Targets We Have Searched For
Scat
Scat collection is a great non-invasive tool to obtain genetic information of target species. The dogs can search for multiple scat targets at once, so if there is an opportunity to collaborate with additional researchers, adding more targets is an efficient way to utilize funds (and the dogs get more rewards!)
Carnivores
black bear, brown bear, cougar, wolf
Mesocarnivore
bobcat, wolverine, fisher, marten, gray fox, Sierra Nevada red fox, American mink, long-tailed weasel, coyote
Other
moose, bat, pangolin, Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit, caribou, white-tailed deer
Live Animal
Whether looking for the animal itself, where an animal nests, or simply where an animal has touched (bat landing site) the dogs have an intense ball drive that can hone in on the slightest odor and it trumps any desire to chase live animals.
Live Animal
boreal toad, wood turtle, spotted lanternfly
Hibernacula
bat (both tree roosting & in talus slopes)
Nests
New England cottontail, Owl (Pygmy, Great Horned, Boreal, & Saw-whet)
Other
Dogs can detect invisible diseases (includes both bacterial and viral strains), animal carcasses from kill sites or wind turbine strikes, and rare or invasive plants.
Plants
St. Johnswort
Diseases
Potato Virus Y, Little Cherry Virus, Western X, Grape Leafroll Virus
Carcasses
bird, bat and everything in between