Movements and Habitat Use by Transplanted Marten in the Yukon Territory

Abstract

One hundred and seventy-one marten (Martes americana) were transplanted to the southwest Yukon Territory between February 1984 and January 1987. I studied survival, movements and habitat use of 30 radio-tagged marten (16 M, 14 F). Implied movement data were also collected from carcass recoveries of transplanted marten (4 M, 3 F). Ten mortalities occurred -30 days after release; however, the survival rate after that time was 595.6%. Post-release movements were classed as transient (n = 9), temporary resident (n = 10), or resident (n = 8). Mean final distances moved from release sites were 13.4 km for males and 8.6 km for females. Home range estimates were 6.0 km2 for a resident male, 7.3 km2 for a temporary resident male, and a mean of 1.9 km2 for 3 resident females. Marten typically occupied late seral or climax coniferous forests, although they freely traversed alpine tundra, open forests, a burn, and large rivers. Recommendations for successful marten transplants include the release of large numbers of marten throughout a target area, during October-January, in temperatures > -20 C. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 53(4):991-997 The Yukon Department of Renewable Resources annually monitors the status of furbearer populations by analyses of fur harvest statistics, trapper questionnaire responses, and winter track-count indices. From these data, a region of marten scarcity, extending over 15,000 kmi2, was identified in the southwest Yukon Territory. Historical accounts, dating back to the early 1900's, suggested that marten have never been common here, although since 1982 marten have been increasing in abundance on the eastern edge of the area (B. G. Slough, unpubl. data). A subjective habitat assessment (C. E. Kennedy, Habitat stud., marten relocation proj., Yukon Dep. Ren. Resour., Whitehorse, 26pp., 1984) identified potential marten habitats that were isolated from typical marten habitat by unforested or poorly forested habitats, including recent burns. The rate of colonization of vacant habitat by marten dispersing from a refuge is about 8-16 km/decade (de Vos 1951). Colonization across early successional burns or sparse forests likely would take longer. The region of marten scarcity was thus selected for a management project involving the enhancement and protection of marten populations through transplants and trapping restrictions. The transplant conducted by the Yukon Department of Renewable Resources in 1984-87 provided an opportunity to study post-release survival, movements and home range establishment, and habitat use by marten. My objective is to report information useful to furbearer managers in planning successful marten transplants. This paper is dedicated posthumously to trapper C. D. Geddes, who was so generous in assisting with the live trapping of marten. I also thank P. A. Smith, K. D. Kilpatrick, R. H. Jessup, C. M. M. Smits, A. M. Baer, H. P. Slama, D. R. Drummond, B. N. Tokarek, J. G. Balmer, K. M. Gustafson, K. L. Bowers, and the numerous Yukon trappers who assisted with all aspects of the transplant study. A. S. Harested, D. H. Mossop, and M. H. Hoefs provided guidance with manuscript preparation.