The Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness invite you to participate in the 2011-12 hunt for rare forest carnivores! Building on last year’s partnership with biologists at the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, we are again sending volunteers into the wilderness of the Idaho Panhandle and western Montana to assist in capturing wolverines and their mustelid cousins on film.

2011-12 Wolverine Project Background

FSPW is now in our second year of partnership with Idaho Fish and Game to study rare forest carnivores and our backcountry efforts are in full swing. With assistance from the Idaho Conservation League as well as other community partners we have nearly 80 active volunteers and plans to deploy 40 wildlife camera stations this season.

In recent years, The Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness has put a strong emphasis on stewardship projects in the proposed wilderness, such as maintaining sustainable trail systems, educational materials to reduced human-wildlife conflicts and habitat restoration efforts such as planting trees. We are excited to extend our stewardship and volunteer involvement to the rare forest carnivore study, and have high hopes for another successful season with this partnership.

A Brief History

Since 2010, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and their partner agencies have been conducting extensive regional biodiversity monitoring surveys as part of the Multispecies Baseline Initiative. This initiative provides biologists with baseline population data for the management of many different species in the Idaho Panhandle and surrounding area. Rare forest carnivores, such as wolverine, fisher, marten and lynx, are an important part of this initiative, as their elusive natures leaves much unknown about their presence in the region.

To study these elusive creatures, wildlife cameras stations are deployed by IDFG biologists and FSPW volunteers to strategic locations throughout the wilderness of the Idaho Panhandle and western Montana. These camera stations provide a simple, effective, and non-invasive way to gather population data on multiple species at the same time. In previous seasons, these cameras have documented fisher, marten, ermine, lynx, wolverine, and many other creatures. In documenting the occurrence of these animals over a broad geographic area, the long-term goal of the rare forest carnivore study is to provide the baseline population data necessary for informed and effective agency decisions on proper land use and management in the region.

In the winter of 2009-2010 IDFG focused their rare forest carnivore study on the Selkirk Mountains, documenting the presence of wolverine, fisher and marten.

In the winter of 2010-2011, IDFG choose to shift their main focus on the West Cabinet / Scotchman Peaks area while maintaining some high value study locations in the Selkirks. This required additional hours of manpower so FSPW partnered with IDFG to have volunteers assist in setting up and monitoring approximately 5 study locations. Wolverines were photographed for the second year in a row in the Selkirks and tracks were found in the West Cabinets. A photograph of a Lynx in the Purcells was exciting and 18 unique Fishers were found in the West Cabinet Mountains!

Building on these encouraging results, IDFG wanted to expand our partnership this winter to cover both the Selkirks and the West Cabinets in the same season. With guidance from IDFG, and support from community partners including ICL, FSPW applied for (and was awarded) a $30,000 grant from the Zoo Boise Conservation Fund. Funding from this grant has allowed us to purchase cameras and other gear and hire a part time project coordinator, making this winter’s project possible.