Caribou Making Presence Felt in Athabasca Region

Caribou Making Presence Felt in Athabasca Region

Thursday, December 16, 2004 at 15:41

A trapper near Wollaston Lake says he has a theory about why so many caribou have been frequenting the area.

William Hansen is a trapper and hunter who spends much of his time on the west side of Wollaston Lake.

For the past two years, the Hatchet Lake band member has noticed a huge influx of caribou living in the region and he says he’s not alone.

He says trappers in Black Lake and Fond du Lac have noticed a similar trend and that’s why Hanson believes the caribou are from both Manitoba and the Northwest Territories.

Hansen estimates there are at least a few thousand of the animals living five miles from Wollaston Lake, and he thinks they were probably driven there by fire.

Hanson adds caribou always seem to find their way to human settlements, although he’s not sure why.

He says he has never had a problem finding them to hunt, but admits the large number of them this year is making his job a little easier.