St. John says he's been taking about 40 caribou hunters a year and producing a 100 percent success rate. He plans to increase that number to 75 to 100 clients. He hunts the Qaminirjuaq herd, which has a population of half a million animals, and he says he is the only outfitter in Nunavut hunting this herd. Mind you, this is a different herd from the one in the Northwest Territories, where the wildlife department slashed permits two years ago. St. John is far away from that scenario and hunts way over on the eastern side of Nunavut out of Arviat, on the coast of Hudson Bay.
He offers two kinds of caribou hunts there. The first is an early season fly-out hunt, using floatplanes to reach remote camps. He offers this hunt for only three weeks starting on September 10 when the caribou begin migrating through the area. He says mobility is the key on this hunt, and he uses the floatplane to move hunters to other areas if necessary. The camps are situated along the tree line, which is the route typically used by the caribou before turning towards the Hudson Bay coast. This hunt offers a comfortable camp with a dedicated camp cook. Hunts are done using a boat to cruise the water ways in search of caribou. Once good bulls are spotted, the hunters proceed on foot. Because this hunt takes place early in the season, some of the animals are still in velvet. Others are in the process of scraping their antlers clean of velvet.
The other hunt St. John offers........(continued)
