Contributors to this thread:
Well, who is going with JHA in 2015. After this years hunt, I cannot wait to get back up there for another week or maybe two weeks again. This will be my 15th trip with JHA and the experience just keeps getting better and better. Richard, Amanda and their entire crew do an amazing job and run an excellent operation. If you want an exciting hunting trip at a very reasonable price for the adventure, JHA is the way to go. See you on the tundra. Rory
I will be.
Very excited based on this past year's posts.
Truly looking forward to this trip.
15 trip!!! that really speaks very good about JHA
As far as u know, I'm in.
Luke, are you coming with us Sept 3-9? Only 2 spots left that week. See you on the tundra. Rory
I will be there the last 2 weeks.
Honestly Rory, I'm not sure of my dates yet. Part of me wants to come early, part has never been there late and would love the experience......
A buddy and I are zeroing in on the August 28-September 3rd hunt, 1x6 with a cook. About to pull the trigger on it!
bigeasygator, don't wait too long, Richard and Amanda are doing the show circuit right now and I'm sure by the Pa. show, those hunts will go.
Good luck with your decision!
Look on their website for availability. They are probably filling up. Fantastic people, fantastic experience. You can't go wrong with Richard and Amanda. See you on the tundra. Rory
Richard and Amanda sure took care of us, that 1x6 was the way to go!
We are heading up with a group of 6 8/20-26. This will be my second trip. Taking my daughter (12) with another father/daughter combo. Can't wait.
Mike
I won't be waiting long! Talked to Amanda today and she said they are about 80% full. I'm out duck hunting through the weekend but plan to put down the deposit next week. The 1x6 with a cook still had six spots open as of today for that week if anyone else wants to go!
Great hunt and option. Go for it and expect to be treated well and have a great chance at game
Hi folks. Any word yet as to whether we are allowed 1 or 2 caribou tags?
Thanks. Mike
Still think it's 2, Im sure Richard will chime in
Curious to hear myself...put my deposit down yesterday. I'll be there 8/22-28 on the 1x6 with a cook. Anyone else going that week??
We have a conference call with the MRN at 3:00 tomorrow afternoon with regards to whether we will be implemented with any changes for the 2015-16 season. I don't think they will cut us back to 1 caribou/hunter as they have already published a 2 caribou limit in the rues and regulations book but one just never knows. Weirder things have happened! I will certainly inform everyone as soon as I find out.
BTW - If anyone is in PA for the Great American Sport show drop by and pay me a visit!
Best Regards,
Richard
I should have done the spell check...lol
I wanted to mention that I had only received notice of the conference call being held tomorrow this afternoon. Otherwise I would have advised everyone earlier.
It was sure a long day traveling as I didn't sleep a whole lot last night (tossing and turning) and of course I made a pit stop in Hamburg (Cabalas) to purchase some camp supplies today which made my trip a little longer! Glad to be back here though. It is kind of like our old stomping grounds. We have been coming to Harrisburg for as long as I can remember and have been fortunate enough to have a pile of people from this area who have hunted with us over the years. Look forward to seeing a few of them this week!
Richard
Hey Richard, It doesn't matter to me what the limit is . One, two or ten I will still be there as long as the fish are biting. See you soon in Minnesota. See you on the tundra. Ever find my fishing rod? Rory
Annual biological data are used to assess population trends between inventories. The Leaf River herd was thought to be fairly stable between 2011 and 2013. However, in the fall of 2014 its population was estimated at roughly 380,000 animals, down by 19% from the same period in 2013. The decline was caused by a low percentage of fawns and a significant drop in the survival rate of mature males and females. All the biological indicators suggest that the herd will continue to decline. Accordingly, more restrictive sport hunting measures are required.
The number of sport hunting licences will therefore be reduced by 20% from 2014-2015 levels. This means that, for 2015-2016, a total of 2,421 licences will be made available, and the harvest limit of two caribou per hunter will be maintained. Licences will be allocated as follows:
20% quite the decline...terrible to hear. hopefully they get a handle on it. shortly.
