Here are some of the easiest ways to show respect for the herd and help ensure it continues to grow.
Hunting Best Practices
Don’t shoot cows
If a hunter chooses a bull instead of a cow each year for 10 years, there will be 23 more caribou in the herd. Imagine if 100 hunters did this. Or 1,000 hunters…
Look for young bulls
Porcupine caribou rut from mid-October to mid-November, which is later than other species of caribou. Selecting young bulls during the period will ensure that you don’t get “stinky meat” in the fall.
Respect your harvest
Take only what you need, and use all that you take.
Shoot to kill
Wounded caribou usually die in the bush hours or days after being shot.
Cows vs Bulls, can you tell the difference?
Use all the parts
Hides, hoofs, heads and organs can all be used or eaten.
- Once an animal has been shot, the animal should be kept cool, clean and dry.
- Gut the animal promptly to avoid spoilage, especially if it was shot in the belly.
- Gut the animal carefully to avoid contamination by spilling contents of the bladder, stomach or bowels on meat.
- The skimmer or truck box should be clean of gas, oil, garbage or saw dust – use a tarp.
- Make sure you drag any gut piles away from roads or trails so that other people don’t accidentally run into any scavengers that might be attracted to them.
