by Jennifer Pritchett
Northern News Services

NNSL (Mar 05/97) - Dogrib Rae Band members are concerned about hunters who kill caribou on their land and leave the carcasses to rot.

Chief Jo Rabesca said says hunters are coming onto Dogrib land to hunt and they're leaving the carcasses on the land to rot without taking the meat.

"This meat that was just left there. We could have used it," he said.

And, hunters who are coming onto aboriginal land to hunt aren't respecting the animals when they commit such acts, said Rabesca.

John Ivey, manager of the Dogrib Rae Band, said that more than 50 intact, dead animals have been found in recent weeks.

"Some of them have none of the meat taken off, which is a shame," he said. "They shoot the animals and leave them there to rot."

Ivey said the band may hire two people to patrol the area to watch for hunters who aren't respecting the land or the animals or territorial regulations.

"We're just trying to get a little bit of control over the area," he said. "We're telling people that they are on Dogrib land and they should respect it."