The Porcupine caribou herd will be under increased fire this fall.
This week, the Yukon government reversed harvest limits that have been in place since 2009.
“The Yukon government has revoked the Porcupine Caribou Subsistence Harvest Regulation in recognition of the herd’s healthy population, which is consistent with the Harvest Management Plan,” said acting Environment Minister Elaine Taylor.
“The bag limit has been restored to two bulls for licensed hunters, as well.”
The harvest limits were put in place when the herd was suspected of dropping to 90,000 animals.
But 2010 census results now estimate the herd at as many as 169,000 animals.
That’s well above the limit of 115,000 animals set by the Harvest Management Plan. Once the herd exceeds that, there’s no harvest limit for subsistence hunters.
The plan looks at both herd size and overall population trends to determine what limits, if any, should be imposed on subsistence and licensed hunters.
The Yukon government will continue with field inspections when the hunting season resumes this fall, according to a recent media release.