Let me open by declaring my ignorance.... I dont know anything about carribou, their hunting, the great nation of Canada, or, the icing rule in hockey...

That said, I'm 37 and would like to hunt carribou before I die someday. I have a group of about 4 men who would also like to carribou hunt. My hunting bunch mostly hunts TX whitetail, and archery hunts for elk every other year or so.

We're targeting the 2012 or 2013 season to make this happen. Given the volume of stuff and cost to fly, I'd prefer to drive up there, hunt and drive back home to Texas. That being said... its a ~25 hr drive from my front porch to Winnipeg. (using this as a waypoint only)

Can any of you offer helpful advice on how I should start planning such a trip? An ideal circumstance, I think, would be a semi-guided trip where we could be dropped off via plane in a remote location with provisions and instruction on how to hunt them. That said, if anyone has a better recommendation, I'm all ears.

Any wisdom would he helpful.

Thanks in advance!

Shane

You will probably have better odds of getting a caribou in the Ungava (northern Quebec and Labrador) than you will in Southern Manitoba or Ontario.

You'll have to go further North than Winnipeg.

okay. thanks for the early feedback.

If I read the Manitoba rules correctly, a nonresident like myself would have to hunt under the supervision of a licensed CA guide. Assuming that to be accurate.... can anyone recommend a guide as far south as the 'bou population can be reliably found?

I do think my group would be fairly committed to driving up there, since there are so many of us and travel costs would be so high to fly.

thanks again guys!

shane

Here's some help. Caribou hunting for you is in area 1 only. In other words, Hudson's Bay area. You don't want Winnipeg, you want either Churchill or Thompson.

http://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/wildlife/hunting/biggame/ghai.html

Driving 25 hours to Winnipeg is still at least 9 hours short of where you need to be. The road to Thompson is no interstate, and I don't believe there even IS a road to Churchill. You want to fly, believe me, you want to fly. Save your money for the airfare, and use the time to hunt.

Caribou aren't big or tough, so I understand. But you may find yourself shooting over very open country, in wet conditions. Something like a 6.5 Swede would be ideal. Same with your backup rifle.

You'll have an incredible adventure, and it'll be a bit of a change from hunting Texas whitetails.



(Not my pic, I hope the owner doesn't mind that I borrowed it. I'll remove it if there's a complaint)

You have to have a licensed guide with you, max. of three hunters per guide. You also have to book through a registered lodge or outfitter, sorry I don't have info on that. You also have to buy your license before June 1 for the fall hunt.

There are probably about a half dozen outfits offering non-res 'bou hunts in Manitoba. Some are tent camps and a few are through fishing lodges. ALL the caribou hunting is in the extreme northern part of the province, on the tundra above the treeline, basically bordering the NWT. Most outfits fly about 3 hours north from Thompson. The limit is two and there are usually lots to choose from. They are the Central Canada Barren Ground subspecies. Mid-Sept is usually better than early...more animals and better coats, but the weather is turning bad fast then. Everything is frozen shut by the end of the month. It's a good time!

Google is your friend!

I work with Monroe Lake Lodge and have had excellent success with them for Caribou and Moose. Good luck, and enjoy your hunt. Wade

thanks for the guidance, guys. as I stated above... I had no clue. Still, thats why I asked for your wisdom, and I certainly appreciate the guidance you've already provided.

Anyone have a recommendation on a fly in trip, then? and since it sounds like we'll be flying... I'm not really locked into Manitoba anymore.

Parlez-vous Francais?

I have no knowledge of the caribou hunting in Manitoba so can't comment about that. If you begin to consider Quebec be very, very careful. Some of the outfitters like to make promises that sound better than they actually are. For example, some say if there are no caribou in the area where you are located they will move you. A friend who will be moose hunting with me this fall went on a Quebec hunt last year and said there were almost no caribou in the area where they were lodged. In a party of about 12 hunters the outfitter came along in the morning and said they would relocate some hunters. They moved 2 or 3 hunters not the entire 12. Then they found out they were only being relocated into another area where no caribou had been seen. Then the following morning they offered to move another 2 or 3 hunters. I don't believe they ever moved all of the hunters involved.

Some of the problems seem to be related to the fact the caribou migration routes are changing for reasons no one seems to completely understand. I believe the outfitters have camps established in locations where the migrations used to occur and probably do not want to go to the expense of constructing new camps in case the migrations should revert to the old, original paths.

Quite a number of years ago we had a party of six who were duped out of $4,500 by an outfitter by a deliberate omission of information. After the fact we learned about what they had done. I have never trusted the Quebecers since then.

Ask lots of questions and do not be afraid to call past clients and ask them lots of questions.

Jim

I used to live in both Manitoba and Ontario.

Although I did not use them myself, Munroe Lake Lodge has a very good reputation within the province. I do not know any good ones in Ontario right now.

Munroe Lake Lodge is run by very friendly folks, according to a buddy who stayed there and got a very big moose bull.

Be careful about Quebec: there are some very good outfitters, and some real fly-by-night ripoff artists. A bit of Googling would sort things out, I'm sure.

John

I don't think anyone has mentioned it but Ontario does not have any caribou hunting.(unless some of the native people are allowed to hunt them.)

Jim

Try Marage Lodge in Quebec Been there 3 times and shot 5 boos.We went the 1st of dec for 4 day hunt About 1700.00 to stay there and the hunt 2 carbou per person there snow machine to rent plans to rent or just plain road to hunt off also .Best of all food is great .Good rooms in all

I'm coming at this a bit from left field but have you considered doing it on your own (with the help of a flying service) to the Alaskan Pennisula?

A high school buddy of mine and I did this about 20 years ago and had a blast!

Just a thunk.

Dober

well, I'm thinking about it now.... Going to AK would make it a bit easier, customs-wise.

I'd certainly like to see Alaska, and this'd be a great way to make it happen. Its 102F in Dallas presently, so anything north sounds good right now...

Going to drive yer boat the last bit, I guess?

John

The Mountain Caribou are larger than the rest found in Canada. This one was easy over 600# and taken in the Yukon last year.

B&C 412 7/8". Over 390" goes in the book.



Some of the scenery on the same trip.











[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v469/2439candace/Yukon%20trip%202010/DSC01108.jpg[/img]

Nice pics, Cub.

wow. beautiful pictures.

Here's a few more from the same trip:







It is a bit of a drive from Texas, however.

Ted

I would contact Pristine Adventures/Larry Barrett (google Pristine Adventures)in Fairbanks, Alaska and have him arrange a DIY trip to Northwest Alaska and the Kogzebue area. I think in the end the costs will be about the same.

The Alaska Pennisula and the Mulchatana herd have suffered in the last 5 years. The other way would be to fly to Fairbanks and find a agency that would rent you a truck and allow it to be driven on the haul road. There are several 135 fixed based operators that can fly you out or one can hike the 5 mile distance from the road and pack their bou back. I have done it several ways in the last 40 years; today it is not cheap as there are a number of people wanting that experience which causes the FBO peices to rise. Do it, it worth it.