Answers to your questions: archives for 2001

• Remembering when the caribou traveled further south
• Uranium mining in northern Saskatchewan
• Shipping frozen caribou to the States
• What do caribou tracks look like?
• Norway home to the "last true, wild reindeer population in Europe"
• Wolves and caribou
• Caribou north of Stony Rapids
• Tastes good, and it's good for you, too!
• Herd range
• Chemicals and/or pesticides in caribou
• "Just fantastic!"
• Photos of caribou
• Different strokes for different folks . . .
• How to pronounce "Qamanirjuaq"?
• Do caribou hate summer because of pesky insects?
• Learning about Lac Brochet
• The ranges of different species of caribou

Remembering when the caribou traveled further south

Dec. 12, 2001

Tansi.

I am a member of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation and was just checking out your site. It has a lot of useful information. I live in Southend SK and usually go hunting north of Brochet Man. every year. In the past, according to my father, the caribou used to come right to Southend, the southern tip of Reindeer Lake. Now we have to go approx. 160 miles just to get to Brochet and then go further north from there. Any ways , keep up the good work with your website.

A. J.
Southend, Saskatchewan

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Uranium mining in northern Saskatchewan

Nov. 5, 2001

Q. I am researching uranium mining and milling in Northern Sask and its impact on the environment, wildlife and human population as part of my grad thesis. Can you point me to any good resources?

Thank you

P.S. Great site!

C. F.
Kingston, Ontario

A. 1.The Cigar Lake project, environmental impact statement, executive summary. (1995)

2. Executive summary, disposal of Cigar Lake waste rock environmental impact statement. (2001)

3. The McArthur River project, environmental impact statement, executive summary. (1995)

1 - 3 are available from the Cameco Corporation , 2121-11th Street, Saskatoon, SK S7M 1J3 www.cameco.com

4. McArthur River Uranium Mine Project, Report of the Joint Federal-Provincial Panel on Uranium Mining Developments in Northern Saskatchewan. (1997)
Minister of Public Works and Government Services, Hull, PQ

5. Athabasca powerline project, Uranium City to Rabbit Lake, 115 kv transmission line right of way caribou interactions monitoring program. (1987)
Saskatchewan Power Corporation

6. Athabasca Seasonal Road Environmental Impact Statement. (1996)
Saskatchewan, Department of Highways and Transportation. This is a major study (11 chapters) and has good references.

This is just a small sample to point you in the right direction. Your best bet might be to contact the Northern Mines Monitoring Secretariat, phone 1-800-577-2668. Or check the government of Saskatchewan's web site.

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Oct. 19, 2001

Q. We just returned from Canada where we had our first taste of Caribou and it was wonderful. Is there anywhere that ships frozen Caribou to the US for individual consumers??

Thank you

C. A.
El Paso, Texas

A. Try contacting these companies:

Kivalliq Foods Inc.
P.O. Box 329
Rankin Inlet, NU X0C 0G0
Tel: (867) 645-3137
Fax: (867) 645-3467

Kitikmeot Foods
P.O. Box 2268
Cambridge Bay, NU X0B 0C0
Tel: (867) 983-2881.
Fax: (867) 983-2801.
E-mail: kitfoods@polarnet.ca
Web site: aulak.polarnet.ca/~kitfoods

Iqaluit Enterprises
Building 158-A
Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0
Tel: (867) 979-4458.
Fax: (867) 979-0214.
E-mail: jcurrie@nunanet.com

Nunavik Arctic Foods Inc.
Web site: inuit.pail.ca/nunavik-arctic-foods.htm

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What do caribou tracks look like?

Oct. 11, 2001

Q. My son is working on a school project about Caribou and needs to know what its tracks look like and who/what are its predators (we have found hunters). Thank you.

J. C.
Kennesaw, Georgia

A. I'm not sure how well I can describe caribou tracks verbally, but they are, I guess, like two kidney beans placed side-by-side with the curves extending out. The book Caribou and the barren-lands by George Calef has an excellent photo of caribou tracks extending down a long, sandy beach. The main predators of caribou are wolves. Our Frequently Asked Questions section will tell you more about predators.

