Plans Announced for 2015 Federal Subsistence Hunt of Chisana Caribou Herd

Date: July 16, 2015

Copper Center, AK – Plans for the 2015 federal subsistencehunt for the Chisana caribou herd have been announced by Wrangell-St. Elias Superintendent Rick Obernesser, the designated federal manager for the hunt. The Federal Subsistence Board authorized a limited harvest from the Chisana caribou herd at its January 2012 meeting. Consistent with the cooperative management plan for the herd, the harvest quota will be 7 bull caribou, and a maximum of 18 federal registration permits will be issued to federally qualified subsistence users. The hunt will open on August 10 and close on September 30 or when the quota has been reached. Hunters are asked to report back within three days of harvesting an animal or at the end of the season if unsuccessful. The hunt area is Federal public lands in Unit 12 that lie east of the Nabesna River and Glacier and south of the Winter Trail running southeast from Pickerel Lake to the Canadian border.

Eligibility for the hunt is limited to permanent residents of Chisana, Chistochina, Mentasta Lake, Northway, Tetlin, Tok, Unit 12 along the Nabesna Road (mileposts 25-46), and that portion of Unit 12 east of the Nabesna River and the Nabesna Glacier and south of the Winter Trail. For residents of Chistochina, Mentasta Lake, Northway, and Tetlin, permits will be distributed through the tribal council offices in those communities. Contact the council offices for additional information. Residents of Chisana, Tok, and other eligible areas should contact Barbara Cellarius, Subsistence Coordinator, at 822-7236 or [e-mail] for permit information.

The Chisana caribou herd is a small international herd occurring in Yukon and Alaska on the Klutlan Plateau and near the headwaters of the White River. In the United States, its range is primarily within the boundaries of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. From the late1980s through 2003, the herd experienced a decline in population and almost all hunting was stopped in 1994. From 2003 to 2006, a recovery effort designed to increase recruitment and calf survival was conducted. The herd population currently appears stable at approximately 700 animals. The herd management plan provides recommendations and strategies to guide its management and conservation. The conditions for this hunt are consistent with the plan.

For more information, contact Barbara Cellarius, Subsistence Coordinator, at [phone] or [e-mail].