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Effectiveness of Vaginal‐Implant Transmitters for Locating Elk Parturition Sites
Author(s) -
BARBKNECHT ANDREA E.,
FAIRBANKS W. SUE,
ROGERSON JARED D.,
MAICHAK ERIC J.,
MEADOWS LAURA L.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
the journal of wildlife management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.94
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1937-2817
pISSN - 0022-541X
DOI - 10.2193/2008-032
Subject(s) - ice calving , implant , cervus elaphus , abortion , event (particle physics) , biology , medicine , pregnancy , ecology , surgery , lactation , genetics , physics , quantum mechanics
We assessed success of vaginal implant transmitters (VITs), deployed in 198 elk ( Cervus elaphus nelsoni ), in locating elk calving sites in western Wyoming, USA, in 2006–2007. We identified 60.3% of expelled VIT locations as definite or probable event markers and an additional 21.8% as possible event markers. Failure rate for VITs was 10.6%, and we found an additional 7.3% in improbable or impossible parturition sites. Vaginal implant transmitters were effective in locating calving and abortion sites and will facilitate definition of parturition habitat selection and parturition ranges of specific subpopulations.