April 2021 - 17

and it seemed like it would slightly alter
their behavior. Now that I disguise it, a vast
majority of animals pass by without ever
noticing the camera. "
Capturing wildlife footage remotely comes
with challenges. A camera placed in a poor
location or facing the wrong way will likely
fall short of capturing any wildlife, even if left
out for months. Early in the project, Martin
learned to avoid placing cameras in locations
where the sun or vegetation movement could
frequently trigger the set-up, filling storage
space and depleting the battery. He leaves
cameras at a new location for about a week
before checking the cameras and adjusting
the placement if needed. Once the location
is established and all the kinks are worked
out, he leaves cameras for longer periods, up
to a month, before returning.
To increase the chance of success, Martin
consults with Game and Fish biologists and
wardens to hone in on the locations and
time of year that will offer the best chance
of capturing Wyoming's incredible wildlife
species on camera. Martin has traveled to
places like Alpine, the Snowy Range and
the Laramie Range to share breathtaking
locations and wildlife with the public. His
work has resulted in footage of deer, elk,
raccoons, bobcats, birds, beaver, moose, fish
and more.
With a general idea of where to place
cameras, Martin narrows his search by
referencing GPS tracking collar data from

Martin dials in the final settings on the camera trap before leaving it in the field for a couple weeks. He used the rocks to his right to
camouflage the camera. (Photo by Parker Loew/WGFD)

While WildLIVE is all video clips, the camera traps allow Martin to get photos or videos at any time of day. Here a cow elk triggers
the camera's shutter and external flashes just before sunup. (Photo by Chris Martin/WGFD)

Martin checks the screen of the camera to evaluate the success of the camera location before replacing the memory card with an empty
one. (Photo by Parker Loew/WGFD)

research projects and by looking at maps
to look for clues that may lead to a good
spot. The next step is to cover ground and
keep an eye out for scat, tracks, game trails
and landscape features that funnel animals
through narrow areas.
" I usually head out with a location
marked on my GPS that looks productive
based on my prior research, " Martin said.
" As I try to find the easiest way to get to
the GPS location, I usually bump right
into a good game trail and can follow it to
find an ideal location. It's incredible how
efficiently wildlife move throughout their
environment. "
Some content captured by Martin
includes seasonal mule deer migrations, elk
wallowing, and a beaver working on its lodge.
WildLIVE footage can be viewed online
at wgfd.wyo.gov/wildlife-in-wyoming/wildlive.
Wyoming Wildlife | 17

http://wgfd.wyo.gov/wildlife-in-wyoming/wildlive

April 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2021