Yellowknife (Dec 15/03) - A hunting outfitter is challenging the territorial government's assertion that the Bathurst caribou herd is in decline.

Biologists studying calving grounds near Bathurst Inlet last June estimated the herd number at approximately 186,000 animals, down from 350,000 in 1996 -- a nearly 50 per cent decrease.

The Bathurst caribou herd is an important source of game animals for hunters in the North Slave region.

Boyd Warner, owner of outfitting company Adventure Northwest, thinks biologists missed a substantial number of caribou because they were either not surveyed or lumped in with the Queen Maud Gulf, Dauphin Union Straight, and Bluenose herds.

"There are actually more caribou out on the mainland than there have ever been," Warner insisted.

"It's just that our government has decided to divide up the herd range into four herds now and they're not telling anybody."

He said the survey was flawed because it concentrated on one area west of Bathurst Inlet, which was based on the migration patterns of six radio-collared caribou. He believes the Bathurst herd is still using its eastern calving grounds but biologists didn't look for them there.

Warner said what irks him even more is that there is very little information available on the Queen Maud Gulf (sometimes called the Ahiak herd) or the Dauphin Union Straight herds, even though they neighbour and often enter the Bathurst range.

Renewable Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development's Web site makes no mention of these groups although it does describe three other Barren Ground caribou herds, including the Bathurst.

"What do we do? Ask these caribou for passports?" wondered Warner.

"If we called all these caribou Bathurst caribou, we wouldn't even be there (in a state of decline)."

Ray Case, manager of technical support for RWED, admitted speculation over the Bathurst herd's decline may have got out of hand, but insisted his department's numbers are correct.

"We're very confident the Bathurst herd has declined," said Case.

Nonetheless, Case said they have little information on the populations of the other herds, some of which winter within the Bathurst range.

"We are not as certain as to the status of those other herds," said Case. "We are aware that there are more than just the Bathurst herd for hunters to access.

"The key is that we need to find a way to assess where the caribou harvest is coming from."

He added that biologists are certain none of the herds use the same calving grounds and therefore are genetically distinct from each other.

Case said, while the Bathurst decline is a concern, the caribou are not at risk.

"Understanding caribou ecology and population variations, it's not an alarming thing," said Case.