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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Black-footed Ferret (1 Viewer)

Farnboro John

Farnboro John

Well-known member
Does anyone have a location within the Shirley Basin that would give a reasonable chance of encountering a Black-footed Ferret? I understand the population is fairly healthy (for a critically endangered animal) but its a million acres, which is not odds I fancy.

Any constructive comments welcome.

John
 
Reintroduction isn't limited to Wyoming. Sites in Canada and Mexico, plus seven additional states in the US, is cause for optimism. US Fish & Wildlife recently announced an SHA agreement (Programmatic Safe Harbor Agreement). SHA puts private citizens in partnership with the restoration efforts, by captive raised animals being released on private holdings. Similar what has been done for example with the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker, and has been very successful. The SHA agreement is aimed at twelve states.

The following is Black-footed Ferret home website,
has a graphic that depicts publically owned areas of reintroduction...
Black-footed Ferret dot org

Below is a US Fish & Wildlife press release dated 30 October, 2013.
It outlines Black-footed Ferret SHA agreement
Black-footed Ferret SHA agreement
 
Last edited:
Bird_Bill said:
Reintroduction isn't limited to Wyoming. Sites in Canada and Mexico, plus seven additional states in the US, is cause for optimism. US Fish & Wildlife recently announced an SHA agreement (Programmatic Safe Harbor Agreement). SHA puts private citizens in partnership with the restoration efforts, by captive raised animals being released on private holdings. Similar what has been done for example with the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker, and has been very successful. The SHA agreement is aimed at twelve states.

The following is Black-footed Ferret home website,
has a graphic that depicts publically owned areas of reintroduction...
Black-footed Ferret dot org

Below is a US Fish & Wildlife press release dated 30 October, 2013.
It outlines Black-footed Ferret SHA agreement
Black-footed Ferret SHA agreement
Click to expand...

Thanks for the gen. Our trip is already booked and the Shirley Basin area is the only one close to our route, hence the specificity of the request for information. I have already done a fairly concentrated browse of the web, hence my desire to tap into the knowledge of individuals who may not have bothered to post to date.

Cheers

John
 
I'm probably stating the obvious here but I would find out where the Prairie Dogs are most numerous during the day. Return at night with a spotlight and look for green eye-shine. It's likely that the ferrets are on private land but you should be ok spotlighting from public roads.

They often don't emerge until very late at night and full moons are best. Once you have one in the spotlight you should be able to get very good views. In April I almost had to push a very inquisitive BFF down a hole with my foot so I could set a cage trap (I was volunteering for Arizona Fisheries and Game live trapping the ferrets).

If you're not successful with the ferret you should at least see plenty of other good stuff around the Prairie Dog towns e.g. American Badger and Coyote.
 
skink1978 said:
I'm probably stating the obvious here but I would find out where the Prairie Dogs are most numerous during the day. Return at night with a spotlight and look for green eye-shine. It's likely that the ferrets are on private land but you should be ok spotlighting from public roads.

They often don't emerge until very late at night and full moons are best. Once you have one in the spotlight you should be able to get very good views. In April I almost had to push a very inquisitive BFF down a hole with my foot so I could set a cage trap (I was volunteering for Arizona Fisheries and Game live trapping the ferrets).

If you're not successful with the ferret you should at least see plenty of other good stuff around the Prairie Dog towns e.g. American Badger and Coyote.
Click to expand...

Thanks Mike. The possible issue is knowing which dog town to concentrate on - or even which road to check the dog towns along - in a pretty gigantic area. Hence trying to narrow things down with this thread.....

You've added a lot of potentially very useful behaviour detail and I hope we can make full use of it with some good directions!

John
 
Careful spot lighting, some folks might misinterpret that endeavor.
Black-footed Ferret org notes volunteers are needed for nighttime counts.
 
Again, not really answering your original question but if you really want Black-footed Ferret (and who wouldn't'?) have you considered driving 8 hours east (from Yellowstone) to the Badlands National Park in South Dakota? I know they've been spotlit there around the 'Robert's Prairie Dog Town' (at least they were in 2010). It's also a good place for Swift Fox.
 
Last edited:
skink1978 said:
Again, not really answering your original question but if you really want Black-footed Ferret (and who wouldn't'?) have you considered driving 8 hours east (from Yellowstone) to the Badlands National Park in South Dakota? I know they've been spotlit there around the 'Robert's Prairie Dog Town' (at least they were in 2010). It's also a good place for Swift Fox.
Click to expand...

