December 2024 - 31

amount of time and collected by wildlife
managers.
In big game animals, this method often
starts by netting animals from a helicopter,
fitting them with a collar and releasing them.
Knowing where animals are within the state,
how they're interacting with their environment
and when and where they move helps
wildlife managers understand migration
routes, habitat needs and how weather is
impacting populations.
" Those collars are worth their weight in
gold when you consider they allow us to track
an animal for a few years and understand their
movements each season, " Class said. " That is
very important for us as wildlife managers and
gives even more information than an aerial
survey, which only tells us where the animal
is for a relatively short amount of time. "
Birds can be fitted with GPS transmitters to
track their movements. For example, wildlife
biologists have recently launched a program
to place lightweight GPS units on pinyon
jays in Wyoming.
" The classic pinyon pine-juniper woodland
habitat of pinyon jays is very rare in
Wyoming, but the birds can be found in
Frank Stetler, Game and Fish nongame biologist, applies a metal band to a pinyon jay before attaching a GPS transmitter to
the bird. (Photo by Chloe Hernandez/WGFD)
Biologists make the final adjustments to the first pinyon jay in Wyoming to be outfitted with a GPS transmitter.
Biologists will use data from the device to analyze seasonal movements, land use and habitat selection of pinyon jays in
the state. (Photo by Chloe Hernandez/WGFD)
other habitats across the state, " Wallace said.
" We're working to learn more about where
pinyon jays are nesting in Wyoming and how
they're using the habitats that are available
to them here. "
Last spring and summer, bird biologists
tested GPS transmitters on four pinyon jays to
see how well they would work. They've already
seen promising results and plan to place 30-40
transmitters on pinyon jays in 2025.
This method of marking and releasing
animals works well underwater as well. Fish
biologists often capture fish and insert them
with a passive integrated transponder - or
PIT tag. After the fish are released, the PIT
tag can be picked up by antennae placed along
the waterway. This technique has recently
been used to learn more about fish migration
in the Cowboy State and to monitor
the effectiveness of projects meant to open
connectivity for fish to navigate around barriers
like dams.
It's clear there that wildlife surveys are
essential tools for wildlife and fisheries management.
Whether through the air, underwater
or firmly on the ground, these surveys help
inform management decisions and assist in
wildlife conservation throughout the state.
- Tracie Binkerd is the editor of Wyoming Wildlife
magazine.
Wyoming Wildlife | 31

December 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2024

December 2024 - 1
December 2024 - 2
December 2024 - 3
December 2024 - 4
December 2024 - 5
December 2024 - 6
December 2024 - 7
December 2024 - 8
December 2024 - 9
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December 2024 - 48
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