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Bear Literature Review and Proposed Management Strategy for Vuntut National Park, Yukon

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Bear Literature Review and Proposed Management Strategy for Vuntut National Park, Yukon BEAR LITERATURE REVIEW AND PROPOSED MANAGEMENT STRATEGY FOR VUNTUT NATIONAL PARK, YUKON Yukon Field Unit Parks Canada Haines Junction, Yukon Prepared by: A. Grant MacHutchon Wildlife Biologist, M.Sc., R.P.Bio. Comox. B.C. May 2000 Literature Review and Bear Management Strategy, Vunlut National Park, YT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report is a review of relevant published research on northern bear populations and assesses the usefulness of this information for the management of both grizzly bears and black bears in and around Vuntut National Park (VNP), Yukon. A management strategy for the bear populations in VNP is proposed following this review. Based on the work of Ferguson and McLaughlin (in press) and McLaughlin et al. (draft manuscript), I divided grizzly bear populations into different geographic distributions that appeared to correlate with differences in environmental and population parameters. These were barren-ground, interior, and coastal. I further divided interior grizzly bear populations into northern and southern interior to highlight the expected differences due to latitude. Mitochondrial DNA phylogeny does not uniformly support any previously published taxonomic classifications for grizzly bears based on morphology nor is any phylogentic clade supported by a subspeciiic taxonomic classification (Waits et al. 1998). Despite the ongoing re-evaluation of current grizzly bear taxonomic classification, I expect that contiguous populations of grizzly bears in the Yukon, including VNP, will continue to be one subspecies. Banci (1991), Banci et al. (1994), and M&&n and Banci (1999) recommended that grizzly bear populations in the Subarctic Mountains grizzly bear zone, which includes VNP, be considered “vulnerable” as a result of past and current human activity. Banci ef al. (1994) considered that the current impacts of land-use activities on grizzly habitat in the Subarctic Mountains grizzly bear zone were moderate for mining and low to moderate for petroleum and human access. In the future, however, the impacts of these land-use activities were expected to increase to high for mining, moderate to high for petroleum, and moderate for access (Banci eb al. 1994). A portion of the northeast part of VNP is within the Barn Range study area of Nagy et al. (1983a), therefore the grizzly bear density in this area are likely similar to what they found. However, the hills and large pediment slopes of the Old Crow Basin to the west of the Barn Range appeared to have lower quality grizzly bear habitat than the Barn Range. This area also appeared to have lower quality bear habitat than the Buckland Hills and lower British Mountains of Iwavik National Park to the north. As a result, I estimated the overall grizzly bear density in the Old Crow Basin and British-Richardson mountains ecoregions of VNP as approximately 15 bears/l000 km*. These ecoregions of VNP are approximately 2,900 km’, therefore, this suggests a population of approximately 44 grizzly bears for these two ecoregions withii VNP. I suspect that grizzly bear densities are lower in the Old Crow Plats because habitats appeared to be less diverse and of lower quality, although bears may be able to supplement their diet by feeding on moose calves and muskrats in the spring and early summer. As a result, I estimate grizzly bear density to be approximately 6 bears/l000 km* and since the ecoregion is approximately 1,450 km*, this suggests a population of approximately 9 grizzly bears. Overall, I estimate approximately 53 grizzly bears within VNP or approximately 12 bears/l000 km* (82 km* per bear). A. Grant MacHutchon, Wildlife Biologist 1 Literature Review and Bear Manaqement Strategy, Vuntut National Park, M The area of the Special Management Area (SMA) outside VNP is approximately 10,666 km’. Grizzly bear densities in the eastern and southern portions of the SMA are likely higher than within the Old Crow Flats because the land is higher and drier, consequently it has more habitats where bears can feed and travel. As a result, I estimate grizzly bear density within the SMA outside of VNP to be 9 bears/loo0 km*, which suggests a population of approximately 96 grizzly bears. The bear population estimates given for VNP and the SMA are my best guesses based on work done in other study areas. They have not been substantiated with field work, so they should be used with caution. My population estimates were considered to be all bears, not just bears >2. I suspect that the grizzly bear population of VNP is relatively stable since it is only lightly hunted and therefore should have a predominately adult cohort within the range of 50- 60% adults 6 years of age or older, but also should have healthy recruitment in the younger age classes. The grizzly bear population likely has