Cascadia Wild

  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Equity Statement
    • Board of Directors
    • Supporters
    • Annual report
  • Wolverine Tracking Project
    • About the Wolverine Tracking Project >
      • About the WTP
      • WTP Findings
      • COVID-19 Protocols
    • Winter Tracking >
      • Winter Tracking Surveys
      • Be a Tracking Leader
    • Camera Surveys
    • Scat Surveys >
      • About Scat Surveys
      • Fox Scat Survey
      • Wolf Scat Survey
  • Classes
    • About our Classes
    • Botany Classes
    • Naturalist Training Program
    • Tracking Classes
  • Events
    • Tracking Challenge!
    • Community Clubs
    • Calendar
  • Get Involved
    • Membership and Support
    • Join the WTP
    • Internship
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Covid-19
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Equity Statement
    • Board of Directors
    • Supporters
    • Annual report
  • Wolverine Tracking Project
    • About the Wolverine Tracking Project >
      • About the WTP
      • WTP Findings
      • COVID-19 Protocols
    • Winter Tracking >
      • Winter Tracking Surveys
      • Be a Tracking Leader
    • Camera Surveys
    • Scat Surveys >
      • About Scat Surveys
      • Fox Scat Survey
      • Wolf Scat Survey
  • Classes
    • About our Classes
    • Botany Classes
    • Naturalist Training Program
    • Tracking Classes
  • Events
    • Tracking Challenge!
    • Community Clubs
    • Calendar
  • Get Involved
    • Membership and Support
    • Join the WTP
    • Internship
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Covid-19

Cascadia Wild blog

News from the Wolverine Tracking Project and more

Winter Weekly 01/31/19

1/31/2019

0 Comments

 

Tracking Trip Updates

A group visited Froglake Snopark over the weekend and observed coyote, squirrel, hare tracks. Coyote feeding habits differ in the winter as opposed to the more plentiful times of spring and summer, and we can expect to see them not only along the trails of their favorite prey animals, but also scavenging more often and doing their best to conserve their energy.

Wildlife Camera Findings

This Meadows marten left us picture-perfect tracks. Here we can observe the angled two-print pattern and we even see the hints of what could be the five toes and claw marks.
Picture
Picture
At the same camera, we got an excellent view of a coyote's meadnering tracks.
Picture
Picture
Picture
This Bear Springs Near coyote is displaying a habit most of us wish our dogs at home could resist! Scent-rolling, wallowing, or scent-bathing are all names for the act of rolling in something most of us would turn our noses up at. However, for these predators and our pups at home, this habit offers a convenient way to disguise their own scent. Not only is there the potential for them to hide their own scent from their prey, but it would also hide their scent from any predators coming after THEM! This is especially true for the smaller predators who practice this ritual.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
 
Lastly, Alpine got picked over by two ravens, but they were kind enough to wait until only a few days before the camera check to steal all the bait!
Picture

More tracking and camera trips coming up, be sure to sign up and we will see you soon!
                                                                                             Best,
                                                                                            Cascadia Wild

0 Comments

Winter Weekly 1/24/19

1/24/2019

0 Comments

 
Hello Cascadia Wild Winter Volunteers,
 
Lots of Camera and Tracking Trips this week! 
Volunteers visited McCubbins #1 and #2, Government Camp West, Yellowjacket West, Glade, Clear Lake, and ODFW Lands cameras, and Snow Bunny and Little John on tracking trips.
All of these sightings have us considering the diverse ways wildlife stay happy and healthy at this time of year when food can be harder to come by.  

Tracking Trips

A beautiful day at Snow Bunny!
Picture
Picture
Picture

The tracks below display a typical canine side trot (the gait that your dog commonly does when it is pulling on the leash).  This trail pattern, along with the oval shape of the tracks, tell us it is definitely a canine.  The crew identified the tracks below as being from a coyote, but these can sometimes be difficult to confidently identify. Is at a coyote? Or perhaps a fox? Maybe a domestic dog?

There is a lot of overlap in the size of the tracks themselves. However,  fox are smaller animals than coyotes and will therefore have a smaller stride. Fox also have furry feet, so it is rare to find a clear track. Also, the track itself is wider, so if negative space is definable, coyote tracks will display and X, while fox will typically display a negative space closer to an H.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Two groups visited Little John this week, and both found signs of weasels. The narrow, focused trail shown below is indicative of a weasel in a hurry! As mentioned in a previous email, weasel tracks can often be identified by the meandering, curious, erratic paths they create as they investigate their surroundings.

