Alarm grows over wastage of caribou, deaths of pregnant cows

Warning: This report contains images that readers may find distressing.

“I found six at a fresh site, and then I found four at another relatively recent site, because it wasn’t there last Saturday.”

Stephen Fochuk is describing caribou fetuses.

Fochuk says he is a regular visitor to the winter road between Yellowknife and the NWT’s diamond mines each winter. He photographs the trucks hauling loads up to the mines and, when the opportunity arises, he takes photos of the wildlife, too.

He says those trips mean he has a sense of the caribou hunting taking place along the road and what is being left behind.

“I’m passionate about this. I’m concerned and annoyed,” he said of the sheer number of fetuses he saw on his latest trip.

“It’s hard to believe unless you see it for yourself.”

The killing of pregnant caribou and the wasting of meat have each been significant concerns in recent months.

In a letter to leaders of seven Indigenous governments on March 7, NWT environment minister Jay Macdonald said at least 10 cases of illegal harvesting along the winter road had been reported this season.

Killing a pregnant cow is not illegal in some places (other areas only allow the harvest of bulls) but hunting cows is usually discouraged by leaders, who say it damages the herd’s ability to sustain itself compared to killing a bull.

In some instances, the NWT government has reported, not only were pregnant cows killed but their meat was subsequently wasted.

“At least 48 caribou have been wasted, including 22 pregnant cows where most only had the backstraps taken,” the territorial government stated in a news release last week.

Some of the wasted caribou included full carcasses, Macdonald told Indigenous leaders in his letter. The cases are being investigated.

“This year’s number of cases and number of caribou are already more than what has been observed over the previous two winter road seasons,” Macdonald stated in the letter, a copy of which was seen by Cabin Radio.

“I am seeking your continued support to actively promote messaging related to caribou conservation and the importance of safe, respectful and legal harvesting practices.”

‘We all need to do better’

The letter was sent to leaders of the Tłı̨chǫ Government, Deninu Kų́ę́ First Nation, Łútsël K’é Dene First Nation, Yellowknives Dene First Nation, Salt River First Nation, Northwest Territory Métis Nation and North Slave Métis Alliance.

Two weeks later, leaders of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, Tłı̨chǫ Government and North Slave Métis Alliance were quoted in a joint statement calling for more respectful harvesting.

“This year, our members have documented significant meat wastage and other irresponsible behaviours at hunt sites, including littering and hunting while intoxicated,” North Slave Métis Alliance President Marc Whitford stated.

“These actions are unacceptable, violate both Métis and Dene laws and cultural practices, and threaten our Aboriginal rights as well as the sustainability of the caribou herds.”

Dettah Chief Ernest Betsina was quoted as saying: “We are deeply concerned with the level of hunting on the winter road and have been working with the government to try and monitor activity.

“Despite our efforts, we are still seeing this level of meat wastage at a time when the caribou numbers continue to drop.

“We all need to do better and work harder to ensure that the caribou survive and ultimately thrive. This will not happen if people continue to waste caribou.”

In a statement to Cabin Radio, the territorial government’s Department of Environment and Climate Change said harvesters are “strongly encouraged to take bulls and leave cows that produce calves for the future,” alongside the minister’s broader warning about what he called a “recent rise in illegal and wasteful harvesting.”

“Breeding cows are critical to maintaining healthy caribou herds – they produce the calves that grow into adults and continue the population cycle,” the department stated.

“For every cow harvested, fewer calves will be born in the future, which can affect long-term herd sustainability.”

The 2025 Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road season is now winding down. The road will close this weekend and its gates will be locked on Thursday next week.

In the remaining period, ECC urged people to report any potential wastage they see on the winter road by calling 867-446-2073.

“In-person inspections are the most effective way for officers to properly assess a situation, determine whether a violation has occurred, and take appropriate action,” the department stated.

“We continue to promote traditional harvesting principles: take only what you need; do not leave anything behind; share what you have when you get back to your community; and listen and learn from Elders.”