"Early winter caribou hunts have been offered in Labrador for a number of years, but they have never really caught on with traveling hunters. Why...? One reason is their location and the time of year they take place. After all, how many people want to drive (yes, some hunters drive to these hunts) a thousand or more miles beyond the fringes of civilization in the dead of winter? Temperatures can be as low then as 35 below zero Fahrenheit. In addition, the largest caribou bulls have dropped their antlers by the time these hunts take place, which means almost everyone gets a representative trophy at best. Put bluntly, these are primarily meat hunts.
"Nonetheless, as I discovered myself a few years ago, hunting a caribou on skis, snowshoes or snowmobiles is a guaranteed memory-maker for a certain kind of hunter. And to make the trip more attractive, a couple of outfitters in Labrador are now offering a realistic chance to take home a real trophy - a big northern wolf - in conjunction with a caribou hunt. This is a natural pairing, since the wolves follow the concentrations of caribou, and, where you find one, you are likely to find both. The by-products of the caribou hunt (gut piles and boned carcasses) naturally attract the wolves.
"Just be aware that all the kinks have not yet been worked out of these combo wolf/caribou hunts. One problem is the October 15 opening date for wolf. That's long after ice has locked up the lakes most years and put a stop to most caribou hunting operations. Go on one of these combo hunts this year and you will be pretty much a pioneer.
"There are two reputable outfitters who are working to put these hunts together. The first is Wayne Watkins of Expeditions North. Watkins operates caribou hunts out of Schefferville, Quebec; runs........(continued)
