Haines Junction resident Richard Clark has won this year's Yukon government permit for a sheep hunt inside the Kluane Game Sanctuary.

Clark's name was drawn Friday afternoon from a list of 315 applicants who paid the $10 fee for a shot at the highly-sought-after hunts.

The retired teacher and long-time community resident could not be reached for comment this morning.

The hunts inside the sanctuary are provided for in the land claim settlement with the Kluane First Nation.

As a means of providing some economic development tools, the first nation negotiated the right to auction off 30 sheep hunts over 42 years.

The Yukon government, on the other hand, earned the right under the settlement to make one permit available each year for resident Yukon hunters.

Revenue from the first nation auction must be used for initiatives that benefit wildlife and related social development projects, like hiring workers to build an outpost cabin and related infrastructure to assist in the hunt.

The North American Wild Sheep Foundation has auctioned off the Kluane hunt on behalf of the first nation over the last four years during its annual meeting in February, generating a total of $650,000.

Staff of the foundation have indicated the Kluane hunt has become cherished by sheep hunters because of the pristine wilderness location of the sanctuary, and the fact there's been no hunting by non-aboriginal hunters for decades, and very little hunting in any case.

The 2008 first nation tag fetched $315,000, fifth on the foundation's all-time high list.

The bid price fell dramatically to $105,000 this past winter, with the foundation suggesting the auction was affected also hit by the recession.