Testing releasable GPS radiocollars on wolves and white-tailed deer

Citation
Sb. Merrill et al., Testing releasable GPS radiocollars on wolves and white-tailed deer, WILDL SOC B, 26(4), 1998, pp. 830-835
Citations number
18
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Environment/Ecology
Journal title
WILDLIFE SOCIETY BULLETIN
ISSN journal
0091-7648 → ACNP
Volume
26
Issue
4
Year of publication
1998
Pages
830 - 835
Database
ISI
SICI code
0091-7648(199824)26:4<830:TRGROW>2.0.ZU;2-F
Abstract
We tested prototype GPS collars on 8 free-ranging wolves (Canis lupus) and 3 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) for varying periods between Fe bruary and August 1997, We programmed the 920-gm collars to make a location attempt 6-96 times per day. The collars were designed to be remotely relea sed from the animal and the data were then downloaded to a desktop computer . The collars produced 47-1,549 locations each during 11-41 days; locations were successful in 26-95% of the attempts ((x) over bar = 70%). Eight coll ars released successfully. Three collar-release failures were caused by con densation. Two collars had GPS antennas that were improperly attached and d id not collect data. Life was as long as, or longer than, expected in 4 col lars, less than expected in 5 collars, and unknown in 2 collars. Limitation s of this type of collar include brief life if programmed at short location -attempt intervals (less than or equal to 1 hr) and possible drop-off failu re. Nevertheless, the large volume of data we collected with no field telem etry effort demonstrates the potential for this type of GPS collar to answe r questions about movements of medium-sized mammals.