Yukon hunters harvested 273 bison this past season, which closed March 31.

Of the animals shot, 146 were cows and 127 were bulls, according to the preliminary harvest numbers released by Environment Yukon.

The 273 are one shy of the record 274 shot last year.

Haines Junction conservation officer Russell Oborne told the Star late last week there weren’t a lot of hunters early in the season because of the snow conditions.

Most of the harvest occurred later in the season, he noted, including a significant number of hunters last month.

Deep snow conditions kept the numbers light in November and December 2021.

If hunters got off the main snowmobile trail early in the season, Oborne said, they would get stuck.

But once the snow set up in late February and March, more hunters went out, he said.

Biologist Tom Jung said the interest in bison hunting has been consistent, though there was a bump last year.

It’s believed the larger number last year had something to do with the COVID-19 pandemic, as Yukoners were spending their vacation time in the territory because of the travel restrictions.

Preliminary numbers show 1,854 hunters purchased bison permits during the just-ended season compared to 2,100 last season and 1,842 in the 2019-20 season.

For comparison, back in 2017, there were 1,662 permits sold.

Jung said staff did not conduct a comprehensive bison count last year, but are hoping to get into the field this summer to do one.

He estimates the adult population is around 1,400 to 1,500 animals.

The maximum annual harvest has been set at 300 animals, though that has never been reached.

Approximately 170 bison from Alberta’s Elk Island National Park were introduced to the Aishihik and Hutshi areas between 1988 and 1993. It was a project aimed at diversifying the bison population in North America.

The annual bison hunt was introduced in 1999 as a means of keeping the population in check.