Caribou Management and Research

Publications & Reports

• Caribou Management and Harvest Reports
• Caribou Research Grant Reports and Publications

Research

In the 1970s people were concerned about the effect of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline, expanding oil development, and increased disturbance from use of aircraft and snowmobiles on caribou. Although there was some displacement of caribou calving in the Prudhoe Bay oilfield, in general, caribou have not been adversely affected by human activities in Alaska. Pipelines and most other developments are built to allow for caribou movements, and caribou have shown us that they can adapt to the presence of people and machines. As human activities expand in Alaska, the great challenge for caribou management is for man to consider the needs of our caribou herds and ensure that they remain a visible, healthy part of our landscape.

Research Projects

• Analysis and Summary of Data from the Fortymile Caribou Range
• Development of methods to assess effects of oil field infrastructure on caribou movements, growth, and survival

Project Information

Analysis and Summary of Data from the Fortymile Caribou Range

Project 3.50, Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Grant. Project Duration: July 1 2008-June 30, 2012. Principal Investigator: Rodney Boertje, Fairbanks. Cooperators: Layne Adams, USGS; John Burch, NPSThe need exists for the principal investigator to compile, analyze, and summarize data pertinent to 3 prior 5-year projects on the Fortymile caribou herd, and associated, wolves, moose, and sheep. The 3 prior 5-year projects were entitled: 1) Factors Limiting the Fortymile Caribou Herd, 1992–1997, 2) Reducing Mortality of the Fortymile Caribou herd, 1997–2003, and 3) Monitoring Fortymile Ungulates and Wolves Following Wolf Sterilization and Translocation, 2003–2008.

We will summarize data and model herd demography using 9 years of caribou calf mortality studies (1994-2002) and 17 years of adult caribou mortality, productivity, and movement studies (1992-2008) in the Fortymile range. We studied both causes and rates of caribou mortality. We will summarize data (1994-2008) on wolf, moose, and sheep population trends with particular reference to 6 years (1998-2003) when 15 wolf packs were experimentally reduced using sterilization of the dominant pair of wolves and translocation of the remaining wolves.