2011 Annual Report of NWT Wildlife Research Permits and Western ...

Wildlife Species Research:
Caribou
METHODS:
Health, condition and contaminant sampling was
conducted on caribou harvested by community hunters
on the Bathurst caribou range in late winter of 2010.
A field camp was established based on the location and
distribution of caribou, determined by location of collars
and advice from the communities. Local hunters harvested
and butchered the caribou, and sampling was conducted
on each animal.
Information requested and collected consisted .
of the following:
´ ´ Date and Location of the harvest
´ ´ Sex
´ ´ Field age estimate
´ ´ Pregnancy status
´ ´ Field condition assessment
´ ´ Back fat measurement
´ ´ Record of any diseases or abnormalities
´ ´ Any other observations
´ ´ Lower jaw collection with the incisor teeth for aging
´ ´ Kidney (one per animal) collection for condition and
contaminant analysis)
RESULTS AND MAIN CONCLUSIONS:
Total caribou sample kits submitted: 52
Sample Collection Timing:
42 harvested between January 25 and February 5, 2011
(Lockhart Lake and Drybones Lake)
10 harvested on March 26/27, 2011 (Lockhart Lake and
Mackay Lake)
Sex composition of harvest:
31 females, 19 males, 2 not identified
Estimate of Age (hunters): Teeth submitted to Matson’s
Laboratory for exact age determination by cementum
analysis; results expected later in the year.
Cows: 19 adults (3 young adults, 11 moderate adults,
5 old adults), 2 yearlings, 10 not recorded
Bulls: 16 adults (8 young adults, 1 moderate adult,
7 old adults), 3 not recorded
Field Assessment of Condition (hunters): An assessment
of the body condition of each caribou was done by hunters
using a subjective condition score with four categories
(skinny, not bad, fat and very fat). Hunter assessments
suggested caribou were generally in good body condition
for the age, sex and time of year, with a range in condition
scores for each sampling interval.
Cows: Very fat 2; Fat 11; Not bad 10; Skinny 4;
Not recorded 4
Bulls: Very fat 1; Fat 1; Not bad 12; Skinny 4;
Not recorded 1
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