CURRENT STATUS AND MANAGEMENT OF WOLVES IN QUÉBEC By Hélène Jolicoeur1 and Michel Hénault2 Number and distribution The wolf is occupying the entire province of Québec except the regions south of the St. Lawrence River (figure 1) were it was extirpated at the end of the 19th century (Hénault and Jolicoeur 2003 ). The population is estimated at 7 000 individuals. This assessment is based on prey biomass and also on densities measured during field researches (Jolicoeur and Hénault 2002).

Wolf and coyote distribution The area occupied by wolf covers 659 775 km2 or 87% of Québec south of the 52th parallel. The coyote uses 278 405 km2 and overlap 37% of the territory occupied by wolves. Areas were we find both species represents 25% of the territory south of the 52th paralel. Sub-species Historically two sub-species of wolves were identified in Québec, the eastern wolf (Canis lupus lycaon) and the gray wolf (Canis lupus labradorius). The reported boundaries between the two have always been approximate and vary between different studies.

Figure 1: Distribution of wolf in Québec. Based on physical and cranial measurements, we recognize 2 types of wolves in Québec. The wolf found in the Papineau-Labelle Wildlife Reserve and its vicinity is a smaller wolf associated with the distribution of white-tailed deer (its mean weight in fall = 23 kg; n=62; figure 2) . Elsewhere, within the distribution of moose and caribou, the wolf is larger and weighs about 30 kg (H. Jolicoeur, unpubl. data). The wolf in the Laurentides Wildlife reserve, north of Quebec City, is representative of the later. During the last couple of years, about 350 tissue samples of coyotes, Papineau-Labelle and Laurentides types of wolves, and hybrids have been collected by the 1 Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune, Service de la faune terrestre et de l’avifaune, Québec City, Québec . Helene.Jolicoeur@mrnf.gouv.qc.ca 2 Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune, Direction de l'expertise Faune-Forêts-Mines-Territoire de l'Estrie-Montréal-Montérégie et de Laval-Lanaudière-Laurentides, , Mont-Laurier, Québec. Michel.Henault@mrnf.gouv.qc.ca

MRNF throughout the province and sent to University de Montréal for identification of species and characterization of hybrids based on DNA analyses (A. Stronen and N.Tessier, unpubli. data). Other partners including Parks Canada and Environment Canada also participate to this genetic study.

Figure 2 : Skulls of male canids coming from different parts of Québec. From left to

right, a coyote, wolves of the Papineau-Labelle and Laurentides types (C. l. lycaon) and a wolf from Kuujjuaq in northern Québec (C. l. labradorius)

Densities Wolf densities were measured in different wildlife reserves, before they were open to trapping in 1984, as well as in parks. The results obtained by these studies give us a good idea of the potential for wolves based on our prey-systems. The highest wolf densities found in Québec were obtained in the Papineau-Labelle Wildlife Reserve, a deer-moose system (2,6 wolves/100km²; Potvin 1986, 1987). In the moose-only system the wolf densities were lower and varied from 0,80 to 1,4 wolves/100 km² (Messier 1985, Villemure 2003). When trapping was permitted and territories were heavily hunted for moose, wolf densities were lower (0,36-0,44 wolf/100 km²; Messier 1985, Jolicoeur 1998). Wolf densities have not been measured in the migratory caribou system. Annual monitoring Wolf population trends have been followed yearly since 1985 in wildlife reserves and since 1999 in others territories (mainly controlled exploitation zones or ZEC; Pearse and Wilson 1999) using a method developed by Crête and Messier (1987). This method derives wolf densities from indices (the number of animals seen, presence of scats, tracks, howling heard) reported by moose hunters in wildlife reserves where a limited access moose hunt takes place every fall (figure 3). Data compiled from hunter questionnaires indicate that mean wolf densities vary from 1,59 to 1,94 wolves/100 km² in the deer-moose system (Papineau-Labelle and Rouge-Mattawin Wildlife Reserves) and from 0,74 to 1,08 in the moose-only system (other reserves; figure 4;

Hénault and Jolicoeur 2003). Analyses from the 1983-1997 period show that densities were stable in seven of the nine reserves under study (Larivière et al. 1998). The Rouge-Mattawin and Saint-Maurice Wildlife Reserves Wildlife reserves show a decreasing population trend which has been more marked since 1990 (Larivière et al. 1998). Results also showed that wolf populations has generally increased in the last 10 years, following the trends of the deer population, but wolf is heavily exploited in some areas (M. Hénault, unpubl. Data). In addition to this monitoring in selected territories, the wolf population trend is also monitored in the 96 Furbearer Management Units by the sales of fur. From 1984 to 2009, the mean number of wolf pelts sold on the fur market was 487 pelts (min=293; max=728; figure 5) and the mean value of a pelt was 136 $CAN (Québec Ministry of Natural Resources and Wildlife, unpubli. data).

