Alaska Fish & Wildlife News
November 2020

Counting Caribou
New video documents wildlife management

By Riley Woodford

Knowing that thousands of caribou inhabit northern Alaska is one thing - but seeing them blanket the tundra is another.

“I think a lot of people are kind of in disbelief that you can go out in one day or a few hours and see and photograph hundreds of thousands of caribou like we do,” said caribou research biologist Lincoln Parrett. “It can be hard to wrap your head around, but they are out there, and they get into these big groups. It may only happen one or two days a ...   Counting Caribou Article Continued

Wood Bison Adapting in 2020
Wood Bison update 2020

By Tom Seaton, Mike Taras and Jen Curl

Alaska’s herd of wild wood bison has seen some ups and downs over the past five years. The spring 2020 survey resulted in a population estimate of 94 bison including nine calves. This is a 17 percent decrease from last year’s estimate of 113.

The winter of 2019-2020 was difficult, with deep snow and cold temperatures. The wood bison fared well for most of the winter, but deep snow that persisted through most of April took a toll. Snow conditions, specifically in April, seem ...   Wood Bison Adapting Article Continued