| Website © Lisa Selner "Buffalo Annie" |
| Field Experiences |
Fox, coyote, and cottontail trapping with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation’s
wildlife program in Connecticut! The fox in particular is of cultural significance to
the Western Pequot Tribe (The Fox People) as it is representative of a more
chaotic time in their history. The reservation itself is a place of mystery, excitement,
and significant historical sites!
While working for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation I carried out a fox and
coyote study on the Reservation. This was a contracted eight month position that I
committed a great deal of volunteer hours to as well. I usually worked
independently, setting padded foothold traps and box traps, and assisted the
Wildlife Biologist with fox and coyote captures. After captured canines were
immobilized, various measurements were recorded and each animal was fitted with
a radio collar.
Radio telemetry on collared foxes and coyotes (performed day and evening
surveys) was conducted regularly. I also performed fox den location and den
assessments, set up a wildlife trail camera to monitor fox activity, processed road
kill fox to compare with trapped animal data, and so forth.
I worked in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Environmental
Protection’s Wildlife Division and contributed to a New England and eastern
cottontail study on the Reservation. Cottontail research was being conducted to
evaluate home range size, habitat and distribution of New England cottontail
rabbits. Cottontails were trapped with box traps and each animal processed
before releasing back into the wild. Cottontails captured were weighed, measured,
ear-tagged, sexed, and a sample of their DNA collected before being released.
Besides canines and cottontails, I also had the pleasure of handling other furbearer
species including fishers, opossums, raccoons, skunks, etc.
Evening salamander migration surveys and amphibian audio surveys were
conducted on the Reservation, as well as vernal pool surveys during the spring
months. Vernal pool surveys involved counting the number of wood frog and
spotted salamander eggs, and locating presence of marbled salamander larvae. I
monitored pitfall traps at Reservation housing development culverts, and recorded
weight and measurements of captured salamanders before releasing them.
Conduction of midnight owl callback surveys during winter months, and monitoring
golf cart kills at the tribal golf course (snakes) during summer months was also
accomplished. My photography skills were used to document all field activities.
Field Photo Albums:
wildlife program in Connecticut! The fox in particular is of cultural significance to
the Western Pequot Tribe (The Fox People) as it is representative of a more
chaotic time in their history. The reservation itself is a place of mystery, excitement,
and significant historical sites!
While working for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation I carried out a fox and
coyote study on the Reservation. This was a contracted eight month position that I
committed a great deal of volunteer hours to as well. I usually worked
independently, setting padded foothold traps and box traps, and assisted the
Wildlife Biologist with fox and coyote captures. After captured canines were
immobilized, various measurements were recorded and each animal was fitted with
a radio collar.
Radio telemetry on collared foxes and coyotes (performed day and evening
surveys) was conducted regularly. I also performed fox den location and den
assessments, set up a wildlife trail camera to monitor fox activity, processed road
kill fox to compare with trapped animal data, and so forth.
I worked in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Environmental
Protection’s Wildlife Division and contributed to a New England and eastern
cottontail study on the Reservation. Cottontail research was being conducted to
evaluate home range size, habitat and distribution of New England cottontail
rabbits. Cottontails were trapped with box traps and each animal processed
before releasing back into the wild. Cottontails captured were weighed, measured,
ear-tagged, sexed, and a sample of their DNA collected before being released.
Besides canines and cottontails, I also had the pleasure of handling other furbearer
species including fishers, opossums, raccoons, skunks, etc.
Evening salamander migration surveys and amphibian audio surveys were
conducted on the Reservation, as well as vernal pool surveys during the spring
months. Vernal pool surveys involved counting the number of wood frog and
spotted salamander eggs, and locating presence of marbled salamander larvae. I
monitored pitfall traps at Reservation housing development culverts, and recorded
weight and measurements of captured salamanders before releasing them.
Conduction of midnight owl callback surveys during winter months, and monitoring
golf cart kills at the tribal golf course (snakes) during summer months was also
accomplished. My photography skills were used to document all field activities.
Field Photo Albums:
 | Fox & Coyote Trapping | |
| Fox Dens | |
| Cottontail Trapping | |
| Fishers | |
| Opossums | |
| Raccoons | |
| Skunks | |
| Amphibians | |
| Trail Camera Snapshots | |
| Miscellaneous Wildlife | |
| Scenic Snapshots & Historic Pequot Fort | |
| Wildlife Technician Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Department of Natural Resources Connecticut August 2005 to April 2006 |
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