It is my understanding that the collared canids are to be snow-tracked once per month

from December through March in your study areas. Kill clusters are not essential, but
they can be done opportunistically. I wrote an R script (attached) that can generate
potential kill clusters to be investigated

Regarding snow-tracking, the general idea is to check the web service regularly, ideally
when snow conditions are favorable (i.e., not icey/slushy/crusty), and try to find recent
locations (i.e., < 24 hrs) of any collared canids that are accessible (i.e., close to trail or
road) without too much difficulty/effort. Ideally, you want to do snow tracking after snow
has recently fallen, and select locations that likely occurred after snow had stopped
falling, so that the tracks are fresh and not overly snow-covered, although wind can
blow snow over tracks. Try to select locations that are within 2 km of a trail or road, to
avoid long distance hikes into the bush, especially during cold weather, for safety
reasons. Also, be mindful of sunset times, and plan your treks accordingly to avoid
snow-shoeing back to the truck in the dark. We can discuss further if you want to.
 
Tissue sample collection and storage
Tissue can be taken from a canid carcass using a clean knife or scalpel blade;
specifically, it is recommended to take a chunk of muscle (approximately 2 cm by 2 cm),
but an ear clip is acceptable. A canid tissue sample should be collected with gloves,
placed in a whirl-pak bag, and then stored frozen until processing. Label the sample
appropriately (i.e., at least date collected, coordinates, and name of collector).
 
Hair sample collection and storage
Hair may be found by following canid tracks; specifically, look for hair left in bed sites.
Ideally, the hairs will have visible follicles. A canid hair sample should be collected with
gloves, placed in an uncoated paper envelope (keep dry), and then stored at room
temperature until processing. Label the sample appropriately (i.e., at least date
collected, coordinates, and name of collector).
 
Scat sample collection and storage
Scat may be found by following canid tracks. Ideally, the scat will be fresh with visible
mucous layer for swabbing or else it will have been frozen since deposition. A canid
scat sample should be collected with gloves, placed in a sealed Ziploc bag, and then
stored frozen until processing (long-term storage). Label the sample appropriately (i.e.,
at least date collected, coordinates, and name of collector).
 
Urine sample collection and storage
Urine may be found by following canid tracks. Collect yellow snow (the darker the better
since snow will dilute the sample); minimize the amount of uncolored snow collected. A
canid urine sample should be collected with gloves, placed in a 50-ml polypropylene
screw-cap vial, and then stored frozen until processing. Label the sample appropriately
(i.e., at least date collected, coordinates, and name of collector).