Yukon bans caribou hunt on south Dempster

Environment Yukon has ordered an emergency hunting ban on part of the Dempster Highway to protect the Hart River caribou herd.

The bantakes effect Monday and applies in five hunting sub-zones that stretch from kilometre 77 at North Fork Pass to kilometre 195 at the Ogilvie River bridge.

Environment Yukon says there are no Porcupine caribou in the area and none are expected this winter, but there are caribou from the Hart River herd.

The Hart River woodland caribou herd is small, numbering an estimated 2,200 caribou, compared to the Porcupine barren-ground herd, which has 169,000 animals. Officials say the smaller herdcannot sustain the same level of hunting that the Porucupine herd can.

The ban will be in effect until next summer and applies to licensed resident and non-resident hunters.

Tr'ondek Hwech'in and Na-Cho Nyak Dun citizens, who have hunting rights under land claim agreements, can continue to hunt.

Emergency hunting bans on the lower Dempster Highway have been put into effect five of the last six years.