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Why A Winter Aerial Survey?
A significant portion of caribou population data is collected through aerial surveys conducted in winter. By mid- to late winter, calves born the previous spring have passed a key survival threshold, allowing surveys to provide insight into population recruitment - the number of calves that survive their first year of life. Winter conditions also improve visibility: caribou are easier to spot against the snow or on frozen lakes, and their tracks and feeding signs can often be detected even when the animals themselves are not visible. Using helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft allows survey teams to efficiently cover large, remote areas. |
Two caribou spotted in the bush during the January, 2026 aerial survey.
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Understanding Winter Movement
Although boreal caribou are not migratory, they do shift seasonally within their home ranges. In summer, they are typically more dispersed across the landscape, with females often isolating during calving. In winter, they tend to form small groups in areas of suitable habitat. These areas generally provide abundant lichen, an important winter food source, and relatively lower snow conditions, making it easier for caribou to move and forage. Understanding where these winter habitats occur is key to building a more complete picture of caribou distribution and habitat use within the range.
About the 2026 Winter Survey
This year, Friends of Wabakimi conducted a winter aerial survey to complement the project’s ongoing summer monitoring efforts. The survey took place over four days at the end of January, with a crew consisting of biologist John Pisapio, spotters Clem Quenneville and Lindsey David, and helicopter pilot Joe. Operating out of Armstrong, Ontario, the team logged 22 hours of flight time. Despite some of the coldest conditions of the winter, flying conditions were generally favourable, with good light and visibility throughout the survey.
Although boreal caribou are not migratory, they do shift seasonally within their home ranges. In summer, they are typically more dispersed across the landscape, with females often isolating during calving. In winter, they tend to form small groups in areas of suitable habitat. These areas generally provide abundant lichen, an important winter food source, and relatively lower snow conditions, making it easier for caribou to move and forage. Understanding where these winter habitats occur is key to building a more complete picture of caribou distribution and habitat use within the range.
About the 2026 Winter Survey
This year, Friends of Wabakimi conducted a winter aerial survey to complement the project’s ongoing summer monitoring efforts. The survey took place over four days at the end of January, with a crew consisting of biologist John Pisapio, spotters Clem Quenneville and Lindsey David, and helicopter pilot Joe. Operating out of Armstrong, Ontario, the team logged 22 hours of flight time. Despite some of the coldest conditions of the winter, flying conditions were generally favourable, with good light and visibility throughout the survey.
The survey crew included spotters Lindsey David (left) and Clem Quenneville (centre), led by biologist John Pisapio (right), with helicopter pilot, Joe, supporting four days of aerial surveys.
What We Learned and What’s Next The survey team successfully located caribou, as well as tracks and other signs of their presence across the landscape. These observations will be analyzed to estimate minimum animal counts and describe distribution patterns, including how caribou use habitat in relation to features such as disturbance and the presence of other species. This survey provides valuable insight into winter habitat use within the study area and highlights opportunities to further examine how wintering areas connect to summer calving habitat. A full report, including detailed findings and analysis, will be available later this year. Knowledge Sharing and Support We are grateful to members of the Whitesand and Armstrong communities who shared their knowledge of caribou presence and absence, helping to inform survey design and identify priority areas. We also thank Clem Quenneville and Edward Quenneville for their logistical support on the ground during some very cold winter days prior to the survey. |
Survey Design
The survey area was carefully selected based on several factors, including overlap with summer survey locations, historical records of winter caribou presence, forest type, habitat disturbance, and knowledge of caribou presence or absence shared by members of Whitesand First Nation. The survey design involved flying systematic 1 km transects across the area, with additional off-transect flights conducted as needed, an approach that supported thorough coverage of the survey area. 
Caribou tracks in the snow on a frozen lake give clues as to the number of animals in the group.
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