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Harvest and the Fortymile Caribou Herd Recovery. A hundred here, a thousand there A score down in the hollow, Spread far and wide in countless bands As far as glass could follow. * * * Three days we camped there in their midst Our work around completing
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Harvest and the Fortymile Caribou Herd Recovery
A hundred here, a thousand there A score down in the hollow, Spread far and wide in countless bands As far as glass could follow. * * * Three days we camped there in their midst Our work around completing Through all northwestward held their course We noticed no depleting. H.S. Bostock, 1979 Except from “The Caribou”, a poem recounting one of the last great migrations of the Fortymile herd south of the Dawson Range in 1933. Historical photo of Fortymile caribou swimming the Yukon River near Dawson
Fortymile Caribou 1930 to 1939
Fortymile Caribou 1976 to 1990
Fortymile Caribou Fortymile Caribou Herd Management Plan (1995) The vision for the Fortymile herd and its ecosystem: • To restore the abundance and diversity of wildlife in this ecosystem, of which the Fortymile herd is the most important indicator species. • To promote healthy wildlife populations for their intrinsic value, as well as consumptive and nonconsumptive uses.
Fortymile Caribou 5 sections: • Limit effects of harvest • Reduce predation effects • Habitat protection • Monitor plan’s effectiveness • Maintain public awareness and acceptance
Fortymile Caribou Sound science, reviewed by National Academy of Sciences: • Each year we conducted a calf mortality study • Herd census • Composition Survey • Herd and range condition sampling • Wolf survey • Moose and sheep surveys to evaluate additional effects of wolf control
Fortymile Caribou Post-management plan • Harvest management plans 2001-2005 and 2006-2012 • (Drafting of the next plan underway) • Primary management goal = herd growth • Secondary goal = increased harvest • Harvest started at 2%, shared with Yukon 65:35