Figure 3 : Wildlife reserves where the wolf is surveyed with moose hunter’s

questionnaires each year. Regulations The only legal status of wolves is that of a furbearer but it is also considered as a small game animal, so a general trapping licence or a small game licence must be purchased to trap and hunt wolves. Hunting and trapping seasons vary among hunting zones and furbearer management units. Both hunting and trapping seasons are established in relation to the quality of the fur. In most units, the seasons begin at the end of October. Trapping season end in March 1st and hunting season end

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March 31. There is no bag limit for capture of wolves but a survey conducted in 1997 indicated that 293 trappers were interested in wolves and harvested a mean of 2,3 wolves/year (Jolicoeur et al. 2000). Trappers are responsible for 97% of the wolf harvest (Jolicoeur et al. 2000). To obtain a trapping or a hunting licence a Québec resident must follow a training program (PESCOF). Different models of neck and leg-hold snares and traps are authorized for capture of the wolves. Presently there is no obligation to only use traps « certified under the Agreement on International Humane Treatments Standards (AIHTS) » as the tests are ongoing but have not yet been completed. Wolf harvest is permitted throughout Québec except in provincial and federal parks. Furbearer harvest including that of wolves is reserved for native people in territories under treaties (James Bay, North and North-eastern Québec) and in all the beaver reserves. These territories cover 80% of Quebec’s total area. The beaver reserves are found mainly south of the 49th parallel. Protection Total wolf protection occurs only in ecological reserves (too small to be considered), provincial (3 087 km2) and federal parks (550 km2). No provincial park has an area greater than 1 510 km². These types of territories can not protect adequately even a small population of wolves. Wolf control During recent years, no wolf control has been conducted in Québec except for research purposes (Potvin et al. 1992ab). Deer populations within the range of wolf range are now expanding following a period of mild winters. Wolf control is presently not defensible. Within the range of white-tailed deer, municipalities located near winter yards give bounties for each wolf carcass trappers bring back to City Hall (regulation on the nuisance animals). Only a few wolves are taken by this way, but the Ministry do not support this local initiative. Depredation management Wolves depredation on cattle or sheep in very low. When it occurs, the Ministry refers the complaints to the local trapper’s association. No compensation is provided for to cattle or sheep farmers. We do not have data on the number of complaints regional biologists have referred to trappers. Population dynamics Reproduction The majority of studies conducted in Québec report high wolf reproduction. Approximately 62 - 93 % of the packs under study were reproducing and the mean number of pups per litter was reported to be 5,6 - 6,8 (Hénault and Jolicoeur 2003).

