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Caribou Monitoring at Valleau Creek
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Results from the second full year of caribou radio-tracking are described, and the findings from both years are discussed. A profile of the caribou annual cycle is beginning to build up. Caribou at the Valleau appear to be a subgroup of approximately 20 animals, perhaps more, from the larger herd which winters in the Wolverine Range on the west side of Williston Lake. Valleau caribou enter the area during snowmelt in spring, calve there during early summer, and remain there until late fall. They migrate eastward to the Moosmoos drainage in early winter, and then more north and eastward to rejoin the main Wolverine herd.
Spot locations within the Valleau during both years have been mapped, and movements within the area have been analyzed. The pattern of usage was broadly similar in both years, with some differences of detail. Locations were scattered widely through most parts of the basin. Few distinct habitat preferences have been indicated as yet, but the use of swamps and balsam forest has tended to exceed the extent of these two land cover types on the area. Little/no use has been made of the lichen-bearing pine flats (winter habitat) in central parts of the area during either year.
As timber harvesting at the Valleau has not yet begun, there has been no opportunity to assess the response by caribou, but the two years' data will serve a baseline for this when logging starts. Radio-tracking will continue in 1999, with the aim of increasing the size of the dataset on habitat use, and comparing the general pattern of use for consistency with previous years.
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1998_RATA_Valleau.zip
(24 KB)
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