ALEUTIAN ISLANDS MOTIVE REPORTS JAl'JUARY 1945 -DECEMBER 1947 I0 3 A i 3 ... 3 ^ ROUTIHG SLIP DIVISIOl OP1 -VILDLIFE REFUGES DATE ;February 5 194 5 m« SALTER ^ SECTION OP HABITAT B-IPROVEIIE^IT: : PL. ELIIER , Dr» Bourn Mice Cook SECTION OF OPERATIONS: SECTION OF LAND MAHAGffiEUT: Hr» Regan ViT* Krumrnes Mr. Ball iilss Baum SECTION OF STRUCTURES: STENOGRJIPHERS: I,Ir« Taylor RH.^RKS Aleutian Islands National Wildlife Refuge Narrative Renort January 1 - December, 31., 19^5 Return to: 11528 MMstum mumm mm.mM* WMMLME msmm ***** INDEX ***** FORWORD 2 I. GENERAL Weather Conditions , 4 II. WILDLIFE Bird Observations 4 Big Game Animals 8 Fur Animals, Predators, Rodents & Other Mammals9 IV. ECONOMIC USE OF THE REFUGE Fur Harvest , 11 Special Use Permits - F.Y. 1945 12 Special Use Permits, Unimak - F.Y. 1945 13 Special Use Permits - F.Y. 1946 14 Special Use Permits, Unimak - F.Y. 1946 14 VI. PUBLIC RELATIONS Military Restrictions on Fur Farming Activities...15 Letter from Ref. Mgr. to Conmandant 17th ND — re status of iileutian Islands concerning travel and fur farming activities 16 Reply from Commandant 20 Reply from Commanding General, Ft« Richardson 21 VII. OTHER ITEMS Native Villages 22 ***** *** * AUSUTIHN ISLiiNDS NATIONiiL WILDLIFE REFUGE **************************** REFUGE NARRATIVE REPORT FORWORD Since I have spent only a small period of time on the Aleutian Islands National Wildlife Refuge during Calendar Year 1945, the Refuge Narrative Report, ordinarily submitted quarterly, will be an annual report. Three quarterly reports would merely be repetitious and nothing constructive would be gained by submitting the same infor­ mation three times. During World War II the Aleutian Chain, including the area set apart as the Aleutian Islands National Wildlife Refuge, has been com­ pletely under Military control and supervision. The time I have spent in that area has been at their discretion and my means of travel from island to island has been almost entirely Military transporta­ tion — planes or boats — when they happened to be going my way. Naturally under such wartime circumstances any progressive work there has been out of the question. Fox ranching activities have been at a standstill except at the Eastern end of the Refuge. During this past year my actual Refuge work has consisted of sealing fox pelts, collecting sealing fees, taking applications for Special Use Permits, enforcement, handling correspondence relative to conservation, enforce­ ment and other Refuge matters, etc. While in the .nleutians I endeavour­ ed to spend the balance of my time gathering by observation and dis­ cussion with the Military and civilians what information I could on wildlife conditions there. I also tried to educate the people as to the status of blue foxes, impressing on them that these foxes are pri­ vate property, and cautioned them against killing or taking them as pets. I made contact with numerous military personnel from the West­ ward, discussing wildlife problems and the necessity for law enforce­ ment, particularly concerning sea otter and blue fox. During this past year I have also had discussions with the Alaska Indian Service pertinent to the reallocation of islands in the rehabilitation of the Natives. — I will set forth this information in the Narrative Report, following as closely as is practicable the form presented in "Field Manual—Wildlife Refuges". Such information as weather reports or pictures of the Refuge will not be included since military censorship made it impossible to obtain them. The balance of my time this year has been spent on and in the vic­ inity of Kodiak Island with such duties as are described by me on Form No. 3-119, Weekly Itinerary and fieport of Activities, submitted monthly to the Regional Office in Juneau, Alaska, NARRATIVE REPORT F07^WORD-Cont»d. Since I have had the Field Manual for only a few months, this is the first report of this type submitted by me. However, had I been aware of the instructions, strict censorship in defense of our national safety would have forbidden any similar reports of my activities in the Aleutians to be sent out. Should it be the desire of your office to have reports of my previous years on the Refuge, they will be forth­ coming. Though unorthodox as adjudged by the prescribed form, they should be of some value, as well as be a picture of a Refuge Managers activities during wartime on a National Wildlife Refuge taken over by the Military, Any suggestions as to the form these reports should follow in the event they are desired, will be sincerely appreciated. ALEUTIAN ISLANDS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE REFUGE NARRATIVE REPORT for Jan. 1 — Doc, 31, 1945 *************************************************** I. GENERAL Ao Weather Conditions, The Refuge does not operate a weather station in the Aleutians, During the war no weather data has been available from stations maintained by other Government agencies. From now on it will be possible, however, with the lifting of military restric­ tions, to obtain complete weather reports from various stations be­ tween Attn and Unimak Islands, II. WILDLIFE A. Bird Observationso Bird life in the Aleutian area is still a rela­ tively unknown quantity and information is needed on all species* Therefore, I kept a daily record of observations during the period I spent in the Aleutians between March 30th and May 19th, 1945. The list (which is necessarily terse) identifying the types of birds noted, location and date observed follows: JPacific Loon: These were seen in the Shumagins, King Cove, False Pass, / Albatross; Saw four to six near Metrofania Island — following ship. /Pelagic Cormorant! Seen plentifully between 3-27 to 4-30-45 in following places: Shumagin Islands, Cold Bay, False Pass, Unalaska, Sanak Island and King Gove. J Geese: King Cove — (5-9&10—45) — flocks of IS and 20 flying high from eastward toward Cold Bay. iMallard: Fa^se Pass — (from 4-4 to 4-13—45)—observed occasional pair. iGreen-Winged Teal: Reported plentiful on Caton, Sanak, and at False Pass this winter. * Scaup: Reported at False Pass during past winter. King Cove — (5-2 & 3 —45)—saw one and two females. ^Qolden-gye, Common: Caton Island — (4-18-45) — two females on lake. King Cove — (5-7-45) — one female. i Harlequin: Noted that this bird was plentiful in the following places: False Pass (4-4 to 13—45), Sanak Island, (4-14-45), Caton Island (4-15 to 21 —45), King Cove (4-21-to 30—i5) & (5-1 to 10—15. Also 5-12-45) jBuffle-Head; Observed two pairs at Sanak Island (4-14-45). Observed eight pairs Caton Island (4-15 to 20—45)-cont,d next page< NARRATIVE REPORT II. WILDLIFE -Cont»d. King Cove — (5-3-45) — saw one pair in lagoon. «w — (5-7-45) — " seven males and one female« / White-Winged Scoter; Cold Bay — (3-31-45) —scattered birds. False Pass — (3-31-45) — scattering to plentiful. " « — (4-4 to 14—45) — plentiful. Sanak — (4-15-45) — plentiful. Caton Island (4-15 to 21 —45) — plentiful. King Cove — (4-21 to 5-4-45) — plentiful. * » — (5-6,7,508—45)—three or four juveniles after 4th. No adult males this area. w n —(5-12-45) — three adult males only with group of American Scoter. fV H " — (5-14&15—45) — four juveniles. • yAmerican Scoter; Cold Bay —(3-31-45) — scattered. False Pass —(3-31-45) — plentiful. •» w — (4-4 to 13—45) — plentiful. Cold Bay — (4-11-45) — plentiful. Sanak Island — (4-14-45) — plentiful. Caton Island (4-15 to 21—45) — plentiful. King Cove — (4-21 to 30—45) — plentiful. » » — (5-1- to 12—45) — male and female adults still moderately plentiful in this area, though decreasing in numbers. " " (5-14 & 15—45) — small groups of four and five / each. / Old Squaw; Sand Point —(3-28-45) — heard in vicinity. Unalaska — (4-2-45) — common. False Pass — (4-4 to 13—45) — common. Cold Bay — (4-11-45) — common. Caton & Sanak Islands — (4-15 to 21—45) — common. King Cove — (4-21 to 30—45) — common. " n — (5-1 to 3—45) — common. Last seen on third at King Cove. Stellar,s Eider; False Pass — (3-31-45) — saw eight adult males and twelve females. False Pass — (4-4 to 13—45) —common. Adult males are still present• Sanak Island — (4-14-45) — adult males and females observed. j. King Eider; Cold Bay at Kelp Point — (3-31-45) — scattered. False Pass near Whirl Point — (3-31-45) — scattered adult males, but mostly juveniles and females. False Pass — (4-4 to 13—45) — juveniles and females abundant* Scattered adult males—three on 9th and same on 13th, King Cove — (4-28-45) — one male and five females, « » —. (5-14, 15, & 16—45) — one juvenile male and three juvenile females — lagoon. NARRATIVE REPORT II. WILDLIFE—Cont'd. ^ Pacific Elder; Cold Bay — (3-31-45) — scattering with adult male seen occasionally. False Pass to Unalaska — (4-1-45) — several flying in Ikatan Bay, adult males. False Pass — (4-4 to 13—45) — occasional adult males with small flock females. Cold Bay — (4-11-45) — five adult males and six females off Kelp Point. J Merganser; King Cove — (5-7-45) — four females or juveniles in lagoon, / King Cove — (5-10-45) — one pair, also in lagoon, y Raven; Kodiak to Unalaska and return — abundant, y Falcon; Caton Island — (4-18-45) — one bird, (dark cheek patch, brown body). King Cove — (5-18-45) — one l?ird same description as above pursuing Willcw Ptarmigan/ i Bald Eagle; False Pass — (3-31-45) — three flying. Unalaska — (4-2-45) — common. False Pass — (4-4 to 13—45) — common. Caton Island — (4-15 to 21—45) — common.