OLD CROW 187 



Anaktuvuk, where Simon Paneak reported they were still at the peak 

 of exceptional abundance during the spring migration of 1957. 



Moses Tizya, who returned April 14 from winter trapping on the 

 Porcupine about 85 miles east of Old Crow, remarked that there were 

 "no" ptarmigan there during the past winter, although the valley had 

 been "white" with them in other winters. Paul Joseph, who returned 

 May 2 by dog team from Fort McPherson, also reported that there 

 were "no" ptarmigan along that route, covering about 140 air miles 

 eastward, so the scarcity of willow ptarmigan in 1957 extended east- 

 ward at least to the Richardson Mountains. Several Indians remarked 

 that no spruce grouse had been seen this winter although usually there 

 were a few. Ruffed grouse, which are considered rare, had not been 

 seen at all for several years. It seems that the period of scarcity 

 among ptarmigan is not synchronous in the race which extends across 

 arctic Yukon and Alaska. 



The last flock of willow ptarmigan was recorded on April 9, but a 

 single bird was collected on April 12. On April 8 fresh tracks of wil- 

 low ptarmigan were found in the scrub birch and spruce near tree 

 line at about 1,600 feet elevation on Old Crow Mountain, and Ben 

 Charlie reported about 1,000 in one flock on April 18 above timber on 

 the trail passing over the eastern shoulder of the mountain. He said 

 that on April 26 willow ptarmigan were still on the mountain and at 

 Crow Flats. While on patrol from Old Crow to Herschel Island dur- 

 ing the week before April 26, Constable Robin saw ptarmigan, some 

 with dark spots, as far north as the edge of timber, but he saw none 

 northward to the coast. 



The Indians informed us that in summer willow ptarmigan moved 

 north of the timber or above tree line in to some of the extensive moun- 

 tain tundra. The spring migrations probably occur in a direction 

 which produces the requisite summer vegetation or climate either by 

 change of latitude or elevation. The land along the Old Crow River, 

 normally well occupied by willow ptarmigan in winter, extends with 

 some timber northward for about 75 miles and the valley is practically 

 cleared of ptarmigan during the summer. The Koyukuk Valley about 

 Bettles is occupied in winter, but in summer it and the southern John 

 River Valley are pretty well cleared for 50 miles by the northward 

 migratory movement. On the Alaskan arctic slope willow ptarmigan 

 are few in winter and usually rather numerous in summer. At Anak- 

 tuvuk, the center of density of ptarmigan seems to move from south 

 of the divide in the Brooks Range in winter to north of the divide in 

 summer, perhaps a distance of 200 miles. In the Old Crow Valley, 

 where the forested wintering ground approaches to within 50 miles 

 of the arctic coast, the mean migratory displacements appear to be 

 shorter. 