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Norway home to the 'last true, wild reindeer population in Europe'

Oct. 1, 2001

Hi.

Nice web site

However, I found a flaw that I just have to comment. You claim that the caribou (reindeer) are domisticated in Scandinavia. That is not correct. The reindeer in the Dovre mountain area in Norway are in fact the last, true wild, reindeer population in Europe. There are wild populations elsewhere in Norway too, but in those populations there has been a slight mix between domisticated and wild animals.

Keep on the good work

Regards,

S. S.
Telemark , Norway

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Wolves and caribou

Q. I am doing research on the relationship between the wolf and the caribou. As you know it is a very delicate balance and the topic is of great interest to me and my colleagues. My research would be greatly facilitated if I were provided with names of people who are experts on the wolf/caribou relationship as well as ways to contact them. I would greatly appreciate any information that would allo to conduct some type of interview with such an expert.

Thank you for your help.

S. C.
Bear, Denver

A. The Wildlife and Fisheries section of the government of the Northwest Territories' Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Division has some online information that you'll want to examine, including:

- a profile of the wolf species

- "Wolf Notes," a newsletter on wolf studies in the Central Arctic, NWT.

The "Wolf Notes" section also includes recommended readings. You may want to contact members of The NWT Wolf Project (see earlier issues of "Wolf Notes" for background) with regards to conducting an interview:

Dean Cluff
Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, GNWT
Yellowknife NT X1A 2P9
Phone: (867) 873-7783
Fax: (867) 873-6230
E-mail: dean_cluff@gov.nt.ca

Paul Paquet
John/Paul & Associates
P.O. Box 150
Meacham SK S0K 2V0
Phone: (306) 376-2065
Fax: (306) 376-2015
E-mail: ppaquet@sk.sympatico.ca

Lyle Walton
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
Peterborough ON K9J 8M5
Phone: (705) 755-1545
Fax: (705) 755-1559
E-mail: lyle.walton@mnr.gov.on.ca

Marco Musiani
Faculty of Environmental Design
University of Calgary
Calgary AB T2N 1N4
Phone: (403) 222-2169
Fax: (403) 283-6803
E-mail: mmusiani@ucalgary.ca

Cormack Gates
Faculty of Environmental Design
University of Calgary
Calgary AB T2N 1N4
Phone: (403) 220-3027
Fax: (403) 284-4399
E-mail: ccgates@nucleus.com

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Caribou north of Stony Rapids

Aug. 28, 2001

Q. I am going to be in the area of the 60th parallel North of Stoney Rapids, Saskatchewan very soon. Will the herd be in that area at that time? When would be a good time to see the herd in that area?

S.
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

A. It might be a little early to see the caribou then. After calving in June, the caribou usually travel southward to the treeline by August, rut in October, then enter the forest regions where they winter. Our caribou range map shows where the treeline is located.

The 2000-2001 annual report of the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Board reported this for last year: "As traditionally occurs, hunters from Wollaston traveled into northwestern Manitoba and adjacent Nunavut to harvest caribou in the Nueltin Lake area in late fall. At that time hunters from Black Lake, Stony Rapids and Fond Du Lac found caribou in the Northwest Territories around Kasba, Selwyn and Dunvegan Lakes, respectively. Hunters from Uranium City and Camsell Portage did not begin hunting until December when bulls could be found in Saskatchewan, on Tazin Lake, and some mixed herds on Ena Lake. Winter hunting was focused on areas of the province north of Lake Athabasca where a large concentration of caribou wintered between Black Lake and Fond Du Lac. One report suggested that these caribou were smaller than usual and without the fat reserves that people were accustomed to seeing. Wollaston hunters focused their efforts on lakes in the vicinity of the Cochrane River in Saskatchewan, as in past years. Joe Martin reported that spring hunting continued well into April when hunters from Fond Du Lac found caribou in the Dunvegan and Scott Lakes areas along the SK-NWT border."

