Wildlife Research Report

MAMMALS - JULY 2004 WILDLIFE RESEARCH REPORT JULY 2003 – JUNE 2004 MAMMALS PROGRAM COLORADO DIVISION OF WILDLIFE Research Center, 317 W. Prospect, Fort Collins, CO 80526 The Job Progress Reports contained herein represent preliminary analyses and are subject to change. For this reason, information MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED OR QUOTED without permission of the Author. STATE OF COLORADO Bill Owens, Governor DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Russell George, Executive Director WILDLIFE COMMISSION Rick Enstrom, Chair ……………………………………………………………………….…..… Denver Phillip J. James, Vice Chair ………………………………….…………...………….….....…Fort Collins Claire O’Neal, Secretary ……………………………………...…………….……………..……. Holyoke Bernard Black, Jr…………………………………………………..............................................…Denver Tom Burke………………………………………………………………….………….….Grand Junction Jeffrey A. Crawford …………………………………………………………………..….………. Denver Brad Phelps ……………………………………………………..…………….………..……..…Gunnison Robert T. Shoemaker…………………………………………………………….……….…….Canon City Ken Torres ………………………………………………………………………………...........…Weston Don Ament, Dept. of Ag, Ex-officio…………………………………………………….….…..…Denver Russell George, Executive Director, Ex-officio……………………………………………………Denver DIVISION OF WILDLIFE LEADERSHIP TEAM Bruce McCloskey, Director Steve Cassin, Planning/Budgeting Jeff Ver Steeg, Wildlife Programs Scott Hoover, Acting Public Services Marilyn Salazar, Support Services MAMMALS RESEARCH STAFF Gary C. Miller, Mammals Research Leader Dan L. Baker, Wildlife Researcher Eric Bergman, Wildlife Researcher Chad Bishop, Wildlife Researcher Tracy Davis, Technician, FWR Facility Supervisor David J. Freddy, Wildlife Researcher Ken Logan, Wildlife Researcher Michael W. Miller, Wildlife Researcher Veterinarian Tanya Shenk, Wildlife Researcher Lisa Wolfe, Staff Veterinarian Wildlife Health Lab Laurie Baeten, Supervisor, Veterinarian Kate Larsen, Technician Karen Griffin, Technician Jennifer Hall, Technician Ivy LeVan, Technician Jackie Boss, Librarian Margie Michaels, Administrative Assistant ii Colorado Division of Wildlife Wildlife Research Report July 2003 – June 2004 TABLE OF CONTENTS MAMMALS RESEARCH PROGRESS REPORTS PREBLE’S MEADOW JUMPING MOUSE CONSERVATION WP 0662 EFFECTS OF RESOURCE ADDITION ON PREBLE’S MEADOW JUMPING MOUSE (Zapus hudsonius preblei) MOVEMENT PATTERNS by T. Shenk…………..1 LYNX CONSERVATION WP 0670 POST-RELEASE MONITORING OF LYNX REINTRODUCED TO COLORADO by T. Shenk…………………………….………………………….………………..……..5 WP 0670 ECOLOGY OF SNOWSHOE HARES IN COLORADO by J. Zahratkal………………15 BLACK-FOOTED FERRET WP 0880 DISEASE MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT by L. Wolfe.……….……………..17 DEER CONSERVATION WP 3001 EFFECT OF NUTRITION AND HABITAT ENHANCEMENTS ON MULE DEER RECRUITMENT AND SURVIVAL RATES by C. Bishop…………………….21 ELK CONSERVATION WP 3002 TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR ELK AND VEGETATION MANAGEMENT ENIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK by D. Baker…..……………………………….…………………...45 WP 3002 ESTIMATING CALF AND ADULT SURVIVAL RATES AND PREGNANCY RATES OF GUNNISON BASIN ELK by D. Freddy……………….…57 PUMA CONSERVATION WP 3003 COLORADO PUMA RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM by K. Logan……………………………………………………………..……………….61 OTHER UNGULATES CONSERVATION WP 3004 POTENTIAL RESEARCH PROJECT ASSESSMENT by E. Bergman…………...….89 iii WILDLIFE DISEASES WP 3740 CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE IN MULE DEER – RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT by M. Miller and L. Wolfe.………………………………….…..…103 WP 3740 WILDLIFE DISEASE SURVEILLANCE TECHNICAL AND LABORATORY SUPPORT by L. Baeten……………………………….…………………………….....113 WP 3740 PILOT EVALUATION OF GPS TECHNOLOGY IN CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE PREVALENCE AND MANAGEMENT AT ARTIFICIAL FEEDING SITES IN URBAN AREAS by E. Bergman, M. Miller, and L. Wolfe…………...……119 WP 3740 VETERINARY SERVICES – MEDICAL SUPPORT by L. L. Wolfe……………..…123 WP 3740 ANIMAL AND PEN SUPPORT FACILITIES FOR MAMMALS RESEARCH by T. Davis……………………………………..……………………………….………139 MULTISPECIES INVESTIGATIONS WP 3001 CONSULTING SERVICES FOR JOB MARK-RECAPTURE ANALYSIS by G. White…………………………………..………………………………….…..….151 RESEARCH SUPPORT / ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES WP 7210 LIBRARY SERVICES by J. Boss…………………..