The mean number of wolves per pack at the beginning of winter in a non-trapped area was 5,6 in the Papineau-Labelle Wildlife Reserve (Potvin 1987), 5,7 in the south of the La Vérendrye Wildlife Reserve (Messier 1985) and 7,7 in the La Mauricie National Park (Villemure 2003). When wolves are harvested, the mean pack size is lower : 3,7 wolves/pack in the ZEC Pontiac and Bras-Coupé - Désert (Messier 1985), 3,6 wolves/pack in the La Mauricie National Park and vicinity (Villemure 2003) and finally, 3,5 wolves/pack in the Laurentides wildlife reserve and vicinity (Jolicoeur 1998). Mortality The mean number of wolves per pack reflects the high mortality of wolves in areas where they are harvested. During studies conducted in Québec, nearly 35 to 55 % of all radio-collared wolves died every year (Potvin 1987, Messier 1985, Jolicoeur 1998, Villemure 2003). Human-caused mortality (trapping, road kills, hunting) removes about 25 - 30% of the population estimated by direct count (Messier 1985, Jolicoeur 1998). Based on annual fur sales and population estimates, mortality by trapping and hunting is estimated at 5,9 % for the entire province (min = 2,8 %; max = 29,5 Hénault and Jolicoeur 2003). Regional percentages of harvest were higher in the following regions : Abitibi-Témiscamingue (26,7 %), Québec Capitale-Nationale’region (26,3 %), Mauricie (18,5 %) and Lanaudière (17,3 %; Jolicoeur and Hénault 2002) Territories Mean territories size varies and depends on the prey available, being smaller in deer-moose sytem (199 16 km2, Papineau-Labelle Wildlife Reserve, Potvin 1987), and larger in moose-only system (320 25 km2, La Vérendrye Wildlife Reserve, Messier 1985; 645 km², La Mauricie National Park, Villemure 2003; 544 114 km2, Laurentides Wildlife Reserve, Jolicoeur 1998). Concluding remarks This short review of current knowledge of wolves in Quebec has been provided to give an insight of what has been done in the past as researches on this predator. In the last 30 years, these predator-prey dynamics studies gave us important knowledge about our populations of wolves and also a monitoring tool by hunter’s questionnaires that can be combined with harvest data to get an estimation of harvest rates. In some areas, these rates indicate a heavy pressure on wolf populations. In the future, the emphasis should be on the assessment of the impact of the commercial harvest on wolf survival and social organization. With climatic change, the evolving forests can be more favourable to the coyote, a species that can affect the genetic identity of wolves. In parallel, the management of forest is evolving toward ecosystem management, a paradigm that should aim to maintain healthy wolf populations as top predators and an essential component of ecological processes in forested habitats.

References

CRÊTE, M. and F. MESSIER. 1987. Evaluation of indices of Gray Wolf, Canis lupus, density in harwood-conifer forests of southwestern Québec, Can. Field-Nat.

HÉNAULT, M. and H. JOLICOEUR. 2003. Les loups au Québec : Meutes et mystères. Société de la faune et des Parcs du Québec, Direction de l’aménagement de la région des Laurentides, Direction du développement de la faune, 129 p.

JOLICOEUR, H. 1998. Le loup du massif du lac Jacques-Cartier. Québec, Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Faune, Direction de la faune et des habitats, Direction de la Conservation et du patrimoine écologique. 132 p.

JOLICOEUR, H., R. LAFOND, N. SCARINGELLA, W. GRENIER and R. MORIN. 2000. Résultats d’une enquête postale maison effectuée en 1997 auprès des piégeurs et des chasseurs de loups et de coyotes du sud du Québec. Québec, Société de la faune et des parcs, Direction du développement de la faune. 58 p.

JOLICOEUR, H. and M. HÉNAULT. 2002. Répartition géographique du loup et du coyote et estimation de la population de loups au Québec. Québec, Société de la faune et des parcs du Québec, Direction du développement de la faune et Direction de l’aménagement de la faune des Laurentides. 51 p.

LARIVIÈRE, S., H. JOLICOEUR and M. CRÊTE. 2000. Status and conservation of the gray wolf (Canis lupus) in wildlife reserves of Québec. Biol. Conserv. 94 : 143-151.

MESSIER, F. 1985. Social organization, spatial distribution, and population density of wolves in relation to moose density. Can. J. Zool. 63: 1068-1077.

PEARSE, P. H. and J. R. WILSON. 1999. Local co-management of fish and wildlife : the Quebec experience. Wildl. Soc. Bull. 27: 676-691.

POTVIN, F. 1987. Wolf movements and population dynamics in Papineau-Labelle Reserve, Québec. Can J. Zool. 66:1166-1273.

POTVIN, F., H. JOLICOEUR, L. BRETON and R. LEMIEUX. 1992a. Evaluation of an experimental wolf reduction and its impact on deer in Papineau-Labellle Reserve, Québec, Can. J. Zool. 70:1595-1603.

POTVIN, F., L. BRETON, C. PILON and M. MACQUART. 1992b. Impact of an experimental wolf reduction on beaver in Papineau-Labelle Reserve, Québec. Can. J. Zool. 70: 180-183.

VILLEMURE, M. 2003. Écologie et conservation du loup dans la région du Parc national de la Mauricie. Mémoire de maîtrise. Faculté des sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke. Québec. 89 p.