Arctic Island Caribou

What more can be said of the most majestic member of the deer family? Antlers that seem to stretch to the heavens, flowing white manes, a ground-eating pace that looks like a ballet, and herds that never end, are only some of the adjectives used to describe this popular game species.

While all this is true, those massive migrations that do occur are, in reality, only seen occasionally by the hunter. For the most part, caribou hunts in the Arctic center around smaller groups that migrate along well known traditional routes, so there are nearly always bulls available.

While this means that you are unlikely to see hundreds of caribou in one day, it also means that you are virtually guaranteed that you are not likely to get skunked.

The hunter who is prepared to work a bit may have a choice of six or more mature bulls per day to select from. The biggest temptation will be to not take the first decent animal you see.

Caribou like musk ox, have a double classification in the record books. Boone & Crockett Club list all caribou in the Arctic as the same sub-species. However, Safari Club International classifies all caribou on the Arctic mainland and on Baffin Island as Central Canada barren-ground caribou and those on the Arctic Islands and Boothia Peninsula as Arctic Island caribou.

This Arctic Island sub-species is much daintier than its mainland cousin and sports a winter coat that can be almost pure white in mid-winter. Barren-ground caribou are typically hunted in early fall while Arctic Island caribou are an early winter proposition, often melded with musk ox.

Fall Arctic Island Caribou Hunts

The Arctic Island Caribou are on a strict quota and hunts are under review by the Government Wildlife Office because of the drop in their numbers.  Contact BC Outfitters for the latest information and areas that have an allowable harvest.