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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
John Andre's Yellowknife barren land camps are "just covered up with caribou," as what would normally be hunting season begins, but for the third season in a row, there will be no hunting for the outfitter.

Biologist Jan Adamczewski, pictured above at the 13th Arctic Ungulate Conference at the Tree of Peace Friendship Centre on Aug. 22, co-authored a recent study on the decline of the Bathurst caribou herd. - Thandie Vela/NNSL photo

"Basically, all the outfitters are struggling to make a living, losing our homes, our ranches -- you name it," Andre said.

After territorial government studies indicated the Bathurst caribou herd, which outfitters relied on to attract sport hunters from around the world, had declined to approximately 32,000 in 2009 from 126,000 in 2006, Environment and Natural Resources Minister Michael Miltenberger banned all barren ground caribou hunting tags from non-resident and sport hunters as of January 2010.

"At one time it would have been five days into the caribou hunt," Arctic Safaris owner Barry Taylor reminisced last Friday.

Before the restrictions started, Taylor said he was hunting up to 100 caribou per season in guided caribou hunts, raking in half a million dollars each year.

"Now we're just trying to survive," Taylor said. "What was a two-and-a-half-million-dollar business is now a $700,000 liability."

Amanda Peterson, owner of J Group Ltd., operator of Yellowknife-based Peterson's Point Lake Lodge, is also among the seven outfitting business owners missing the hunt.

"It did cross our minds on Aug. 15, usually the day we prepare for our caribou hunting season," Peterson said. "It's usually a very exciting time of year for us, preparing for the hunt.

"We are hoping to get back to the caribou hunt at some point in the near future," Peterson said, noting the amount of caribou seen migrating through her lodge this year has been "so very encouraging."

Preliminary surveys conducted in 2010 and 2011 have also indicated encouraging Bathurst herd numbers, GNWT biologist Jan Adamczewski told Yellowknifer at the 13th international Arctic Ungulate Conference held this week in Yellowknife.

"Those two surveys have shown that it looks like what was a rapid decline is turning into a stable trend and possibly the beginning of an increase," Adamczewski said. "Things are looking a lot better than they were a couple years ago."

Adamczewski said the improving numbers are partly due to the restrictions in place for harvest management.

"We went from rapid decline to what looks like a stable trend and we think that harvest management recommended by co-management boards and worked out in partnership with aboriginal governments, and territorial government contributed to that."

When sport hunting of the caribou will be reinstated is not known, Ademczewki said, noting a draft harvest management plan for the Bathurst caribou herd is now in public review, which may develop into a management plan which will stipulate "safe, sustainable harvest, depending on the determined herd size and trend."

The next survey of the Bathurst caribou herd will take place in 2012, the biologist said, and any moves to reinstate harvest will be cautious.

"We want to play a little bit safe," Ademczewki said, adding the territorial government is just one voice at the table. "We want to make sure that as we start to increase and reinstate the harvest, that it doesn't essentially turn things around and push the herd back to lower numbers."

Taylor, who is among the six outfitting company owners in Yellowknife suing the territorial government for more than $10 million over lost business they say was caused by the ban on sport hunting in the NWT, remains hopeful that he will soon be able to resume operating.

"Are they going to reinstate (sport caribou hunting)? It's up to the government so we don't have a clue," Taylor said. "We know we're dead in the water til then."

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