Publication

A summary of harvest and monitoring activities for the Bathurst, Bluenose-East, and Bevery/Ahiak caribou herds in 2018/2019.

A summary of harvest and monitoring activities for the Bathurst, Bluenose-East, and Bevery/Ahiak caribou herds in 2019/2020.

In some years, the Bathurst herd’s winter range overlaps the winter ranges of its neighboring herds (Bluenose East and Beverly herds). The overlapping winter distribution between the herds has complicated monitoring and assigning harvest quotas and possibly impacts potential switches of cow caribou between calving grounds.

The goal of the five-year wolf (dìga) management program is to sufficiently reduce wolf (dìga) predation on the Bathurst and Bluenose-East herds to allow for an increase in calf and adult caribou (ekwǫ̀) survival rates to contribute to the stabilization and recovery of both herds. This report summarizes wolf management and monitoring activities undertaken by GNWT and Tłı̨chǫ Government during 2023.

The goal of the five-year dìga management program is to sufficiently reduce dìga predation on the Bathurst and Bluenose-East herds to allow for an increase in calf and adult caribou (ekwǫ̀) survival rates to contribute to the stabilization and recovery of both herds. This report summarizes dìga management and monitoring activities undertaken by GNWT and TG during winter 2022.

Co-management Boards and the federal and territorial governments in the Mackenzie Valley typically host an annual workshop on the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act (MVRMA) for community representatives, Indigenous governments, and organizations as a key engagement activity to support an effective co-management system.

A technical working group was established to compile information and determine the current abundance, trend, and distribution of wolverine on the ranges of the Bathurst and Bluenose East caribou herds. The information available for the Bathurst and Bluenose East caribou ranges is too fragmented to determine whether wolverine have become a more important predator of barren-ground caribou during the recent caribou and wolf declines, given that wolverine are long-lived and opportunistic in their behavior. 

This framework is to assess the monitoring data that becomes available throughout the year and to reassess the implementation success of management and monitoring activities. The framework will encourage collaborative understanding and discussions considering the different sets of indicators. The need to step co-management forward using both Indigenous and Scientific knowledge is being increasingly recognized.  

The goal of the five-year wolf (dìga) management program is to sufficiently reduce wolf (dìga) predation on the Bathurst and Bluenose-East herds to allow for an increase in calf and adult caribou (ekwǫ̀) survival rates to contribute to the stabilization and recovery of both herds. This report summarizes wolf management and monitoring activities undertaken by GNWT and TG through winter 2021.

The Grizzly Bear and Wolverine Biological and Management Feasibility Working Group (WG) was formed to compile information about grizzly bear predation on Bluenose-east and Bathurst Caribou, as well as management options and their risks.  Grizzly bear management options are to be provided to management authorities, who in turn, and depending on their decisions, will submit specific management proposals for review in a public forum to allow for further discussion.