Guided Caribou Hunt in NWT

[BCRiverBoater]

Me and a buddy are looking into a guided hunt for caribou in the NWT for 2010. We would do a 1 guide to 2 hunters trip so we can video each other and enjoy each others success. We might take 2 each but we really only want one good bull each.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a quality experience combined with good bulls for good value. I have heard some good things about courageouslake for big bulls and great guides and facilities.

Would like any info or recommendations one might have. Thanks

[bridger]

stan stevens gets some big caribou. he is an outfitter in the nwt but lives in dawson creek. friend of mine hunted sheep up there this year and so some really big caribou. nahanni butte outfitters also has big caribou good luck.

[elkdom]

try ' Mackenzie Mountain Outfitters" fly in hunts, no ATVs no Horses, Caribou, Dalls Sheep, Moose, wolf, bear , but bookings may be far off , very good Rep! many referalls and repeat clients,,,

[David Heitsman]

Not sure what you are looking for but this is what I have done.

Back-packed with Artic Red River Outfitters for sheep and caribou.
Owner's name is Kelly Hogen. He'll remember me.
You will be flown to an area that holds caribou and have a couple day
walkabout till you each pick the bull of your choice. You will then pack
it to the strip and be flown out to base camp in one of his cubs.
I did not kill a caribou as I didn't kill a ram till the evening of the 9th day
and I didn't want to get skunked on a ram while I was back-packing cariboo meat.

Horseback hunted with NWT Outfitters. Ask for Eric Mikkelson. He is my friend as well. I took a cariboo the first day of a 10 day cariboo and moose hunt. I was walking around and had glassed 7 'bou bulls before I chose the one I took. The next day I shot a 60" moose, both right from base camp. Never even put my foot in a stirrup. Easiest hunt I ever did.
Unfortunately it was a $3500 charter to get me back to Norman Wells
so I had to sit around camp for the next 8 days waiting for the scheduled plane. There is only so many grayling you can catch and release before it's not much fun anymore. I am not sure how the caribou are hunted now as he has reduced his horse stock.

One issue with the Mackenzie Mtns is the cost to get there. It is actually cheaper to fly to Johannesburg South Africa than get into the Mackenzies. depending on the charter costs, you are looking at $2000 ish to get on the ground.

Many of my friends have used Gana River Outfitters out of Alberta with huge success. Harold Grinde is the new owner there.

The outfitters working out of Yellowknife tend to use boats to locate the caribou and then initiate stalks from the beaches once you get the wind right. This is successful and probably the least strenous physically.

There used to be deals where you could get two bulls for $3500 CDN
including airfare from Yellowknife. McKay Lake was the area as I recall.

I suspect you will be looking at 2-3 times that with any of the aforementioned McKenzie Mtn. outfitters.

Have you considered Northern Quebec or Labrador / Newfoundland as I believe that this is the most reasonable guided hunt in North America.
There are also drop camp and semi guided options as well. Alaska also has some semi guided options that might work well since you are with a friend.

Something to think about. If you are serious, fly to SCI next month in Reno and you can talk to all of them there in the same room.

[BCRiverBoater]

Thanks for all the info so far. I have talked to Lancasters about sheep but never talked caribou. They are surely on the list of contacts.

My that I am going to go with went with Gana this year for his Dall. He had an excellent trip and mentioned he would contact them about caribou. They got some nice bulls this year. He saw a 400 class bull but he was there for first week of sheep so the bou's were not open. His guide said he was as big as they get around there. Too bad but it is the way it goes.

I also had another guy recommend Mackenzie Mountain Outfitters. Funny how small the world really is and how improtant is to give good service and produce on a hunt. 3 of about 5 names I was told have already come up on this thread in 2 hours.

Any more suggestions would be great. Thanks

[Stone Sheep Steve]

A guy that I know took a Mtn Bou with Gana that went 438" net.

Looking for a Mtn Bou or Barren??

SSS

[bruin]

It depends what you want to hunt as SSS said. Barren ground are cheaper by about $4-5000 on a quick search.
I don't know much about barren ground hunting more than what I have seen on tv. I've guided a bunch of mountain caribou hunts in the Yukon and NWT and they can be a tonne of fun as they are low pressure and suite 2 on 1 hunts. Most of the Makenzie mountain outfitters mentioned have piles of caribou and its not uncommon to take several in the 400" class every season.

[kootenayelkslayer]

I'd go with Ram Head Outfitters personally :razz:
But really if you want a nice mountain caribou, you probably can't go wrong with any of the outfits in the Mackenzie mountains in the NWT.

[BCRiverBoater]

I was thinking Barren Ground myself that was why I mentioned the opportunity to take 2 if need be. I only want one but if things went funny and I saw a book bull later on I would take a second one. My buddy is leaning towards Mountain now so we are undecided. If we go for mountain I would surely head to the McKenzie mountain area of the NWT. There are several good options it looks like.

But does anyone have any info on Barren ground territories? Just in case.

[pitbell]

I spent a few years guiding for central Canadian Barren Ground Caribou in the NWT. I spent most of my time at Jolly Lake, owned by Courageous Lake camps, about a 1hr flight from Yellowknife. My advice to you is if you want a chance at a book bull is try to plan your hunt for as late in the season as possible. The weather will be horrible, but the caribou will be in large migrating herds. This time of the year you will want a wolf and wolverine tag as well. If you book earlier in the season the Caribou will be scattered in smaller groups. With the right guide and a bit more work you will still find decent bulls. The weather will be better and you can mix in some fishing too. As far as accomidations goes all the Courageous camps are outfitted with small basic cabins. Nothing fancy but warm and comfortable. You will be hunting from 14-16ft boats glassing the shores for caribou heading south for the rut/winter. Hope this helps. Here's a couple of pics

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm51/bcandbeyond/BarrenGround-1.jpghttp://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm51/bcandbeyond/CentralCanadianBarrenGround-1.jpghttp://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm51/bcandbeyond/CentralCanadianBarrenGroundBull-1.jpg
http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm51/bcandbeyond/RalphsBCBarrenGroundCaribou-1.jpg

[jrjonesy]

Agree with what pitbell said. We went with bows early in the season through True North Safaris at Mackay Lake and had a great trip hunting out of their outpost camp. Caribou at that time though were resident and very scattered and few and far between. Crossed paths (in yellowknife) with some guides up hunting early at Jolly Lake who had some great success, mostly with rifles. Definitely agree that your chances are going to be much better on a big bull if you wait until the later stages of September.

[BCRiverBoater]

We were thinking late as we do not want velvet and I like the better winter coats.

[Maxx]

I hunted with Gana river in 2006, and took a book caribou as well as a Ram and a wolf. Harold has a top notch operation. That year in camp, my bull was one of 3 over 400" taken during just my time there, I am not sure how many big ones they killed all year,

good luck,

[GoatGuy]

Check out Lancasters/Nahanni. Good folks there and an excellent area.
X2

My buddy killed a bou up there that should have been somewhere in the top 10 SCI. Never bothered to ask him exactly where it finished.

[BCRiverBoater]

Thanks for all the great info. Now to decide between Mountain or Barren.