Getting rid of some of the black bears and timber wolves would help a lot. See you on the tundra. Rory
As far as dates go on hunting caribou with JHA is there one time that is any better than another? I would like to do this hunt in the near future but the last hunt in September would be the only one I could make. Is this still a good time to head up there? Most pictures I see are velvet or recently stripped bulls is why I ask. Thanks
You will still find plenty of game, though they would be out of velvet completely by then. The big factor you will have to deal with is the weather. It could be pretty well into the early stages of winter by then which up there is serious. You will have to dress warmly, and you'll be fine.
Remember you will be living in little cabins that have wood stoves for heat, but when you are hunting, you'll have to deal with the weather, as everywhere you hunt.
TBB
You'd be fine. You are going to be put where the action is by Richard so that is not an issue. You may deal with snowflakes instead of bugs.
On a blank slate my preferred week for QL bou is the second in September. Weather may be a bit more moderate, bugs likely down, bou may be hard horned, bit if not they are easily stripped, and the season has a couple weeks under it's belt so patterning is easier for the outfitter to place hunters where the action is.
First timer with JHA, going up 3-9 Sep (1x4 hunt). My son and I did the Alaskan 'bou hunt (Haul Road once and flew into the Noatak Region once), but first time for Quebec caribou. He had to cancel due to Army commitments, so I'll be going solo. Can't wait & hoping it's cold...less bugs!
Payment 2 in the books. This will be a fantastic trip!
Trying to stay in one piece for my caribou hunt this year. String of medical issues the last few years. This time it is hernia surgery on Wednesday. Another bump in the road to Quebec. See you on the tundra. Rory
Has any one tried corned caribou? Made corned venison last week and it was great so I figured I would try caribou. Should be ready on Thursday. Will let every one know how it comes out. See you on the tundra. Rory
I think that caribou is the best meat I have ever had and wouldn't mess with "corning" it.
But then to each is own.
TBB
Drop me a line after the doc Rory.......
I agree....Caribou meat is the best I've ever eaten... I've not eaten sheep, but I've had pretty much everything else and Caribou tops the list. Very, very tender and tasty...
try canning it sometime.....unbelievable over egg noodles.....cripes...I'm getting hungry.....
won't be long now for the lucky ones.
Anybody else decided to go this year?
My self a couple buddies are heading up there. Will be my first caribou/guided hunt experience. I need to start getting stuff together so I may reach out to a few of you to get some input. We are heading up Sept 3-9 on the 1/6 hunt.
no pics from bow kills in 2014
Time flies, looking forward to the Tundra.
I will be there for 2 weeks.
Hardcore247, I guess we might be in camp together?!? I'm scheduled for those same dates. Looking forward to it!
Quick question for the veteran JHA caribou hunters on the forum. If you are lucky enough to get a caribou you want to have mounted by a taxidermist, what is the pro's/con's of splitting versus keeping it whole. If it's a potential record book, I'd see keeping it whole, but if not, any reason not to split?
Nope. Any good taxidermist can put it back together with little trouble. Just saw the skull plate 95% of the way through and then snap the remaining piece for kind of a reference point. Also take outside width measurements so it can be just like you wanted. One good option is to leave your antlers in montreal. The taxidermist has saved the velvet on my last 2 bulls. Never did any prep work on either trip to them. Shot them day 2. So sept 4th. He had no trouble saving the velvet. It was delivered to my door perfect condition with 1 antler pegged. From there if you wanted your taxi at home could finish the job. Beats paying to have fake velvet put on. And is cheaper and easier to get them home. Think it ran about 400 to get the rack shipped home on a plaque velvet saved and 1 antler pegged. Best of luck to you!
Hardcore and Hakibutman, we will all be up there together. Going to be fun.
Looks like atleast 5 of you will be up the 3rd-9th. Will be a bowsite meet and great in Montreal.
Starlifter, on your flight back you can transport 1 whole rack for free. Second one split is $50.00 I think. Never really worried about it. I will be up Aug. 24 thru Sept. 9. Looking forward to meeting some of you up there again. You can't beat JHA. See you next week Dave? About half packed. See you on the tundra. Rory
Again, For you guy's going to Canada this fall, don't forget to notify your credit card company. It's no fun to get canceled in the middle of nowhere. I speak from experience!! Just watching people eating raw caribou intestines on The Last Alaskans. GROSS. I think I will pass on that tidbit again this year. See you on the tundra. Rory
Sounds good...thanks for the advice. If successful with the hunt, I planned on leaving it in Montreal with their taxidermist. I figure he knows more about caribou taxidermy than someone here in MD. Best of luck to the August hunters and looking forward to getting up there on 3 Sept.
