Absaroka-Beartooth Wolverine Project

Jeffrey P. Copeland, Wildlife Biologist,
Rocky Mountain Research Station
P.O. Box 8089
Missoula, MT 59801
406-542-4165 jpcopeland@fs.fed.us

Kerry Murphy, Wildlife Biologist
Yellowstone National Park
P.O. Box 168
Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190
307-739-3321 (Moose, WY) kerry_murphy@nps.gov

Jason Wilmot, Project Field Coordinator
Jackson, WY 38001 jason@nrccooperative.org

Project Summary: Due to elevated public concerns about the potential for adverse human effects on wolverine populations and their habitat, wolverines have emerged as a primary concern for federal land managers in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). A strong need has been identified for research studies that support wolverine habitat and population management and to develop long-range conservation strategies. We propose a comprehensive 5-year (2005–2009) field project to evaluate wolverine status, ecology, and interactions with humans in the Absaroka Mountain Range in western Wyoming and south-central Montana. The study site includes east Yellowstone National Park and the adjoining Gallatin, Shoshone, and Bridger-Teton national forests. Although reliable sightings of individuals or their tracks indicate that wolverines inhabit and may breed in this area, no work on this species has occurred, other than compilation of sightings records. Managers lack basic information on wolverine distribution; breeding and residency status; and habitat affinities. This study is specifically intended to remedy these important information shortfalls. The project will be co-managed by the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station and Yellowstone National Park. Other cooperators include the national forest units that partially comprise the study site, the University of Montana, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and the Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit. During the winter, we will capture wolverines in live traps using standard techniques, and instrument them with VHF, satellite, or GPS telemetry collars to obtain location, movement, and habitat use data at a variety of spatial and temporal scales. We will also locate and describe den site characteristics and document levels of human activity to better understand the effects of winter recreation on denning females and their offspring. We will document long-range movements (e.g., dispersal) and genetic characteristics to better understand wolverine population structure in the Northern Rocky Mountain region. Finally, we will improve knowledge and support for wolverine conservation by informing the public of the aesthetic, social, and ecological values of the species and its environmental requirements.

Cooperators
Project cooperators include the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station; U.S. Forest Service Region 1 Carnivore Program; Yellowstone National Park; Rocky Mountain Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit; Gallatin, Shoshone, and Bridger-Teton national forests, University of Montana; and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Discussions with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks about this project are pending. We are also coordinating our efforts with the Wildlife Conservation Society to insure continuity of our study design.