Data from: Faster and farther: wolf movement on linear features and implications for hunting behaviour

Predation by grey wolves Canis lupus has been identified as an important
cause of boreal woodland caribou Rangifer tarandus caribou mortality, and
it has been hypothesized that wolf use of human-created linear features
such as seismic lines, pipelines and roads increases movement, resulting
in higher kill rates. We tested if wolves select linear features and
whether movement rates increased while travelling on linear features in
north-eastern Alberta and north-western Saskatchewan using 5-min GPS
(Global Positioning System) locations from twenty-two wolves in six packs.
Wolves selected all but two linear feature classes, with the magnitude of
selection depending on feature class and season. Wolves travelled two to
three times faster on linear features compared to the natural forest.
Increased average daily travelling speed while on linear features and
increased proportion of steps spent travelling on linear features
increased net daily movement rates, suggesting that wolf use of linear
features can increase their search rate. Synthesis and applications. Our
findings that wolves move faster and farther on human-created linear
features can inform mitigation strategies intended to decrease predation
on woodland caribou, a threatened species. Of the features that can
realistically be restored, mitigation strategies such as silviculture and
linear deactivation (i.e. tree-felling and fencing) should prioritize
conventional seismic lines (i.e. cleared lines used for traditional oil
and gas exploration) and pipelines, as they were selected by wolves and
increased travelling speed, before low-impact seismic lines.