Iqaluit (Oct 18/04) - Wildlife officials are concerned about the amount of meat wasted after a herd of caribou passed through Iqaluit Thanksgiving weekend.

For the past three or four years in late summer, a herd has migrated through the community in late summer, said wildlife officer Alden Williams.

Several hundred caribou made their way North across Sylvia Grinnell River. Most of the animals were found out near the end of Road to Nowhere, but during weekend patrols Williams said officers heard shooting in many different areas of the community.

As of Oct. 14, most of the animals were quite a few kilometres from the end of Road to Nowhere, Williams said.

Chris Debicki was out hunting with friends on Oct. 10 and 11. Out near the end of the road, he stopped counting after he saw 600 animals within 45 minutes.

Debicki's group and a father with his two sons came across a wounded adult male.

"It had clearly been hit that day," he said.

The father and his sons harvested the animal to make sure it did not go to waste, Debicki said. It is not known how many caribou were harvested, but a number of them were wasted.

Some animals were shot and had only the hind quarters removed, while others were simply shot and left to rot, said Williams. The phone in the wildlife office was ringing all weekend with reports of meat wasting infractions, said Williams.

It is important for people who see infractions to be willing to come forward and go to court if necessary, Williams said.

"As a wildlife service we can't be everywhere. We can't do anything without the support of the community," Williams said. A $575 fine is levied on anyone admitting to wasting meat, but if brought before a judge, the fine could be more severe.