Porcupine Caribou Management Plan: 1996/1997 - 1999/2000
The Caribou

Map: Range of the Porcupine Caribou Herd

The Porcupine Caribou Herd is a population of barren-ground caribou also known as Grant's Caribou (Rangifer tarandus Granti). Reliable estimates of the herd's population only date back to the early 1970s so a long-range view of what is happening to the population is difficult. For example, in 1989 the herd reached a peak at 178,000. By 1994, the population had dropped to 152,000. The reason for this drop has not been determined. A complete census, expected to be done in July, 1997, should help in determining what the population trend is.

Gwich'in, Inuvialuit, and Inupiat people from 18 communities in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Alaska hunt the Porcupine Caribou for subsistence and to maintain their lifestyle. Some non-native residents of the area also hunt the herd for both meat and trophies. Sport hunting by non-residents continues to be very limited.

The Yukon and Northwest Territories cooperatively manage the herd in Canada through the Porcupine Caribou Management Agreement (1985). International cooperation between the United States and Canada in managing the herd is covered by the International Conservation Agreement (1987).