SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Despite participating in a controlled caribou hunt in the restricted hunting zone two weekends ago, Dettah Chief Ed Sangris says nothing has changed in regard to the Yellowknives Dene's opposition to the Department of Environment and Natural Resource's (ENR) claim it has the authority to restrict aboriginal hunting.

Sangris said Yellowknives hunters participated in a controlled hunt because they wanted caribou meat and didn't want to worry about it being seized.

The weekend of March 27, aboriginal hunters killed 50 caribou in the Brown Lake area, which is within the nearly 120,000-square km region north of Yellowknife where the department banned hunting caribou effective Jan. 1.

After the three-day hunt, Sangris said 20 caribou went to the community freezers and hunters distributed the other 30 caribou to people in Ndilo, Dettah and Yellowknife.

Wildlife officers took samples from the animals and will be testing to determine their age and overall health, said Fred Mandeville, an ENR wildlife officer in the North Slave Region.

He said it wasn't unusual for the department to work with aboriginal hunters, adding ENR has taken samples during community hunts for the past five years.

Mandeville said the initial results didn't bode well for either cows or bulls.

"They're pretty skinny, not very good body condition."

He said cows showed a low pregnancy rate - at 60 per cent, it was down to 20 per cent lower than this time last year and considerably lower than just a few years ago.

"There's no real quick answer why they're in this shape," said Mandeville.

In a population survey of the Bathurst caribou herd conducted last year, ENR found caribou numbers had dropped dramatically to approximately 32,000 in 2009 from 128,000 in 2006. Since the department announced the controversial ban, Environment Minister Michael Miltenberger has maintained hunting needed to stop to prevent further declines.

In February, after considerable debate in the legislative assembly, Miltenberger said he'd be willing to consider a controlled hunt.

Since then, Sangris said there was plenty of back and forth from officials in the department and the Yellowknives chiefs over what exactly that would mean. Sangris said initially the Yellowknives wanted to be able to kill 100 caribou and the department balked at 20. Eventually they compromised at 50.

In order to get an additional 50 caribou, Sangris said a second hunt is in the works, but one that will take place outside the controlled hunting zone.

He said 10 hunters are planning to take chartered planes, which will be paid for by the department.

Mandeville said for more accurate information on the state of the Bathurst herd, the department would be looking to take samples from another 50 caribou.

"If an opportunity presents itself with one of the other communities to collect some samples and get some meat for the community, we'll take that opportunity," he said.