Summer WILDLIFE highlights

As the leaves fall and the days get shorter, it's time to look back with gratitude on our amazing summer 2023 wildlife survey season! 
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Our team of volunteers worked diligently this summer to collect camera footage, track data, and genetic samples. In total, 160 volunteers worked over 1200 hours, documenting the presence of at least 23 species! 

TARGET SPECIES

In all of our surveys, we are most focused on data from four target species: wolverine, Sierra Nevada red fox, gray wolf and Pacific marten. These are species with unanswered scientific questions that our data helps illuminate. The more we know about these species, the more we can share with wildlife researchers, managers, and advocates to help guide wildlife and resource management and establish or modify protections. 

While we didn't collect any significant data on three of our target species this summer, we did find some indications of Sierra Nevada red fox activity! 

The Fox Survey Team returned 12 probable fox scat samples over the summer. Although the samples await DNA testing to know for certain, they have very high potential. Volunteers hiked nearly 200 miles on 32 trips to collect these data, sometimes covering more than 15 miles in a single day -- much like the wolverine we're also tracking! 

Summer 2023 also included one camera sighting of our target species as well, from a camera near the eastern boundary of the National Forest.

carnivores

While not among our target species, we pay close attention to the presence of other carnivores in the forest as well. Predators like the mountain lion, bobcat, coyote, and black bear are indicators and architects of a healthy ecosystem.  Monitoring their presence helps us better understand the habitat of our target species.  

Oregon's largest felid, the mountain lion, was detected at five camera sites this summer. Here are some of the summer's memorable shots of this crepuscular carnivore. The black tail tip seen in the second photo is an identifying feature of the species. 

​The bobcat is another elusive feline predator that was detected at several camera sites this summer -- 9 in total, a slightly more common sighting than the mountain lion. Bobcats were spotted during daytime and nighttime hours. We observed them carrying off captured prey, and curiously sniffing the bait site. 

​One of our most abundant species the camera surveys detected this summer was the coyote. Coyotes were detected at 15 camera sites, making them the most frequently seen carnivore. These canines appeared both solitarily and in pairs, and often spent quite a bit of time checking out the camera and bait site. We observed coyotes reacting with scent-marking behavior, including rolling/rubbing on the ground, and urinating or defecating near the site. ​

​Black bear were detected at 14 camera sites! Although classified in order Carnivora, black bears are generalist omnivores, eating a variety of plants and plant parts, including berries, roots, and nuts. 

Summer camera surveys provide ample opportunities for observe this species that is usually in hibernation for most of our winter survey season. We observed black bear rubbing and rolling at the bait site, and leaning up against a tree to scratch and mark territory. 

​young wildlife

Running from May through November, our summer wildlife survey season is the time to witness the next generation of wildlife growing up on the Mountain. Our cameras observed as young fawns, chicks, and cubs took their first steps out into the world, with adults and on their own, and learned to thrive in their habitat. Below, juvenile elk, black-tailed deer, wild turkey, and black bear are seen exploring the forest.  

Many of our summer camera survey sites will continue collecting data this winter. Perhaps some of the young wildlife above will appear on camera in the seasons to come, as adults shepherding their own offspring.  

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​​Thank you again for an amazing summer 2023 survey season. To all of our dedicated volunteers who showed up week after week, contributing your time, energy, knowledge, and enthusiasm, we are so grateful for your help. We can't want to see what we'll discover together next! 

See you on the Mountain!