2010 AnnuAl RepoRt of 2010 Annual Report NWT Wildlife ReseaRch PeRmiTs aNd WesTeRN NWT BioPhysical sTudy NWT Wildlife Research Permits and Biophysical Study NWT Wildlife Cover Photo: Boyan Tracz 2010 ANNUAL REPORT of nWt WIlDlIFE ReSeARCH PERMItS INTRODUCTION Map of the Northwest Territories ...........................................................................................................................6 ENR Administrative Regions of the NWT ............................................................................................................7 Annual Report of NWT Wildlife Research Permits ...........................................................................................9 WIlDlIfe SpecieS ReSearch Bears • Assessment of Possible Impacts of Oil and Gas Activities on Polar Bears in the Outer Mackenzie Delta and Nearshore Southern Beaufort Sea ................................................................................... 11 • Populations and Sources of Recruitment in Polar Bears ..................................................................................... 13 Birds • Latitudinal Impacts on Carry-Over Effects in a Neotropical Songbird (Dendroica petechia) ................... 15 • Population Management of Geese and Swans in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region Using Aerial Surveys and Banding Studies ...................................................................................................................... 17 • Delineation of Populations and Migratory Pathways of Yellow-billed Loons ............................................... 19 • Shorebird Surveys in the Mackenzie Delta, Northwest Territories ................................................................... 23 • The 2010 International Trumpeter Swan Survey in the Northwest Territories ............................................... 25 • Identification of Beaufort Sea Migration Corridor for Sea Ducks ...................................................................... 27 • Western Canada Cooperative Duck Banding Program at Willow Lake, Sahtu Settlement Area, Northwest Territories 2010 ........................................................................................................................................... 29 • Cooperative Waterfowl Population Surveys in the Northwest Territories ...................................................... 31 • Aerial Waterfowl Survey on Banks Island and Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula, 2010 ............................................... 33 • Abundance and Productivity of Waterfowl and Other Aquatic Birds Breeding in the Boreal Forest ........................................................................................................................................................... 35 • Western Canada Cooperative Pre-season Waterfowl Banding Program Mills Lake, Northwest Territories ............................................................................................................................... 37 • Western Canada Cooperative Waterfowl Banding Program – Stagg River Station ................................... 39 • Whooping Crane Ecology and Rehabilitation ...................................................................................................... 41 • Peregrine Falcon Survey along the Mackenzie River ......................................................................................... 45 CAribou • Population Parameters, Movements, Distribution and Habitat Use of the Ahiak and Beverly Barren-ground Caribou Herds .................................................................................................................................. 47 • Population Monitoring of the South Nahanni and Coal River Caribou Herds .............................................. 49 • Arctic Island Caribou and Muskox Population Survey ....................................................................................... 51 • Monitoring of the Bathurst and Bluenose East Caribou Herd ............................................................................ 53 • Bathurst Caribou Health, Condition and Contaminant Monitoring ................................................................ 55 continued next page 3 2010 ANNUAL REPORT of nWt WIlDlIFE ReSeARCH PERMItS haRe • Speciation and Concentration of Arsenic in Hare Inhabiting the North Slave Region ............................... 59 MarteN • Comparative Study of North and South Slave Marten ....................................................................................... 63 MuskOx • Muskox Abundance and Distribution Survey ....................................................................................................... 65 Sheep • Dall’s Sheep Aerial Survey in the Richardson Mountains ................................................................................. 67 WOlverine • Wolverine DNA Sampling on the Central Barrens .............................................................................................. 69 • NWT Wolverine Carcass Collection ......................................................................................................................... 71 WIlDlIfe healTh • Wildlife Health & Genetic Monitoring ...................................................................................................................... 73 WIlDlIfe and habitaT MOnitoring • Small Mammal and Hare Transect Surveys .......................................................................................................... 77 • Ecological Regions (Ecosystem Classification) of the Northwest Territories Arctic Islands ........................ 81 ProtecteD AreaS • Protected Areas Strategy Shúhtagot'iné Néné ...................................................................................................... 83 • Ecological Assessment of the Ka’a’gee Tu Candidate Protected Area ........................................................... 85 • Ecological Assessment of Kwets'ootł'àà Candidate Protected Area ............................................................... 87 ReSearch RelaTeD to DevelOpMent ActIviteS • Tuktoyaktuk Wind Farm Bird Monitoring Project.................................................................................................. 91 • Muskwa Plateau and Beaver River Wildlife Inventory ....................................................................................... 93 • 2010 Baseline Environmental Studies, Nechalacho Rare Earth Element Project.......................................... 95 • MMG Resources Inc. Izok Project, Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat Baseline Studies ....................................... 97 • De Beers Snap Lake Mine: Wildlife Effects Monitoring Program ...................................................................... 99 • Gahcho Kué Environmental Monitoring ............................................................................................................... 101 • Fortune Minerals Ltd Nico Project Wildlife Baseline Studies ........................................................................... 103 • Quantifying Boreal Bird and Mammal Response to Human Land Use Practices in the Northwest Territories ...................................................................................................................................... 105 4 2010 ANNUAL REPORT of WeSTERn nWt BIOPHYSICAl STUDY Western NWT Biophysical Study • Western NWT Biophysical Study ............................................................................................................................ 109 • Population Dynamics, Physical Condition, Seasonal Movements, Health, Contaminants and Harvest of Barren-Ground Caribou – CLS America ................................................................................ 111 • Ecology of Boreal Woodland Caribou in the Central Mackenzie River Valley ........................................... 113 • Boreal Woodland Caribou Habitat and Productivity ........................................................................................ 115 • Boreal Caribou Fitness and Habitat Use in the Cameron Hills/ Hay River Lowlands Area of the Dehcho, Northwest Territories ................................................................................................................................. 117 • Seasonal Range Use and Movement Patterns of Boreal Caribou in the Dehcho....................................... 119 • CLS America Data Acquisition (Caribou and Grizzly Bears) .......................................................................... 123 • Dehcho Moose Population Monitoring Program ................................................................................................ 125 • Nahanni Wood Bison Population Survey ............................................................................................................. 129 • Dehcho Bi-annual Regional Wildlife Workshop ................................................................................................. 133 INDEX................................................................................................................................................................................ 135 5 Northwest Territories Centre for Geomatics 6 7 Photo: S. Topp 8 2010 Annual Report of NWT Wildlife Research Permits Under the Wildlife Act (section 24), a valid Wildlife Research Permit is required to study wildlife or wildlife habitat in the Northwest Territories (NWT). It is an offence to conduct a survey or census of wildlife or wildlife behaviour, administer drugs,