Directed take means that the activity is a purposeful interaction with the protected animal for a specific purpose that may result in take. This includes actions such as tagging animals to study their distribution and migration or filming animals for a documentary.
Incidental take means that the activity is unrelated to the protected species, but the protected species may still be affected. In these cases, the take is unintentional. Examples include actions such as operating hydropower projects or managing private timberlands.