GPS Tracking The Alpha Male Of A Wolf Pack

Oregon Biologists Hope To Learn More About Wolves

Protecting endangered animals is all part of the job description for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW). The federal agency takes multiple actions and precautions to protecting and securing the existence of wildlife and habitat in some of the most pristine environments inside of the state. What has brought attention to the agency recently is their use of GPS tracking collars that are being used to monitor the movements of an alpha male wolf in one of the only two known wolf packs existing in Oregon today.

GPS systems are becoming a more common tool among biologists to record animal movements, and that is why the ODFW are utilizing tracking system technology in their efforts to protect the nearly extinct wolf population in Oregon. What the ODFW has done so is placed a GPS tracker inside a collar on the alpha wolf of a pack known to roam a particular area in Oregon. The biologists reviewing the GPS tracking data will then plot and monitor the information to gather knowledge about the animal's movements and habits throughout the year.

Ski Gloves Do More Than Keep Hands Warm

GPS Tracking Enabled Gloves Do It All

GPS tracking and navigation enabled equipment seems to be surrounding us everywhere these days. GPS systems are in our cars, backpacks and now can be found in our ski gloves, assuming we want to pay the extra cash for gloves equipped with a GPS tracker.

The GPS tracking ski gloves essentially function very similar to a passive tracking system known as the GPS Tracking Key. The GPS system in the ski gloves acts as a data logger, recording information about the skier such as the speeds they traveled, differing altitudes they were at while on the mountain, distance traveled and will do so all while keeping the skier's finger tips nice and warm.

The information recorded from the tracking device inside the ski gloves will allow the skier or snowboarder a unique way to review their mountain experience. Skiers or snowboarders interested in improving speeds or race times will have an easy way to calculate performance with the GPS tracking enabled ski gloves.

No information was provided to suggest the GPS tracking enabled ski gloves will have real-time tracking capabilities to help a snowboarder or skier if they became lost or stuck in an avalanche.

GPS Tracking Bighorn Sheep In Wyoming

Tracking Devices Hope To Teach Researchers About Unique Animal

A once thriving animal with a population in the millions, the bighorn sheep now find themselves an endangered species. The majestic creatures, most recognizable by their large horns that can at times weigh over 30lbs., are now being extensively researched by a team of biologists at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming. More specifically, a group of sheep known as the Teton Range Bighorn Sheep Herd, are the ones being monitored with GPS tracking systems by the team of researchers headed by biologist Aly Courtemanch.

Researchers are hoping that the GPS trackers will help them understand how the Teton Range Bighorn Herd of about 100 bighorn sheep survive the harshest of Winter conditions. Researchers find this particular herd very interesting because they are the only known bighorns that choose not to move to lower, more environmentally friendly conditions during the coldest months, instead opting to stay in the peaks of the mountains. A biologist working on the project explained, "We really do find how these beautiful animals survive these extremely brutal conditions a mystery, and hope with advanced GPS tracking and monitoring devices we can learn more about how they do it".

Why People Are Asking About GPS Tracking

Real Time Location-Based Tracking Devices Becoming Norm

It seems like yesterday the first time I heard someone tell me about satellite based GPS tracking technology. I remember thinking to myself that a GPS receiver or transmitter would be pretty cool because it could tell me how far I walked or where to go if I got lost, but I never could have imagined how the technology would infiltrate the daily lives of so many people. Most people are already familiar with how a GPS receiver can help them plot and track exercise and workout routines, or how a navigational GPS system can make driving in a unfamiliar area less stressful, but many people are just now utilizing GPS tracking technology in large numbers.

The most common form of GPS tracking that most people use comes courtesy of mobile communication technology. Every smart phone now has a GPS tracking chip embedded in it that can help the phone user to locate nearby restaurants, gas stations and more. Some parents even purchase teen tracking applications for their kid's phone that will allow them to get a rough approximation on their location at anytime. However, the GPS system in a cellular phone can be very unreliable, making independent real-time tracking devices the GPS tracking answer for consumers.