Will We Ever Hunt Caribou n Quebec Again
Caribou
We got back spring bear in Ontario. Do you think will ever see caribou hunting opportunities in Quebec again? I always wonder if the big outfitters like Jack Hume are still working on that. What do the caribou populations look like up there these days?
Canada? Just hoping we don't lose all our hunting priveledges completely.
No. I just talked with Richard Hume on Saturday. He’s still tearing out all the camps up north on the governments bill.
Richard and Amanda deserved so much better
Sport hunting was 3% of the annual harvest. I am sure the loss of that has done wonders for the herd size.
And that 3% was all males
They set the bar so high very few have been able to live up to them.
Plenty of caribou still being hunted there, just not for anyone who wants to buy a tag and leave a few thousand $$ spread around with airlines, outfitters, hotels, etc.
Most thought that Ontario Spring Bear would never open again. I believed it would and fought hard to have it returned. The older outfitters gave up, I was too young to give up the fight and had a huge mortgage. We finally won the fight.... Keep up your hope for the return of the Caribou hunt!! If you stop dreaming of the return of the hunt, you might as well give up hunting!!
Is there any way to help the cause?
I bet they will bring it back... hopefully most of you will be able to enjoy the hunt (Hunter Age) as it took Ontario what 17 years. Ontario Outfitters, Mayors etc. kept bringing up the lost revenues due to such a radical move. Loss of spring hunt cost Ontario 44 Million x 17 years. Also, when the Shad Foundation questioned the science of the Spring hunt, the OMNRF had no data to argue, so season was closed. Said never will a Spring Bear ever be reinstated. Then, as the closure dragged on, data that was being collected on repercussions of no spring hunt, starting to show that a Spring Bear hunt was needed to manage a Bear population. moose population was declining fast. NOW, we have the data to counter the animal rights groups. Bear Alliance said they will not push to close the Spring hunt again. They will open up the Caribou hunt I bet, with no warning. I always knew I would once again be able to Spring Bear hunt and thankfully I was right!!
*** I believed that we had a Fall hunt to pay for my survival while I fought tooth and nail for a reinstatement of the spring hunt. If I or other outfitters would have given up our fight, there would not be sprin bear hunting in Ontario right now. Remember as we were fighting tooth and nail, we were also having to fight those wanting to boycott Ontario hunting outfitters... ***I am talking about "Bowhunter Magazine" and "Bowsite's" call for a boycott of Ontario's Hunting Outfitters!!
It is a special place and was the best valued hunt going with the opportunity of taking 2 bulls and world class fishing at a modest price, particularly for those of us in the Northeast.
It was something I thought I would do every year in retirement. Truly disappointing.
However, I am thankful to have done it twice, once with my daughter.
I'm also happy that I had the chance to do 2 caribou hunts. They were probably my favorite of all my out of state hunts. As Aubs8 stated above, they were the best value in hunting trips. But I have a feeling ,if they ever open up again, the prices will be dramatically higher. And they will probably be out of reach for the average working man.
Huntr4777 x2
If they open again you can forget about ever seeing $4k hunts again. More like $8-10k hunts based on the current hunting market. I’m glad I took advantage of it when the prices were reasonable and the caribou hunting was terrific.
Even if it does open, people will be too afraid of being burned again by the Quebec outfitters stealing their money. Piss on Quebec.
Honestly. The burning desire to go back forever remains a as one of the best hunts I have ever been on.
Richard and Amanda ran a tight ship and they really deserve much more.
At this point, I’m not sure if they could pull off what they once did.
I often look at my mount and realize that I was fortunate to have done that hunt.
The reality is this may happen elsewhere in time.
I really hope, there is a chance to have this hunt back so other can enjoy the tundra.
It’s truly a special place.
It was an amazing hunt. Take a look around at some other opportunities that may seem like they will be around for a long time. Some of them won't be. Hunt while you can.
Well I wish I was older and able to do that hunt. Instead in taking a chance with 3 other buddies and trying to get a couple in Manitoba.
If it is ever allowed again, it will not be the affordable hunt that it was years ago.
Probably one of the best hunts I ever did especially at the price. Sad loss for the hunting community. 9 of us all bow hunters killed 17 Bulls.
Honestly. The burning desire to go back forever remains a as one of the best hunts I have ever been on.
Richard and Amanda ran a tight ship and they really deserve much more.
At this point, I’m not sure if they could pull off what they once did.
I often look at my mount and realize that I was fortunate to have done that hunt.
The reality is this may happen elsewhere in time.
I really hope, there is a chance to have this hunt back so other can enjoy the tundra.
It’s truly a special place.
Current count on the George River herd is about 8k animals, had a two year increase and then a decline again in 2022. The herd hasn’t left Labrador in about 4 years.
Leaf river herd is staying around the 190k mark. The calving grounds are still closed all all activities. The native tribes have agreements for a 2300 yearly harvest, supposedly that includes the 300 that Cree gifted to Inu as the Inu have closed all their harvest quotas for the George river herd. I am not sure how accurate those numbers for the natives really are. I have heard both sides of the argument. My buddy who flys over Labrador in the area the George river herd has been in says they are pretty much functionally extinct at this point. It could take 25 plus years for the tundra to recover enough to see any meaning increase in population.
"It could take 25 plus years for the tundra to recover enough to see any meaning increase in population"
"tundra to recover"... Curious, what happened on the tundra that needs to recover?... Whatever it is, is that what cause the big decline?
Lichen takes like 30 years to grow back. It's extremely slow going. That's part of my wonder about the herd not coming into Manitoba anymore. For many years we had like 800,000 animals running an area eating lichen as they go. First they pound half it out, and then they eat the rest. They may have changed migratory routes and it will take some time before there is significant regrowth of the lichen.
When you fly over the tundra from Churchill you can still see plain as day where the army drove their vehicles and it's been decades since the army was there. The tundra is an extremely fragile system.
The hunt will open to Non residents again. When First Nations are given full control of population management and all commercial activity.
And then the price will be north of $10,000 putting it out of reach of most hunters.
How is the hunting managed in Nunavut? Are the villages completely in charge of the hunting?
My guess is if it does come back it will cost as much as woodland Bou in NF in that 15 to 20 range.
And there will be no shortage of gladly willing hunters to pay for every available tag and no shortage of people saying it’s not fair