Was going through the packing list last night with my hunting partner. We are doing the unguided and wondering what the best option for meat care is. Leave bone in? How do they hang back at camp? Do they strip game bags off?
Guides usually debone it in the field, put it in cheese cloth bags and then hang it in the meat house. Slip the guide or caretaker a few bucks to help you out. See you on the tundra. Rory
My understanding on the unguided is we were on our own. We are capable of doing it, just want to make sure we have appropriate game bags and tools for the field.
use cheese cloth, one quarter per bag, then a separate bag for the steaks/loins. make sure you have all the meat out of the caribou and marked because you will probably be checked by the DNR. I've only been on two trips but never had a problem with meat spoilage. I would de-bone the meat, its not hard and will make your pack lighter.
Even on a 1x6 unguided your camp manager will probably tag along and help. Hes probably bored and wants something to do. Hume will provide you 3 meat boxes, they will hold about 50lbs per, and one for the hide.
Our first trip we cut the back straps out of the first bou on the ground. It was seasoned with olive oil and steak rub, then wrapped in foil for about 3 days in the meat house. It was then cut into small cubes and devoured by the entire camp!
Good luck, and good hunting
James
Caribou tastes like crap fresh. Like 77 said, give it about 3 days and it is fantastic. Hard to beat cooked over coals. Rory
On my unguided hunt the guide would often drop us off and when a bou was down he was there shortly thereafter to do the butchering. There was definitely more help than I expected, it seemed like they were trying to work hard (presumably for a better tip).
There was cheese cloth that could be ripped tied off and the meat was put into that. We deboned everything in the field. No DNR seen on our week.
I'm assuming the cheese cloth is provided?
Did they provide communication or did you bring radios?
Also can a guy get away with a soft bow case once leaving Montreal?
The cheese cloth is provided at camp as well as salt for your capes and airline friendly meat boxes to transport your meat and capes to your home from camp.
We do not provide 2 way radios at camp but most of our guides bring their own in order to be able to communicate with their hunters.
Many of our hunters do bring their bows in soft padded bow cases. I have not seen a damaged bow as of yet. Being that it is a charter flight and not a commercial flight the baggage handlers are all made well aware of the importance of being careful with the weapons when loading and when it arrives in Lac Pau at our base we actually unload the plane ourselves with some help from the staff of Leaf River Lodge and/or Air Saguenay. We of course in return help them unload their hunters gear from their charters...saving all of us on having to hire extra staff to do so.
From what I hear the caribou are slowly making their way south crossing the Payne River! So far so good...very similar to the last few seasons and at least they are headed directly towards our camps (in the right direction!)
Hopefully another week or two I will be able to fly far enough north to run into them but for now they are still a long ways north and out of my reach.
Take care!
Richard
Like Richard said cheesecloth is provided but I bring some as well, also heavy duty trash bags for a pack liner so my pack doesn't get too blood soaked. No offense meant here at all but if you can't breakdown and haul your own animal out perhaps you should not be on a unguided hunt? Also if you think the camp cook/helper is just working for tips, I don't think I want to share a camp with you. Have a great fall everyone!
Thanks for the pointers everyone.
Bigpizza, Not sure if that was directed at me, but we are more than capable. I have a couple sets of the TAG bags, but they are the smaller ones for boned out meat. I just wanted to make sure if they preferred the bone in for ease of hanging I would need to bring something different. And if I would need to bring 2 sets or just one.
First guided or I guess unguided trip so just making sure I have the right stuff.
For the guys that have been, what do you recommend for luggage? I've got a bunch of options. My go to would be a Badlands Terra Glide that'll let me pack my clothes and bow in one bag and a pack. But some of the literature from JHA recommended four different pieces of luggage:
1. a sleeping bag 2. weapon 3. pack 4. duffel bag (carry-on size)
What works best? Is there an option to store stuff in Montreal? Thanks in advance for the answers...less than a month from now and I'll be on the tundra!
