Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAPA4115Work Plan (a) Job No o 1 1\,H.STUDiES F'\i7S ""ANCHORAGE •.:) LIBRARY Moose Surveys in the Susitna and Copper River Valleys By:Gordon W.Watson /t1~'1 /f ~-Cf- ',.-'": During the month of November a series of moose herd composition counts were made in the Susitna V~lleyand the Nelchina Basin-Copper River Valley areas.The moose were placed in the various sex and age categories as noted in Tables I and II which include similar data for prior years o A total of 1,700 moose were tabulated in the Nelchina-Copper River area and 610 in the Susitna Valley.Statistical ana- lysis for the Nelchina-Copper counts is shown in Table 111 0 No attempt was made to count all the animals in the area but each animal noted was identified as to sex and age.The changes in calf production between the two areas is shown in Cha,rts I and II.Chart I shows the calf percent- age in relationship to the total moose population while Chart II shows the calf production per 100 cows. Calf-cow ratios and calf percentages for the Nel-, china-Copper area are essentially the same as in 1953. Two years information is not sufficient to draw conclusions as to trends in populations.In the case of the Susitna, adequate samples have been gathered'on which to base de- finite conclusions,i.e.,moose production in the Susitna is on the decrease. Table IV lists moose kills as determined by Hunter Reports compiled by the Branch of River Basin Studies • .'"~.~~~..~ ARLIS AlasK&Resources Library &.lnfoffilation ServIces '\nchora!!e,Alaska -l8~-~~~~~", ~MISCELLANEOUS PUBLICATIONS REGARDING _.,!,l HOOSE OF ALASKA I -,-~-------_.._---_._~_-..._--------~---------_._-,----_..,_..._--~------ -~- lit TABLE I I Moose Herd Composition Counts SUSITNA VALLEY II "Bu11-Ca1f-Per Yg.Adult Total Females Females Total Total Total Cow Cow Cent Males Males Males Females 1 Calf 2 Calves Females Calves Moose'Ratio Ratio Calves- - ..,---- Jan. 1950 188 1,140 16 UNov. 1951 145 '369 514 403 385 60 848 505 1,867 61:100 60:100 27 Nov. 1952 86 232 318 457 278 30 765 338 1,421 42:100 44:100 24 Nov. 1953 96 595 691 927 481 40 1,448 561 2,700 48:100 39:100 21 Nov. I 1954 196 221 88 2 311 94 601 63:100 30:100 16 I-' -..{) I TABLE II Moose Herd Com.position Counts NELCHINA BASIN -COPPER RIVER VALLEY Bul1-Calf-Per UYg.Adult Total Females Females Total Total Total Cow Cow Cent Males Ma1~Male§.Females 1 Calf 2 Calves Females Calves ~Ratio ~Calves 46 '"161 96 136 683 61:100 40:100195220722420340 20 1953 136 243 379 83 223 47 353 317 1,100 107:100 90:100 29 1954 168 476 644 195 331 65 591 465 1,700 109:100 79:100'27 . TABLE III Analysis of Moose Herd Compo~ition Data NELCBINA BASIN ~COPPER RIVER VALLEY,NOVEMBER, Young Adult Males .~ Total ~.Female Female 1 Calf I l\) 0. I Mean Sx? ..Degrees of Freedom VaI'iance Standard Deviation standardtror 95%~iducia1 Limits 99%Fiduci~lLimits 10 128 16 8.0 2.83 0.69 9-12 8-12 28 798 16 49.88 7.06 1 0 72. 24-32 23-33 38 998 16 62 0 38 709 1.92 34-42 33-44 11 302 16 18 0 88. 4035 1.06 9-13 ·8-14 19 94 16 5..88 2.42 0.59 18-20 17-21 o I Illhl o 20 I I I 21 I I I 510 Per c en t of k i ,,6-0,80 , Sept I 5 0c-~ 0 10 -VI ~c VI C ::J 15 GRAPH SHOWING CUMULATIVE %,OF MOOSE KILL ....UPPER COPP€.~-NELCHINA 0 10 c ~ CD ~ VI 15 CDc (,It C ::J 20 50 r, 25 AUG20 5 25 30 100 \20 40 Percent of kill 60 eo GRAPH SHOWING CUMULATIVE %OF MOOSE KILL ~'....-~---'--.-'---,--_......_--'---.......----~-f""',----- !,--I '\I'- ''\. ..I - \..'.:-... ~~.,-~~ ;" \~'- \;\-:..\1-----------1----------"-.... I\...r.... i I ",t\....'\ i \" , ~\ \\t~ ~; "".~...i"-_~~~-".,~--..5 50 _7 .-_I 2 5 ," o SUSITNA-PALME R ANCHORAG E -PORTAGE AREAS -:21 - 35 30 if)2;)w > -l«u ~o 20 15 CHART I NeIChma~COpp;€r RI~~,- I ................ I .............. I '0 I 'I I /. 0 lJ)(\j r0 ¢ (()en lJ)lJ)10enenenQ) ,'.......YEAR -22 - 90 80 70 ~60 ..J ~ ~ W LL o o 50 ~w ::i <I: U 30 CHART II i .f' I "'",/- I "f I "'" I "I ''0 I I I / I I I I I!Nelchina- ;~Copper River I I I I I I 1 St.~.uSlna (\J \1) (J) YEAR •c • MOOSE 'KILLS,1954 REPORTEJ:)K:ILtS 1st Sea$Oh .....2n~t.S.ea..$~ii 78**0 15 0 102 44 248 41 E8TIMATED* TOTAl.Ittth..NQT..JtEmB.T.ED·W~· ~"ti7 1~7 2J 1'4 414 4lt 12; l46 ~S9 8S 43 37 15 23 11 ~8 14 .....31 ....,.........16...._....'. 4 5 6 1 ..0 . 81 32 17 27 33 . Ahchorage l'brtage Pe.liner 8usitna (west of 148°) .st of 148° Nelchina Tangle Lakes Gulkana-Paxson Copper-Chitina Other TOT AI.(primary areas) 6:33 101 734 Othe r Areas ling salmon-Naknek ~ke Clark-Nushagak Misc. 8 9 11. o S 10 18o9101. .0.·,,·.·.··_h ••11 ···..v.y····24····--····~-iA. (iaAND TOTAL 661 101 762 *Including estimated mortality from Gun$hot:~WldS. **7 taken by bow and arrow.