Caribou Hunting

Caribou hunting is very popular in Canada, and Alaska. The caribou is a deer related to the reindeer and is native to Newfoundland, which is the most eastern providence in Canada. Caribou hunting appeals to those who don’t mind trekking over miles of iced mixed forests during the colder months and over mostly barren land during the summer.

Caribou hunting yields a large animal; with the average weight of the male at 400 pounds and the female weighs in at about 300 pounds. Antlers may spread as wide as 5 feet. They feed off of lichens, mosses, grasses, sedges, birch and willow leaves. Caribou hunt can take you to a different type of scenery, one that can nurture your soul or freeze your boots off. If you get goose bumps when traveling above the Mason Dixon line, you may wish to skip caribou, instead heading toward the southern regions of North America, where a variety of deer are available.

Caribou hunting can bring you a young male buck that is tasty or one that is near their end of life stage at about 15 years of age, in which the meat is much tougher. Hunting caribou requires skills identifying their dark brown bodies, with lighter patches at the neck and rump with white above each hoof. Both the males and some females have dark velvety antlers that are flattened projecting forward and outward. Identifying the male from the female can be difficult at times since the males shed their antlers in November or December, after mating; whereas some of the females and young shed their antlers in the early spring months.

When tracking during caribou hunts, you can see their concave hoof prints which are ideal for traveling over snow or soft ground and for digging up small plants, mosses and lichens hidden under the snow and ice. Their hooves are wide for paddling in streams and are sharply edged for digging in order to reach food.

Before going hunting it would be wise to check pictures on the Internet to help you identify these large deer, since antlers do not define whether they are male or female. These large animals mate during October, with one male serving several females. The gestation period is about 230 days. Births are usually in May and June. The mother weans her calf in about two months preparing for the fall the migration. A healthy newborn calf can walk and even run in about two hours after birth.

The herds during migration can move up to 800 miles each season. They seem to seek areas for calving where spring vegetation comes up early and in areas that provide better protection from predators. In the winter months the males may avoid groups of cows and their calves due to predators being drawn to those that are more vulnerable.

Since caribou herds can be spread over many acres of land, walking and tracking these animals can become very exhausting. For this reason, some of the larger outfitters utilize small float airplanes to locate the herds for the hunters, landing on nearby waters to bring the hunters within firing range to the herd. Some prefer winter months for caribou hunting, utilizing snowmobiles. This type of hunt can provide an adrenaline rush as you skim over the snow at high speeds.

It seems a shame to move so fast that you are unable to enjoy the pristine wilderness in which most often is the habitat for caribou. Most hunting seasons are from mid September through December. Make certain you check with local wild life officials about their laws governing your particular hunt. In most areas where you find caribou, there are often black bear to hunt as well. So go prepared with knowledge along with good skills to make your caribou hunt one that you will enjoy in your memory for many years.