For an up-to-date account of the caribou's whereabouts, you could try contacting one of our Saskatchewan board members:

Tim Trottier (represents Government of Saskatchewan)
Wildlife Branch
Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Management
P.O. Box 5000
La Ronge SK S0J 1L0
(306) 425-4237 (office telephone)
(306) 425-2580 (fax)
e-mail: tim.trottier.erm@govmail.gov.sk.ca

Jimmy Laban (represents northern Saskatchewan communities)
General Delivery
Black Lake SK S0J 0H0
(306) 284-2038 (office telephone)
(306) 284-2068 (fax)

Billy Shott (represents northern Saskatchewan communities)
General Delivery
Uranium City SK S0J 2W0
(306) 498-3729 (home telephone)

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Tastes good, and it's good for you, too!

July 5, 2001

Q. What is the nutritional value of caribou as compared to beef in regards to protein, fats carbohydrates.

M. G.

A. Lean caribou meat is often more nutritious than imported foods. In northern communities, fresh meat and produce are limited, and costs are high.

The value of the resident caribou harvest is estimated as the total edible food weight multiplied by the cost of an appropriate store-bought food like beef. The average caribou yields 37 kg of edible meat. Using a value of $17 per kg of beef sold in Kivalliq stores, the replacement value of a caribou is considered to be $629. This is the minimum gross economic value at the current harvest rate. The economic potential of the resource is considerably larger when meat processing and uses such as outfitting for non-residents are considered (up to $3,400 per animal harvested).

Additional values are derived from the use of skins for clothing and bedding, and bones and antlers for handicrafts. Apart from purely economic factors, the use of caribou is important to the culture and traditional lifestyle of aboriginal people. This importance cannot be fully evaluated and quantified using the analytical tools of measuring economic value.

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Herd range

June 21, 2001

Q. I am particularly interested in the range of the herds of caribou. How far north, south, east and west they range. How large are their herds?

Thank you,

.B. E.
Riverton, Utah

A. The latest census information for the two herds dates from 1994. It shows the Qamanirjuaq herd at about 496,000, and the Beverly herd at about 276,000. You'll find many maps delineating the range of the two caribou herds at our online map atlas at www.arctic-caribou.com/cdrom/mapatlas.html

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June 4, 2001

Q. I am a graduate student at Florida State University and I am working on developing a chemical and pesticide environmental indicator system that addresses Native American concerns. I am looking for information on studies that have been done on levels of chemicals and/or pesticides in caribou that are used as a food source for Native Americans. Any help that you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

T. D.
Tallahassee, Florida

A. A good place place to start would be Canadian Arctic Contaminants Assessment Report published by the government of Canada, 1997 ISBN 0-662-25704-9. It has a good bibliography and covers most species. You can go on from there. Good luck !

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"Just fantastic!"

March 28, 2001

I think your website is great! Just fantastic! Keep it up!

C.
Vancouver, British Columbia

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Photos of caribou

Feb. 27, 2001

Q. My son has a school project about caribou. Can you point me to pictures of caribou in their habitats?

Thanks,

D.

A. You could check out the rangifer.net web site. It points you toward photo galleries and search engines that will do image searches.

Take a look as well at the section on caribou in the NWT Government's wildlife section. In addition to photos, there is excellent information about all herds in NWT and Nunavut.

Finally, if you browse through the BQCMB's online CD-ROM, "Protecting Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou and Caribou Range, Part 2: Map Atlas and Documentation", you'll find a number of photos of Beverly and Qamanirjuaq caribou in their habitat.

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Feb. 25, 2001

Q. Very nice, i like the caribou. Nice name Quamanirjuaq. Is it in Inuktitut? Nunavut is spelled weird in inuktitut, although it it your heritige.

M. T. F., age 9
Oakville, Ontario

A. Yes, "Qamanirjuaq" is Inuktitut, and it means "big lake." Caribou from the Qamanirjuaq herd return to the Qamanirjuaq Lake area in Nunavut every June to have their calves.

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How to pronounced "Qamanirjuaq"?

Feb. 2, 2001

Q. Doesn't anybody ever ask how to pronounce Qamanirjuaq? That should be one of your answers to frequently asked questions.

