Range, movements, population, and food habits of the Steese-Fortymile caribou herd

Abstract

The Steese-Fortymile caribou (Rangifer arcticus stonei Allen) form one of the most economically important herds in Alaska. This study of the herd took place from September, 1952, to December, 1955, under the auspices of the Alaska Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit at the University of Alaska and of the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration branch of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Project W3R. The Steese-Fortymile range occupies about 35,000 square miles of east-central Alaska and the Yukon Territory, lying mainly between the Tanana and Yukon Rivers. The terrain is mountainous, but not rugged; roads and towns are scarce, and a maximum of 60,000 people live on the fringes. Seven major plant communities comprise the range vegetation, three of them covering 60 to 70 per cent of the area and furnishing the bulk of the food for caribou. The carrying capacity is computed to be 70,000 to 90,000 caribou. The erratic and continual movements of caribou characterize this game species. Their movements vary from day to day and season to season. Most of the traveling takes place during the early morning and late afternoon; major seasonal movements take place in the spring and fall. Past and present data provide a general picture of the movement pattern of this herd throughout the year. The Steese-Fortymile herd dwindled from a peak of about 500,000 animals in the late 1920's to a low of 10,000 to 20,000 in the early 1940's. The decline is attributed to a population shift. The present population contains at least 50,000 animals and is increasing steadily. Reproduction was high during the years 1950 to 1955. The rut takes place during the first two weeks of October; most of the calves are born during the latter half of May, following a gestation period of about 33 weeks. Valuable information on caribou behavior during the calving period is presented. Counts taken in May show that at least 50 per cent of the calves survive the first year. Wolf and man are the most important mortality factors affecting this herd. The total annual mortality, excluding calves, is estimated at eight per cent. Sex and age data from composition counts and hunter-checking-station operations indicate that this herd is young and that the sex ratio approaches 100:100. The annual increment for the herd is computed to be 10 to 15 per cent. Caribou are cursory feeders and eat a wide variety of plants. The main periods for resting and feeding occur during the middle portions of the day and night. The caribou’s diet hinges upon the available food supply, and thus varies with the seasons. In winter, the diet consists mostly of lichens, grasses, and sedges, with browse plants of some importance; data from 23 stomach-samples are presented. In spring, the new shoots of willow, dwarf birch, grass, and sedge are most important; information is based only on field observations. In summer, a wide variety of plants are eaten; willow and dwarf-birch foliage are of greatest importance, followed closely by grasses and sedges; data from 27 stomach-samples are presented. In fall, the diet shifts from a predominance of woody plants and fungi in late August to one of lichens, grasses, and sedges in late September; data from 70 stomach-samples are presented. The problems of data-gathering are discussed, as related to management practices. The contributions made by this report are outlined, and the important information still needed for proper caribou management is listed.