MOOSE INVENTORY IN THE SOUTHWEST YUKON

Between October and December, 1981, a moose survey was conducted over a 18,889 km2 area in the southern Yukon, using a stratified block sampling technique. Eighteen percent of the area was censused by helicopter at an average search intensity of 1.4 min/km2. The estimated populations was 2419 ± 9.6% at 90% confidence limits. Over half of the moose range and 82% of the estimated population were located above treeline. Estimated densities varied between 1.51 moose/km2 in the high stratum to 0.01 moose/km2 in the extra low stratum with an overall density of .17 moose/km2. The percentage of the estimated population in the high stratum decreased with each survey unit over a six week period. A higher percentage of the estimated calf population occurred in the low stratum than either the high or medium strata. An overall ratio of 22 calves/100 females (> 24 months) was recorded. Calf mortality to 6 months of age was estimated at between 80 and 86%