Apr 3, 1996 - Key Words: Bison, Bison bison, Wolf, Canis lupus, Wood Buffalo National Park, movement, predation. .... Observations of wolves hunting cari-.
Notes
1997
years of low C. gapperi population numbers since
Volume
The averages hindfoot, in
imens
for standard
mm;
measurements
(total,
weight, in g) of the four spec-
are, respectively, 124, 27, 18.0,
and 19.0 and
the specimens are in the Science Museum of Minnesota collection, accessions Z95:14 and Z96:7.
2nd
1.
mammals
edition.
of North America. John Wiley and Sons, New
York. 600 + 90 pages. Handley, C. O., Jr. 1954. Phenacomys Journal of
Mammalogy
in
Minnesota.
35: 260.
Hazard, E. B. 1982. The mammals of Minnesota. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis. 280 pages.
Innes, D. G. L., and J. S. Millar. 1982. Life-history notes on the heather vole, Phenacomys intermedins levis, in
the
Acknowledgments We thank W. Smith
1981. The
Hall, E. R.
1983.
tail,
461
Canadian Rocky Mountains. Canadian Field-
Naturalist 96: 307-311.
1990. Population constancy of the rock
some of the plants reported herein and T. J. Boerboom for identification of the boulders. This work was supported by the Science Museum of Minnesota and
Jannett, F.
Superior National Forest.
229 pages. Jannett, F. J., Jr., and R.J. Oehlenschlager. 1994. Range extension and first Minnesota records of the smokey shrew {Sorex fumeus). American Midland Naturalist 131: 364-365. McAllister, J. A., and R. S. Hoffmann. 1988.
for identification of
Literature Cited Douglass, R.
J.,
and D. McDonald. 1976.
A
northern
record for the heather vole, Phenacomys intermedins, in the Northwest Territories. Canadian Field-Naturalist 90:
J., Jr.
vole, Microtus chrotorrhinus, in northeastern Minnesota.
Pages 81-87 in Social systems and population cycles in voles. Edited by R. H. Tamarin, R. S. Ostfeld, S. R. Pugh, and G. Bujalska. Birkhauser Verlag A G, Basel.
82-83.
Phenacomys intermedins. Mammalian Species 305:
Edwards, R. Y. 1952. How efficient are snap traps in taking small mammals? Journal of Mammalogy 33: 497^98.
Edwards, R. Y. 1955. The
the heather vole,
Kananaskis Valley, Alberta. Canadian Field-Naturalist 99: 196-204.
habitat preferences of the
Boreal Phenacomys. Murrelet 36: 35-38. Etnier, D. A. 1989. Small mammals of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, with a second Minnesota record for
Phenacomys intermedins. Canadian
Field-Naturalist 103: 353-357.
Negus, N. 1950. Habitat adaptability of Phenacomys
Wyoming.
Journal of
Mammalogy
in
31: 351.
Received 3 April 1996 Accepted 11 December 1996
Unusual Movement by Bison, Bison bison, Canis lupus, Predation L. N.
1-8.
Millar, J. S., D. G. L. Innes, and V. A. Loewen. 1985. Habitat use by non-hibernating small mammals of the
in
Response
to Wolf,
Carbyn
Canadian Wildlife Service, 4999
-
98 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta
T6B 2X3
Carbyn, L. N. 1997. Unusual movement by Bison, Bison bison, in response Field-Naturalist 111(3): 461^162. Pursuit of Bison by
Wolves was studied
in
to
Wolf, Canis lupus, predation. Canadian
conjunction with predator-prey studies in
Wood
Buffalo National Park. The
average distance of chases was 4.9 km. This paper describes an unusual chase that was observed
km before
a calf
Key Words:
was
killed, then
continued to run another 81.5
Bison, Bison bison, Wolf, Canis lupus,
Wood
prior to killing indicates that
prey generally flees less than 8.0
km
a herd fled for 4.3
Buffalo National Park, movement, predation.
Information published on the pursuit of prey by
Wolves {Canis lupus)
when
km within a 24-h period.
