Report summarizes 35 years of licensed harvest in Yukon

Press Release

December 07, 2018

A new summary report provides a 35-year picture of licensed harvest for 6 key big game species in Yukon. The Licensed Harvest Trends Report 1980–2014 presents data collected by the Department of Environment from licensed hunters and brings together information previously available in various reports, including annual hunting regulations summaries. Consolidating existing harvest data in one place allows long-term patterns to be identified, and helps increase public awareness around harvest activity in the territory.

Yukoners care about wildlife populations including opportunities to hunt and harvest animals for food. Gathering and sharing information on harvest is a key line of evidence that helps inform responsible wildlife management across the territory.

The long-term trends documented in this report contribute to our understanding of what is happening on the land and help us to see changes in hunting interests in the territory. Increased collaboration with First Nations around harvest data will help supplement this information and ensure we are managing Yukon’s wildlife populations in a holistic and sustainable way.

Minister of Environment Pauline Frost

Quick Facts

• The Department of Environment, on behalf of Yukoners, gathers and reports information on Yukon wildlife populations. Mandatory reporting of licensed harvest, along with hunter effort surveys, provide valuable information to support ongoing management of wildlife populations.
• This report compiles information already available to the public through the annual hunting regulations summary documents and other reports. It does not identify any relationships between licensed harvest and species population trends. Such relationships are determined on the basis of a number of factors, only one of which is licensed harvest data.
• The number of licensed hunters shows an increasing trend from 2007 to 2014.
• The most popular species for licensed hunters is moose. Annual moose harvest is greater than any other big game species.
• Sheep hunting by residents shows an increasing trend since 2000.
• Overall harvest of bison has increased since the species was re-introduced to the territory in the 1980s.

Contact

Janine Workman
Cabinet Communications
867-393-7449
janine.workman@gov.yk.ca

Roxanne Stasyszyn
Communications, Environment
867-332-0219
roxanne.stasyszyn@gov.yk.ca

ILR5