Caribou hunting with trad gear

[Toklat1]

Have any of you guys hunted Caribou with Trad gear? If so, whom did you hunt with, where, etc? Do any outfitters cater to trad hunters? I would like to pursue this. Thanks.

[Biggie Hoffman]

Caribou are Made for trad gear! IMO, killing a caribou with a gun is cold blooded murder! I mean just pick out the one you want and shoot him :-(

I've been on several hunts with different outfitters. My favorite was 3 Rivers Lodge in Labrador. We mmmmissed the migration but still, 8 trad guys took 12 bulls. Beware the some of the Quebec hunts. If you don't hit the migration, you can spend all week playing poker in camp.



A few of the weeks bulls.



Matt Schuster, me, Larry Jim-Bob Cleary, Bill Carlson, Mark Ulschmidt and ??????

[Jack Denbow]

What Biggie said.

[Bill Carlsen]

I went back to Labrador two years later. Really missed the migration that time but they flew us to where they were. The food is the best, running hot and cold water, heated (wood heat) cabins, one guide per two hunters....it'll spoil you. The fellow whose name Biggie forgot was Durwood Fuller from  Ga. He won the hunt, I think, thru Biggie's state trad. hunters org.

[beyondmyken]

Be sure to read about the recent debacle with one of the Quebec outfitters.  Being there when the migration occurs seems mostly to be a situation of feast or famine.

[Biggie Hoffman]

Thanks Bill, how could I ever forget Durwood Fuller!

Forgot to mention that E Don Thomas has hunted here a few times as well. There are a few articles in old issues of Trad Bowhunter

[Toklat1]

I appreciate the info.  I will look them up. Anyone plan on a return trip?

[Bill Carlsen]

.....and you can't beat the fishing. When I was there with Biggie I was unable to hook into any of the lake trout. My second trip with Eldon Jandreau allowed me to break my lake trout jinx....must have caught over a dozen of them in one small spot where a stream fed into the river.

[wingnut]

I hunted NWT with True North Safari's

http://www.truenorthsafaris.com/

The Warburton Bay camp is made for bowhunters.  Lots of short trees to use for cover and rolling ground.  We had a bunch of cariboo and each took two big bulls.

I would highly recommend them to any hunter.

Also the fishing in the lake was lay in the bottom of the boat giggling fun.  More fish then you can imagine.

Mike

[Mike Bolin]

I've hunted Quebec twice and as Biggie already stated, it can be a crapshoot. First time up there were nine of us in camp....5 trad and 4 wheeies. Migration hadn't reached us yet and 6 Caribou were killed. We really did alot of walking. Second time up we had 12 in camp. Trad wheelie spit was 6 and 6. 24 bulls killed in 5 days! If you want any particulars about the outfitter, feel free to pm or email me. Caribou are definitely made for stickbows! On the member video forum here on tradgang, there are some vids/pics of that second hunt listed under Hammenstafer or Bolin and Hammenstafer. Several other members have video there as well. Mike

[Ian johnson]

its like my ultimate hunting dream, hope I get to go on a caribou hunt with trad gear some day, have fun and take lots of pics when you go

[acolobowhunter]

I hunted Mountain Caribou in BC a few years ago.  I got a nice bull, but the outfitter had never had a bow hunter before.  Although I had a good hunt, I would recommend you stick with an outfitter that caters to bowhunters.  There was a good article by Fred Asbel in TBM a couple years ago.  He has hunted about all types of Caribou.  I just reread it last night.  I think he hunted the last week of the season.  No bugs, but you are taking a chance on the migration.  Seems they hit a lot of snow as well.

[hunt it]

Where ever you go try and time it so you are shooting bulls with hard horn not velvet. Unless you don't care but velvet sucks.

[lodestar]

Parsons Pond Outfitters Newfoundland.

[jonsimoneau]

I have only been on one Caribou hunt, and I too went to 3 rivers in Labrador. Someone said they even have a picture of me on their website right now. I believe I was there the year after biggie was there.  Those guys left some arrows in the lodge.  I killed 2 good bulls with my Habu recurve.  I agree with Biggie.  The hardest thing about hunting caribou is finding them in the first place.  After that it's really not too tough.  Conditions are perfect for stalking.  Normally windy, with soft Tundra.  All you gotta do is find one you like and go get him.

[Bill Turner]

Also my dream hunt? Thanks for the info.      

[Soilarch]

Alright, I'll bite...why is velvet undesirable?  Is it just the effort in preserving it?


Always thought it 'looked' good on the animal, but know it's a different game in keeping it that way after the fact.


(Off topic, but does anyone know if you can mount a moose in the half-velvet bloody phase?  It would probably look gross in a normal sized room...but in one of those BIG western ranch houses I think it has amazing potential.)

[Jason Jelinek]

Any Quebec outfitters?  My father-in-law wants to go and will be hunting with a rifle.  He wants me to join him but I want to bowhunt.  A lot of the outfitters say they handle both.  Is this reasonable?

Jason

[Wary Buck]

Soilarch, PM sent.

[BUFF]

Originally posted by Soilarch:
Alright, I'll bite...why is velvet undesirable?  Is it just the effort in preserving it?


Always thought it 'looked' good on the animal, but know it's a different game in keeping it that way after the fact.


(Off topic, but does anyone know if you can mount a moose in the half-velvet bloody phase?  It would probably look gross in a normal sized room...but in one of those BIG western ranch houses I think it has amazing potential.)

it is a matter of taste... I left the velvet on mine