Sachs Harbour (July 19/04) - The muskox population on Banks Island may have been drastically reduced with word that the countryside is littered with corpses.

Though no figures have been released, Mike Muller, Inuvik Regional Wildlife Manager for Resources Wildlife and Economic Development confirmed that the agency had surveyed the island to do a count of the dead.

"Right now, we don't have any numbers," he said. "Whether this is different from any other year, we can't comment right now."

Since 1992, the Banks Island Muskox population has fluctuated between 53,000 and 69,000. The most recent count was done in 2001. Muller says muskox surveys are done every three to four years.

"There are many environmental variables that can cause the population to change," said Muller. "Access to browsing (for food), severeness of winter and predator activity all play a role."

Between 1998 and 2001, the herd's numbers decreased by 17,000 and Muller says that mortality may have been only part of the cause.

"Muskox do migrate from Banks Island to Victoria so (population drops) can be a result of these crossings."

Andy Carpenter Jr., president of Sachs Harbour Hunters and Trappers Committee, was the first to report sightings of dead muskox while hunting earlier this spring. "The ones we saw were within a 20-mile radius of Sachs," he said.

According to Carpenter, RWED wildlife biologist John Nagy was part of a team which flew over the island to investigate. The biologists were in the region to conduct a Perry Caribou population count.

"I've talked to him (Nagy) and he says there's quite a bit dying off," said Carpenter who offered his own explanation for the dead muskox.

"The thaw came late so maybe the animals didn't get a chance to get enough food."

An official from the Aulavik National Park office in Sachs Harbour says many of the dead are located around the Thompson River region of the park.

As for the usefulness of the deceased animals, a resident of Sachs Harbour who wished to remain anonymous speculated that the horns would be the only item of value left to harvest.

"We've had some warmer weather here so most of (the dead muskox) have probably rotted by now."