Trail cameras provide opportunity to help restore Wisconsin’s only state-endangered mammal
Contact(s): Skyler Vold, DNR Natural Heritage Conservation biologist, 715-493-0484; Jim Woodford, Natural Heritage Conservation section chief, 715-365-8856
RHINELANDER, Wis. – Wisconsin conservation biologists hope a network of trail cameras can play a role in helping to restore populations of the American marten, an elusive member of the weasel family and the only state-endangered mammal in Wisconsin.
Starting in December 2018, state conservation biologists began deploying trail cameras in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest among 120 different sites to capture photos of the martens, which inhabit older forests of northern Wisconsin. A special platform mounted on a tree in front of a camera encourages martens to reach for a bait, clearly exposing for the camera the unique pattern of yellowish-orange fur on the animal’s throat and chest.
The recent snowfall is especially good news for American martens, which tunnel under the snow in search of prey. Inconsistent snowpack in recent years, however, is one reason conservation biologists are turning to trail cams to help research and monitor marten populations.Photo credit: DNR
Biologists hope to use the resulting photos and data to track individual martens so they can generate more reliable estimates of population size and annual survival. As well, the biologists hope the trail cameras can reveal more about the American marten’s habits so the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and other conservation partners can refine strategies for recovering the species.
“We’re optimistic about the population status of marten in Wisconsin,” says Skyler Vold, the conservation biologist leading the project for the DNR Natural Heritage Conservation Program. “Establishing long-term research and monitoring with trail cameras may help us discover more details to aid marten recovery in the state.”
American martens, small mammals weighing 1 to 3 pounds and measuring 1.2 to 2 feet in length, with about one third of that length its long bushy tail, were historically abundant and widely-distributed in northern Wisconsin before European settlement. Unregulated trapping and widespread habitat destruction led to their disappearance from the state around 1925, and the mammal was placed on the state endangered species list in 1972, according to Carly Lapin, a DNR conservation biologist who also works to recover this species in Wisconsin.
SLIDE SHOW | 5 photosTrail cam research aims to reveal secrets of elusive American martens
There have been multiple attempts to reintroduce American martens in Wisconsin since the 1950s with varying degrees of success, and many partners have been working together on restoration and habitat protection efforts for the species, Lapin says. The U.S. Forest Service, the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, Native American tribes, universities, local governments, the forestry community, conservation groups, private landowners and other interested people are among the partners.
“American martens are an important species in Wisconsin because they are known as an “umbrella species,” Lapin says. “Managing Wisconsin forests to improve habitat for American martens will also improve habitat for a wide variety of other species that also rely upon older forests.”
Using trail camera technology will allow department staff to identify individual martens across multiple years, enabling biologists to monitor populations and estimate abundance and survival through time. Traditionally, individual animals had to be captured and marked to achieve these population estimates.
“Using cameras to collect these types of data is cheaper, requires less time in the field, and is less invasive to the study animals,” Vold says.
Importantly too, the trail cameras will be a more reliable survey method than snow track surveys, which require ideal snow conditions, which have not been consistent in recent years in northern Wisconsin. Additionally, lower average snow depths in northern Wisconsin may affect martens’ efficiency in hunting prey in winter and their ability to outcompete fishers, another reintroduced member of the weasel family whose recovery has been more successful, Vold says.
“We hope this new long-term effort can continue to help identify the most influential factors constraining marten populations in Wisconsin and use this research to inform management actions for their continued recovery into the future,” he says.
Natural Heritage Conservation work to restore endangered wildlife, plants and habitats and keep native species from disappearing are funded in part by the Endangered Resources Fund. People can donate to the fund on their Wisconsin income tax form. All donations are matched by the state, doubling donors’ impact.
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Feeding deer during winter months can do more harm than good
Contact(s): Tim Marien, DNR wildlife health specialist, 608-264-6046
MADISON – As cold weather continues in Wisconsin, state wildlife officials say people should consider the negative impacts of wildlife feeding and look to alternatives that provide long-term benefits to help wildlife through a cold and snowy winter season.
“People want to see healthy deer on the landscape, but feeding is not the best solution,” said Tim Marien, a wildlife health specialist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. “Improving habitat provides natural food sources that support deer and many other types of wildlife year-round.”
Providing deer with a heavy corn diet can be fatal.Photo credit: DNR
Even a mild Wisconsin winter can cause concerns, but deer and other wildlife commonly seen in Wisconsin adapt both physically and behaviorally to even the harshest winter weather. Animals with adequate fat reserves and good winter cover are more likely to survive.
“Deer start preparing for winter during the summer, when nutritious natural food sources are abundant,” said Marien. “When winter arrives, they seek out shelter in stands of pine, cedar and fir that provide cover from snow and wind, and they’ll search for winter foods in the vicinity until spring.”
However, some winters can overly stress individual animals, and this can reduce their chances of survival. Especially during hard winters with bitterly cold temperatures, concerned citizens may turn to feeding to help deer through the winter. While this may have some benefit to individual animals, feeding often occurs on a scale too small to affect the overall condition of the deer herd.
Feeding can also have a negative impact on deer, as it draws them out of winter range where having forage and cover nearby help deer conserve energy. Feeding also increases the risk of disease spread and severe digestive issues. Visit dnr.wi.gov and search keywords “winter feeding [PDF]” to learn more.
As a reminder, deer feeding is illegal in some Wisconsin counties. Where it is legal, regulations restrict the location and amount of food that may be placed. Feeding deer is also prohibited when elk and bear are using the site. For a full list of wildlife feeding regulations and what counties feeding is allowed, search keywords “feeding regulations.”
“Feeding restrictions are in place to protect the health and safety of both humans and wildlife,” said Marien. “In areas where elk and bear are present, feeding can present a safety risk when these animals acclimate to people. Also, elk are susceptible to several diseases that deer carry, which can weaken the elk herds that Wisconsin has been working to grow over the past few decades.”
Improve habitat to help deer through a tough winter
Creating and improving habitat can give deer and other wildlife the resources they need during summer months and sustain them during the winter. Maintaining nutritious natural food sources like oak, aspen and crabapple provides summer and fall food, while evergreen stands create winter cover and food for deer. Cutting trees and providing browse is a more natural food source and can also provide better cover in the long run. Good habitat fulfills the needs of many deer, rather than a few individuals.
A variety of resources are available to help landowners improve their land for wildlife, including the Deer Management Assistance Program, the Young Forest Initiative and the Landowner Incentive Program. More information on these programs and additional publications is available on the DNR website by searching keyword “landowner.”