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One of the wildlife biologist's job is to make sure that wolverines are not over-harvested. They
study the density (how many) of the wolverines live in specific areas. He needs to know how many wolverines were trapped or shot in that area diring the past year.
How many large predators and available food are in this area is also considered.Biologists choose an area they want to determine the density. They divide this count area into sample units. Some sample units are classified as highly likely to have wolverine tracks and some are moderetly likely to have wolverine tracks visible 36-72 hours after a snowfall. Pilots and observers fly over some sample units after a fresh snowfall to observe wolverine tracks and follow them to the wolverine. After they have found the wolverine they follow his tracks back to where they began to detirmine how far he had traveled and wether he had come from another sample unit. Sometimes unfavorible weather condisions and lack of snow prevent serveys from being acomplished.
Some wolverines are radio collared after being found by heli-copter and are tranquilized with a nonlethal dart gun. Live traps were used but no wolverines were captured. Radio collared wolverine's movements are tracked which helps the biologists determine the availability of principle food items, the distribution and relative abundance of wolves and bears, and vegetation and terrain of their areas of use. Each radio collared wolverine is located at least twice per month, if possible, and a record is made on thier habitat and activities.
Biologists examine the radio collared wolverine to determine the age, sex, body weight, body length, tail length, total length and the circumferance of the head and neck, and heart girth. All this info is used to help the biologist make wise descisions about the management poulation. However, biologists have detirmined that in their study areas the wolverine population veries between 4.7-5.2 wolverines per 1,000 square kilometers which is about 620 square miles.