The herd has been showing signs of decline for several years. During a 2007 survey, only 189 adult female caribou were counted on the Beverly calving ground and only 93 cows were seen during June 2008. This is a sharp decrease from 5,737 cows seen in 1994.

"Caribou-wise, it was very depressing," says Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Board (BQCMB) member Dennis Larocque. Outside the calving ground, Larocque saw only one caribou and almost no caribou tracks.

A mix of factors may be to blame for the population drop, such as mineral exploration and development, hunter harvest, changes in habitat (including winter range being lost to forest fires), parasites and diseases, predation and climate change.

Five other North West Territories barren-ground caribou herds (Porcupine, Cape Bathurst, Bluenose West, Bluenose East, and Bathurst) have also recently seen declines.