………………………………….163 iv Colorado Division of Wildlife Wildlife Research Report July 2003 – June 2004 JOB PROGRESS REPORT State of Colorado : Cost Center 3430 Project No. : Mammals Research Work Package No. 0662 : Preble’s Meadow Jumping Mouse Conservation Effects of Resource Addition on Preble’s Meadow Jumping Mouse (Zapus hudsonius Task No. 2 : preblei) Movement Patterns Federal Aid Project: N/A : Period Covered: July 1, 2003 - June 30, 2004 Author: Anne M. Trainor. Personnel: T. M. Shenk, K. R. Wilson, G. C. White All information in this report is preliminary and subject to further evaluation. Information MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED OR QUOTED without permission of the author. Manipulation of these data beyond that contained in this report is discouraged. ABSTRACT A thesis, entitled ‘Influence of resource supplementation on movements of Preble’s meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius preblei) and habitat use characteristics,’ was completed and submitted to Colorado State University in partial fulfillment of a Master of Science degree. The thesis is available from The Colorado Division of Wildlife Library or the Colorado State University Library. Included in this report is an abstract of the thesis. 1 JOB PROGRESS REPORT INFLUENCE OF RESOURCE SUPPLEMENTATION ON MOVEMENTS OF PREBLE’S MEADOW JUMPING MOUSE (Zapus hudsonius preblei) AND HABITAT USE CHARACTERISTICS Anne M. Trainor ABSTRACT Riparian wetlands are complex ecosystems containing great species diversity that may easily be affected by anthropogenic disturbances. Preble’s meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius preblei) is a federally threatened species dependent upon riparian wetlands. It has been the subject of habitat management and conservation efforts involving restoration and mitigation projects along the eastern Front Range of Colorado and southeastern Wyoming. Although habitat improvements for Z. h. preblei are designed for multiple spatial scales, most knowledge about the species’ habitat requirements has been described at a broad landscape scale. In addition, few projects have directly evaluated the mouse’s response to restoration and mitigation projects. The first objective of this study was to determine how supplementation using artificial resources influences the spatial movement patterns of a Z. h. preblei population. Previous studies described Z. h. preblei use areas through live trapping. This study more precisely evaluated Z. h. preblei spatial use by applying radio telemetry within a riparian ecosystem. I conducted an experiment by constructing treatment plots of artificial resources (food and cover) in areas with no previous detections of Z. h. preblei during 3 prior years (1998-2000) of intensive monitoring. Z. h. preblei were radio collared and then located hourly during nightly activity periods before and after the addition of food and cover. The second objective of this study was to improve understanding about micro-habitat characteristics that Z. h. preblei use. During the resource supplementation experiment, Z. h. preblei response to treatment plots varied by year with only 1 of 13 radio-tagged individuals using supplemental resources during 2002 and 6 of 8 in 2003. The lower use in 2002 may have been due to drought conditions, which decreased available herbaceous cover and thus protection from predators. While treatment plot use increased in 2003, the overall use was relatively low when compared to natural, high-use areas. The mean proportion of treatment plot use in 2003 was = 5.9% (SE =1.4%, range = 0% to 12%). Limited use of treatment plots may have been due to site fidelity and minimal exploratory movements by Z. h. preblei or to elevated predation risk. A comparison of micro-habitat characteristics from random samples of high-use and no-use areas indicated that areas used intensely by Z. h. preblei were closer to the center of the creek bed and positively associated with shrub, grass, and woody debris cover. Distance to center of the creek bed, percent shrub cover, and grass cover had the greatest relative importance of the habitat variables modeled in describing high-use areas. High-use areas contained three times the percent of grass cover as forb cover. There was a greater proportion of wetland shrub and grass cover in high-use versus no-use cells. However, proportion of cover type (shrub or grass) did not vary greatly between high-use and no use cells. Within riparian wetlands, the identification of key micro-habitat components that are intensively used by Z. h. preblei could improve conservation and management programs. In addition, results from the resource supplementation experiment suggest that TP pˆ mitigation and restoration may not ensure use of areas by threatened and endangered species. Therefore, understanding how species respond to changes in 2 areas where they currently live will require development of more efficient and effective mitigation projects, and monitoring by conservation biologists and wildlife managers will be essential. Prepared by _______________________ Anne M. Trainor, Colorado State University 3 4 Colorado Division of Wildlife Wildlife Research Report July 2003- June 2004 JOB PROGRESS REPORT State of Colorado : Cost Center 3430 Project No. : Mammals Research Work Package No. 0670 : Lynx Conservation Task No. 1 : Post-Release Monitoring of Lynx Reintroduced to Colorado Federal Aid Project: N/A : Period Covered: July 1, 2003 - June 30, 2004 Author: Tanya

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