Bigeasygator that will work fine. I had a water proof bag of cloths in my pack. I wanted to land, throw my sleeping bag on my rack, pull the bag of cloths out of my pack and be ready to go. Would of worked great except for the late arrival at camp. Mostly the 4 pieces allows easier loading of the airplane. Smaller luggage can be crammed into the back of the plane in many more ways then 1 huge pack could be.
Best of luck. James
Thanks for the response James. Just to clarify, are you saying the Terra Glide would work fine or should I try to pack in smaller bags?
The Terra Glide will work fine. Last guy I went with brought actual luggage. Not duffles or back packs...samsonite luggage.
Just as a friendly reminder to those of you that are driving into Canada from the US, don't forget to get a Canadian auto insurance card from you insurance provider. Could save a heap of trouble if you were involved in a accident or a traffic stop. Have a great season in the North Country.
Just a little more than 3 weeks from now I'll be boarding a plane for the adventure up north!! Appreciate all of the advice of everyone thus far and especially for the folks that have reached out via PM. I have a few more questions and figured I'd post them here rather than ask some of you via PM, as I guess a few others might have some of these questions as well. So for all of the folks that have done the trip, thanks in advance for weighing in!
- I'm on the 1x6 hunt and am taking my Kifaru pack and frame with me on the hunt. I read some people recommended a smaller day pack for hunting. Is using a smaller pack a viable option on the 1x6 hunt?
- I know it's the tundra and I know weather can swing wildly and I will be prepared for anything. That being said, what are the "average" temperatures for late August?
- Along those lines, I've settled on my Kenetreks with a pair of gaiters. Should I go with an insulated pair or an uninsulated pair in your estimation?
- Are the cabins set up with generators? More specifically, are there ways to charge electronics?
- Will the camps have targets to shoot our bows?
- Lastly, are there options for leaving stuff in Montreal? Either at the hotel or somewhere else?
Thanks again for all the help! Just trying to finalize all the "last minute" stuff!
Jason
Hi Jason. I think you would want to have the pack you are going to haul the caribou out with you to save time. You might get two in close proximity.
You can go to weather.com and find the annual average temperatures... they can range anywhere from 70 degrees during the day to the 30's at night... the cold, rainy, windy days are the tough ones.
If it is in the 60's and 70's, plan on a lot of bugs.
Uninsulated boots... I'm wearing mucks...
There are generators to charge your electronics in most cabins.
Personally, I wouldn't leave anything of much value in your truck.
Thank you to Laketrout regarding the Canadian insurance card. Mine is on the way.
Also, if you are bringing a child younger than 16, you need their passport and should have a birth certificate as well as a notarized letter of consent from your spouse allowing the child to travel with you into Canada.
Leaving in 20 days...
Take care. Mike
...and.....for the passport.....double check it to be sure it has not expired........
Lol Dwitt2n just freaked out last week thinking mine may be expired. Thankfully I have a few years left. But NOW is the time to check!
Good luck guys send back some pics
Jason,
Shoot Ptarmigan for practice and eating they are great! Make sure it's open and you have the right license. You are from Louisiana so I'm sure you can cook them! LOL
One of our camps didn't have a Generator but it had Big Bulls and no bugs so, no worries!
Head-Net! Head-Net! Head-Net! Can't say it enough!
Have Fun! Shoot straight! ENJOY!!!
Tim whats avg shot distance u think my eyes are getting old !
Any update on the caribou, Richard? I'm chomping at the bit!!!
Richard is probably waiting for the mosquitoes to drop a few caribou in front of his camps any day now.....those bugs are so big, they need FAA approval to land and take off.....
I've got two bug nets and bug spray packed...hope it's enough!!
Nets work they eat the spray!
Tims right, they giggle at spray. Bug nets are your best friend early on. Better yet, wait til september and never worry about bugs.
I've got a head net, it's packed but man they absolutely are annoying!
Just read September , whee, 3rd to the 9th.
Wonder if those suckers will be there then when I get there?
