Counting muskoxen in the Northwest Territories

Muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) are difficult to sample because they generally live in groups and the groups are distributed in a strongly contagious manner. We examined various techniques by first creating a physical model of the known distribution of muskoxen of northern Banks Island, Northwest Territories. Then, we sampled the population of the model using different techniques at various levels of coverage, and used the coefficient of variation as the indicator of precision. Our recommendation was to use a stratified, random transect survey with the transects oriented across river valleys in high-density areas. If possible, only stratified surveys are now used in the field and they continue to produce good, precise results.