Proceedings of the Ninth Mountain Lion Workshop - Carnivore ...

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Variation in Cougar (Puma concolor) Survival by Individual Traits, Density, and Seasonal Weather. Diana Ghikas, Canadian Wildlife Service, 300-2365 Albert Street, Regina, Saskatchewan, S4P 4K1, Canada, Diana.Ghikas@ec.gc.ca Martin Jalkotzy, Golder Associates, 1000-940 6th Avenue S.W., Calgary, Alberta, T2P 3P1, Canada, Martin_Jalkotzy@Golder.com P. Ian Ross *deceased ABSTRACT The vital rates (fecundity, survivorship) and migration rates of an animal population determine its size and composition, and represent the combined life-history performances of its constituents. Understanding how individual traits, population characteristics, and extrinsic factors influence fecundity and survivorship is fundamental to explaining the dynamics of a population. It can also reveal valuable insights about the species’ life-history strategies. In addition, being able to predict changes in vital rates, based on known associations with key explanatory variables, is important when managing for a stable population. To examine how survival varied with a cougar’s identity (e.g., age, sex) and behavior (e.g., habitat use), conspecific density, and seasonal weather, we analyzed long-term data from a hunted population of cougars in South West Alberta studied by Jalkotzy and Ross during 1981-1994. We developed generalized-linear models to identify different influences on cougar survival. Habitat use was measured in a novel way, which accounted for extreme behavior, and out-performed measuring the average habitat used. Cougars died mostly during winter. Recently-independent offspring, older individuals (>8 yrs), and males, experienced greater mortality. During winter, survival increased significantly if cougars frequented habitats >1.4 km (♀) or >2.2 km (♂) from a highway, between 1445-1678 m (♀) or 1513-1646 m (♂) elevation, and with 45% open-canopy cover, respectively) within 1 km 2 of a cougar’s location. Winter survival was higher during dry winters and following wet springs. Density-dependent effects on winter survival were not evident. We suggest that future challenges will be linking vital rates to habitat use, studying the effects of weather on survival, and applying extensive analytical techniques to long-term demographic data of cougars. Proceedings of the Ninth Mountain Lion Workshop 170
The Idaho Backcountry: Is it Still a Source Population for Cougars in Idaho? Holly Akenson, Taylor Wilderness Research Station, University of Idaho, HC 83 P.O. Box 8070, Cascade, ID 83611, USA, tayranch@uidaho.edu Bruce Ackerman, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, 600 S. Walnut St., Boise, ID 83709, USA, backerman@idfg.idaho.gov Toni Ruth, Selway Institute, 76 Sunflower Rd, Salmon, ID, 83467, USA, truth@centurytel.net Jim Akenson, Taylor Wilderness Research Station, University of Idaho, HC 83 P.O. Box 8070, Cascade, ID 83611, USA, tayranch@uidaho.edu Maurice Hornocker conducted the first major research on cougar (Puma concolor) ecology and determined that cougars living in the remote central Idaho wilderness functioned as a source population (Hornocker 1970). Hornocker (1970) concluded that the wilderness population was stable, despite high productivity of the study population, because subadult cougars dispersed long distances from the wilderness rather than remain in their natal population. Pulliam (1988) defined a source population as one with high productivity and reproductive surpluses that contributed immigrants to sink habitats. Sinks were populations where mortality exceeded reproduction and the population could not be maintained without immigration. Large source populations stabilize metapopulations, while large sinks can contribute to population decline over a large area (Logan and Sweanor 2001). Prior to Hornocker’s research and the classification of the cougar as a big game animal in Idaho in 1972, most cougars occupied the less-accessible central Idaho wilderness. Wilderness access for cougar hunting was limited to flying to backcountry airstrips, staying in camps and traveling and hunting with hounds by horseback and on foot. More accessible areas, those outside of wilderness, had roads that could be driven with a truck or snowmobile in winter to look for tracks, where hounds could be released. Cougar numbers increased in Idaho over the next 25 years as cougars recolonized much of the state. Changes in distribution and numbers of cougars occurred in more accessible areas where they had been heavily harvested prior to 1972 (Power 1985). Idaho Department of Fish and Game Mountain Lion Management Plans have incorporated the role of wilderness source populations in contributing dispersing cougars to areas with higher harvest levels (Power 1985, Harris 1991, Rachael and Nadeau 2002), therefore allowing high harvest levels to be maintained locally through immigration (Nadeau 2007). Annual cougar harvest in Idaho increased from 1973 until 1997 and has declined and stabilized since that time (Fig. 1). Wildlife agencies in other western states and provinces have reported similar cougar harvest trends, despite varying hunting regulations, including British Columbia (Austin 2005), Montana (DeSimone et al. 2005), Utah (McLaughlin 2003), and Wyoming (Wyoming Game and Fish Department 2006). Statewide harvest trends and cougar depredation trends are likely correlated with changes in cougar populations. In contrast, smaller-scale Data Analysis Unit (DAU) harvest trends may be more influenced by local source and sink dynamics, differences in hunting regulations Proceedings of the Ninth Mountain Lion Workshop 171
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Proceedings of the Ninth Mountain L
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IN REMEMBRANCE There are giants who
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Distinguished Service Awards Mauric
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North Dakota Dorothy Fescke .......
