Evaluating global positioning system telemetry techniques for estimating cougar predation parameters

Knopff and colleagues rigorously evaluated how GPS cluster methods perform for estimating cougar predation, testing how fix interval, search protocol, and model assumptions affect inferences about kill rate and prey selection. Working in Alberta, they showed that clusters reliably detected large-prey kills but that small prey were often missed because cats fed briefly and left few fixes, biasing diet and kill-rate estimates if uncorrected. They provided correction approaches and practical guidance on cluster-visiting effort. The study refined the cluster technique from a promising idea into a defensible quantitative tool, clarifying its strengths and blind spots. Its careful treatment of detection bias made it a key methodological reference for anyone using GPS clusters to study felid predation.