Determining Moose and Wolf Population Estimates for the International Chisana Caribou Herd Management Plan

Project ID: P14AC01344

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Partner Institution: Alaska Department of Fish and Game

Fiscal Year: 2014

Initial Funding: $55,267

Total Funding: $55,267

Project Type: Research

Project Disciplines: Biological

National Park: Wrangell-St.Elias National Park and Preserve

Principal Investigator: Wells, Jeff

Agreement Technical Representative: Putera, Judy

Abstract: The Chisana caribou herd is a small international herd that ranges across the Yukon-Alaska border. The herd’s calving and summer range is predominately within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve (WRST), while the winter range straddles the Alaska-Yukon border. After a long and steady population decline in the 1990’s, the herd was listed as a “Specially Protected” population in 2002 under Yukon’s Wildlife Act and is one of 36 discrete herds comprising the Northern Mountain Caribou population, designated a species of “Special Concern” under Yukon’s Species at Risk Act. All regulated harvest of this herd ceased in 1994 and by 2003 an unprecedented and expensive four-year captive calf rearing program was initiated in Yukon that likely stabilized the herd. A Chisana caribou herd working group was formed, comprised of members from the Government of Yukon, White River and Kluane First Nations, Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), WRST, and Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge. A 5-year Chisana caribou herd management plan was developed and finalized In March 2011. Results of the 2010 Chisana herd census indicated the herd could sustain a small harvest as outlined in the management plan and a small subsistence harvest was approved in 2012. However, any harvest from the herd will require close monitoring and efforts to determine factors preventing herd growth. This is a collaborative project between the National Park Service and ADF&G to address two important objectives of the herd management plan, which are to determine moose and wolf population estimates within the range of the Chisana caribou herd. NPS will assist with establishing survey units, data collection, data analysis, and writing of reports. This project will benefit the public by providing critical data needed to manage the subsistence harvest of the Chisana caribou herd and to monitor the overall health of the herd. Results from this study will be made available to the public in presentations, publications, and on the park website.