This blog was written by Defenders of Wildlife Rockies and Plains Intern, Kaitlyn Reed, with contributions from Rockies and Plains Representative Kaitie Schneider.
“The first time I locked eyes with a wolf in Colorado was at dusk on a ranch two years ago, before wolves were formally reintroduced. All I could think about was how lucky I am to see a wolf in my home state and to have the enormous responsibility of defending them in a time where there is so much opportunity to make a difference.” – Kaitie Schneider, Rockies and Plains Representative
Most people are not as lucky to see a wolf in person. Most wolves, like many wild animals, are afraid of people and will avoid them. So, scientists must find other ways to determine the animals’ presence and status.
The sun hadn’t even peeked over the mountains when Kaitie and I left our hotel, coffee in hand and buzzing with excitement. Today’s mission: set up trail cameras and spot one of the newly reintroduced gray wolves outside a quiet Colorado mountain town.
My first question: what is a camera trap?
Camera traps are compact, waterproof and motion-activated cameras placed in an area where wildlife may pass by. Defenders of Wildlife uses trail cameras across the country to monitor wolves, bears, bison, black-footed ferrets and other imperiled species. Cameras help gather data for research, recovery and conflict prevention, which is especially important in Colorado right now as wolves reclaim their place on the state’s landscape.
How do you pick the best spot for the camera?
To set ourselves up for success we headed to a wide, open meadow on a stretch of public land and parked just as dawn broke. Wolves generally prefer to move across the landscape before the sun floods everything with light.
Before just slapping a camera onto a tree, it’s important to make sure you’re in an area the animal you’re trying to capture on camera is actually passing through. We didn’t find any sign of wolves at the first meadow we parked near, so we headed deep into the nearby National Forest. A long, winding dirt road led us to what used to be a reservoir, and is now just a shallow, green pond surrounded by cracked earth.
Instinct may have you looking at the water, but an expert – like Kaitie – knows how to look around it for paw prints in the soil. It’s best to look for animal tracks after rain and snow, or near water sources, where the ground can capture clear impressions of recent visitors.
We fanned out and scanned the ground. Hundreds of prints were stamped in the mud, but most were clearly from dogs playing with their humans.
“You’ll know when it’s a wolf,” Kaitie told me. “They’re bigger than you think.”
After a while, we started to feel discouraged. But then I froze and crouched down. Placing my hand flat next to a print nearly the size of it, I knew.
Kaitie came over for the dozenth time but this time wasn’t in vain, because wolf prints are bigger than you think.
Wolves don’t meander or chase their tails the way dogs do. They forge straight ahead with purpose. Once we found one print, we found another. Then another. We were able to follow a straight line of tracks from one edge of the tree line to the other and then back again. The story of the wolf’s movements was written in the tracks she left behind.
And suspected wolf tracks are the perfect place for a camera.
Consider how wolves move and think to choose a smart camera location. Wolves love the path of least resistance, often using trails, roads and fence lines to get to where they want to go. If they’ve established a territory, they’ll likely return to the same spots, especially if water or prey is nearby.
We walked the tree line, searching for the perfect view. A tall aspen with a clear view of a meadow? Great for pictures of the sun, but it’s best to face trail cameras north to avoid capturing thousands of photos of glare from the sunrise and sunset.
Now, we wait. Somewhere out there, a wolf had passed through this area, and maybe, just maybe, she’d return. Once the photos and data start coming in, Defenders shares it with ranchers and range riders to help them understand where wolves are moving. This helps people prepare, adapt and minimize the potential of livestock conflict.
But even if we don’t get a picture from this exact camera, the experience allowed me to touch the wild, see its path and feel the quiet power of an animal finding its way home.
Follow Defenders of Wildlife
facebook bluesky twitter instagram youtube tiktok threads linkedin