Woodland Caribou Management Decision Guidelines - July 1996
Foreword
These interim management guidelines were developed by the Caribou Management team from the Yukon Department of Renewable Resources. The management principles, concepts and assumptions outlined here represent the consensus of the team. The guidelines are intended to provide a framework for consistent Departmental input and responses to management plans, programs and regulation proposals. In addition, they should provide a common understanding amongst those involved in caribou management decisions and serve as a focus for future discussions and refinement. These guidelines are not formal policy, but working guidelines which will be reviewed periodically and amended and updated based on new and additional information, including local and traditional knowledge and experience. The guidelines are provided for your information and use.
Comments, suggestions and questions are welcome.
Mark Hoffman,
Director, Fish & Wildlife
July 1996
Caribou Management Team
Rick Farnell (Wildlife Management, Chair)
Kathy Egli (Wildlife Management)
Gerry Kuzyk (Wildlife Management)
Rob Florkiewicz (Regional Biologist, Watson Lake)
Dorothy Cooley (Regional Biologist, Dawson City)
Bob Hayes (Regional Biologist, Haines Junction)
Val Loewen (Habitat Management)
David Bakica (Field Services)
Julie Lefebvre (Wildlife Management)
Management Principles, Concepts and Assumptions
Abundance & Distribution
Map: Yukon Caribou Herds (Information updated September 20, 2000)
(1) Woodland caribou populations in Yukon are found in relatively discrete herds and managed as a herd. They are differentiated from each other by their use of a traditional range. Currently there are 23 recognized herds in Yukon whose populations vary in size from about 100 to 10,000. The total number of woodland caribou in the Yukon is estimated between 30,000 and 35,000.
(2) There are three large barrenground caribou populations, Porcupine, Forty-mile and Nelchina herds that range across the Alaska border and are therefore managed by transboundary agreement. Because of their differing ecology and transboundary distribution they are not addressed by the Yukon woodland caribou guidelines.
(3) Yukon woodland caribou occur at densities well below habitat carrying capacity and are held there by predation and human harvest.
(4) Woodland caribou herds in Yukon are limited by mortality and by the number of calves that are recruited into the population as five month old caribou in the fall of their first year.
Recruitment
(5) Recruitment levels which are measured in fall can vary from year to year and herd to herd (ranging from <1-60 calves for every 100 cows) and are determined mainly by environmental factors such as climate, quality of habitat and predation levels.
(6) A caribou population with 30-35 calves for every 100 cows in fall is generally stable to increasing. A successive number of years with less than 30 calves for every 100 cows indicates low recruitment and a declining population.
(7) Unlike moose caribou do not twin, therefore potential population growth is considerably slower.
Mortality
(8) In Yukon, 5-10 of every 100 adult woodland caribou die naturally each year as a result of predators, disease/parasites, climate, and the quality of forage and habitat. The relative importance of these factors varies from herd to herd. An additional 0-5 caribou out of every 100 adult caribou are killed by hunters each year. For a population to be stable, the total mortality (total number of caribou that die) must be equal to recruitment (total number of caribou that survive as yearlings).
(9) Predators can play a significant role in caribou abundance, particularly for small herds.
(10) Moose are important as alternate prey to caribou for wolves. Thus, predation mortality of caribou can be directly affected by the number of moose in the area.
Herd Composition
(11) Herd composition is a management concern and is monitored by the proportion of bulls and cows. In Yukon, this has ranged from a low of 22 to 70 bulls/100 cows. There should be at least 30 bulls for every 100 cows to ensure that all females are bred during the rut.
Management Approaches
(12) Caribou management in Yukon is generally abundance-based. For stable herds, harvestable portions will generally remain the same regardless of herd size (ie. to harvest more caribou there must be more caribou).
(12b) The size and trend of caribou herds dictate their harvestable yield regardless of demand. Yukon woodland caribou harvest is based on abundance (e.g. a herd of 1000 can safely yield 30 caribou annually. A herd must number 10,000 if 300 caribou are desired every year).
(13) Caribou populations are managed on a herd basis. Management approaches are determined mainly by herd size (<400, 400-4000, >4000) and whether the herd and its range is remote or accessible. Management must focus on harvest control and protection of key habitat, through mitigation of land use and access control.
(14) If a herd numbers less than 200 animals based on herd census or local knowledge, there will be a complete hunting closure.