Weasels typically hunt under the snow, seeking out mice and other small rodents. It is possible that it is the females that are hunting underground, while males stay above ground. This could be attributed to their size difference, as it would be easier for the smaller females to fit into the narrow burrows beneath the snow.
Picture
Picture
Picture

Wildlife Camera Findings

This group of 3 coyotes was lured in to our ODFW Lands camera, but wasted no time in organizing themselves to search out some real prey for themselves. Although we are used to seeing coyotes in almost every habitat we can think of, the open grasslands are where they originally thrived, sustaining themselves on the small rodents found in abundance in that landscape.
They've come a long way in the past few hundred years, diversifying their habitat, diet, and social structures, but seeing this small group working their way through the grass is a happy sight to see, and reminiscent of these coyotes' origins. 
Picture
Picture
It's hard not to assume this jolly looking deer was enjoying the (relatively) warm weather! 
Picture
Don't be fooled by the sunny, grassy backdrop of these photos though, these visitors are still pushing through the cold! This solitary elk only appeared once on camera, amongst night after night of deer.
Picture
This deer passing by McCubbins #2 was not enjoying the luxury of warmer weather like above, but it is still highly capable of thriving in the cold. Deer can capitalize on many food sources still readily available in winter, even including lichen and fungi
Picture
This Government Camp West bobcat might have been lured in by the scent of an easy meal. Unlike the lynx, bobcats' smaller feet cause them to sink into deep snow, making hunting more of a challenge.
This individual probably moved on in search of one of their more typical meals for this time of year, which could include snowshoe hair, mice, voles, and even deer.
Picture
Picture
Every once in a while we will get an unexpected visitor at a camera, and that was
especially true this week! Check out  GoogleDocs to see the full sets from each camera.  
 
Best,

Cascadia Wild
0 Comments

Winter Weekly 1/19/19

1/21/2019

0 Comments

 
Hello Cascadia Wild Winter Volunteers,
 
     Another great week of camera trips! Volunteers visited McCubbins #1 and #2, Government Camp East, Hazel Hollow #1 and #2, and Little Zig Zag. ​

Wildlife Camera Findings

A group of 6 deer passing by McCubbins #2
Picture

One of many bobcat sightings at McCubbins #2
Picture
A coyote in the distance at Hazel Hollow #2 ​
Picture
A marten circles the bait at Little Zig Zag
Picture
Picture
Little Zig Zag was frequented by a red fox over the past few weeks. This is another interesting example of these animals using high elevation forest areas regularly.  ​
Picture
Picture
Picture
Winter is in full swing and we love seeing all of the beautiful photos and tracking trip updates each week. Check out  GoogleDocs to see all of the full sets from each camera.
 
  Best,
Cascadia Wild
0 Comments

Happy New Year! We have had some especially interesting sightings over the past few weeks!

1/6/2019

0 Comments

 

Wildlife Camera Findings

A marten spent some time at Glade immediately after set-up.
Picture
Picture
We have seen a lot of bobcats on multiple cameras lately. This is unsurprising, considering the countless squirrel and hare photos we receive each week!

This individual at Yellowjacket East hung around for a while, leaving the camera and returning only a half hour later. The last shot of the bobcat leaving the area shows great detail of its tail and hind feet!
Picture
Picture
McCubbins #2 was also visited by a bobcat multiple times.
Picture
Picture
Deer and coyote at McCubbins #2 (not to mention all the squirrels!)
Picture
Picture
And finally, again at McCubbins #2...
Picture
Picture
Picture
That's a first! While it's true that the camera is near a water source, this is the first time we have ever seen a RIVER OTTER on our cameras before! Here are the full photos for scale:
Picture
Picture
Picture
As you can see, this otter was out and about at nine in the morning, which corresponds with their likelihood to be more active during the day in the winter (and more active at night in the summer.) Although otters spend the majority of their time in the water, they will travel considerable distances when relocating from one body of water to another.

We are thrilled to have added another species to our list of animals! Every week we learn more about Mt. Hood wildlife. Also, don't forget to check out  GoogleDocs to see all of the full sets from each camera.
 
Best,
Cascadia Wild

0 Comments

    Categories

    All
    2018
    2018+19
    2019
    2019 20
    2020
    2020 21
    Bats
    Birds
    Black Bear
    Bobcat
    Buck
    Camera Survey
    Canine Interactions
    Chipmunk
    Classes
    Coyote
    Deer
    Elk
    Grouse
    Hare
    Horse
    Marmot
    Marten
    Mink
    Mountain Lion
    Mouse
    Raccoon
    Raven
    Red Tailed Hawk
    River Otter
    Sandhill Crane
    Scat Survey
    Sierra Nevada Red Fox
    Skunk
    Squirrel
    Summer Wildlife Surveys
    Turkey
    Turkey Vulture
    Weasel
    Wildlife Identification
    Winter Tracking
    Winter Wildlife Surveys
    Wolf
    Wolverine Tracking Project
    Woodrat

    Archives

    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    December 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    November 2013