Rich, I will be there the same week. If it is warm there will be bugs but they are not that bad. No worse than the sand flies we have around here. It is usually so windy that the bugs are not a problem. Just get up on the ridges if you can and catch a breeze. Many years I haven't used any spray or head net or if you have a therm cell you should be in good shape. On the other hand I have seen some people get chewed to pieces and swollen up so bad they were barely recognizable. The bugs just don't bother me that much I guess. See you on the tundra. Rory
no issues with bugs on any of my four hunts to Quebec for caribou, but all hunts were around 9/3-10 datewise
I'm jealous....hope you guys have a blast!
Anybody ready to go yet? ;)
Hey Luke, pretty much ready to go. Just have to go to the bank to get some cash. Hopefully we will be able to visit a little bit as we cross paths in Lac Pau. To bad we didn't coordinate a little better. Anyone needing some last minute tips or advice can PM me. I'm no expert but have been up there 15 times. Looking forward to my two weeks up there in getting out of this heat in northern Minnesota. See you soon on the tundra. Rory
Good luck you guys! If I had the means I would be there every single year.
TBB
....I've packed & repacked a dozen times......
Dwitt2n.....I'm right there with you. lol
Btw guys I'll have a delorme inreach with me this year So from the 10th to the 28th my brother cornfed77 will be able to give you day to day reports.
Luke, where did you guys get your delorme? Rory
I'll be bringing my inReach as well! My gear is laid out and ready to pack. Gonna shoot the bow a few more times then pack it all up. A week from tomorrow I'll be boarding my flight to Montreal...
Alright....what did I forget??
Off camera I have my arrows in an arrow case, sleeping bag, camp shoes, and boots. Do you guys recommend a pad to put under the sleeping bag or are the beds good enough?
The beds will be fine...each has a foam pad I believe. Leaving Monday...
Take care. Mike
Gator, don't forget a water bottle and lots of chapstick and a warm stocking cap. No Walmart to go to if you forget something. Also long underwear is a must. See you on the tundra. Rory
My pack has two water bottles ready to go and I've got the stocking cap covered. I didn't have Chapstick tho!
One question on the long underwear. I have three pairs packed. I also right now have some Sitka 90% pants which are pretty warm. My other pair of pants are lighter First Lite Kanabs. I'm wondering if I should bring the 90% pants or if lighter pants with long john layers are sufficient. Opinions?
I'd bring the 90% pants. Better to not need them and have them, than need them and not have them. If you arent over weight yet, then keep packing. Weather can swing crazy.
Only thing more important then the weapon is the head nets!
Thought you Iowa guys were tougher that that. Head nets. What the hell!!! Couple of sissies. Hope to see you up there. Rory
Don't bring to many duplicates of clothing. Lots of water up the to wash out clothes. That said , I still bring way to many clothes and end up way over weight. One change of clothing should be adequate. Each year I bring so much crap I could outfit the whole camp!!! See you on the tundra. Rory
Rory my first hunt I had to compete with these flies. Without a head net I would have been unable to eat! So anyone going up north to a look at this pic and ask your self, how tough am I.
And for any beginners who cant judge caribou worth a piss, aim for something like this!
Best of luck!
James
Those bugs DO NOT LOOK FUN!!
James, I feel your pain. If it is calm the blackflies can be brutal. For some reason they don't bother me much. Have been with guys up there that got bitten up so bad they were unrecognizable. I always carry a net but seldom if ever use it. I must stink!!! Rory
Great bull, and I'm going to carry a head net.
I'm wondering if a Thermacell is worth toting along.
Anyone ever bring one to the Tundra?
...you may want to bring a few sets of earplugs..(thx Rory)...both for the plane ride in if they didn't have enough earmuffs, and, for those of us who have been falsely accused of snoring at times - it keeps your hunting buddies happy to get some sleep after all day of hiking around the tundra.....and yes to the head nets.
Rich, had a thermacell last year and it worked well for me. Best thing I have found is to get up high and catch a breeze. Usually I bring horrible weather with me and the bugs will be the least of your concerns Usually we are trying to keep from freezing to death or being blown into the next province! Hang onto your hats when I show up on the plane. Haven't got out of camp on time for three years! Pity you guys that end up in the same camp as me. See you on the tundra, probably hunkered down behind a big rock!! Rory
I have a thermacell but won't be able to fly with the butane cartridges. Anyone know if there's a way to buy them up there? Or should I not worry and stick with the bug spray/headnet?
