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PEHDZEH KI/WRIGLEY - Freezers in Wrigley are well stocked with caribou meat after a successful community hunt.

Five hunters, including Darcy E. Moses, Paul Nadjiwan, George Moses, Jamie Moses and elder Davie Horesay harvested 35 caribou during a three-day hunt from March 18 to 20.

Paul Nadjiwan, left, and Dwight Moses position a cargo net so caribou harvested at Spruce Lake can be transported by helicopter back to Wrigley during a community hunt. - photo courtesy of Shawn Alli

"It was a good hunt," said Darcy E. Moses, who's the chief of the Pehdzeh Ki First Nation.

The group took a helicopter to Spruce Lake, approximately 97 km east of Wrigley, where they pitched a canvas tent and established a camp. There were a few herds of barren ground caribou around the lake so it wasn't hard to find animals to harvest, said Moses.

The group took primarily bulls but also a few cows. All of the animals were nice and fat and healthy, Moses said.

"It looks like a good year," he said.

The hunt, which is a yearly event, is used to obtain meat for the community. The meat from this year's hunt has already been distributed to every household in Wrigley. Some of the meat will also be used for the Moccasin Spring Carnival, said Moses.

The only trace of the harvested caribou are the piles of guts that were left behind, said Moses. All of the other parts of the animals were used, including the hides.

Some of the animals were skinned and cleaned at the lake while others were transported whole back to the community by the helicopter.

In addition to the adult hunters, two youth, cousins Brandon and Dwight Moses, were also participated. The hunt was an opportunity for the youth to learn what parts of the caribou are important to keep and which parts need to be respected, said Moses.

"It was fun," said Brandon, Moses' son, who counted it as his first caribou hunt.

Brandon shot two caribou, a cow and a bull with a rifle that used .30-60 cartridges. His first bullet took down one of the animals with a shot to the chest.

Brandon also learned other skills during the hunt.

"I learned how to skin my first caribou. It was really cool," he said.

The two youth were also put in charge of taking samples from each of the animals for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Sample material for testing included a piece of the heart, liver and bone, the bottom jaw, the whole kidney, the stomach contents and some fecal material.

Brandon said he learned a lot during the hunt including how tasty caribou brain is to eat after it's cooked over a fire. The back strap is also very good, he said.