In my report on the management change at Nunami, I predicted that Palmer would stay involved in the hunting industry. I was right. He has resurfaced with a company called Mirage Outfitter.
Mirage has been in operation for several years and enjoys a 100 percent success rate getting two bulls for their clients. Palmer only recently began to market trophy caribou hunts for them patterned after what he developed with Nunami. While there are some similarities between the two programs, there are some major differences too. What's similar is that Mirage hunts both the Leaf River herd (estimated at 500,000 animals) and portions of the George River herd (estimated at 350,000 strong). The Leaf River herd migrates south from its summer grounds toward wintering grounds in the James Bay country. The George River herd drifts in a westerly direction from central and eastern Quebec. The resulting concentration of caribou is something that every avid hunter should see at least once. I have hunted in this country several times and never tire of seeing thousands of caribou a day.
Mirage offers trophy hunts in September, as well as in October, during the rut. The September 18 to October 9 hunts are priced at $5,700. These hunts are scheduled during the pre-rut, when bachelor groups of bulls travel together in large numbers seeking herds of cows migrating from their northern summer ranges. Dominant bulls gather up harems of cows and begin to merge with other ever-increasing herds. Together, they begin moving toward their wintering grounds. During this time, herds generally migrate swiftly (often up to 25 miles per day), but as the main rut and wintering grounds draw closer, the herds begin to slow down a bit. By the end of the pre-rut, herds have swelled into the thousands. Their migration trails are easily followed from........(continued)
