The Williamson Wildlife Lab | The Williamson Wildlife Lab

Efficacy of Bait-Lure Combinations in Attracting Weasels and other Mustelidae in North Dakota

We evaluated the efficacy of different bait-lure combinations in detecting different species of weasels in greater Minot, North Dakota. This project is part of a larger collaborative effort across the United States.

https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/wsb.1580

https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fmam.12344

Plum River Native Prairie Initiative

In 2023, Dr. Chad Williamson, along with Drs. Laurie Geller and Dan Conn (Minot State University) developed a plan to restore the former Erik Ramstad Middle School site into native mixed-grass prairie in the city of Minot, North Dakota. The project was funded by Audubon Great Plains and began work in Fall 2023.

Current Projects

Survival and Space-Use of a Translocated Population of Franklin's Ground Squirrels in Northwestern Indiana

During 2024-2025, 71 Franklin's ground squirrels were relocated from South Dakota to portions of their Indiana range, where they are listed as endangered. Squirrels were released into a restored prairie ecosystem. Space use and habitat variables were examined and squirrels were found to select greater vegetation height and areas with slope for hibernacula. We found that 62.5% of collared squirrels tracked till end of fate survived and made it to hibernation. Live-trapping efforts resulted in the capture of eight new juvenile squirrels in 2025 along with recaptures of 5 adult squirrels. These results suggest short-term success based on the survival, reproduction, and establishment of the translocated squirrels.