I have a thermacell but won't be able to fly with the butane cartridges. Anyone know if there's a way to buy them up there? Or should I not worry and stick with the bug spray/headnet?
Rich, JHA has the kits for sale up at Lac Pau. Bought mine up there last year from Richard. Rory
BTW, if you pack the butane, it won't be confiscated. At least it never has in the past.
Is the Tundra at JHA easier to walk on than the tundra on the North slope?
Never hunted the north slope, but many times I have hunted in my tennis shoes. Depends on how wet the area is. Alot of the time you are walking on rock. One note, do not step in a water puddle up there. Stay on rock or grass or you my end up in muck up to your knees or waist. Speaking from experience! See you on the tundra. Rory
when do the first hunters hit the tundra
I believe the season starts August 22nd for JHA. That's when my hunt starts and I'm pretty certain that's the earliest week!
More solid ground at JHA is another selling point for me! The Tundra where we were in Alaska was pure Hell.
It's going to be pretty warm to start the season. 22 - 28 August the highs at Kuujjuaq are in the 60's and 70's with lows in the 40's & 50's. Don't forget the Head net and Thermacell.
Bigeasygator,
In the other JHA thread, Aubs8 posted: "My daughter, me and 2 friends are driving up and hunting the August 20th-26th". Maybe they are in a different JHA camp, and they are staggering the dates?...or maybe it is a drive to camp....like LG4?
Jake,
I think you're right. I saw Aubs8 post that a few times. I guess they stagger the drive up camps from the fly-in camps. So I'll edit my last comment...I think the 22nd is the start of the fly-in camp dates! Either way...2 more days!!
Hi guys. We arrived at base camp yesterday and are currently in a holding pattern waiting for the weather to clear....hopefully we will get out today...the caribou have started going through Richard's northern-most camps and we are heading to Ikirtuuq 200 miles to the north...
Take care. Mike
Mike,
I was checking the maps on the link that you provided in the other JHA thread....but didn't see Ikirtuuq anywhere. Can you give us another reference that IS on one of the caribou collar maps, so we can "follow along" with you?
Hi Jake. Unfortunately, I'm replying to your post which means we are still sitting at base camp. :)
Richard has 5 camps situated nearly in between the Leaf River and the Delay River. We will be at one of these at about 71degrees, 20' west and 57 degrees 40' N.
Several large groups of caribou have been seen already crossing the Delay River. Richard saw 5-10,000 in a group about 45 miles northeast of our camp on the Leaf River a couple of days ago.
Our guide had 3 big bulls cross right at camp this morning...hopefully I don't have time to respond to another post :)
Take care. Mike
Thanks Mike,
So you are pretty much about 200 miles due west of Kuujjuaq....(maybe slightly WSW)....
Good luck.....I'm hoping that you don't have time to respond to this post either.....
Overall, when the herd is migrating, what do they expect....about 10-15 miles of movement per day? Granted, they may stop for a day or two, and then resume the migration, but it sure sounds like you are in for a good time......especially if they head a little west, as well as south.....
I know we're a bit west, but the weather and Kuujjuaq looks pretty good for the week! Just checked in at the New Orleans airport. Praying my bow and my pack makes it ok!
Have fun, shoot straight boys!!
Thanks Tim! We're killing the rest of the time by pouring over the migration maps!
Bigeasygator, can you provide me with that migration link?
Good luck up there, save me one!
link attached. they show it weekly click on the week you want. can go back years if you wish. remember this is a very small sample with not many animals collared.
it used to be 70 animals.
if you go back a number of years they actually did the maps a bit different and as opposed to showing a shaded area that encompassed all the animals they showed icons and directional arrows that told you where they were this week, where they were last week, and the direction.
in the end for you guys going with richard it does not really matter. he has so many camps over such an area and he flys often so he is putting you where they are. takes some of the drama out of map watching before the trip.
Made it to base camp. Weather is beautiful! They put too much fuel in our Otter so we're waiting for one to get back. Hunting out of Coursolles for the week!