Will you please tell me? Thanks!

J. S.
Cloudcroft, New Mexico

A. Well, we are glad you asked. In Inuktitut, the language of the Inuit, the word-initial "q" as in Qamanirjuaq indicates a voiceless uvular stop. That's a consonant which is pronounced in the rear part of the mouth, at the level of the uvula. For your purposes it will suffice if you substitute a "k" for the "q."

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Do caribou hate summer because of pesky insects?

Jan. 19, 2001

Q. I am writing a children's book, and have a question concerning reindeer/caribou. I have read that they are well equipped for the harsh winter months, and that the summer months can be bothersome because of the pesky insects. Do you think this qualifies the reindeer/caribou as preferring winter over summer? Or have you ever seen any indication of them being more comfortable during one season than the other.

Thank you for your help.

K. J.
Chantilly, Virginia

A. I turned to the book Caribou and the barren lands by biologist George Calef (published by Canadian Arctic Resources Committee, Otttawa/Firefly Books Limited, Toronto) for guidance.

Calef's book follows the migration of the herds, and chapters are divided according to season.

In the section on summer, he writes this: "The wind died as the sun dipped towards the horizon. The mosquitoes swarmed around the caribou. In a single day the insects had reached pestilent proportions. Like so many events in the arctic summer, their emergence had occurred explosively. The annual season of torment had begun. . . . The mass of caribou no longer acted as individuals. The herd had taken on a life and an energy of its own. Like a single giant organism it advanced over the land, along a front up to several miles wide, driven by the harassment of the mosquitoes. During spells of calm, humid weather – ideal conditions for the insects – the caribou were driven to a frenzy. They bunched together so tightly that from a distance they appeared as a solid mass. They trotted frantically into the slightest breeze, trying to keep the clouds of mosquitoes off the sensitive parts of their faces: eyes, ears, lips, and nostrils . . ."

Calef's book is excellent, and I would recommend you check with your local library to see if it carries it. It would be quite helpful in your research.

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Jan. 16, 2001

Q. I am a student in Saskatchewan, at the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College and I have decided to do a research paper on Lac Brochet.

Is there information you could send me, to assist me in my research. Location, and migration of caribou, does it or does it not affect the community. Please send me as much information as you could, is there a contact person I could talk to.

I. L.
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

A. Lac Brochet depends heavily on subsistence hunting to feed the community, and residents can avail of both Beverly and Qamanirjuaq caribou, since the community sits in the overlap of the separate ranges of the two herds. You could start your research by reading two excellent case studies of the herds, available from our web site. In our Reports section, download copies of "The Beverly Caribou Herd -- Continental Wilderness Travelers" and "The Qamanirjuaq Caribou Herd -- An Arctic Enigma."

Check through our online CD-ROM, "Protecting Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou and Caribou Range Part 2: Map Atlas and Documentation" for a wide variety of maps and detailed current background information.

If you would like to speak with someone further about the impact of caribou on Lac Brochet, I recommend you get in touch with one of our board members.

Cam Elliott
Manitoba Conservation
Northeast Region
P.O. Box 28
59 Elizabeth Drive
Thompson MN R8N 1X4
(204) 677-6644 (office telephone)
(204) 677-6359 (fax)
e-mail: CElliott@nr.gov.mb.ca or celliott@gov.mb.ca

Jerome Denechezhe
Lac Brochet MB R0B 2E0
(204) 337-2571 (office telephone)
(204) 337-2110 (fax)

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Jan. 10, 2001

Q. You have an interesting site. My question is : in reference to the different herds of caribou i.e. woodland, barren ground, & mountain what are their home ranges, or geographical locations?

R. A.
Cottage Grove, Oregon

A. Barren ground caribou are found in the Arctic and sub-arctic, while woodland caribou are found in boreal areas of Canada, and limited parts of the United States. To learn more about individual herds and their ranges, take a look at these web sites:

Rangifer.net looks at caribou and reindeer herds in Russia, North America and Europe.

Caribou describes herds in the Canadian North.

Boreal Caribou Research Program examines woodland caribou, primarily in Alberta.

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