Old Crow: Caribou (part 1)

Porcupine Caribou Herd

This herd is named after the Porcupine River, which flows by the village of Old Crow. The population of the herd varies from year to year, but averages approximately 160,000 animals. The average weight of a caribou is 90 to 160 kilograms. The main harvesters of this herd are the Gwich'in people of northeastern Alaska, northern Yukon, and the Northwest Territories. Gwich'in people harvest the caribou in the spring and the fall to provide for the high protein diet needed to survive the rigors of the North.

The Porcupine Caribou herd migration route

©Copyright 1996 - Vuntut Gwitch'in - Last Modified: Thursday, May 16, 1996