.)<^iiiiii^t>.^iiW 



.'J 





m 





Fladry (i.e., flagging) and electrified fladry may provide new 

 approaches for protecting livestock in pastures from wolves. 



sixth and seventh days, wolves were given a fresh 

 carcass in the unprotected area in addition to having 

 a carcass in the protected area. Trials continued 

 for 2 weeks, or until the barrier failed (i.e., all wolves 

 moved freely to the protected food resource). 



Tracks and signs of scratching in front of the turbo- 

 fladry indicated a high frequency of investigation 

 without learning to cross the barrier. Several wolves 

 that investigated the turbo-fladry barrier either bit 

 or touched the electric wire with their nose and 

 quickly retreated. Eighty percent of the wolves 

 never crossed the turbo-fladry barriers during the 

 2-week trials. 



Because of the promising preliminary results, 

 NWRC scientists have expanded the research and 

 currently are examining the effectiveness and ease 

 of use of electrified fladry in pastures in Montana. 



Trap Monitors for WS Operational Personnel — 



Public interest in capture devices and potential 

 injuries to animals has resulted in changes in trapping 

 regulations in vahous States and countries. In this 

 country, some States have altered regulations to 

 require that traps be checked every 24 hours. Such 

 a reduction of trap-check intervals could seriously 

 impact WS Operations and reduce their ability to 

 provide timely and efficient services over wide areas. 

 The capability to monitor traps remotely would enable 

 WS specialists to respond to stakeholder requests 

 and monitor traps more effectively. 



Working in collaboration with WS biologists in 

 several States, scientists at the NWRC Logan field 

 station evaluated several types of trap monitors to 

 alert wildlife specialists when an animal is captured 

 in a trap. The devices, which can be used with 

 any type of trap, consist of small radio transmitters 

 that emit unique pulse rates when an animal is 

 captured. WS personnel tested the device using 

 conibear, foothold, and cage traps, as well as foot 

 snares and bait stations. Species studied included 

 coyote, black bear, mountain lion, wolf, feral pig, 

 and beaver. 



Results indicated that trap monitors, when used in 

 appropriate situations, can save WS specialists time 

 and resources. Furthermore, trap monitors allowed 

 specialists to prioritize visual inspection of trap sites, 

 to reduce the amount of disturbance at the sites, 

 and to more easily find equipment and animals. 



Trap monitors. 



A feral hog in a trap with a remote monitor. 



18 Developing Methods 



