PROTECTING BEVERLY AND QAMANIRJUAQ CARIBOU
AND CARIBOU RANGE

Notes on Maps

Although a large amount of information was compiled and used to create the maps of caribou distribution and movements in this map atlas, some maps are based on relatively little data, and most maps do not represent all that is known about a particular aspect of caribou range use. Our inability to map all known information has resulted in gaps and possibilities for misinterpretation of maps. The following comments should be taken into account when interpreting the maps.

Readers should also refer to "Data used to create maps" and "Data limitations for defining important habitats" for more information about maps.

Spring Migration Range

"Primary migration corridors" shown on maps of Beverly spring migration range refer to the location of migrating cows, calves, and some yearlings during surveys in certain years. The spring migration corridor usually widens considerably as other members of the herd, including adult males, migrate north. Maps of total spring migration range for certain years are provided for the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq herds.

Calving Grounds

"Traditional calving grounds" are the areas used by caribou for calving over a period of many years, and are mapped as composites of all known annual calving areas. The areas currently mapped as the traditional calving grounds of the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq herds are based on scientific calving ground surveys conducted in 23 and 25 years, respectively, between 1957 and 1994. Although we have more data about calving areas than other seasonal ranges of caribou, 25 years is not a lot compared to the thousands of years caribou have been calving in the area. Calving ground surveys conducted in the future, therefore, may expand the boundaries of traditional calving grounds by documenting caribou calving in areas not observed during previous surveys.

"Annual calving areas" - Calving has often occurred in similar areas over a period of several years, such as the Beverly calving areas between 1986 and 1989, and the Qamanirjuaq calving areas between 1989 and 1994. In other years, however, calving has occurred in areas that are not known to have been used for previous or subsequent calving, such as the Beverly calving area in 1979, and the Qamanirjuaq calving area in 1977 and 1987. Some of the differences among annual calving areas can be explained by variation in survey methods, such as differences in: (i) techniques used to delineate calving areas, (ii) survey timing, and (iii) definition of "calving area". (see "Data used to create maps" and Gunn and Sutherland (1997) for details of surveys).

"High density calving areas" - Two maps for each herd show the portions of calving areas that contained high densities of calving caribou during surveys, and were therefore extremely important areas for calf production. The first map for each herd ("high density calving areas") is a composite of survey data for all types of surveys that described high density calving areas. The second map for each herd ("high density survey strata") is a composite of data from stratified calving ground surveys that identified survey strata with high densities of calving caribou. The stratified calving ground surveys provide the best quality data, and other surveys indicate additional areas that were extremely important in some years.

For the Qamanirjuaq herd, only one survey that was not a stratified calving ground survey provided an additional high density calving area, so there is little difference between the two high density Qamanirjuaq calving area maps. For the Beverly herd, 8 stratified calving ground surveys described high density survey strata, and 3 other surveys described additional high density calving areas.

Post-calving Range

Post-calving range of Qamanirjuaq caribou - This map and the map of Beverly and Qamanirjuaq post-calving range show Qamanirjuaq post-calving range extending into Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

These maps include an area from north-eastern Saskatchewan and northern Manitoba north to Baker Lake that was described by Parker (1972) as range of Qamanirjuaq caribou (see "Data used to create maps" for more details). The area was occupied by caribou bulls and mixed groups (yearlings, 2-year old males, and non-calving females) between 1 June and 20 July 1968, during their migration from winter to summer range. The BQCMB defines post-calving range as "range used by caribou (including all sex and age classes) during the post-calving period from late June to the end of July". For the purposes of this project, therefore, the area mapped by Parker (1972) was defined as post-calving range, because use of the area by caribou occurred primarily during the post-calving period.

Note that range used during the post-calving period by caribou cow/calf groups, however, is limited to the area north of South Henik Lake and Arviat, in the Kivalliq region of Nunavut.

Distinct post-calving areas - The boundaries of the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq post-calving ranges are not well known. Maps based on survey data indicate that areas used by cow/calf groups from the two herds are separate, but that areas used during this period by other members of the herds (such as bulls and yearlings) may overlap. Satellite-monitoring data, although very limited for the Beverly herd, suggest that post-calving areas used by cow/calf groups from the two herds are distinct.

Late Summer Range

Range overlap - The eastern boundary of the Beverly herd's summer range and the western boundary of the Qamanirjuaq herd's summer range are not well known. Caribou range east of the Dubawnt River was attributed to the Beverly herd during surveys conducted between 1978 and 1981 (see "Data used to create maps" for more details), but Qamanirjuaq caribou may have been observed in this area. The gap between the summer ranges of the two herds is likely not real, but results from the way surveys were conducted. Satellite-monitoring data support the belief that the summer ranges of the two herds overlap.

Range used during Fall Migration/Rut

Crossing Lake Athabasca - Several maps showing range used by Beverly caribou during fall migration/rut indicate crossing of Lake Athabasca. However, it is unlikely that the lake would be frozen sufficiently during the fall migration/rut period (before the end of October) to support caribou, and even less likely that they would swim the 35 km across the lake from Maurice Point to William Point. Beverly caribou may have used this crossing after the fall migration/rut period.

Caribou in north-eastern Saskatchewan - Maps showing range used by Qamanirjuaq caribou during fall migration/rut include an isolated area in the north-eastern corner of Saskatchewan. The boundaries of this area result from the limitations of the survey, and do not accurately represent the actual distribution of caribou, which extended beyond the borders of Saskatchewan.

Winter Range

Artificial boundarie. - Boundaries of caribou range coincide with boundaries between provinces and territories on several maps that show caribou early winter range and total winter range. This results from the way surveys of winter range were conducted in some years, as certain jurisdictions stopped surveying at their borders, although caribou likely occurred past these artificial lines. These surveys, therefore, do not provide a complete map of caribou distribution in these border areas in some years.

Winter range by decade - Although this map suggests that the winter range was more extensive in the 1960s/1970s than in the 1940s/1950s, Beverly and Qamanirjuaq caribou tended to winter farther south in the 1940s/1950s compared with later decades. The scientific literature indicates that a generalized progressive withdrawal from the southern parts of the range occurred from the 1940s to the 1970s/1980s, with exceptions during some years.

If this map included lines showing the southern limit of Beverly and Qamanirjuaq caribou distributions in the 1940s/1950s, the lines would be located to the south of the 1960s/1970s range, and would extend "off the map" (i.e., off the bottom of the area shown on this map).

Water Crossings

Water crossing buffers - Water crossings were mapped as segments of shoreline (i.e., lines) with buffer zones to enhance their visibility on maps. A radius of 10 km for buffers was chosen for consistency with the Caribou Protection Measures, which have prohibited certain land use activities within 10 km of crossings designated under the Territorial Land Use Regulations since 1980. The BQCMB recommends that proposed land use activities avoid areas near important and critical water crossings.

More information about water crossings on Beverly and Qamanirjuaq caribou range is provided in Descriptions of water crossings and Water crossings (including "Importance of water crossings to caribou", "Evaluating the importance of water crossings to caribou", and "Examples of crossing evaluations"). Williams and Gunn (1982) provide detailed information about crossings designated under the Territorial Land Use Regulations.

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