Neither camera traps nor track surveys are universally better for monitoring elusive animals. Cameras record activity unattended and provide reviewable images; track surveys can be cheaper and more effective when signs are identifiable and suitable ground conditions exist. Choose by target species, habitat and season, the question you need to answer, and the full cost of fieldwork and data processing. When the result will guide a consequential decision, a local pilot comparing methods is safer than assuming one approach will work everywhere.
What does “better” mean for your survey?
Start by defining the outcome. A method that is good at finding whether an animal is present may not be suitable for estimating occupancy trends, abundance, or density. More detections alone do not establish a larger population or a more reliable estimate.
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- Presence: Is the target species using a site? A verified image or identifiable sign can provide evidence, but a non-detection does not prove absence.
- Occupancy or trend: Which sites are occupied, and how does that change over time? Repeated detection/non-detection surveys and analysis that accounts for imperfect detection are important. USGS guidance notes that objectives, sampling units, timing, and repeat effort affect reliable occupancy inference: USGS occupancy guidance.
- Abundance or density: How many animals are present, or how many occur per area? These require an appropriate estimator and its assumptions; photo counts and track detections are not population estimates by themselves.
Before selecting a method, consider the species’ behavior and detectability, the habitat and season, whether tracks can be read reliably, staff expertise, site access, camera and image-review resources, and the amount of repeat effort you can sustain.
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How the methods compare
| Consideration | Camera traps | Track and sign surveys |
|---|---|---|
| Sampling when staff are absent | Can record repeatedly while deployed, within the camera’s detection zone. | Usually depends on observers visiting survey routes or stations; track plates and similar setups are exceptions. |
| Main resource costs | Equipment, placement, maintenance, image curation, and identification. | Travel and repeat visits, observer training, and access to suitable substrate. |
| Environmental dependency | Placement and operating conditions affect detection. | Requires readable signs on a suitable surface; snow-track surveys also depend on reliable snow conditions. |
| Data and inference | Images offer records that can be reviewed, but cameras can miss animals and need a design suited to the intended inference. | Signs can provide efficient evidence of presence, but identification and recording must be consistent and routes representative. |
| First question to ask | Can this placement and sampling period detect the species well enough for the intended analysis? | Are signs identifiable in local conditions, and can observers record them consistently? |
When camera traps are the stronger choice
A camera can sample a location without a person remaining there, which is useful when repeated visits are difficult or visual confirmation matters. A set of images can also be checked later, although reviewing and identifying a large image collection takes time. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources describes how multi-day camera detections can support detection histories with fewer site visits, while noting equipment and image-processing costs: Minnesota DNR mammal monitoring.
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Unattended sampling is not the same as complete sampling. A camera covers a limited zone, and detection can vary with placement, sensitivity, habitat, attractants, temperature, timing, duration, animal density, and behavior. A blank camera therefore cannot establish that an animal was absent. Method guidance discusses how species occupancy and detection probability affect survey-effort choices: Camera-trap methods guidance.
A wildlife trail camera may be one equipment option, but buying a camera does not replace decisions about placement, sampling duration, maintenance, or image review. If cameras are being used to estimate occupancy, repeated surveys and a design matched to that objective matter; see the USGS occupancy guidance.
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When track and sign surveys are the stronger choice
Tracks and other signs can be an efficient, relatively inexpensive way to detect a target where prints are recognizable and survey conditions are suitable. Surveys may use snow, mud, sand, track plates, or other surfaces. A Canada lynx study describes track surveys as widely used for their potential effectiveness, low relative cost, and ease of implementation, while emphasizing that rigorous monitoring still needs clear objectives, adequate effort, and attention to site feasibility: Canada lynx track-survey study.
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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →The method relies on people interpreting and recording signs consistently. Poor substrate, inconsistent snowfall, inadequate route coverage, or differences in observer skill can undermine comparisons. A Russian Far East study of snow tracking emphasizes consistent snowfall, trained tracking, representative routes, and the time needed to deploy cameras and process data: Waller et al., 2024. Track surveys may also require repeat visits to build detection histories, as the Minnesota DNR notes.
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What head-to-head studies show
Comparisons do not produce one universal winner. Their results depend on the species, landscape, survey design, and outcome being measured.
Numbats in Western Australia: signs detected more often
In a 2021 comparison in the Upper Warren region, sign surveys recorded numbat signs during 88 surveys at 39 sites; cameras detected numbats at 13 sites, and driven transects near five. The estimated probability of detecting a numbat or its sign at an occupied site was 0.21–0.35 for sign surveys, compared with 0.02–0.06 for seven days of camera trapping. Total survey cost was lowest for driven transects, followed by camera trapping and then sign surveys; cost per numbat detection was lowest for sign surveys. These are findings for the study’s species, region, and methods, not a general cost or performance ranking. The authors explicitly cautioned that there is no single best method for wildlife surveys: Seidlitz et al., Wildlife Research, 2021.
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Mediterranean landscapes: active methods performed better on a composite index
A 2021 comparison involving 13 mammal species and three Mediterranean landscapes reported that active methods—tracks and scat surveys—performed better overall on the study’s composite index in transformed cultural landscapes. That result should not be extended to other regions, habitats, or camera systems: 2021 Mediterranean mammal survey comparison.
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At Emas National Park, Brazil, track census detected species richness fastest, while estimates from the compared methods converged after around 30 days. The authors argued that camera trapping was preferable for rapid inventory under their study conditions. This differs from the numbat result because the species, place, survey conditions, and comparison differ: Lyra-Jorge et al., Biological Conservation, 2003.
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Russian Far East: similar density estimates, different resource demands
For four ungulate prey species in the Russian Far East, camera-based density estimators and representative snow-track surveys produced broadly similar density estimates, though the estimates were imprecise. The authors reported that cameras required considerably more resources. This comparison is specific to those species and survey conditions: Waller et al., 2024.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A practical way to choose
- Name the target and place. Identify the species, survey area, habitat, and season. Ask whether local behavior, terrain, or weather is likely to affect detection.
- Choose the inference first. Decide whether you need evidence of presence, occupancy or change over time, abundance, or density. Select a design and analysis that support that specific result.
- Check what each method can detect locally. For cameras, assess placement, detection zone, operating period, and likely animal movement. For tracks, assess substrate, sign identification, observer consistency, and representative route coverage.
- Budget the whole survey. Count camera purchase and deployment, maintenance, and image review; compare them with staff travel, repeat visits, training, and the availability of suitable tracking conditions.
- Pilot both methods if the choice matters. A small, local comparison can reveal whether cameras or signs are more dependable for the target and season. Record effort consistently and interpret non-detections in light of each method’s imperfect detection.
If you need occupancy estimates, plan repeated detection/non-detection surveys and use an analysis that accounts for imperfect detection. If you need density, specify the estimator and its assumptions rather than treating detections as counts of animals. The USGS guidance explains why objectives and repeat effort belong in the design from the outset.
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