Gabby and Seth Yates Lynx Presentation

       The lynx is a somewhat mysterious and  misunderstood animal. The lynx is seldom seen as it's habitat is away from human habitation so rumors abound about what this animal . The present lynx popualtion is in no danger. The population has a peak cycle every ten years which coincides with peak snowshoe hare population cycle highs. When the snow shoe hare population crashes,lynx will travel widely in search of their favorite prey. They will also eat other species such as deer fawns although it's not proven that they actually pursue and attack the fawns.

       A super presentation by Gabby and Seth Yates cleared up many of the mysteries when they gave a presentation to the Red Deer River Naturalists on Feb. 25. They  introduced us to an animal with all kinds of interesting characteristics. Gabby Yates is doing research for her Ph.D. She has set up a study area centered at Nordegg Alberta. She wants to collar 20 lynx and study their movement and relate it to the population cycles of snowshoe hare, vegetation and climate. Lynx are tremendous travellers. Some travel up to 2500 km. Why? This information is being related to lynx which are trapped in B. C. and Alberta.

     They have found lynx to have some surprising characteristics. These cats are fairly mild mannered and laid back. They only move if they think you are a threat. When Gabby and Seth find lynx in a box trap the lynx are usually calmly waiting to be released. It's nothing to find previously caught and released animals to be back in the same traps waiting to be released again. They have learned that these box traps contain food . Many excellent photographs and videos  of lynx were included in the presentation.

     These two presenters were bombarbed with many questions which they patiently and fully answered as they have a broad knowledge of this animal. They work closely with Alberta trappers have a srong sense of stewardship and they want to ensure that lynxwill continue to thrive on their traplines. They find trappers and trapping to not be a threat for lynx. Trappers turn in a small piece if hide which the researchers do DNA testing on and as a result are able to identify each lynx and who mit's relatives are . If the lynx has moved in from somewhere else, the DNA gives them an idea where it may have come from. 

      Gabby and Seth also use some sophisticated satellite technology to follow their study animals. New light weight radio collars allow them to track the lynx anywhere in North America.

      I have spent many of my years outdoors in lynx habitiat , but I have never seen one. This presentation gave me a realistic experience with a very important animal in our eco system.
     www.ualberta.ca/~gyates/projectlynx

Snowshoe Hare

I’ve been noticing a few hares (Lepus americanus) in our neighbourhood over that past few years, but nothing like this summer. During my evening stroll, I can see as many as six hopping around the swings in a local schoolyard. It will be interesting to see how many of them survive the winter.
Checking my old copy of Soper’s book, The Mammals of Alberta, (1964), I find that the snowshoe hare follows on average a 9.6 year cycle. I’m thinking that this year must be at or near a population peak. Soper says that the variation is remarkable: in low years, “it almost completely vanishes from the scene; conversely, at the peak the total population at times is almost unbelievable.” It is reported that in the peak of 1912-1914, the “woods everywhere were infested with hares”; another writer estimated a population of “several hundreds in a 30-acre woodlot.”
Once the peak is reached, the die-off is dramatic, occurring in the space of a few months to a couple of years. As this happens, other populations, especially lynx, follow suit.
How can a population increase occur so rapidly? I guess the expression relating to breeding like rabbits is true. They can have several litters per year. Presumably the inevitable die-off occurs when the population reaches a critical mass that is unsustainable by the existing food supply and the proximity of individuals creates a situation where diseases can spread easily. The resulting surge in predator populations may also be a factor.
For many years, we have had a resident snowshoe hare in our neighbourhood. It’s presence is mostly detectable in the winter months. First thing in the morning there are a new set of tracks in the backyard. The route it follows seems consistent. First a visit to the area under the bird feeders, then down to the spruce tree at the end corner of the yard, and finally along the fence to the front yard, and leaving to explore the neighbouring yards.