Wolverine Ecology, Distribution and Productivity in the
Slave Geological Province
Organization / Researcher: GNWT, Robert Mulders
Length of Project: 4 years (1995-1999) (WKSS funding provided 1996 to end)
Personnel involved: At least 30 including experienced Wolverine hunters, wildlife officers, biologists, technicians, and pilots. School classes were visited as well.
Total Expenditures (WKSS funding only): $281,650
Wolverines are solitary animals that live and breed in large areas of undisturbed land. Developments like roads and mine sites could pose a danger to Wolverine populations by making over-hunting possible and reducing the amount of Wolverine habitat available. This study set out to establish Wolverine distribution and home range size, denning locations and fidelity to den sites; to estimate the reproductive rate; and to document harvesting intensity, composition and locations in the Slave Geological Province. A further objective of assessing the impact of winter roads on Wolverines was dropped as there was insufficient time and resources to collect the information.
It was the intent of the study to document the location and size of Wolverine home ranges by use of radio collars. A total of 36 Wolverines (21 female, 15 male) were captured, fitted with radio collars and tracked. The animals were mostly captured by experienced hunters on snow machines, and with baited barrel traps. However, tracking Wolverines by radio collar proved challenging. Two Wolverines slipped their collars within days of deployment, eleven others dropped their collars prematurely, two collared females were thought to have died of natural causes, and two others died as a result of collar-induced infection. Thirteen radio collars went "missing" from the study area; it is not known whether the animals moved out of range of the study area or whether collars failed prematurely.
The most reliable results came from seven mature adults: typical home ranges were found to be 126 square km for females and 404 square km for males. This is smaller than adult home range sizes reported in some other areas. Close comparison with other jurisdictions is difficult, however, since the smaller quantities of location data obtained in this study can bias calculations, with a tendency to underestimate actual home range size.
Because of problems with the use of collars, there was not enough data from the remaining Wolverines to reliably calculate their home range sizes. It was possible, however, to document some of their movements. Yearling Wolverines are more transient and cover greater distances than adults; yearling home range area may be as high as 8,736 square km. The longest recorded straight-line movement involved a juvenile male traveling more than 300 km from Daring Lake to the Lutselk'e area over just a few months. Given the problems associated with radio collaring Wolverines, the researcher recommended that another tracking system be used in future such as a different design of collar or use of implant transmitters.
Captured adult females were examined to assess their reproductive status and determine whether they were nursing or pregnant. The pregnancy rate of 72% was similar to rates estimated for Yukon and British Columbia; somewhat less than Alaska. Dens were not excavated, so there was little insight gained on the questions of litter size, types of dens used or the level of fidelity to natal den sites.
During four years of monitoring the Kitikmeot Wolverine harvest (1995-96 to 1998-1999), 473 Wolverines were examined from the Kugluktuk and Bathurst Inlet areas. On average, 78% of the animals were shot, 15% involved quick kill traps, and 4% involved leg hold traps. The Wolverines taken appear to have been in good health. Close to 70% of the animals harvested were either yearlings or juveniles.
Examination of 373 stomachs from harvested Wolverines showed that 25.7% of the stomachs were empty. Some 62% of the stomachs contained caribou. Other food items included Muskoxen, Ground squirrel, Arctic Hare, lemmings, Arctic and Red Fox, Wolverine and vegetation was found in 6% of the stomachs.
Wolverine Ecology, Distribution and Productivity in the Slave Geological Province Final Report (2001)