (winter), with cameras and bait/lure refreshed every 2-4 weeks. At each camera, we placed bait/lure 30cm high on a tree or log (higher if needed due to snow). Cameras were set on a tree within 1.5-2m of the bait/lure, and set to record video. The 6 bait/lure treatments were:
At each baited treatment we applied 2 tablespoons/golf ball of ground up mouse secured to a tree in either a (1) perforated film canister (separate from lure canister), or (2) with hardware cloth or metal cage. Results:
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