The trooper dispatch revealed that Alaska Wildlife Troopers are currently investigating the “unlawful taking and wanton waste of multiple cow caribou near the Kauk River in GMU 23.” The GMU 23 management area consists of the Kotzebue Sound, Chukchi Sea, and Arctic Ocean drainages from and including the Goodhope River drainage to Cape Lisburne.

As troopers investigated the incident that occurred near the beginning of April, they discovered an additional kill site approximately 25 miles northwest of the lower Baldwin Peninsula. At that location, they found three salvaged carcasses of cow caribou, two more un-salvaged cow caribou, and another mortally wounded. According to troopers, the second incident occurred near the third week of April. Troopers believe that the two incidences are unrelated, and were committed by separate individuals.

Wildlife Troopers say that it is ” unknown why the caribou were not salvaged in either one of these cases.”

The investigators ask that anyone with information regarding these illegal killings to contact the Alaska Wildlife Trooper in Kotzebue at 442-3241. Alternately, a report can be anonymously placed by contacting Wildlife Safeguard at one-800-478-3377.

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