Survey of Moose Abundance in the Boreal Forest Around Yellowknife,

Northwest Territories

Organization / Researcher: Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Government of the Northwest Territories, H. Dean Cluff

Length of Project: 2004

Personnel Involved: The principal researcher, RWED/GNWT staff and community members from the North Slave Region

Total Project Expenditures funded by WKSS: $38,000

A geospatial survey to estimate moose abundance was conducted in March 2004 in the Taiga Shield ecozone near Yellowknife and the north shore of Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories . The survey area was 17,617 km 2 and was stratified by grid cells into high and low density probability of having moose. Grid cells (n=1116) were marked by 2' of latitude and 5' of longitude, representing approximately 4 km x 4 km cells at this latitude. Stratification was based on vegetation classification from satellite imagery, sighting records of moose, harvest statistics, community consultation and expert opinion (high = 412, low = 704). Strata selected for the survey (n=120 grid cells) were flown at 100 % coverage with a Cessna 185 airplane with the goal of counting every moose within a survey sample unit. In the 120 grid cells survey we observed 33 moose (8 bulls, 16 cows, 9 calves). We observed an additional 35 moose (13 bulls, 13 cows, 9 calves) incidentally but outside the survey grids. A conservative density based on all sightings of moose was estimated at 2.9 moose/100 km 2 . A geospatial population estimate is underway, but a coarse and conservative population estimate based on observed density was 509 moose.

A report (February 2005) and a poster have been prepared.