Abstract
Caribou from the Teshekpuk Herd (TH) are an important subsistence resource for residents of Inupiaq villages in northern Alaska. In recent years the use of satellite telemetry has increased the understanding of the herd's annual movements and interactions with other herds. Most caribou of the TH are within the National Petroleum Reserve—Alaska (NPRA) throughout the year. The northeastern portion of NPRA has undergone two lease sales for oil and gas exploration, and lease sales are tentatively scheduled for the central/northwest portion of the NPRA in 2004. During 1990—1999, the movements of 27 caribou from the TH were tracked using satellite collars. We evaluated the proportion of time caribou were available to Inupiaq hunters by incorporating maps depicting subsistence-use areas for each of seven Inupiaq villages, and then examining seasonal and annual movements of caribou relative to those areas. By combining caribou locations with subsistence hunting areas, we were able to explore spatial and temporal patterns in caribou availability to subsistence hunters. This information is useful for managers to set appropriate hunting regulations and for devising sensible alternatives and mitigation of likely petroleum development in NPRA.
Highlights
Barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) of the Teshekpuk Herd (TH) typically calve in the vicinity of Teshekpuk Lake in the north-central part of the North Slope of Alaska (Philo et al, 1993; Kelleyhouse, 2001; Prichard et al, 2001; Fig. 1)
A number of Alaskan villages are within the peripheral range of the T H (Fig. 1), but seven villages comprise the majority of the harvest in most years
Determining baseline levels of herd availability and harvest provides a basis for quantifying the effects of oil and gas development on herd movements and subsistence hunting
Summary
Barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) of the Teshekpuk Herd (TH) typically calve in the vicinity of Teshekpuk Lake in the north-central part of the North Slope of Alaska (Philo et al, 1993; Kelleyhouse, 2001; Prichard et al, 2001; Fig. 1). A number of Alaskan villages are within the peripheral range of the T H (Fig. 1), but seven villages comprise the majority of the harvest in most years. The population in these villages is predominantly Inupiat (Table 1), non-native rural residents hunt caribou under the same state and federal regulations. Throughout the western portion of the North Slope, Rangifer, Special Issue No 14, 2003 villages harvest caribou from more than one herd. In addi¬ tion, fall movements and win¬ ter locations of the herd are quite variable among years, and harvest levels are influ¬ enced by the proximity of caribou to villages. Based on subsistence surveys and ap¬ proximate herd locations, the subsistence harvest of T H caribou in three North Slope villages was estimated at 808—1084 during 1989—1990
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