.................................................................................................................ü ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.......................................................................................iü LIST OF TABLES.....................................................................................................vü LIST OF FIGURES..................................................................................................... ix INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................... 1 STUDY AREA.......................................................................................................... 6 M ETHODS............................................................................................................... 10 Capture, Handling and Release Procedures...............................................10 D ata Collection.............................................................................................13 D ata Analysis...............................................................................................16 RESULTS.................................................................................................................. 22 Trapping, Handling, and Release.................................................................22 Mortalities...................................................................................................... 26 Post-Release Disperal and Movement Patterns....................................... 27 Homerange and Core Activity A reas................................ ........................ 29 Habitat Use.................................................................................................... 41 Movement R ates...........................................................................................61 Activity P a tte rn s .........................................................................................63 DISCUSSION............................................................................................................76 Trapping and Handling................................................................................ 7 6 Release and Post-Release Movements and A ctivity..............................78 M ortality....................................................................................................... 82 Settlement and Colonization........................................................................86 Habitat Use.................................................................................................... 8 ^ Homerange Size and Social Spacing......................................................... 9 ^ Spacing and Seasonal Changes in Homerange Size and Overlap 97 Seasonal Movements, Activity Levels, and Diel Activity P a tte rn s ........................................................................................................ lOO) RECOMMENDATIONS...........................................................................................107 Local and Metapopulation Recovery and Management.......................... 107 Recommendations for Future Réintroduction......................................... 114 LITERATURE CITED........................................................................................... 120 APPENDIX A. Data on fishers translocated from Wisconsin in 1990 and 1991......................................................................................................... 132 APPENDIX B. Data collected on and fates of radio-tagged fishers monitored in 1990-1991...............................................................................135 APPEND IX C. Description of fisher mortalities.................................................137 APPENDIX D. Comparison of 90% utilization volumes (in km2) for three different homerange programs and two different homerange estimators.......................................................................................................143 APPENDIX E. Temporary homeranges for reintroduced fishers in 19901991................................................................................................................144 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.