Date of Award

12-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Statement

Master of Science in Wildlife Biology and Conservation

Department

Department of Biology and Wildlife

Granting Institution

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Committee Chair

Brinkman, Todd

Committee Member

Frye, Graham

Committee Member

Benham, Phred

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: General introduction

Chapter 2: Seasonal space use and accessibility of male moose in Interior Alaska

Chapter 3: Seasonal habitat selection and movement behavior of male moose in Interior Alaska

Chapter 4:General conclusions

Abstract

Moose (Alces alces) are an important subsistence and sport harvested species in Alaska, yet seasonal patterns of male moose movement and habitat selection remain poorly understood. This knowledge gap limits our ability to anticipate hunter accessibility and effectively manage populations. In this thesis, I evaluated seasonal space use, movement behavior, and habitat selection of 78 GPS-collared adult males across three study areas in Interior Alaska during 2023 and 2024. In Chapter 1, I quantified seasonal overlap in space use and assessed hunter accessibility. We compared space use between the winter survey season 2023 and fall hunting season 2024. Population level distributions of males were stable across seasons, suggesting consistent space use between seasons. This supports the idea that surveys conducted in early winter accurately represent the huntable population during the following fall. However, accessibility to moose during the hunting season increased in one study area. These results show even limited changes in space use may translate into measurable differences in harvest opportunity, contingent on landscape context. In Chapter 2, I used integrated step selection analyses (iSSA) to evaluate movement and habitat selection across seasons. Habitat categories used in this model were open, shrubland, forest, wetland, and non-vegetated. Movement behavior varied strongly by season: step lengths were longer in spring and summer, shorter during winter, and habitat-specific during the rut. Males exhibited the greatest movements in open (790 m) and shrubland (646 m) habitats during the rut relative to both other seasons and other habitats during rut. Winter was characterized by much shorter steps across all habitats, likely reflecting energy conservation under snow and forage constraints. Antler spread, used as a proxy for dominance, influenced movement during rut and winter, with larger-antlered males taking longer steps. However, the effect was small, and the ecological impact of the difference is uncertain. Habitat selection also shifted seasonally, with the strongest relative selection strength differences occurring during rut and winter. Together, these chapters provide new insight into the spatial ecology of male moose in Interior Alaska and highlight how seasonal behavior interacts with accessibility and harvest vulnerability.

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