Mountain Caribou?
Caribou
Who has been?
Anyone have recommendations? Does it matter which province- Yukon, NWT, BC?
Kawdy Outfitters, Backcountry BC and Beyond are two great areas in BC. I've hunted both as a resident. I've mounted a few bulls from Gana River Outfitters. They seem like they have some really good quality hunts.
I went with Gana in 2012. They have to be as good as it gets for mountain caribou. Any of the outfitters in the Mackenzies in the NWT should be considered.
What a nice caribou. This is one of the hunts that still pending in my record
Several other guys on BowSite have gone for Mountain Caribou that will hopefully chime in. I know at least a couple that have gone with Gana River and a few that have gone with other outfitters. Very high success rates and quality in the Mackenzies as a general rule.
Treeline beautiful bull. Love your long bow what is it?
I agree with Tavis. Good hunts in the NWT!
Northern BC numbers are fairly low and except for a few LEH draw units require a legal bull to have 5 top points plus a back tine on one side (or at least 6 on top if no back tine) on one side. Took me 8 trips DIY to kill one in BC. And he was from a LEH unit.
I would go to the NWT if going once. I did hear one of the outfitters doesn’t take Bowhunters.
No comment on the Yukon as I have never hunted it.
Have a great hunt! Mt Caribou are the largest bodied of the sub-species and I think the prettiest. And not a push over to bow hunt in my experience!
Kurt…….was the reason it took you so many hunts before you tagged one, due to difficulty in finding a legal bull?
Thanks for the input so far. I have heard parts of BC are tough, low numbers.
Will look into NWT for sure
Rick, that one is a Black Widow PLX take down, bocote. The take down feature was awesome for that hunt.
I would definately recommend Gana. I was their sheep hunting this summer. We saw a lot of really nice Caribou in our chase. The bou hunters in camp all shot high 300/low 400 bulls and it wasn't even a great growth year Would love to go back and hunt them if I have the chance
My first Caribou was a Mountain in BC but my info is outdated. I shot it in 1979.
My first Caribou was a Mountain in BC but my info is outdated. I shot it in 1979.
This is from my mountain bou hunt in 2019 in the NWT
I shot one with a 270WSM on a dall sheep hunt, 10 years ago. Was in the NWT. Saw lots of them, but only a couple shooters.
T-roy, first 7 hunts in general open season resulted in 4 legal 6 point bulls seen, all on one hunt, and none within bow range. So 6 hunts without a legal animal....years of taking only 6 point or more bulls left a bunch of old mature herd bulls with 4 or 5 points, even one huge 3x3 with 40 cows in his herd. I don’t like BC’s 6 point regulation.
Knowing your track record, I figured that was most likely the reason, Kurt. Yeah, definitely seems like overkill on those restrictions.
I had a15yd broadside chip shot at a very nice mtn. caribou bull, on a moose/caribou hunt in BC, back in ‘04, but my guide was not completely certain if one of his top points was a legal one. He couldn’t see it well enough from his position. It was obscured behind his main beam. After about 5-10 seconds, the bull got nervous, wheeled and took off, giving him a better look at it. He determined that it was definitely a legal point, but by then the bull was 50 yds away and on a pretty good sprint.
It took me 81 days over eight DIY trips, seven of those in northern BC. Definitely the NWT.
I did see quite a few legal bulls, but killing one wasn't easy. But I should add it would have been a slam dunk several times with a rifle.
I went with Gana River as well, NWT. I love Caribou and wish I would have hit it hard before the eastern herds crashed... I would go back to the NWT every year if I could. But man the prices. Ouch. Good luck.
I killed one with Gana River about like the one just above on a last day, balls to the wall try after killing a dall ram. I also passed a couple that were 380"+ on another sheep hunt there because I didn't want to take 2 days out of my sheep hunt to deal with a caribou. That hurt. Harld runs a great camp and would be the first (and probably last) call I would make if I wanted a mountain caribou hunt.
Last time I was there he had a caribou hunter who bought the hunt at auction (Alberta conservation group if memory serves), might be worth researching and potentially bidding on if he is still doing that.
Yep, as Matt said, the WSF Alberta chapter often auctions off a caribou hunt with Gana River. Worth keeping an eye on their fundraiser this March.
Pricey is right- $14,000 for the hunt, $1,900 for the air taxi, about $700 for licenses, tags, fees, then ad 5% tax for another $830 and the hunt will be about $17,430 and thats NOT counting your air fare to Canada….
Another hunt that has nearly doubled in the last 5 years or so. Average working guy is out on these......
My hunt was ten years ago, so my prices aren't useful in your search for an outfitter. However, I can offer a hunting story to whet your appetite, should you decide to go.
Well, need to correct my numbers with Gana River, the y are booked for 2022 and have just one spot left for 2023. However that hunt will increase to $15,000 :)
Also no plans for an auction this year- due to lost year in 2020 and high demand
Heading up to NWT this year with NWT Outfitters LTD. Jim Lancaster I have hunted with them twice. Awesome outfitter.
I hunted at NWT Outfitters in 1992. My cost was $2250 plus $650 bush flight (iirc). Itd be interesting to apply the inflation rate to $2900 for the 29 years from 1992 to 2021 and see the disparity to current price.
