| The city of Nome in northwestern Alaska is increasingly facing issues created by muskoxen near roads and residences during summer. While muskox populations on the Seward Peninsula overall are on the decline, muskox numbers in and near Nome have increased. At least 25 dogs have been killed by muskoxen. Airport traffic has been interrupted by the presence of muskoxen on the runway. Conversely, the presence of muskoxen close to roads allows for increased opportunities for local wildlife viewing and tourism. The needs of different citizen groups must be weighed when searching for a solution to Nome's urban muskox problem. During summer 2016, we assessed vegetation cover, forage quality, and diet selection at muskox feeding sites in the city, at the airport runway, and in outlying tundra habitats. We hypothesize that recently disturbed former mining areas within the Nome city limits provide preferred foraging habitat because early successional stages of regrowth offer more preferred foraging species at potentially higher nutritional value.
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