Post-Release Movements of Introduced Marten

Abstract

The U.S. Forest Service and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources released 124 marten (Martes americana) (97 males, 27 females) into the Fisher Management Unit (FMU) of the Nicolet National Forest between 26 January 1975 and 3 April 1976. Twenty-one marten (9 males, 12 females) were radiocollared to evaluate: (1) effects of 2 release methods, (2) release movements, and (3) reproduction. Postrelease movements for the 30-day period after release were significantly less for gentle-release (G-R) than for quick-release (Q-R) radio-collared marten. The G-R marten were held for a minimum of 1 week in pens placed throughout the FMU; Q-R marten were released directly from shipping containers. Six radio-collared marten moved out of the FMU by June 1976; maximum straight line movement in a 24-hour period was 22.0 km. Home range estimates for 2 females were 8.2 (N = 170) and 7.7 km2 (N = 42). No evidence of reproduction was documented. Marten are easily live-trapped and transported to parts of their former range provided accepted animal husbandry practices are followed. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 47(1):59-66 Marten were once indigenous to many of the wooded areas of the midwest. Their disappearance from these areas was apparently related to excessive trapping, fires, and logging during the 1800's and 1900's, which drastically reduced marten range throughout North America (Schupbach 1977). The marten was extirpated from Wisconsin in 1925 (Jackson 1961) and is currently classified as endangered in that state. The regrowth of forests in northern Wisconsin and upper Michigan in the last 50 years has created habitat that can again support marten. An attempt to introduce marten during 1969-70 in upper Michigan failed because of trapping pressure and emigration (Schupbach 1977). The U.S. Forest Service and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) released marten into the northwest portion of the Nicolet National Forest in 1975-76. Concurrent with the release, a study was initiated to evaluate: (1) effects of 2 release methods, (2) marten movements after release, and (3) marten reproduction. Research was conducted from I January 1975 to 30 June 1976. I thank L. Martoglio, E. Nelson, R. Perre-Davis, J. Toepfer, P. Vanderschaegen, and especially R. K. Anderson for support throughout the project. The U.S. Forest Service (Region 9), Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point provided financial support. STUDY AREA AND METHODS Marten were released into the Fisher Management Unit (FMU) in the Nicolet National Forest (Fig. 1). This 560-km2 area consists mainly of large lowlands and dense hardwoods within the Pine River Watershed, Forest County. It has been closed to dry-set trapping since the 1960's when fisher (Martes pennanti) were successfully reintroduced. The average annual p ecipitation in the area is 76.2 cm and the average snowfall is 127.0-152.4 cm. J n ry temperatures average -10.8 C, July temperatures average 18.7 C, and annual temperatures average 4.3 C. The FMU contains a variety of habitats differing in composition, age, and size. Large homogeneous stands are not characteristic of this area. Parallel northeastIPresent address: Bureau of Land Management, Battle Mountain, NV 89820. J. Wildl. Manage. 47(1):1983 59 This content downloaded from 207.46.13.120 on Wed, 14 Sep 2016 05:38:20 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 60 MOVEMENTS OF INTRODUCED MARTEN * Davis