DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF MUSKOXEN IN THE BEAVERHILL LAKE AREA (2000) AND THELON WILDLIFE SANCTUARY (1994), NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

• Main Authors: Anne Gunn, Judy Williams, Chris Shank
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: TABLE OF CONTENTS; Beaverhill Lake; Northwest Territories; Nunavut; muskox; ovibos moschatus
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.183.2790; http://www.enr.gov.nt.ca/_live/documents/documentManagerUpload/190_manuscript.pdf

The contents of this paper are the sole responsibility of the authorsiiiii This report provides details of the two aerial surveys used to describe muskox Ovibos moschatus abundance and distribution in the central barrens, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. The first survey covered the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary in July and August 1994. The 1994 survey was a stratified transect survey using a float equipped fixed-wing aircraft. After an initial reconnaissance at 13.3 % coverage, 3,565 kilometers of the transect were reclassified as the lowdensity stratum. Three areas were classified as high-density strata and re-flown at 40 % coverage. The estimated number of adult muskoxen in the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary in 1994 was 1,095 281 Standard Error (Coefficient of Variation 0.26) and an average density of 1.8 per 100km 2. This estimate was likely conservative. Based on all adults seen, including singles, the percentages of calves were 12.0 % on transect and 16.4 % off transect. In 2000, a fixed-wing