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Accuracy Of Aerial Telemetry Locations In Mountainous Terrain, Glen F. Gantz, L. Charles Stoddart, Frederick F. Knowlton

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Aerial telemetry is commonly used to locate wildlife in remote areas (Gilmer et al. 1981, White and Garrott 1990, Samuel and Fuller 1996). If locations are used to determine home range, habitat use, or similar parameters, error associated with locations must be estimated (Cederlund et al. 1979, Laundre et al. 1987, White and Garrott 1990, Carrel et al. 1997).

Typically, aerial locations are subject to 2 sources of error. If the transmitter-equipped animals are not sighted from the aircraft, their ground location must be estimated. Then, the estimated ground location must be identified on a map and recorded. The combined …