Porcupine caribou herd summary

[medvedyt]

let s hope no one will close their eyes this time.

Porcupine caribou herd summary
The 2025 PCH photocensus estimate of 143,000 caribou is lower than the previous photocensus in 2017.
The 2017 photocensus estimate was 218,000 caribou, which was the most caribou ever estimated in this
herd since monitoring began in the 1970s.
This herd has experienced periods of growth and decline since photocensus efforts began. In 1979, the
herd was around 106,000 caribou, grew to 178,000 in 1989, declined to 123,000 in 2001, and then
increased to 218,000 in 2017. This current period of decline is steeper than was observed during the
decline in the 1990s.
A reduction in adult survival, calf survival, and other population metrics since 2017 supports the
photocensus results that the herd is in a decline. Future photocensus population estimates and
monitoring of the herd will continue to document the nature and duration of this decline.

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Porcupine caribou herd declines as Vuntut Gwitchin push for habitat protection - Yukon News

Alaskan survey shows Porcupine caribou herd has fallen to about 143,000 animals, down from 218,000 in 2017.

yukon-news.com

 

[YukonJim]

Let’s be honest, nothing will happen until there is a catastrophic collapse like the Mulchatna or Nelchina herds.


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[medvedyt]

Let’s be honest, nothing will happen until there is a catastrophic collapse like the Mulchatna or Nelchina herds.


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they may have a chance this winter with the cold snap we got ... less hunters.

 

[medvedyt]

but again predator controls and certainly a control of all the harvests ...

 

[arctichunting]

These are cyclical creatures and we are in a downward trend state wide. The WACH was 70-80k in the late 70s. By 2000s they hit 400k. Now we are downward again. They eat themselves out of house and home . Lichen takes years to grow back. They eat it all, migration changes. Predation and shitty winters obviously plays a role too. We don’t even need to touch on cow calf harvest.


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[EdP]

A steeper decline after a steeper expansion. Wow, what a surprise! Must be due to some environmental effect of human technological development.

 

[Wrench]

What's the harvest report nunbers like? I can't imagine more than 4 digits of harvest

 

[medvedyt]

What's the harvest report nunbers like? I can't imagine more than 4 digits of harvest

we might got a better idea of the harvests but some are not disclosed ...

 

[medvedyt]

please read some documents:

https://pcmb.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Harvest-Management-Plan-2010.pdf

sorry nothing newer than that. the february meeting this year might bring you a better one.

https://pcmb.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/PCH-Technical-Report_2026_WEB.pdf

that is worth reading as you will understand that the same pattern is present all across northern emisphere related to caribou. less calf survival and the body weight of the calf under the average measured ...

on a side note they are doing a lichen survey every 5 years and 2026 is the year so that will be another indication of where we are ...