Arctic Fox Migrations in Manitoba

Abstract

A review is provided of the long-range movements and migratory behaviour of the arctic fox in Manitoba. During the period 1919-75, peaks in population tended to occur at three-year intervals, the number of foxes trapped in any particular year varying between 24 and 8,400. Influxes of foxes into the boreal forest were found to follow decreases in the population of their lemming prey along the west coast of Hudson Bay. One fox was collected in 1974 in the aspen-oak transition zone of southern Manitoba, 840 km from Hudson Bay and almost 1000 km south of the barren-ground tundra, evidently after one of the farthest overland movements of the species ever recorded in North America.