Emergency Order on 40 Mile Caribou

[colonel00]

I saw this over at AOD and I figured I would share it here as I thought a couple people had trips planned up that direction this year.

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/applications/webintra/wcnews/2014/orders/03-03-14.pdf

 

[elkeaterco]

Thanks for the heads up!

 

[VernAK]

The 40 Mile Caribou Herd continues to be very difficult to manage as caribou continue to behave like ....caribou. The herd returned from Yukon Territory in late spring after spending the first winter there in many years. Rather than concentrate on the calving grounds, they were scattered across much of the 40 Mile Country for calving thus making it difficult/impossible to count.

Part of the Nelchina Caribou Herd migrated as far as Chicken during the winter. Mother Nature mixing the DNA?

After all the wolf control measures in the 40 Mile, did the Yukon Territory wolves follow the herd back?

There are a lot of unknowns when dealing with caribou.

 

[bowuntr]

Interesting stuff... Ed F

 

[Snipershirt]

Yeah saw this a few weeks ago...gonna make it interesting with moose opener on 1 Sep. Maybe we'll get to have a winter 40 mile bou hunt this year!

 

[VernAK]

Usually the herd would be near the Taylor Highway at this time but it has turned West instead.

 

[VernAK]

The herd is currently very widely scattered SW of Chicken. With the current warm temperatures and bugs, the caribou are on the ridges seeking relief but also the jet fighters from Red Flag exercise are skimming those ridges in mock dog-fights. The aircraft noise and sonic booms may contribute to keeping the herd widely scattered.