Refunds Issued For Cancelled Caribou Hunts in Schefferville, Quebec

Hunters whose caribou hunt in Schefferville, Quebec, was cut short this past fall should have heard from their outfitter by now about some kind of compensation. You'll recall that scores of hunters were shut out of their caribou hunts last fall when the local Innu Indians staged a protest that effectively barricaded the road into Schefferville, preventing anyone from getting in or out of the floatplane base there. Most hunts were cancelled, and many outfitters were unable to refund their clients, having spent most of the funds setting up camps, floatplanes and guides for the 2007 season. Schefferville outfitters petitioned the government of Quebec to make their clients whole. This past March the government agreed to do so. Sources tell us that government checks were in the mail to outfitters as this was written in mid-April. The way it works is that the Quebec government sends funds directly to the outfitters who were unable to compensate clients themselves. Outfitters then provide their clients with anything from a free hunt to a complete refund, depending on the circumstances. How each outfitter handles making things right with his clients will vary on a case-by-case basis. By the time you read this, outfitters should have gotten their checks. As for negotiations with the Innu, we hear that those are continuing in a positive vein, with a meeting of the minds on both sides regarding the importance of the outfitting industry in Schefferville and the need to eliminate the illegal outfitting affecting the Innus' subsistence hunting. While no final agreements have been reached, everyone is optimistic that this season's hunts will go forward without complications. That said, the season opens in August, only three months from now. If you have a booked caribou hunt to Schefferville this year, stay in close contact with your operator on developments there.

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