CAMBRIDGE BAY - Weather was a factor in this year's commercial muskox hunt in Cambridge Bay.

Poor weather around Cambridge Bay hampered the 2007 Kitikmeot Foods muskox harvest by 41 animals.

Poor weather around Cambridge Bay hampered the 2007 Kitikmeot Foods muskox harvest by 41 animals. About 35 residents took part in the hunt and processing the animals. - photo courtesy of Derrick Anderson

This year, 246 muskox were harvested, compared to 287 in 2006. Three hundred tags had been issued.

All told about 34-37 people took part in the harvest - 10 hunters from the community were hired to go out onto the land, 15 to 18 worked in the abattoir, while another nine were employed in the processing plant.

"The hunters go out, they shoot the animals and bleed them, and then they bring them into the abattoir where they are skinned, gutted, and inspected for approval," said Dale Smith, general manager of Kitikmeot Foods.

From there, the animals are transported from the abattoir to the processing plant where they are made into steaks, roasts, burgers, jerky and other cuts and products for sale at various locations.

Kitikmeot Food's muskox products are sold primarily in the Yellowknife area, with some shipped to venues elsewhere in Canada. Smith said jerky is the company's most popular product.

There are two inspectors in the abattoir during the harvest and one in the processing plant.

They are looking at the health of the animals ensuring they are safe for consumption.

They also watch to make sure all procedures are followed and health regulations are carried out properly.

While Smith was relatively happy with the hunt, another deterrent was the sport-hunting season, which began on about March 19.

"A lot of our hunters are guides for the sports hunt," Smith said. "We could've overlapped on it but we felt that it would effect the sports hunt too much, which is a main source of income for the hunters we have."

Hunters will be guiding tourists drawn north hoping to bag a big game trophy until the middle of April.

"The hunt went well," said Jacques Larabie, manager of the Ekaluktutiak Hunters and Trappers Organization in Cambridge Bay.

Larabie said the muskox hides would be sheared, tanned and then sold to buyers through Kitikmeot Foods.

"I sell the horns piece by piece for carvings," he said.

The value of this year's hunt was not known at press time, but last year it was estimated to add about $150,000 to the local economy.