Cherokee Fisheries and Wildlife Management

08/18/2026

Happy Trail Cam Tuesday!
Sometimes our cameras capture the big and charismatic wildlife such as elk, deer, and bear. Other times, we get tiny visitors, such as these two mice, scurrying through the frame!
These mice may be small, but they play an important role in the forest ecosystem. They serve as an important food source for predators and help disperse seeds as they move through the landscape.

08/12/2026

Happy Sons and Daughters Day! (and Trail-cam Tuesday, of course)
This week's trail camera captured a whole parade of wild piglets with adults close by as they made their way down the trail.

Like many young animals, piglets rely on their mother for protection and guidance during their first months of life. Staying close together helps them navigate the landscape and avoid potential dangers.

While these little ones may look adorable, wild pigs are an invasive species that can cause significant damage to native habitats. They root through the soil in search of food, disturb native plants, reduce habitat quality for wildlife, and can negatively impact streams and wetlands.

Even so, moments like these offer a fascinating glimpse into wildlife behavior and remind us that our trail cameras capture every part of the natural world—both native and non-native species.

Happy Sons and Daughters Day from the EBCI Fisheries & Wildlife Program!

08/04/2026

Trail Cam Tuesday: More than Just Wildlife! 🌼

This week's image features one of our wildlife openings in full bloom, with a stunning mountain backdrop and Black-eyed Susans brightening the landscape. This opening was planted with a diverse pollinator and wildlife seed mix to provide food and habitat for a variety of species throughout the year.

Our monitoring cameras are designed to detect movement, so while they often capture deer, bears, turkeys, and other wildlife, they also occasionally catch grasses swaying in the breeze, wildflowers dancing in the wind, or changing seasonal conditions. These unexpected images offer a glimpse into the habitats we're working to restore and maintain.

Wildlife openings like this one create pockets of diverse habitat within our forests, supporting pollinators such as bees and butterflies while also providing forage and cover for many wildlife species.

Sometimes the landscape itself tells a story—and on days like this, it's one worth sharing.

07/31/2026

07/28/2026

This week's Trail Camera Tuesday photo features an early sneak peak at an image from our bear hair snare project!

This ᏲᎾ (yona) and her two small cubs paid a visit to one of our hair snare sites earlier this year. We were able to collect several hair samples during their visit, and we're hopeful that we captured samples from all three bears.

Hair snare surveys allow us to collect DNA without handling or disturbing the animals. These samples help us learn more about bear presence, movement, family relationships, and population genetics across the landscape.

We're excited to continue processing samples and learning more about the bears that call the Qualla Boundary home. Stay tuned for more updates from this year's field season!

07/21/2026

Trail Camera Tuesday: A Young Traveler - ᎠᏫ

This young white-tailed buck was captured by one of our wildlife crossing monitoring cameras.

As part of the EBCI Fisheries & Wildlife Program's overpass study, trail cameras help us document how wildlife moves across the landscape. Every photo provides valuable information that helps us better understand animal behavior, habitat connectivity, and how wildlife adapts to an ever-changing environment.

Although this buck still has some growing to do, he's already learning to navigate the landscape. As young bucks mature, they often begin exploring new areas in search of food, habitat, and future territories. Wildlife crossings, such as overpasses, provide a safer way for deer and other animals to move between habitats while helping reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions.

Stay tuned as we continue sharing some of the incredible wildlife captured by our monitoring cameras!

07/17/2026

07/14/2026

This week’s featured species: ᏥᏯ (tsiya) River Otter

This tsiya is marking a latrine site along the river. Otters often return to the same spots to leave scent and s**t- called “spraint”. These sites help otters communicate with each other.

They also help wildlife biologists.

By collecting samples from these locations, we can study what otters are eating and estimate population size using DNA. Small clues like this help us better understand wildlife in our rivers.

Otters also appear in Cherokee stories, including one where Rabbit tricks Otter and steals his beautiful fur coat before being exposed by Bear.

07/07/2026

Happy Trail Cam Tuesday!!

This week’s featured species: the EBCI Fisheries and Wildlife Crew!

Not every camera trap photo is of wildlife - sometimes we end up capturing the team in action instead.

While unplanned, these moments offer a great opportunity to highlight the dedicated crew behind the work. From checking camera sites to maintaining field equipment and collecting data across the Boundary, this team makes the program possible.

Our hatchery staff and our Aquatic Biologist have evaded capture thus far so they are not pictured but a vital part of the team!

Stay tuned for more wildlife (and occasional wildlife-adjacent) surprises from the field!

07/01/2026

Finished up our last week of sampling at our Bear Hair Snares!! 🐻

Answer: We collected nearly 100 samples this year!!