Wildlife
Mammals
 The Koyukuk Refuge is home for nearly 30 species of mammals.
Moose are abundant on the refuge and can be found throughout. They are often seen along rivers where they find their favorite meal new willow growth. Moose calves, born in late May, feed on lush summer vegetation. Black and grizzly bears take advantage of the spring calving time to bulk up with a few easy meals after their long winter hibernation. Fall moose hunting is the largest public use of the refuge and participants include both local, in-state, and out-of-state hunters. Wolves prey on moose year-round, but mostly in the winter.
The Koyukuk Refige is a wintering ground for two herds of caribou, the Western Arctic Herd which numbers around 500,000 and the much smaller Galena Mt. Herd which numbers around 300 animals. Caribou craters (fomed by caribou pawing through the snow to feed) and trails are common sights for people flying over the northern and central portions of the refuge in winter.
Lynx, marten, and weasels prowl the spruce forests, hunting voles, snowshoe hares, red squirrels, and ptarmigan. Wolverine often follow larger predators in search of carrion. Fox are a common sight, hunting along lake and river shorelines in the summer and diving under the snow for voles in the winter.
The northern red-backed vole is probably the most abundant mammal on the refuge, though the least prominent. Its larger cousin, the yellow-cheeked vole, is common in areas of recent wildfires. Small mammals are not as charismatic as the larger mammals, but they provide the fuel to keep the ecosystem running. Their combined weight exceeds that of all of the refuges large animals, including those that survive on them.
Last updated: July 22, 2008
|
