Arctic Borderlands Ecological Knowledge Co-op

What is happening?

• The graph shows that the number of moose has increased dramatically between 1989 and 2000. The number of both adults and calves has increased in the last decade although the rate of twinning and number of calves as a fraction of the total population has remained constant (at a relatively high level).
• Studies by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in Alaska found numbers of moose along the Alaskan North Slope declined from high levels in the late 1980s to low numbers in the late 1990s. Details are availble at the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge website: www.r7.fws.gov/nwr/arctic/wtmoose.html

Why is it happening?

• The recent increase in in numbers may be attributed to strong reproduction as shown by the healthy ratio of bulls to mature cows and relatively high calf recruitment rate. There is also evidence that this population is lightly hunted at the current time.
• More moose were observed in 2000 along the North Slope portion of the study area compared with 1989. This may be a result of different late winter conditions between surtvey years or it may indicate that moose are continuing to move out and colonize suitable habitats on the North Slope.

Why is it important?

• Hunters from Aklavik often take caribou in preference to moose. In years when the Porcupine Caribou herd does not migrate close to Aklavik then hunters' use of moose increases.
• Moose tended to be found in shrub habitats along creek and river bottoms and this habitat type made up a small fraction of the region (aprox. 610 sq. km. out of a total survey area of 9,367 sq. km.). As a result moose are concentrated in this shrub habitat and could be vulnerable if changes in land use displaced them.

Technical Notes

• The information reported here was collected in a co-operative survey involving the Aklavik Hunter's and Trappers Committee, Parks Canada, and the Yukon Territorial Government. Copies of the report are available from Rick.Ward@gov.yk.ca.