REFUGE NARRATIVE REPORT May to August 1958 KODIAK NATIONAL HILDLIFE REFUGE Kodiak, Alaska Will Troyer, Refuge Manager Agnes Hansen, Clk-Steno REFUGE NARRATIVE REPORT Table of Contents I. GENERAL A. Heather Conditions 1 B. Habitat Conditions 1 II. WILDLIFE A. Migratory Birds 1 B. Upland Game Birds 2 C. Big-Game Animals 2 D. Composition Counts 4 E. Fur Animals, Predator, Rodents and other Mammals 5 F. Hawks, Eagles, Owls, Crows, Ravens and Magpies 7 G. Other Birds 7 H. Fish 7 III. REFUGE DEVELOPHENT AND M.AINTENANCE A. Physical Development 8 B. Collection and Receipt 8 c. Fires 8 IV. RESOURCES HANAGE!:·..f!::NT A. Special Use Permits 8 V. FIELD INVESTIGATIONS A. Karluk Lake Studies 8 B. Bear�Cattle Relationships 8 VI. PUBLIC RELATvJNS A. Recreational Use 9 B. Refuge Participation 9 c. Hunting 9 D. Violations 9 VII. OTHER ITEMS A. Items of Interest 9 REFUGE NARRATIVE REPORT May to August 1958 KODLt\K NATIONAL IHLDLIFE REFUGE Yodiak, Alaska I. GENERAL A. Weather Conditions. All weather data is furnished by the Fleet Heather Central, Naval Station, Kodiak, Alaska. Precipitation Max Min Snmvfall This Honth Normal Temp. Temp. 32 May 0 2.29 6.21 57 64 June 0 6.20 4.51 43 67 July 0 8.24 3.64 45 66 Aug. 0 5.44 �-.35 43 Total 0 22.17 18.71 Extremes B. Habitat Conditions. 1. h'ater. As indicated by weather data, rainfall was extremely heavy during usual periods of minor precipitation. July was one of the wetest months in history. For a two month period from the middle of June to the middle of August it rained every day except for one or two. This is our normal dry period and the extreme rainfall and bad weather conditions hindered work operations. 2. Food and Cover. Because of cloudy and cold weather conditions the ripening of the elderberry crop was delayed until early August. II. HILDLIFE A. Migratory Birds. 1. Waterfowl. The spring migration of waterfowl continued through early Nay. On a flight to Tugidak and Sitkinak Islands on May 6, twenty-nine swans were seen. In addition, around 150 white fronted geese and some mallards, gadwalls and pintails were in the area. The first brood of mallards was observed on Hay 16 and another on May 23. B. Upland Game Birds. Segeral spruce grouse were observed on Woody Island but no broods were reported. C. Big-Game Animals. l. Goats. None were observed this period. 2. Reindeer. On Hay 17, an aerial reindeer calf count was conducted. Nost reindeer were concentrated around Low Cape on the South end of Kodiak Island. At this time no attempt was made to make a total population count. A total of 409 reindeer were checked. Of these 77 or 18.8 percent were calves. During the summer most reindeer ranged from Red River to the mouth of the Sturgeon. A fe'l.v 'l.vere observed on the Karluk River in June and one lone bull was observed near the mouth of Frazer Lake. 3. Kodiak Brown Bear. a. Bear Kill Data. The total kill for the first two periods in 1958 ending August 31 was 112 bears. This is almost identical to last years kill. Of this total kill, 80 were taken by residents and non-residents for trophies. The remainder of the kill constitutes those taken for food purposes, in defense of life and property and the estimated illegal and natural mortality loss. Seventy percent of the kills were made on the Refuge and the remainder 'l.vere taken off the Refuge on Kodiak Island, Raspberry and Afognak Islands. Table I gives the sex ratio and break­ down of the kill and Table II gives the kill by district. b. Hunting Pressure Data. This year an attempt is being made to dete1�ine the hunting pressure in the field. Only hunting pressure for trophies is considered. Methods of hunting are given in five catagories as shown in Table III. Those hunting with guides always have a very high success rate. The remainder charter fishing boats, aircraft to fly into some camping spot, use skiffs or hunt from the road area by car and by foot. Of the 184 hunters who participated in the hunt, 43 percent were successful and took 80 bear. The extremely high success of the guides brings the overall success ratio unusually high. TABLE I Bear Kills - March through August 30, 1958 Trophies Male Female Unknotvn Total Resident Hunters 17 11 0 28 Non-Resident Hunters 39 13 0 52 Scientific Purposes 1 0 0 1 Defense of Life & Property 2 0 7 9 For food of Natives 4 4 