(Chrisler 1956;
Kolensky 1972; Mech and Korb 1978; Carbyn et al. 1993). Mech and Korb (1978) stated that Whitetailed Deer {Odocoileus virginianus) stopped running soon after Wolves abandoned pursuit "so that deer rarely travelled more than 6.0 km". Studies of Wolf predation on Elk (Cervus elaphus) and Moose (Alces alces) in Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba, indicated that recorded chase lengths of
these species averaged 129 metres and 883 metres,
km
and 2.4 km respecunpublished data). Successful chase lengths by Wolves killing Bison {Bison bison) in Wood Buffalo National Park averaged 4.9 km, with the maximum chase recorded being 16.2 km (Oosenbrug and Carbyn 1985). For most species, prey generally stop running soon after Wolves abandon pursuit (Mech and Korb 1978). This does not appear to be the case for Bison. In 15 of 37 attacks recorded, Bison continued running an with
maximum
tively (L. N.
lengths of
Carbyn and
1
P. Paquet,
The Canadian Field-Naturalist
462
km
(Carbyn et al. 1993). was no flight after a kill were included, the average distance run was 7.1 km. One observation of particular interest was made on 9 March 1981 when a herd of Bison average distance of 17.5
When
moved
A
instances in which there
81.5
km
after a kill.
mixed herd of 90 Bison was
first
encountered
Wolf pack on 8 day, eight Wolves were
in association with a radio-collared
February 1981. On that seen chasing the herd at 1510
initially were in a tight herd formation and that the herd had not stopped to feed. Later, this pattern was
compact and the tracks were more "braided", still no evidence of feeding. After a 20-km route through brush, the Bison reached a snow-ploughed road and rested (as evidenced from beds and dung piles). The bison continued their travel for another 61.5 km before they were seen around 1200 hours (March 9). less
but there was
hrs. After several
I
Wolves discontinued their attacks by 1525 hrs. Tracks in the snow indicated that during the next 18 hours the pack repeatedly tested the herd but did not make a kill. When the same pack was contacted on 14 February, evidence again indi-
ing
attempts, the
cated several attempts (at least three) to press the
Bison herd.
By
16 February, the pack had killed a
had moved 20 km to another site. was not until 6 March that the same pack (minus one pack member) again pressed the attack. When the herd was first spotted at 1725 hours, the Bison had been in a tight formation and the pack had just left the herd. During the night or following morning, the Wolves had again unsuccessfully pressed their attack and the Bison had fled more than 7.2 km. On 8 March, at 1000 hours, the pack had moved closer to the herd and were keeping the Bison under surveillance. On 9 March, the pack was again observed, this time resting near a freshlykilled Bison calf. Snow conditions were such that evidence of the chase could be clearly traced from the air. The Wolves had chased the herd through open meadows for 4.3 km from the site at which they had last been observed. The calf was killed
cow and
the herd
It
when the herd ran through forest cover. It is conceivable that obstruction from trees and undergrowth might hinder calves more than adult Bison when herds are pressed into vegetation cover. During summer, Wolves tend to seek out herds with calves (Carbyn and Trottier 1987; Carbyn et al.
1993).
Once
a kill
is
made. Wolves generally do
not continue to chase the prey. the
Wolves remained with
On
question the adaptive advantage of Bison
away from
a pack that has just
tinued to flee. Tracks indicated that the
movements
made
mov-
a kill and
of running into an area where they risked moving into a territory of another pack. Furthermore, the
Bison herd had moved out of an area of prime sedge (Carex) ranges to an area that appeared to be poor range. On the other hand, this strategy would work well to avoid multiple kills by the same pack. Multiple kills have been observed in this area (Carbyn et al. 1993).
Literature Cited Carbyn, L. N., and T. Trottier. 1987. Responses of bison on their calving grounds to predation by wolves in Wood Buffalo National Park. Canadian Journal of Zoology 65: 2072-2078. Carbyn, L. N., S. M. Oosenbrug, and D. Anions. 1993. Wolves, bison and the dynamics related to the PeaceAthabasca delta in Canada's Wood Buffalo National Park. Circumpolar Research Series Number 4. Canadian Circumpolar Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton. 270 pages. Chrisler, L. 1956. Observations of wolves hunting caribou. Journal of Mammalogy 37: 337-346. Kolenosky, G. B. 1972. Wolf predation on wintering deer in east-central Ontario. Journal of Wildlife Management 36: 357-368. Mech, D. L., and M. Korb. 1978. An unusually long pursuit of a deer by a wolf. Journal of Mammalogy 59: 860-861. Oosenbrug, S. M., and L. N. Carbyn. 1985. Wolf predation on bison in Wood Buffalo National Park. Canadian Wildlife Service Report. Department of Environment, Edmonton. Alberta. 264 pages.
this occasion,
the kill and the herd con-
Vol. Ill
Received 18 April 1996 Accepted 20 November 1996
