Government of Yukon
News archives
FOR RELEASE #08-194
August 7, 2008
Government Outlines Steps to Manage Winter Ticks
WHITEHORSE – The Yukon government has developed several steps it will take this fall and winter to manage the winter tick population found on elk herds west and north of Whitehorse, Environment Minister Elaine Taylor announced today.
“Our priority is to protect valued Yukon species and have healthy and viable populations by reducing the winter tick numbers and range in the territory,” Taylor said.
The department developed the actions following consultations and work shops with community partners that include First Nations, the Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board, Renewable Resource Councils, Yukon non-government organizations, and experts and scientists with tick management experience.
Winter ticks were confirmed in significant numbers on Yukon elk in spring 2007. Environment Yukon confined most of the Takhini herd in spring 2008 so that ticks would fall off naturally in a small, fenced off area inaccessible to wildlife.
Those elk are now free of winter ticks. Environment Yukon opened the pen gates today to allow the elk to wander back to an area in their core range south of the Alaska Highway.
The department is looking to carry out another capture of the Takhini herd in late winter to further reduce the number of winter ticks within the range. As well, the department will attempt to capture much of the Braeburn herd and hold them until the tick drop off is complete.
The department will also conduct further studies on tick ecology to assess the risk that they pose to wildlife, determine options to kill the ticks that are on the free ranging elk, and develop a long term winter tick surveillance plan to learn more about winter tick distribution and abundance.
This will involve asking hunters to turn in hides from moose that they might harvest from the Takhini and Braeburn areas as well as deer hides harvested throughout the territory.
-30-
Contact:
| Roxanne Vallevand Cabinet Communications Advisor (867) 633-7949 roxanne.vallevand@gov.yk.ca |
Dennis Senger Communications (867) 667-5237 dennis.senger@gov.yk.ca |