Tips for upcoming Muskox hunt
Caribou
My brother and I are headed to Greenland for a combo muskox/caribou archery hunt in Mid-August. It will be a relatively short hunt at 5 days, but we do have the option to add days on the end of the hunt if we choose. So, we will be mentally prepared and physically prepared considering the relatively short duration of the hunt, but if anyone has any suggestions of how to make our trip any better would be greatly appreciated.
One question specifically: I've only seen one muskox in my life, and it was obviously a very big one, but in watching video and reading on the internet, I'm having trouble determining trophy quality. When I see several bulls together, they all look pretty much the same to me. I'm told the guides do speak some broken English, so I'm trying to be as prepared as possible to pick out a mature bull on my own.
There are a couple older threads that discuss this in detail ....with photos. If you aren't familiar with how to work around the Bowsite search engine, try this.....go to Google and type "Bowsite - Muskox mount". That'll help.....
Rely on your guide for judgement of size… as for 5 days of hunting that should be plenty for 2 guys musk ox..
Caribou will be a little harder I’d think you could both be done on musk ox on day one if all stars align… Who are ya hunting with?
Thanks Jake, I have pretty much read every thread ever about muskox!
Shug, we are hunting with Karl-Jorgen Enoksen with "Hunting in Greenland"
Greenland musk ox are not that difficult.
I don't know how good the area is where you will be hunting. You need to make sure they have a hard boss. If you want higher scoring look for black tips. If you are in a good area there will be old bulls with heavy bosses and worn tips and lots of mass.
Here is a link to my Greenland hunt. I was lucky to get a nice old bull and a 2nd one with long tips.
It was a trip of a lifetime.
https://forums.bowsite.com/TF/bgforums/thread.cfm?threadid=494535&forum=10
Good luck Korey safe travels
I appreciate the tips as well. I leave for Nunavut 3 weeks from tomorrow.
Did anyone every weigh your arrows while in Greenland to check for compliance? My regular arrows weigh in at 521 grain which are a little shy of the 525 grains required by the government. I assume no regulation on the caribou arrows.
Also, what about shipping hides and antlers home?
No Korey … also there’s a famous TV Hunter who used a Rage broadhead on TV to take his musk ox illegally by the laws in Greenland…
My arrows were never checked either, Kory. As far as shipping hides, horns and antlers, my outfitter took care of all of the logistics of getting them to the company in Denmark, that prepped them and shipped them to the states. I’d think your outfitter would be handling that for you, but I’d certainly check with him to be sure. Might want to work a little overtime, too. It wasn’t cheap to get them back to the states, by the time it was all said and done.
T-Roy, do you remember what you spent on shipping trophies?
Korey… 2 ox heads.. 1 was European A cape and a hide
Cleaning / tanning and shipping I believe was close to $4500
I killed a Muskox and Caribou last year and just got my final bill from First Class Trophy in Denmark. Over $5,000 USD to have hides and horns dipped and ship. That doesn’t include importer fees, and I don’t know how much they will be. If I’m being honest, I wish I would have just been happy with framed 8x10’s! Good Luck on your hunt!
I can’t remember the exact $ amount, Korey, but it was in the neighborhood of that 5K figure, by the time it was sitting at my door. That was for the skull, tanned shoulder mount cape, and the tanned back skin on the muskox, and the caribou Euroed on a plaque, and the entire hide soft tanned. My hunt was in 2019.
In addition to the trophy prep & shipping costs, you'll need to hire a US customs broker to clear your trophies once they enter the US. Coppersmith comes highly recommended, but there are cheaper options. Fortunately, this is the smallest cost associated with getting your horns & cape back to the US. That cost should be approx. $500-$800 depending on who you use.
Korey… 2 ox heads.. 1 was European A cape and a hide
Cleaning / tanning and shipping I believe was close to $4500
I wanted no part of that expense on my 2019 trip and won’t do it when I go back in 6 weeks either. 5k is what people were generally paying and remember that is to get it ready for your local taxidermist to do his thing. The guys I went with got caught up in the covid thing where the costs for shipping went insane.
I am not sure if they even have everything back from local taxidermists yet but it was three years to get the stuff back to the states and through customs. Some of the delay was nobody to ship or Do The work And some Was due to the high prices and a desire to let things come back down cost wise a bit
I know 3 guys that have done it…..and for all it was a one day hunt.
That’s way more money than I was expecting. I think the booking agent said $600-800 per animal, but I take the word of you guys that have been there recently. Going to have to give it some serious thought, but I do plan to bring something back.
I just received my hides and horns last week. Cost from the US logistics company was $1600. That included a $600 shipping fee from NY to PA. I drove up and got them! On the plus side, hides and horns look good!
So are you saying you got all you needed done from field processing prior to touching them in the states for 1600!
No, just the importer fees were $1600. Total from field to my door was over $6500. I was adding to my previous post, sorry for the confusion!
WOW!!!
Several years ago, to hunt a muskox in northern Canada, I paid $4,500 for the hunt, $1,800 in flights and likely a few hundred more in fuel. Paid an extra $50 to fly the head and cape in a Tupperware tub.
And those are Canadian Pesos!!
That’s what I thought. It’s 4-6k to get it to your favorite taxidermist and from there it’s up to you what the final bill is.
Just don’t under- budget for the cost. It is clearly material.
Korey the 600-800 per animal is to get it to Denmark. Once the the vet and local taxi and storage all cost. The tanned hides snd cleaned skull are then shipped to usa. They then clear customs inspections processing etc.
They are then shipped in us to your taxi. Then you decide what you want done with you tanned hide and skull.
Then there may be skipping from Your taxi to you based on logistics and mount size.
It’s only money. You can always make more…
I could do one hell of another hunt for $6500…but this will probably be my only muskox.
T-roy, that’s exactly what I told my brother.
Troy x2… wanna hunt? Go do it. Want money? Go make it. There’s always money to be had..
I could do one hell of another hunt for $6500…but this will probably be my only muskox.
T-roy, that’s exactly what I told my brother.
I could do one hell of another hunt for $6500…but this will probably be my only muskox.
T-roy, that’s exactly what I told my brother.
Would anyone be able to post a gear list here? I have the basics covered, but if there is one piece of gear or clothing that you wish you had taken, what was it?
My tip would be hunt with Karsten Lings.
My Tip would be Troy and Bous tip
Korey how did you guys make out?
