Manuscript Report 137
Veitch,
Alasdair, and Ellen Simmins. 2001. Mackenzie Mountain Non-resident and
Non-resident Alien Hunter Harvest Summary 2000. 40 pp.
ABSTRACT
Data
on harvest of big game in the Mackenzie Mountains of the Northwest
Territories (NWT) by non-resident and non-resident alien hunters
(collectively called ‘non-resident’ for this report) were recorded for
the 2000 hunting season by each of the eight licenced outfitters that
operate in the area and by Renewable Resource Officers with the Department
of Resources, Wildlife & Economic Development of the Government of the
NWT.
Non-resident
licences were bought by 332 hunters in 2000. Hunters from outside Canada
(non-resident aliens) – primarily from the United States of America -
comprised 77% of the outfitted hunters in the Mackenzie Mountains.
Canadians from outside the NWT (non-residents) comprised 17%; the country
of origin for 6% of hunters is unknown.
Of the 332 non-resident licence holders, 320 came to the NWT and
most spent at least some time hunting.
Tags
to hunt Dall’s sheep were purchased by 231 non-resident hunters and 189
rams were harvested.
The average age of harvested rams was 10.0 + 1.7 years,
which represents the 4th consecutive year with an average age >
10.0 years for the Mackenzie Mountains.
Hunters’ observations gave estimates of 47 lambs and 90 rams per
100 ewes, respectively.
Hunters reported seeing an average of 8.9 legal rams (horns at
least ¾ curl) during their hunts.
Tags to hunt woodland caribou were purchased by 206 non-resident
hunters and they harvested 127 animals.
Hunters’ observations gave estimates of 41 caribou calves and 39
bulls per 100 cows, respectively.
Non-resident hunters purchased 69 moose tags and harvested 44
bulls. We
calculated estimates of 26 moose calves and 89 bulls per 100 cows,
respectively, from hunters’ reported observations.
There was 1 mountain goat harvested by the 12 non-residents that
purchased tags,
14 wolves by 155 tag-holders, and no wolverines were taken by 85
tag-holders. Six tags were purchased for black bears, but no animals were
harvested.
There has not been an open season for non-residents to hunt grizzly
bears since 1982.
Hunter
satisfaction remains high, with 93% rating their experience as either
excellent (76%) or very good (17%).
Over 90% of hunters indicated that they would like to return to the
Mackenzie Mountains in future years and 26% of this year’s hunters were
repeat clients who were returning for their 2nd to 17th
hunts in the region.
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