(15) There is increasing public demand to maintain naturally regulated ecosystems. A woodland caribou herd range tends to envelop large mammal ecosystems. Maintaining naturally regulated caribou herds provides research opportunity and balances with intensive management elsewhere in Yukon. A naturally regulated caribou herd is allowed to occur with minimal restraint from human activity.
Habitat
(16) Management experience in North America has shown that virtually any type of development activity that increases access for hunters results in a herd decline. Hunter access must be very carefully controlled, particularly where roads bisect caribou winter range.
(17) Caribou are migratory and occupy a large home range in response to seasonal changes in habitat requirements. They move from alpine calving and rutting ground in May to October, to a forested winter range in November to April. Some caribou populations in southwest Yukon spend most of the year above treeline. Range boundaries are continually being refined and updated as additional survey data and information become available.
(18) Conserving and protecting key caribou habitat (ie. rutting areas, migration corridors, and winter range) is crucial to herd health and abundance.
(19) Caribou depend on climax habitats thus habitat enhancement is not effective and habitat disturbance such as fires or logging can be harmful in the short term.
Non-Consumptive Uses
(20) Caribou and their associated ecological community are some of the most sought after species for viewing purposes. The Yukon is unique in that there is good opportunity for non-consumptive use of woodland caribou compared to most of North America.
(21) Areas for viewing caribou can be concentrated because of the nature of the activity (e.g. wildlife viewing platforms). However, potential for broader non-consumptive uses of caribou remain largely undeveloped (e.g. cross-country viewing treks through winter distributions.)
(22) Generally, viewing and hunting activities are incompatible in the same area and season. It will be necessary to regulate these activities where conflicts arise.
Disease Control
(23) The potential of disease/parasite transmission and genetic contamination from domestic livestock and captive reindeer and caribou represents a significant management concern for woodland caribou. The establishment of livestock and game farming operations within caribou range or the capture and relocation of caribou must be carefully assessed and controlled.
Assessment Work
(24) Radio collar studies are conducted to delineate herd ranges. Population trend is measured by annual sample counts during the fall breeding season when herds are mixed and their sex and age composition is evident. Population change is determined by census surveys every 4 to 5 years. Habitat assessments are carried out to determine range productivity and to identify critical areas.
Management Decision Making Criteria and Approaches
Allocation
(25) Conservation of caribou populations, their habitats, and maintenance of ecosystem biodiversity is the first and overriding principle.
(26) Opportunities for caribou harvest are shared by all Yukoners (First Nation harvesters, resident hunters and outfitters) with a priority for First Nation harvest as provided for in land claims agreements.
(27) In general, where harvest limits are established, resident hunters should be allocated 50-75% and outfitters 25-50% of the allowable harvest for non-First Nation harvesters.
(28) In specific cases where harvest limits are established and implemented for non-First Nation harvesters, higher priority should be given to resident hunters in accessible and/or high demand areas, while outfitters could be given a higher priority in more remote areas. Where continued business viability is a consideration and there are only a few caribou allowed to be hunted, consideration may be given to allocating more of this allowable harvest to the outfitter.
Harvest
Graph: Woodland Caribou Harvest 1979 - 1995
(29) Harvest management should focus on the direct control of caribou harvest as much as possible without limiting recreation, cultural, and economic opportunities provided by the hunter's activity.
(30) Based on management experience and case history analysis in Yukon and elsewhere in North America, the annual Allowable Harvest (AH) for a relatively stable naturally regulated Yukon woodland caribou population is estimated at 2-3% of adults.
(31) The normal management range for allowable woodland caribou harvest
will be 2-3% with an assessment of risk based on the following factors:
- quality of harvest and population data
- harvest trends
- estimated herd trends
- herd objectives
- herd size
- habitat quality and quantity
- accessibility- number of user groups involved
- composition of harvest
- protection of winter range
(32) In areas where the management objective is for a negligible or zero harvest a minimal harvest of less than 2% may be considered acceptable for cultural, social or economic purposes.
(33) Vulnerable herds that range in accessible areas, or where key habitat is significantly impacted, hunting will be limited through permits or completely closed.
Non-Consumptive
(34) Results from caribou research and management studies can be better disseminated to the public (e.g. scientific reports should be accompanied by popular articles). This would help the public gain a better understanding of the species.
(35) High use areas for wildlife viewing deserve recognition and should be closed to hunting to provide quality opportunity for non-consumptive users. Moreover, protection along highway corridors can offer accessible viewing opportunities during some seasons.
(36) Caribou management should emphasize non-consumptive values where the species is in close contact to urban areas or intense human activity (e.g. Southern Lakes caribou herd adjacent to Whitehorse).