West Wake News

Monitoring mammal populations using camera traps has proved challenging for scientists, specifically when it comes to observing weasels. These elusive creatures often evade capture on camera, raising questions about their population status.

Roland Kays, a research professor at North Carolina State University and scientist at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, stated, “We’re a little worried about the weasels. We don’t see them very often, but it’s difficult to tell if they’re actually gone or if they’re just so sneaky that we can’t find them. We decided that we needed to better understand the best method to detect them.”

Kays and his team, including collaborators, delved into this issue in a study that investigated the effectiveness of various baits for luring weasels. Conducted between 2022 and 2023, the research involved placing 486 camera traps across the central and eastern United States, baited with seven different lures to attract these mustelids.

The study found that red meat, particularly when combined with salmon oil, was the most effective bait. Kays explained, “There is a huge variety of scent lures available, and trappers often make their own from all kinds of ingredients. As it turns out, however, just having a chunk of meat works the best.” The researchers employed a double-cage system to prevent larger predators from accessing the bait.

The "least weasel," the smallest carnivore in the world, presents the greatest concern. Its elusive nature compounded by limited sightings has made it particularly hard to study. Kays aims to utilize these study findings to evaluate least weasel populations in the North Carolina mountains.

Kays elaborated, “Now that we have an understanding of the best ways to lure the weasels, we can be more confident in the findings of our surveys. When we have sites where we don’t detect them, we can be much more assured that they aren’t just in hiding, they’re really just not there at all.”

Published in the Wildlife Society Bulletin, the study titled “Efficacy of baits and lures for weasel detection” was authored by Scott M. Bergeson of Purdue University Fort Wayne, among others. The project received partial funding from the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937.

The paper discusses the challenges in monitoring North American weasels, believed to be in decline. Researchers tested various bait and lure combinations, revealing that meat-based baits significantly increased detection rates of short- and long-tailed weasels compared to scent-based lures.