A repeater type biotelemetry system for use on wild big game animals

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Wildlife Biology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Monitoring physiological data in wild animals presents significant challenges.
• Previous methods for tracking big game lacked the ability to gather detailed biological information.
• Understanding heat flow and activity patterns is crucial for wildlife management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and field-test a repeater type telemetry system for monitoring wild elk.
• To assess the system's utility in collecting biological data from elusive species.
• To correlate transmitter pulse rates with heat flow and animal activity.

Main Methods:

• Implanted a heat flow rate sensing transmitter in a wild elk.
• Utilized a repeater neck collar to retransmit signals at higher power and frequency.
• Employed a portable receiving station with a receiver, decoder, and chart recorder.
• Generated a second RF pulse related to animal activity.

Main Results:

• The telemetry system successfully transmitted heat flow rate data via RF pulse repetition rate.
• Animal activity was correlated with a secondary RF pulse.
• The system demonstrated effectiveness in field tests with a wild elk.
• Detailed circuit design and performance data were documented.

Conclusions:

• The developed telemetry system is highly effective for monitoring biological data in secretive big game animals like elk.
• This technology offers a significant advancement in wildlife research and management.
• The system's design allows for non-invasive, continuous data collection.