Summer distribution, abundance, movements and diet of reintroduced elk (Cervus canadensis) in habitats created by clearcutting in the boreal forest

Abstract

Ontario elk restoration program involved 443 elk (Cervus canadensis) from Elk Island National Park, Alberta, re-introduced into four areas of Ontario during 1998-2001. In Northwestern Ontario, the Lake of the Woods (LOW) region received a total of 104 elk in 2000 and 2001. Currently, the region supports a small, free-ranging elk population with a relatively slow rate of increase; most often the elk occupy grassy clearcuts created by logging. In this study, population size and use of foraging patches and roads are described for the spring - summer period. Seasonal home range and activity patterns are evaluated using motion activated cameras, radio-telemetry and direct observation. Spring - summer diet composition is described from microhistological analysis of fecal pellets.