Productivity, survival, and movements of female moose in a low density population, Northwest Territories

• Main Authors: G. B. Stenhouse, P. B. Latour, L. Kutny, N. Maclean, G. Glover
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1995
• Subjects: Key words; moose; low density; productivity; movements; Mackenzie Valley; Northwest Territories; Alces alces; Arctic
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.499.4018; http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic48-1-57.pdf

ABSTRACT. Moose (Alces alces andersoni) occur at low density (140–160 moose/1000 km2) and are the most important game animal in much of the Mackenzie Valley, western Northwest Territories. Productivity and survival of 30 female moose ( ≥ 1.5 yr.) were studied from November 1985 through November 1988. Twenty-nine of these moose were radio-tracked for a total of 1039 relocations. Pregnancy rates were 96 % for adult and 40 % for yearling females. Most females returned to the same restricted area to calve each year. Mean newborn calf:female ratio and twinning rates were 1.2:1 and 31%, respectively. Mean annual female survival rate was 85%. Annual calf survival was high and stable (44 + 0.02%). Individual total home range size varied from 40 km2 to 942 km2. Mean home range size for 29 moose was 174 ± 31 km2 and 202 ± 59 km2 for the 14 moose radio-tracked the entire three years of study. Fall home ranges were twice the size of winter and summer home ranges; seasonal ranges overlapped widely, indicating that these moose were non-migratory.