Parturition Analyses based on GPS Collar Videos from Female Caribou of the Porcupine and Western Arctic Herds

Adult female caribou from the Porcupine herd (PCH; 2018-2023) and Western Arctic herd (WAH; 2021, 2023) were fitted with GPS video collars (Vertex Plus, Vectronic Aerospace; 9 sec videos every 20-30 min) to assess parturition, neonate survival (birth through 30 June), and antler shedding. We used video data to validate antler- and movement-based methods for estimating reproduction in barren-ground caribou. For the movement-based approaches, we assessed the Individual-Based Method (IBM) and Population-Based Method (PBM; DeMars et al. 2013, Couriot et al. 2023) using rarified 1-, 2-, 4-, and 8-hour GPS fix data. The dataset is comprised of one comma separated values (.csv) file which includes observed locations, dates, and times corresponding to parturition and neonate calf mortality, and dates of antler shedding for each collared female. The dataset also includes estimated locations, dates and times of parturition from the IBM and PBM, and calf survival for the IBM, for all fix intervals evaluated.