Arctic Fox

Distribution: Arctic fox are found across the Yukon North Slope with the breeding distribution being concentrated on the coastal plain and on Herschel Island. This distribution is believed to be limited because of inter-specific competition with red foxes, and the availability of adequate den sites. Arctic foxes have been found as far south as 55 degrees latitude so they likely occur at least incidentally throughout the British and Barn Mountains.

 

Population size: A study conducted in from 1984 to 1988 determined that the density of active Arctic fox dens were relatively high on Herschel Island (2-7 natal dens/100 km²) and relatively low on the Yukon coastal plain (0-0.04/100 km²). Most of the dens on the coastal plain were located in the deltas of the Firth and Malcolm rivers, and by Clarence Lagoon.

Population trend: No information is available to determine if the population is stable, increasing or declining. It appears that the Yukon population is influenced by waves of immigrants from the east.

Denning habitat appears to limit the number of Arctic foxes on the Yukon’s coastal plain. Arctic foxes prefer well-drained soils for denning, which occur sparsely on the coastal plain.

 

Inuvialuit: Inuvialuit have exclusive rights to harvest furbearers on the Yukon North Slope.

 

From 1988 to 1999 Inuvialuit harvest data was collected through the Inuvialuit Harvest Study. In the period from 1988 to 1997, the average annual harvest of Arctic fox by Aklavik residents was reported as 7. It is unknown how many of these were taken on the Yukon North Slope. The Yukon Government, in partnership with the Aklavik HTC, has been collecting furbearer harvest data from Inuvialuit residents of Aklavik since 2001. Harvest information recorded includes species, date, location, sex and maturity of the animal. Funding and support for the collection of harvest data is supplied through the IFA and other agencies.

 

Others: Regulations under Yukon Wildlife Act, NWT Wildlife Act and National Parks Act apply in their respective jurisdictions. Beneficiaries of adjacent claim settlements may harvest with Inuvialuit consent, on the same basis as the Inuvialuit.

 

Arctic foxes are a potential tourism attraction on Herschel Island. They easily habituate to people and are popular. Their den sites typically support rich colonies of wildflowers offering further appeal to tourists.

Threats include excessive trapping pressure, particularly the impact of intensive late-winter trapping over a small area of high fox density such as Herschel Island, habitat loss of restricted denning areas, disturbance at den sites as a result of a projected increase of visitors to Herschel Island and loss of sea ice.

Yukon: none

COSEWIC: none

CITES: none

General Status: May be at Risk (due to small population size, restricted distribution and some threats from humans and climate change). 

Population monitoring: Annual monitoring of arctic fox and dens was recently initiated on Herschel Island. Further studies proposed. No systematic monitoring elsewhere.

Research: A research project was conducted through the Government of Yukon Department of Environment from 1984 to 1988; objectives were to determine the distribution and characteristics of dens, the pattern of den-site occupancy, and annual productivity. Further studies are currently proposed for Herschel Island.

 

To meet conservation goals of the IFA, the co-management bodies are mandated to determine and recommend (to Yukon Government, GNWT and Parks Canada) a total allowable harvest and/ or promote research, if and when required.

 

In 2003, the Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope) and the Aklavik Hunters and Trappers Committee undertook a project to record traditional knowledge of certain birds and animals on the Yukon North Slope. The observations, comments and concerns expressed by Aklavik residents as part of this study were as follows:

·        Arctic fox are mostly seen in the summer months on Herschel Island. The odd one is caught in the delta in the winter, particularly in the years when the ocean ice freezes late.

·        People do not know about changes in numbers or habitat.

·        One April observation in the foothills by the NWT/Yukon border could be evidence of denning, but this was not confirmed.

·        Dead ones have been found mostly on Herschel Island, all in white pelage.

Community-based information on this species may also be found in the reports of the annual community-based monitoring program conducted in Aklavik and neighbouring communities by the Arctic Borderlands Ecological Knowledge Co-op. http://www.taiga.net/coop/community/index.html

 

Jingfors, K. 1989. Wildlife of Northern Yukon National Park, Chapter 9 in: Northern Yukon National Park resource description and analysis. Natural Resource Conservation Section, Canadian Parks Service, Prairie and Northern Region, Winnipeg.

 

Joint Secretariat, 2003. Inuvialuit Harvest Study, Data and Methods Report 1988 – 1997. Inuvik, NT. http://www.fjmc.ca/publications/IHS.htm

 

Jung, T. 2007. Personal communication, Government of Yukon, Department of Environment.

 

Maraj, R. 2007. Personal communication, Government of Yukon, Department of Environment.

 

Smits, C., C. Smith, and B. Slough, 1998. Physical characteristics of Arctic fox (Alopex lagopus) dens in northern Yukon Territory, Canada. Arctic 41 (1):12-16.

 

Smits, C., B. Slough and Angerbjorn. 1989. Abundance and summer occupancy of arctic fox dens in northern Yukon Territory, 1984-1988.   Government of Yukon, Department of Environment.

 

Smits, C. and B. Slough, 1993. Abundance and summer occupancy of arctic fox, Alopex lagopus, and red fox, Vulpes vulpes, dens in the northern Yukon Territory, 1984-1990. Canadian Field Naturalist. 107(1):13-18.

 

Smits, C., B. Slough and C. Yasui. 1989. Summer food habits of sympatric Arctic foxes and red foxes in the northern Yukon Territory. Canadian Field Naturalist 103 (3):363-367.

 

Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope) and the Aklavik Hunters and Trappers Committee. 2003. Aklavik Inuvialuit describe the status of certain birds and animals on the Yukon North Slope, March, 2003. Final Report. Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope), Whitehorse, Yukon.

 

Wildlife Management Advisory Council (North Slope) 1999. Yukon North Slope research review tables. http://www.taiga.net/wmac/researchplan/furbearers/arcticfox.html