Yukon extends Donjek sheep hunting closure to 2027

The Yukon government has extended the Donjek sheep hunting closure until Oct. 31, 2027, saying the thinhorn sheep population in the southwest of the territory is recovering but is still too small to support licensed hunting.

The updated closure covers Game Management Subzone 5-17, the Donjek Sheep Management Unit, and applies to all licensed sheep harvests, the territory said in a news release issued Nov. 4. The original closure ran from Aug. 1, 2024, to Oct. 31, 2026.

A 2023 survey showed a 63 per cent decline in the unit’s sheep compared with a 2015 survey, and biologists estimated about 30 adult sheep remained, Yukon News reported. A follow-up aerial survey in July 2026 counted 38 non-lamb sheep, a 27 per cent increase from the 2023 low. Lamb production stayed healthy in both surveys, the newspaper reported.

The territory said the 2026 survey shows signs of improvement, but the population remains too low to support a sustainable licensed harvest.

“Extending the prohibition one more year will support the recovery of the sheep population in this area,” Environment Minister Wade Istchenko said in the release.

The unit runs along the Alaska Highway between Burwash Landing and Beaver Creek. The 2024 closure followed consultation with Kluane First Nation, White River First Nation, and Champagne and Aishihik First Nations, as well as the Dän Keyi and Alsek Renewable Resources Councils, the Yukon Fish and Wildlife Management Board, Parks Canada and the Kluane National Park Management Board.

The government said it will keep working with Yukon First Nations, renewable resources councils and the management board on long-term sheep conservation in the unit. It said future surveys and monitoring will determine when hunting can resume.

The decision follows other Yukon wildlife and land announcements this week, including a wildlife agreement between the Ross River Dena Council and the territory. Parks Canada’s job changes affecting 125 northern staff have also drawn attention in Yukon communities.

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