Remote locations are not required. However, permissions / permits may be difficult or impossible to get. I view land as Government owned, State owned, private and land of indigenous peoples in the US. Placing a Swarm system ground station looks to be something for private property.
It is my understanding that one can not leave an unattended trail camera in a National Park and that it will be confiscated as 'litter'. So that puts the default camera location at an occupied campsite. Where I am at, one can not drive a nail / screw into a tree. Ratchet-straps are the friction method to hold your devices in place. Paper plate signage for camping get-togethers that is attached to trees and Forest Service reader boards is littering.
Campsite mode adds several degrees of potential curiosity. Sasquatch spy on us so make yourself a human(s) to be spied upon. If the Ravens show up, you are doing good.
Geophones have been posted about on this forum since about 2009. We know that Elephants dig up ground sensors and crush them.
Digging to bury geophones brings up the question of changing the ground balance ( mineral prospectors know about this ). I can not make any conclusions about animals and ground balance at this time. Some animals 'find' and dig up steel traps. I have wondered if they 'sense' the Fe++ isotope like fish can.
We are back to having our listening devices in air, either attended or unattended.
Triple J, I am not telling you what to do but my comments for you to take under advisory are to check out NAWAC. They had a novel 'cocklebur' attachment method for a tracking device. I don't follow their activities but you may be able to share some info on the latest and greatest, bleeding-edge technology on transmitters and receivers.