I hadn't. I will look into it. Cheers Mike.

John
 
Bird_Bill said:
Shine those lights where ever, don't say I didn't offer a friendly warning.
Click to expand...

We are grateful for the warning. Just wonder what makes it necessary in a land that professes to be the land of the free and believe in innocence until proven guilty - no offence meant to you personally!

Best wishes

John
 
Farnboro John said:
We are grateful for the warning. Just wonder what makes it necessary in a land that professes to be the land of the free and believe in innocence until proven guilty
Click to expand...

Poaching by spot light, is a major issue in places. Not so much on western high plains, but in more heavily forested areas. Personal experience with an individual involved with partnered reintroduction of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers has been that some individuals are very protective of the animals and individual rights regarding private property. Close by here, state authorities conducted a "sting" involving a White-tailed Deer manikin. 3 bust the first night required them to move to another location. Speculating, the allure of perceived 'free meat' is rather strong in some. Know for fact, spot lighting in places will bring questioning land owners and authorities eager to determine guilt or innocence.
 
Bird_Bill said:
Poaching by spot light, is a major issue in places. Not so much on western high plains, but in more heavily forested areas. Personal experience with an individual involved with partnered reintroduction of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers has been that some individuals are very protective of the animals and individual rights regarding private property. Close by here, state authorities conducted a "sting" involving a White-tailed Deer manikin. 3 bust the first night required them to move to another location. Speculating, the allure of perceived 'free meat' is rather strong in some. Know for fact, spot lighting in places will bring questioning land owners and authorities eager to determine guilt or innocence.
Click to expand...

Bill

Moving on from the friendly warning. Would you advice us not to spotlight?
 
I appreciate the warning, but I am also well aware that a number of keen wildlife watchers have spotlighted in the USA without issues arising. I have also over the years been advised not to spotlight in areas of the UK where I know from experience no issue exists.

With all possible respect to Bill and thanks for his warning, I note his qualifier that as the main issue is deer poaching and this is mostly a forest issue, there probably isn't a big problem, just something to be aware of.

I'd also like to mention we can use IR torches and scopes to locate beasties, which would be invisible to the beasties, landowners and any passing law-enforcement agencies short of SWAT. This does not require the purchase of any kit beyond what I already have.

John
 
Steve Babbs said:
Bill
Would you advice us not to spotlight?
Click to expand...

No, not at all. John covers it well. One experience I shared with a few friends was taking a local census of some aquatic insects at night, within the boundary of a National Scenic Riverway. We were using a white linen sheet & gas lamp as a trap. The glow was seen a considerable distance away by authorities, who came in the darkness of night, investigating. Once they seen, and were given a short explanation of what we were doing, they seemed genuinely interested in the endeavor. I can objectively understand from their perspective, why the concern was there. Which in this instance, was the possibility of someone illegally fishing at night, for Paddlefish that are increasingly becoming more rare, which poaching contributes to.
 
Unless you are in a National Park, you are likely to be in a remote area, where any car by the side of the road (let alone in the middle of the night) would be signalling something was wrong. Passers-by (including the police) may well stop and ask if you are alright. This regularly happened to me when birding in North Dakota and Minnesota (I did not really see any traffic off the “pavement” in SD or WY).

One website on Black-footed Ferrets in Arizona mentioned that the people involved in the reintroduction would like to be informed about spotlighting activities, just so they knew wildlife watchers were in the area and nothing suspicious was going on.
 
Xenospiza said:
Unless you are in a National Park, you are likely to be in a remote area, where any car by the side of the road (let alone in the middle of the night) would be signalling something was wrong. Passers-by (including the police) may well stop and ask if you are alright. This regularly happened to me when birding in North Dakota and Minnesota (I did not really see any traffic off the “pavement” in SD or WY).

One website on Black-footed Ferrets in Arizona mentioned that the people involved in the reintroduction would like to be informed about spotlighting activities, just so they knew wildlife watchers were in the area and nothing suspicious was going on.
Click to expand...

Years ago in Florida three of us decided to sleep parked up during part of an afternoon during a thunderstorm that ruled out birding. We awoke to red flashing lights and pump-action shotguns as the local farmer had called the sheriff's department. Once they understood what was going on there was no problem at all.

At the other end of the spectrum I have once been suckered by a Scottish estate manager who advertised himself informally as offering advice on latest news about Wildcat sightings and used any contacts made to target spotlighters and try to run them off. I'd like to be sure that wasn't on the agenda before giving prior notice of turning up.

John
 
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