Northwest Connections maintains regular snow tracking transects (shown in bright pink below) to monitor all large and mid-sized carnivores in the Swan Valley.  Our target species are lynx, marten, fisher, and wolverine.  We began our surveys in 1998 to help identify where these rare species occurred in the Swan Valley and help maintain critical habitat connections for their survival.  We have continued our annual surveys because things are changing rapidly for all wildlife species in this region and NwC’s survey data is providing insight into how best to balance hunting, trapping, logging and development with long term wildlife conservation. 

Northwest Connections has trained local trackers to perform carnivore track surveys.  All of our crews are life-long tracking experts who have gained skills in scientific protocol and record keeping.

Here Northwest Connections staff member Tom Parker
stops along a transect to record a lynx track. 

Northwest Connections’ carnivore track surveys have been done every winter since 1998.  A summary of the trends we are beginning to see can be found in our newsletter, Volume 7, Issue 1, page 6 (PDF). If you are interested in gaining snow tracking skills, please join one of our Animal Tracking Clinics or our Winter Field Studies course offered through the University of Montana.

Related Articles:
Nature Watch:  The First Snow
by Melanie Parker for Your National Forests Magazine, Fall/Winter 2006, a publication of the National Forest Foundation (PDF).