Title
Red Lake Wolverine Project Field Report 2019-2020
Author(s)
Scrafford, M. 2021.
Published
2021
Abstract
Wildlife Conservation Society Canada (WCSC) initiated a wolverine field study in Red Lake in
the spring of 2018 that has continued through the winter and summer of 2020. We
describe the rationale for the study, the methods associated with our research objectives, and
descriptive information about our initial findings.
Wolverines are listed as threatened under the Ontario Endangered Species Act, 2007. The
Ontario government’s primary rationale for listing wolverines is that there are fewer than 1000
individuals in Ontario. Scientists drafted a Wolverine Recovery Strategy (2013) in response to
their listing and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) followed with a
Government Response Statement (2016) that prioritized research and conservation measures for
wolverines in Ontario. Our project is designed to address 3 high-priority action items in the
Government Response Statement including: 1) producing data that quantifies wolverine
abundance in Red Lake and across the Ontario shield (Action #1); 2) determining wolverine
habitat use and den-site selection in response to industrial disturbance (Action #2); and 3)
developing best-management practices for human activities in wolverine habitats (Action #7).
Our field work centres around documenting wolverine movement, distribution, and abundance in
Red Lake, Ontario with the use of live traps, GPS collars, and run poles.
Project funders include the W. Garfield Weston Foundation, the Ontario Species at Risk
Stewardship Fund administered by the MNRF, Evolution, and Domtar. The field crew is
comprised of seasonal technicians, WCSC scientists, and local trappers.
Keywords
wolverine; Red Lake; Endangered Species Act; wolverine abundance; Ontario; habitat use; den-site selection; industrial disturbance; live traps; GPS collars; run poles
Full Citation
Scrafford, M. 2021. Red Lake Wolverine Project Field Report 2019-2020. Wildlife Conservation Society Canada.
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