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Evaluation of noninvasive genetic s
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Survival and ages of cougars harves
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Preface Chronology of Mountain Lion
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9 th Mtn. Lion Workshop Agenda Coug
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10:35-10:55 Estimating lion populat
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Movements of a female cougar on the
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State and Province Mountain Lion St
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160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 Lions
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somewhat stable, though overall abu
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Idaho Cougar Ages 2002 2003 2004 20
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and that occurred in 1999 to a 13-y
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the approximately 15 other bills in
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for Project CAT; his primary focus
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Oregon Mountain Lion Status Report
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cougar seasons are 10 months long (
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Population Status and Trend Status
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California Mountain Lion Status Rep
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Number (i) The permit does not inva
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The steps in responding to a public
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during the attack, objects chewed o
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Montana Mountain Lion Status Report
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Red Desert basin. Mixed conifer and
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Table 1. Wyoming mountain lion mana
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(Fig. 4). Approximately 90% of all
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- Use of rubber bullets - Use of pe
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Literature Cited Anderson, C.R., JR
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Genetic Monitoring A recent study b
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Literature Cited Anderson, C. R., F
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Mule deer and bighorn sheep hunting
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In 1981, the Harvest Objective hunt
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more than 10% of Nevada’s 286,298
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Future Research The Department is c
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Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW
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Figure 1. Wildlife Management Units
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Figure 2. Cougar habitat in Utah. A
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Table 1. Utah cougar harvests, 1989
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while encouraging some hunter selec
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State’s management objectives (ma
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Stoner, D. C., W. Reith, M.L. Wolfe
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Figure 1. Colorado mountain lion Da
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Percent Q. Achievement & Success 65
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in which we request voluntary reduc
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Figure 6 is preliminary information
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humans, predation on pets, hobby st
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Arizona Mountain Lion Status Report
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Hunt Regulations Since the 8 th Mou
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The AZGFD supports the Cooperative
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South Dakota Mountain Lion Status R
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National Park [TRNP], Three Affilia
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Mountain lion carcasses were weighe
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Figure 2. Verified mountain lion lo
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In 2007, eleven mountain lions (n =
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increases or expansion. The overall
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Florida Mountain Lion Status Report
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interactions. Six categories of int
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cases (a large breed dog, miniature
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Interactions with Humans at the Urb
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Demographic and Landscape Influence
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Challenges and Opportunities Facing
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Caloosahatchee River will be depend
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Prospects for Mountain Lion Persist
Page 131 and 132: Habitat Use and Movements Proceedin
Page 133 and 134: Daily Movement Distances of Florida
Page 135 and 136: Refining the Use of GPS Telemetry C
Page 137 and 138: ural areas (hereafter, developed zo
Page 139 and 140: owned, of which over 50% were zoned
Page 141 and 142: Garmin ® (Garmin Ltd.) GPS units.
Page 143 and 144: the steplength and turnangle distri
Page 145 and 146: Table 1. Collar performance, time m
Page 147 and 148: depredation on goats newly introduc
Page 149 and 150: Paths derived from puma movement pa
Page 151 and 152: Table 6 and Fig. 3 display the perc
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Page 155 and 156: parcels) and non-preferred habitat
Page 157 and 158: CDFG 2000. California Department of
Page 159 and 160: Stralberg, D. and B. Williams. 2002
Page 161 and 162: Multi-Carnivore and Prey Interactio
Page 163 and 164: subadults, and kittens, the study p
Page 165 and 166: Cougar Home Range Shifts and Appare
Page 167 and 168: iomass, or directly when cougars ar
Page 169 and 170: Mountain Lion Movement Patterns in
Page 171 and 172: Genetics and Disease Proceedings of
Page 173 and 174: and CO2 rifles and biopsy darts (bo
Page 175 and 176: Estimation of the Bottleneck Size i
Page 177 and 178: A Preliminary Retrospective on the
Page 179 and 180: Population Estimation and Dynamics
Page 181: Dynamics and Demography of a Centra
Page 185 and 186: Study Areas and Methods We selected
Page 187 and 188: We calculated the proportion of res
Page 189 and 190: Warren Adult Female Sub Female Sub
Page 191 and 192: Harvest Rate Change Four long-term
Page 193 and 194: had increased to over 25% of the co
Page 195 and 196: editor. Proceedings of the Third Mo
Page 197 and 198: Censusing Pumas by Categorizing Phy
Page 199 and 200: Education and Social Issues Proceed
Page 201 and 202: The Land of the Living Dead Comes A
Page 203 and 204: Science and Education Working Toget
Page 205 and 206: Her dad was a cougar hunter, so Eve
Page 207 and 208: The Gray Whales’ Migration Journe
Page 209 and 210: 11) How do we manage real-time GPS
Page 211 and 212: harvest is not allowed. This reflec
Page 213 and 214: Key Concepts: Mountain Lion Managem
Page 215 and 216: Dispersal Movements of Subadult Cou
Page 217 and 218: Cougar Management Protocols: a Surv
Page 219 and 220: Response percent Response percent 1
Page 221 and 222: Table 2. Cougar population status b
Page 223 and 224: Table 5. Responses to what informat
Page 225 and 226: Rating average 4.5 4 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.
Page 227 and 228: Throughout the US and Canada, appro
Page 229 and 230: Percent Percent 100 90 80 70 60 50
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the incident rated highest (67%). O
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Brochures/pamphlets/factsheets News
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In terms of education and outreach
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Population Status A vital prerequis
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agencies towards a standardized lan
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Literature Cited Anderson, C. R., a
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6) How does your agency solicit non
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19a) Hunting information Number of
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Game Warden/Conservation Officer Pr
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Cougars are not relocated when invo
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Other (explain) 45) What approaches
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Poster Session Proceedings of the N
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Generating an Index of Relative Abu
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Movements of a Female Cougar on the
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Survival and Ages of Cougars Harves
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Intra-specific Variation in Cougar
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Cougars in British Columbia: Conser
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Cougar-Induced Vigilance in Ungulat
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List of Participants First Name Las
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First Name Last Name Affiliation Ci
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First Name Last Name Affiliation Ci
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