Caribou

[Track-er]

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) - The populations of two of Alaska's largest caribou herds have increased significantly over the past seven years, but numbers in surrounding herds have declined.

State wildlife biologists don't know why the Central Arctic Caribou Herd - the state's third-largest herd - has more than doubled and the Teshekpuk Caribou Herd - the fourth-largest - has similarly increased.

Biologists say the Western Arctic and Porcupine herds, Alaska's largest caribou herds, appear to be decreasing in populations.

Caribou herds are known for fluctuating numbers, and the Central Arctic herd is a prime example.

It numbered about 5,000 animals in the early 1970s.

The herd grew to 24,000 in the 1980s before declining, then began growing again in the 1990s and has grown ever since to 67,000 animals. 

[videoman]

Are you heading up to alaska to try to decrease the pop?

[Pathfinder101]

Oh man, can you imagine what a $hitstorm this would be if we were drilling in AK right now?  They would be blaming this on Big Oil, George Bush and Sarah Palin for sure...
I would love to hunt caribou someday..

[cohoho]

The storm should be why is the herd in the middle of the drilling increasing....................... And non-drilling areas decreasing.....  Well they all do it (herd fluctuation) every so often, just the way it is....   The central herd is smack dab in the middle of the drilling area.. Ha ha ha ha enviro's, CNN and every other freaking tree huggers going up there protesting.... eat that.... Their yummy to boot....

[boneaddict]

 

[saylean]

Dont kid yourself..

they are still blaming poor Palin for *censored*e...

[Bob]

planning a 2010 bou hunt up on haul road, my wife said she would love to go so I'm laying the plans now.

[Gobble]

The pipeline actually increased the size of the herds. The pipelines are warm (I'm told) and provide shelter and warmth to the calving females

[cohoho]

The pipeline actually increased the size of the herds. The pipelines are warm (I'm told) and provide shelter and warmth to the calving females

Not the case the pipeline isn't warm to the touch nor is it in the calving areas, like any other Caribou herd they fluctuate regularly, the Centrel Herd is just on a rise at this current time frame...  The pipe itself it relativity small compared to the outer casing and insulation that surrounds it.  If it was warm or hot to the touch it would melt the perma frost and thus be unstable.  Everything designed in the pipeline is made to dissipate heat to prevent anything like this from occurring.

I have put my hands on it numerous times and it is cold as the outside temps....  Besides most is either elevated way above my reach, or even boneaddicts reach or buried in high land slide areas... So a Caribou would never feel the heat dissipating unless they were rubbing it....  They walk under it, we hide behind it for archery is the only advantage I think to it being there other than moving crude to Valdez.....

[actionshooter]

from what I have noticed the herd sizes change. I hunted the Mulchatna herd years ago when it was at its peak. Critters EVERYWHERE!! not so much anymore, but the bio I talked said it will come back, up and down is the natural cycle.

[Pathfinder101]

from what I have noticed the herd sizes change. I hunted the Mulchatna herd years ago when it was at its peak. Critters EVERYWHERE!! not so much anymore, but the bio I talked said it will come back, up and down is the natural cycle.

You mean like global warming and cooling..?  Nah, can't be natural.  There's gotta be a politician somewhere that can fix this for us....

[actionshooter]

from what I have noticed the herd sizes change. I hunted the Mulchatna herd years ago when it was at its peak. Critters EVERYWHERE!! not so much anymore, but the bio I talked said it will come back, up and down is the natural cycle.

You mean like global warming and cooling..?  Nah, can't be natural.  There's gotta be a politician somewhere that can fix this for us....

 Oh thats different--------because they said so 

[Pathfinder101]

I wonder if the Science is "settled" on Caribou and Oil Drilling yet....

[WDFW-SUX]

The pipeline actually increased the size of the herds. The pipelines are warm (I'm told) and provide shelter and warmth to the calving females

Bingo.