a similar range of reproductive rates as other northern grizzly bear populations, that is, bears likely become sexually mature between 6-9 years old, have litter sizes of 1.7-2.3 cubs per litter, and have an interval between litters of 3-4.5 years. Cub mortality in VNP is likely as high as observed in other northern studies, therefore I estimate it to be between 35-45%. Adult female survivorship in VNP is likely 90-98%. I estimate grizzly bear home ranges to be in the range of 250-350 km’ for females and 750-900 km’ for males in the Old Crow Basin and British-Richardson mountains ecoregions of VNP. I estimate grizzly bear home ranges to be to be in the range of 650- 750 km’ for females and 1150- 1250 km* for males in the Old Crow Flats of VNP. All bear trails and rubbing or marking trees that I found in the Thomas Creek Valley of VNP were on valley bottoms adjacent to creeks and rivers. They were primarily marked by grizzly bears; there was no indication that black bears had used them. There do not appear to be any major barriers to grizzly bear movement in VNP. Movement within the Old Crow Flats likely is along creek and river edges and around lake margins. I suspect that grizzly bears in VNP will be active in the range of 60-80% of the time. They would likely be inactive or resting 20-40% of the time. Feeding and foraging would likely be about 45 to 65% of their overall time budget. Other active behaviours would include travel (4-8%), intraspecific interactions with other bears (l-5%) and other behaviours such as marking, interspecific interactions, drinking, grooming, defecating, etc. (l-1.5%, MacHutchon in press). I suspect grizzly bears of VNP generally will have a die1 activity pattern with bimodal activity peaks in the morning and evening, particularly with increasing hours of darkness during late summer. The breeding season of grizzly bears in VNP is likely between mid-May and mid-July. I suspect that grizzly bears in VNP enter dens between mid-September to late October and emerge from dens from late April to late May. The timiig and duration of denning will likely vary between sex and age classes with male bears denning later and emerging earlier than females. Pregnant females will generally den for longer periods than do solitary females or females with yearlings. I suspect that most grizzly bears of VNP den on southerly facing slopes of 30-70% (17-35”). The elevation distribution of dens will be dependent on the availability of suitable denning habitat. Most bears likely den in the hills A. Grant MecHutchon, Wildlife Biologist 11 Literature Review and Bear Management Strategy, Vuntut National Park, YT and mountains of VNP, rather than the Old Crow Flats. Dens are likely located in dry to mesic habitats on south-facing shrub or tree dominated mountain slopes. Natural caves within the limestone rock outcrops in the mountains of VNP are also likely used for dens. Any denning on the Old Crow Plats is probably limited to dry, relatively steep riverbanks. I propose four seasons of activity for grizzly bears in VNP, 1. Spring: den emergence to June 15 2. Summer: June 16 to July 15 3. Late Summer: July 16 to August 31 4. Falk September 1 to den entrance I suspect the most well used foods of grizzly bears in VNP during the spring and early summer are bearroot (Hedysarum alpinum) roots, overwintered berries, sedges, grasses and horsetail (Equisetum spp.). The main overwintered berries used are likely . kmmkmnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), bearbeny (Arctostaphylos rubra or A. alpina) and crowberry (Ernpetrum nigrum). Graminoids and horsetail are probably not readily available until late spring or early summer. I suspect the most well used foods during the summer are “green” vegetation or forbs, such as horsetail, sedges, and grasses, as well as early ripening berries. Mountain sorrel (Oxyria digyna) is probably eaten occasionally, as are other forbs. Various fruits are likely the main foods as soon as they start ripening in late July or early August (i.e., late summer). Blueberry (Vaccinium uliginosum), soapbcrry (Shepherdiu cunadensis), crowbcrry, bearberry, -nick, red currant (Ribes triste), lingonberry or cranberry (Vuccinium vitis-idaea), and cloudberry or salmonberry (Rubus chamaemorus) are berry producing species that are likely eaten from late July to mid-September. Grizzly bears probably dig for bearroot roots and ground squirrels during the fall when berry availability decreases. Bearroot roots also are likely more important during poor berry years. Mammals are likely important foods whenever grizzly bears can get them. The main mammal foods are likely caribou, moose, arctic ground squirrels, voles, and lemmings. Bears likely kill or scavenge adult and yearling caribou in spring when the caribou move northward to their calving grounds along the Yukon and Alaska coastal plain. Grizzly bears likely kill or scavenge adult, yearling, and calf caribou in summer when the caribou move to their mid-summer range in the northeast comer of VNP.
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