That's a pretty impressive operation they run isn't it Amanda and Richard really have it down to a science very accommodating
7am, staring at the monitor, looking at old bou hunting photos. Wishing someone would post an update on anything. Wondering, do my kids really need to attend college? Just wishing i was there.
LOL Cornfed! College is way over-rated! ;-)
bigeasygator- that is quite the change in scenery for you! Cajun country to Northern Quebec!
Good luck to all the hunters going North this year!
anxious to hear what the first group is doing up there. how they are making out.
I've heard the first group is doing quit well!!!!!!
That's correct, Tim. bigeasygator has sent me a few texts. They did well the first few days. Haven't heard from him in a few days though.
I think it is best that I let our clients speak for themselves but I will say that at this point we are 1 caribou short (a bow hunter)from having every single hunter tag out for week one of our season.
I won't say it was easy as the warm weather made things tough at times with slow caribou movement but we have a great group of sportsman who chose to hunt with us and they got the job done!
Mark Beeler who booked two weeks with us to achieve his mission of getting every North American species with a bow is tagged out with two very nice bulls on week one and hunting bear and fishing for week two!
Our drive up hunters from week one tagged out in just a few days and our week two drive up hunters are 1 caribou short from being tagged out again on day two of their hunt!
So far so good and lots of caribou making their way south!
Richard
great news! congrats to the week one hunters and the whole JHA team
Good Deal! Northern Quebec is a special place. And caribou are so much fun to hunt!
Hi folks. After a 2 hour floatplane trip and a 25 hour drive straight through to the border, my daughter and I arrived home last night.
We didn't see a lot of caribou but we saw enough averaging about 10 per day when we were hunting, about half being bulls and half cows and calves.
We had 4 hunters in our group and all used rifles. We tagged-out on good, quality bulls in 2.5 days (2 on the first afternoon, 3 on the first full day and 3 on the 2nd full day). The third full day was cool and would have been good hunting. The next 2 days were extremely hot with temperatures flirting with 80 degrees.
This trip was made even more special sharing it with my daughter who just turned 13 in June. She shot her first Caribou (and first animal ever) on the first evening as we managed to stalk within about 20 yards of a nice bull with big fronts. On the next night, she made a great shot on a great caribou which ended-up being bigger than mine, something she enjoys sharing. :)
Our trip was made more memorable given the hard work and hospitality of Richard, Amanda and Sawyer, Terry at base camp, our Pilot Carl who did everything he could to get us to Ikirtuuq on that first day despite very poor conditions and of course our guide Jimmy who was the perfect person to have in camp if you were a dad hoping to provide your daughter with a "trip of a lifetime." The entire experience was all that I hoped it would be for her.
Thank you again Richard and Amanda.
I will try to post some pictures over the weekend.
Take care. Mike
Good deal! What a fun hunt to share with your daughter, can't wait for the pics!
Congrats Hunters! Thanks all for the posts and updates. We are starting our drive up next week for the hunt the week of the 7th and really looking forward to it. Lane
A bull I passed on the first day. Tough to see in this picture but hanging from the front of his neck like a moose's "bell" is a long tuft of fur which was swinging in the wind likely caused by a wolf.
A lake trout her biggest fish to date. :)
I plan on posting a full report and a bunch of pics in the next few days, but we just got back to Montreal and all I can say is what a trip! We were in the southern most camps and had a herd there when we landed. 10 tags were punched in less than 24 hours. I punched my first tag with a rifle and devoted my second tag to the bow. Managed to make it happen yesterday after a roller coaster of bowhunting emotion! Only one tag went unfilled out of all the JHA hunters this week.
Thought I'd share a few more pics before I get to writing my recap!
Anybody know how the second week went??
29 hunters took 58 caribou! Awesome!
Mike
any word and photos from the more recent groups?
What week in all of your opinions would be absolutely bet, based on migration, and bugs, weather, etc?
I followed Bou's advice and took the 3rd to the 9th.
I had a thermacell, and used it very little.
Once your up high, the bugs are not a nuisance. We did get some frosty mornings so that helped.
Maybe someone else will chime in about the week after.
