 |
|
| Phone: Rich LaRocco 801-451-6755 | |
| Antelope Bison Black bear Brown bear Caribou Elk Exotics Grizzly Moose Mt. goat Mt. lion Mule deer Sheep Turkey Whitetail deer |
Africa Archery Blackpowder Other species Fishing Contact us |
| Note: To talk with any hunt provider, join Hunts.Net free of charge. All information on this site and our literature is provided under the condition that the customer accepts our terms. | |
Superb trophy caribou hunting in the Northwest Territories
We think this is a much better caribou hunt than most of those in Quebec, and even though the very biggest bulls don't match those in Quebec, the average is much higher. Also, virtually everybody has killed at least one bull caribou on this hunt, and you can take a second bull for a trophy fee. Another good thing about this hunt is that it's conducted from boats on a lake that is 100 miles long, meaning you can cover a lot of ground before you even get out and hike. You can often see bulls 1/2 to five or more miles from the lake. Thus, this hunt isn't as unpredictable as many other hunts because if the caribou aren't close to camp, you can move easily away from camp until you find a herd. The Boone and Crockett Club recognizes these caribou as the distinct Central Canada barren ground type. Many times about half of the bulls taken on this hunt make the 3-year awards book, and 25 percent qualify for the all-time B&C record book. More than 80 percent of the bulls taken with archery equipment made Pope and Young. This hunt takes place out of Yellowknife, in the Northwest Territories. Great fishing for lake trout and grayling, along with ptarmigan hunting can be enjoyed at no additional cost.
Hunters are flown 150 miles northeast from Yellowknife to McKay Lake and the main lodge. Accommodations mainly consist of permanent buildings. This hunt is well suited for the physically challenged. There are satellite phones in camp. Success has been close to 100% every year. The 100-mile-long lake has over 200 miles of shoreline and this hunt is not as vulnerable to the unpredictable migrations of caribou as some less mobile outfits. The outfitter has a second camp at Warburton Bay, where he can accommodate as many as eight persons a week for five weeks a year. Caribou patterns change yearly, but because you can easily access so much area, chances are extremely good you'll find plenty of game to hunt.
|
Hunt CU156: NWT caribou |
|
| Hunt | Price per person in U.S. $ |
| One caribou, 6 to 8 hunting days | $4,050 |
| Two caribou, 6 to 8 hunting days | $4,550 |
| One caribou, 2 1/2 hunting days (Labor Day weekend only) | $2,800 ($500 extra if you take a second bull) |
| Hunter success | |
| 1997: 126 of 130 hunters killed bulls (unsuccessful hunters were trophy bowhunters and one rifle hunter who injured himself) | |
| 1998: about 145 of about 150 hunters killed bulls | |
| 1999: 140 of 150 hunters killed bulls (a few longbow hunters and a few women were unsuccessful) | |
| 2000: 138 of 150 hunters took at least one bull. The only unsuccessful hunters were archers who got shooting but missed or nicked animals. | |
| Lodging, meals |
Physical difficulty |
|---|---|
| Plywood cabins, home type cooking | One of our easier hunts |
| Included/ excluded |
Trophy size |
| Price includes federal GST tax and air charter from Yellowknife. Licenses and a $750 trophy fee for the second caribou are not included. | Expect 320-330 avg. Best sometimes 400+ SCI. In 2000 five or six bulls scored more than 400 and about half exceeded 345. |
| Guide ratio | Resident price |
|
2x1
|
Outfitter charges Canadian residents in Canadian funds |
| Travel | Overnighting in Yellowknife |
| The price of the hunt includes all flights from Yellowknife to camp. The Yellowknife Inn and the Explorer Hotel picks you up in a van at the airport. | Our outfitter has arranged discounts for his clients at the Yellowknife Inn and the Explorer Hotel. Yellowknife room cost is not included in price of hunt. |
| Licenses | Weather |
| $50 for first bull and $100 for second. $150 export fee per animal. | Temperatures are usually mild in the 40s on the latest hunt, but expect cold, windy weather on any northern hunt. |
Report from Scott Steinkruger of Texas, who took a large group on this hunt:
"We had a great trip. We had 11 hunters get 14 bulls. The smallest was probably 300 as measured by the Safari Club International scoring system. The largest bull was mine, which scored 367. The average was about 330. Everybody saw lots of caribou and killed at least one bull. Mine scored 367. Another hunter got a bull that scored over 400 SCI before we got there. If there were any problems, it was a little with the guides. We had a great guide. Some of the hunters felt like they were hunting too much in one area. They didn't think the guides, who are local natives, were versed well enough in fishing. Just prepare for native guides. Food was excellent. They had a lot of good food. We had sack lunches during the day and a hearty breakfast in the morning. We had New York steaks one night.
This was so much better an experience than my Quebec experience. Accommodations were superb. We slept in plywood cabins, no tent whatsoever. They were heated by coal-burning stoves. Our cabin had a little kitchenette where you could fry your fish.
"The outfitter, said we saw fewer caribou than any group he'd ever had. I saw about 250 caribou, and two of the guys saw a lot of bulls, probably 250 bulls altogether, and saw bulls every day.
"I thoroughly enjoyed it and would absolutely go up there again. It's a good place for hunters and non-hunting companions. The only negative was that all the guides smoked and none of the hunters.
"You stay in the Yellowknife Inn when you first get to the territories. The cost is about $100 Canadian single.
"The outfitter told us there's not another camp that can compare with his in the Northwest Territories. I was amazed at the facilities. We had satellite TV in our rooms, and we even had satellite phones in our rooms. My phone bill was $800 Canadian because I worked on my cattle buying business during the trip. It's beautiful tundra.
"You hunt by boats. The most effective way to hunt is to cover the country by boat and locate the caribou. You don't have to go inland a bunch. All the bulls but maybe three were spotted from the boat. Some were 2 or 3 miles inland but we saw them from the boat."