Estimated Unknmvn Nortaility 18 18 Totals 59 24 29 112 TABLE II Bear Kills by District - Harch through August 1958 District Off Refuge Bear Kills Percent of Total A 15 14.4 B 3 2.9 E 1 .9 c 15 14.4 D 5 4.8 E 4 3.9 F 8 7.7 G 16 15.3 H 19 18.2 Afognak & Raspberry I. 13 12.7 I 5 4.8 105 100.00 Includes known portion of unknotvn mortality. TABLE III Hunting Pressure and Success of Various Modes of hunting - March through May 1958. Mode of Hunting No. Hunters Bear Kill % Successful Air 23 7 30.0 Car 24 4 17 .o Guided Hunt 49 45 92.0 Commercial Fishing Boat 58 15 24.0 Skiff 30 9 30.0 l!.3.0 Totals 184•b.,.:� 3 80 D. Composition Counts. These will be included in the next reports. 4. Sitka Black-Tailed Deer. The deer season opened on August 20 and about 15 animals had been taken at the end of this period. The season 'tvill continue to November 30 and all hunting data will be included in the next report. 5. Olympic Elk. a. Calving. Del Valley reported seeing the first calf tracks on May 23rd. This is earlier than any calves have been observed. On an aerial flight on July 12, elk were scattered all along Raspberry Straits and along t--1alina Beach but very few calves were observed. Calves may be well hid at this time and hard to observe by air as vegetation is quite dense. b. Cow-calf ratio counts. On August 1 cov1-calf ratio counts were flown in the Raspberry Strait area and on August 26 the Tonki Cape area 'tvas flown. A total count was aot attempted as this is usually more feasible during the rutting season. On Raspberry Island 43 cows and 24 calves were observed. This was not considered to be the entire herd. On Mal ina Point the count was 82 cot.:rs and 42 calves. Only one herd was observed on Afognak in the South Raspberry Straits area. Here 84 CO\vS tvith only 24 calves were observed. The Tonki Cape area was checked on August 26 when 66 cows and 25 calves were observed. The total aerial counts revealed a total of 115 calves and 274 cm.:rs for an overall ratio of 42 calves per hundred cows. During the elk se�son on September 8, foot checks were made of two individual herds in the lower Raspberry Strait area on the Afognak side. One herd consisted of 137 animals with 24 calves and the other consisted of 113 animals, with 22 bulls, 21 calves and 70 cows. Apparently this latter herd was missed t.:rhen making the earlier calf counts, because an aerial check revealed that the Halina herd was still in the Nalina Cape area; therefore this herd is included in the cow-calf ratio counts and would make the total count 136 calves and 345 cows for a calf to cow ratio of 40:100. Table IV gives the total counts and ratio of each individual herd. TABLE IV Cow-Calf counts and ratios of individual elk herds August, 1958 Herd Location Cows Calves Total Cow-Calf Ratio Raspberry Island 43 24 67 106:56 Malina Herd 82 42 124 100:51 Lo>ver Raspberry Strait /Fl 84 24 108 100:29 Lmver Raspberry Strait /F2 70 21 91 100:30 Tonki Cape 66 25 91 100:38 Totals 345 136 .,ep81 100:40 This may seem like an extremely large count since our aerial counts have never revealed a total census of more than 456 animals. It is well known that when eik are in spruce timber they cannot be seen by air and are missed. This was proven when the Refuge Hanager actually checked two herds by foot on the same day con­ sisting of 250 animals on the Afognak side of Lmver �asEJ;>erry Straits. Only one herd had ever been seen -atl fl� � time via air although other individuals had re- ported seeing more than one herd. From the past observation it is clear that the calf counts should not be made later than August Sf4fter this date, calves are becoming quite large and are often quite difficult to distinguish from adults especially, / when milling in a large herd. E. Fur Animals, Predator, Rodents and Other Mammals. 1. Beaver, Otter and Weasels. No report. 2. Sea Otter. On August 26 an aerial survey for sea otter was conducted around the Shuyak Island area. This survey was con­ ducted similar to last years, except for the time element. In 1957 the aerial count was made on June 7. Following is a list of the otter seen in the various areas: Eastern Shuyak 209 v:estern Shuyak Latox Rocks 365 Dark Island 17 Total 591 \ ..: 5 ..� -..- . ·--�--­ ------w-- ·-----r~~ Ot>.tiGER During 1957 the total count for the same 281.