ARCTIC Estimating Bathurst Island Peary Caribou and Musk

• Main Author: Frank L. Miller
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1990
• Subjects: Key words; Peary caribou; Rangifer taranduspearyi; muskoxen; Ovibos moschatus; population estimates; inter-island movements; Canadian High Arctic; south-central Queen Elizabeth Islands; Arctic; Bathurst Island; Massey Island; Peary; muskox; ovibos moschatus; Queen Elizabeth Islands; Rangifer tarandus
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.530.3025; http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic44-1-57.pdf

ABSTRACT. Peary caribou (Rangifer tarandus pearyQ and muskox (Ovibos moschatus) numbers were estimated by systematic aerial s u r v e y on Bathurst Island and Bathurst’s five western major satellite islands of Vanier, Cameron, Alexander, Massey and Marc, Northwest %rritories, in 1985 and 1988. The surveys were carried out as part of the Canadian Wildlife Service’s most recent evaluation of the status of Peary caribou (1984-88). In July 1985,727 Peary caribou and 547 muskoxen were estimated on the six-island s u r v e y area and in July 1988,1034 Peary caribou and 522 muskoxen. Post-parturient caribou cows and their newborn calves occurred at significantly greater rates on Massey Island than on the remainder of the survey area in both years. The 1985 and 1988 survey results, plus results from earlier s u r v e y s within the area, are used to illustrate how annual inter-island variation in range use within the survey area by varying numbers of caribou could confound population estimates based on aerial surveys of only Bathurst Island that do not also include, at least, the five western major satellite islands.