From what I experienced, it's anybody's guess what's the best migration period. The week before us, the hunters at our same camp experienced a few thousand animals.,, that must have been something.
From their Facebook page...
Week 3 (9/3-9/9) 31 hunters, 62 caribou Week 4 (9/9-9/15) 32 hunters, 58 caribou
Take care. Mike
Steve the migration is not that big a deal. It's not like there are a couple fixed camps and you have to hope they migrate through. Jha had dozens of camps and they will put you in one where the animals are present. They have to be somewhere and odds are there are camps where they are and that is where you'll be.
I know Caribou77 is at Bobby Lake the group that was leaving around the 16th-17th was 11 for 12 when he messaged me, the current group in camp is 6 for 12 last I heard with some really crappy weather hurting the hunting. Not sure about overall success just about Bobby Lake. Btw if you have never heard of Delorme Inreach messaging its awesome! I can get satellite text messages from my brother while he in Canada and i am stranded in Iowa.
I was hoping to have a thread going while he was in Canada but its a real pain for him to type more then a sentence or two. If I hear anything else I will post it.
Not to start a riot here on the JHA thread, but did anyone else find the behavior of some of the hunters to be totally disgusting? I'm no prude, but geez guys!!! Never heard so many F - Bombs in my life. At the hotel, on the plane, and in base camp and it didn't seem to matter who was around. If you want to drink, brag, flex your "manhood" why not stay home and do it? Why subject the rest of us to it. Thankfully we had a good camp and didn't have any of that. GROW UP!!!! Just my opinion. See you on the tundra. Rory
It's not just in Caribou Camp. I was at Walmart and then a high school football game on Friday- the language was horrible. I always wonder if people talk like that in front of their mother?????!!!!!!! ;-)
Week of 9/15-9/21 @ Willies Pretty windy and rainy most of the week. Pretty tough conditions and the bou action was a bit slow. Ended up tagging 1 on day one, 0 day 2, 1 day three, 2 on day 4, 1 on day 5 and 1 as the plane came in to get us. Camp was great and the guides worked their tails off.
Congrats....I know what you're saying about Jamie & Bob....
Scooter,
Sounds like you guys had a pretty rough go at it. Only 6 caribou. Was everyone fortunate enough to get at least one each?
Scooter, didnt you guys shoot 3 giant black bears the week of the 15th-21st? I was in Bobby's lake from the 11th-26th and remember them getting off the phone and talking about them.
ElkStalkR, The weather was rough! Willy Lake was only 14? miles from us. So close every now and then we could hear them on there radios if we were hunting to the south. The wind never stopped for 2 weeks. The rain rarely gave us a break. Our dock at Bobby was destroyed by the high winds and rain. The boat on the north lake had a hole in it do to the waves beating it against the rocks (I found the hole the hard way....) The caribou were moving slow. We didnt start seeing good migration movement until after the 21st and from what we could see most of the caribou were hitting the very northeast corner of the lake. I know Karl was walking out 8 miles some days.
Should mention that the weather was so bad we all flew out early (everyone was individually asked, no one was required to leave early) and the trophy hunt group all flew in a day early. From the sounds of it if we wouldnt have got out a day early, we would be there until possibly wednesday, which was 3 extra days.
The one that got away.....
ElkStalkR We did fill all of our tags. Two of the guys got flown out to another camp to fill their tags. (a camp about an hour south of us) 77 No bear for us. The group before us shot 2 - One about an hour before we arrived in camp.
Tom, He is a dink all right, so you were just letting him grow another year? ;)
Scooter, I thought they killed 3. Musta been one the week before those 2. Believe 5 were killed at willys this year. Some giant sized bears for the tundra as well.
How did the season end. I know it was a rousing success, but any last comments, stories, or photos to add to the season recap on this thread.
2015 JHA hunt was so much fun with a great bunch of guys and some darn nice caribou and lots of fish that I booked for 2016. This will be my 16th hunt with JHA!!! It just keeps getting better and better each year. Richard, Amanda and their whole crew are a class act. Can't wait to spend two weeks up there again next year. See you on the tundra. Rory Don't fear the reaper.
I'm going too can't wait,
In for 2016.....Rory and I will be sharing our 3rd camp.....
