CANIAPISCAU REGION, NORTHERN QUEBEC – When the Cessna lifted off the lake and headed back to the base camp, I felt a slight bit of apprehension. While I was in good company with Roland St. Pierre, camp manager, his wife Pauline, the camp cook, four guides and a group of sportsmen, we were all alone on a piece of land in Northern Quebec’s wilderness tundra.
Situated on an unnamed lake, an hour’s flight by floatplane from Caniapiscau and another three hours by jet from Montreal, I was almost as far north as you can go. I was the guest of Luco Caribou Adventure for the week, and while it was daunting to be in such a remote spot, I was anxious for the excitement of the hunt.
After unloading and storing my gear, I met with Roland over a late breakfast. Roland thought it would be best if he showed me the blinds near camp first and then later, we could hunt one of the blinds that was across the lake. I agreed and we took a leisurely tour of the land around the camp. All the blinds have a nickname, usually the name of a repeat customer who has spent time there or had unusual success from that particular spot. “Doc’s Blind” is the favorite spot of long-time client Dr. Paul Beegle of Auburn. “The Sheraton” is reminiscent of the hotel of the same name, offering a large room with a great view.
Situated well into the tundra of Quebec, Luco Caribou Adventure manages a series of camps in the Caniapiscau region of northern Quebec. I stayed at Camp 6, which Roland built nearly 20 years ago. The camp has great amenities, including a hot shower, a well-stocked kitchen, a great cook and a satellite phone available, but caribou were my biggest concern. I quickly realized that despite these “extras,” the camp’s location, like all of Luco’s camps, makes it a top destination for caribou hunters.
Once our tour of the blinds was over, Roland suggested we head across the lake and climb a steep ridge to the “Hilton Blind.” Roland’s 12- year-old grandson, Michael Lucas, joined us for the day. We loaded our gear into the camp boat and headed across the lake. After a short trip, we climbed up the steep hill to the blind. The “Hilton Blind” is located on the top of a ridge that overlooks the lake, the camps and a huge meadow where caribou migrate through. You can see for several hundred yards, and judging from the droppings and tracks, the animals migrate right next to the blind, a perfect spot for bowhunters. We determined that Michael would get the first shot. The caribou follow repetitive migration patterns and move from 20 to 40 miles per day, eating along the way, in groups as small as one or two up to the thousands. Roland told me that when they arrived in camp to open it, several thousand caribou charged right through the camp, alongside tents where clients would soon be sleeping.
After about an hour, Roland whispered that there was a bunch of caribou grazing in the meadow below. I quickly spotted them using binoculars. Even at a distance of several hundred yards, these animals seemed huge. As Roland explained, the caribou would disappear briefly as they entered a stand of spruce and then suddenly reappear as they crested the ridge we were on. After 10 minutes, I saw a set of antlers with velvet hanging off one of the tips. Soon the rest of the animal came into view as he crested the hill. Several cows followed close behind, and they were moving our way. Michael steadied his gun and took aim at the lead bull who was still on the move. When the firing began, the herd became alarmed and began looking about, but this was not the same type of reaction you would get with a group of deer. These animals seemed more curious than frightened. Michael had exhausted his magazine. So Roland gave me the nod. The bull had started to trot off. I judged his pace and led him slightly, dropping him with a neck shot. I had just brought down my first caribou. The rest of the herd disappeared overt the next hill, and we began the process of dressing this magnificent animal.
As I approached the bull, it seemed huge by Maine deer standards. It was the antlers that first caught my eye. I had just collected a beautiful example of a double-shovel rack that was well out of velvet.
“What a mount these antlers would make,” I thought to myself as I helped Roland with the task at hand. Because of the size of these animals, weighing between 250 and 400 pounds, they must be quartered. My experience with field dressing big game was limited to bear, deer and moose, so I was anxious to learn the tricks of the trade. Quickly, the four quarters were removed. Roland handed me a saw and asked that I trim off the forelegs and hoofs. ]
When I questioned him about this, he said, “You don’t want to carry the extra weight, do you?” That made sense to me, so off they came. The loins were still in the animal, so Roland showed me just how they remove these delicacies. To get the backstraps, Roland trimmed the hide off the animal’s back and filleted the loins out in strips. To get to the inner or tenderloins, Roland used his saw and cut through the backbone and ribcage, creating a flap. When he peeled the flap away from the body, the loins were attached to the bottom of the ribs alongside the backbone and were easily removed. The antlers were cut off by sawing through the skull plate. This gave us a set of hindquarters, a set of front quarters, two sets of loins and a rack to haul out.
That night, the whole camp celebrated as eight of us had taken our first caribou on the first day of the hunt. Roland awarded handsome pewter pins of a caribou bust to each of the lucky hunters. The following day I spent the morning in the same blind, but never saw an animal to fill my second tag. The next day, I took Michael back to the Hilton blind and we hatched a plan. He would shoot his two caribou first, and then I would shoot my second. After spending an hour in the blind, I caught a glimpse of movement in the meadow below. Through my binoculars I could see cows moving toward us. After waiting almost 20 minutes, I gave up hope, thinking they might have moved in a different direction. Almost instantly, bulls crested the ridge and were headed in our direction. There were three bulls, one with a much larger rack than the others. I told Michael to take the big bull, and then shoot a second animal. I planned to wait until Michael was tagged out to take my second caribou. These caribou were walking directly toward our blind, getting closer with each step. When they were within 30 yards, I told Michael to shoot when he was ready. His first shot was at the big bull, but instead of dropping, he trotted away. Two more shots stopped the bull before he could make his retreat. His attention was now on another of the remaining two bulls, but that bull had run alongside the blind without offering a shot. While Michael watched it, I took the final bull that was looking directly at me. He dropped instantly and we began to celebrate. I took Roland’s video camera and began to record Michael as we left the blind to claim our trophies, but to my dismay, my caribou was up and running away from us. I shouldered my rifle and sent three shots in his direction, dropping him on the last shot. Apparently my first shot had only stunned him. Roland could hear the shooting from camp and called us by radio to see how we had done. He was soon on his way to assist with the packing out of the meat. By the end of the week, the whole camp had tagged out on bulls and Luco Caribou Adventure ended the 2004 season a week later in October with a 100-percent success rate, a testimony to their location and the determination of the guides.
Luco recognizes that not everyone can afford a fully guided and catered hunt, so they offer a variety of plans. Last season, the European plan hunt cost $2,195.00 (U.S. funds) and the American plan, with everything included, cost $3,995.00 (U.S. funds). Hunters can have their caribou prepared by a professional butcher and vacuum-sealed overnight in Montreal for a $65 per caribou (Canadian funds). Great lake trout and brook trout fishing is also available, as is ptarmigan hunting and bear hunting, with the appropriate license.
My first caribou hunt was incredibly enjoyable, and I will relive those memorable events with each caribou steak I grill.
Those interested in booking with Luco Caribou Adventure or learning more information can call toll free 1-800-701-5826 or email [email protected]. Hunters can also access information from their Web site at www.lucocaribou.com.
Comments are no longer available on this story