Caribou
Charlie Rebor with the fine stag he took with his recurve bow at 18 yards while on a 2001 Tag-A-Long hunt at Sipujij Lodge. Caribou roam the northern portions of North America from as far east as Newfoundland to the western shores of Alaska. While there are many similarities between the caribou from on area to another, they have been divided into six subspecies by the Boone and Crockett Club for record keeping purposes, and the Pope and Young Club recognizes five: Woodland, Quebec/Labrador, Central Canada, Mountain and Barren Ground. At this time, Pope & Young does not recognize the small Perry Island caribou of the extreme arctic northern regions of Northwest Territories as a separate sub species.
Following is a breakdown of the individual sub species with a little information on each:
Woodland
The woodland caribou is found primarily on the island of Newfoundland where there are huntable numbers, a good general season, and a number of guide services to pick from. Although the body size is the same as the other species, the antler structure tends to be considerably smaller and more compact than its cousins. What it lacks in antler mass it makes up for in character, as a high percentage of stags will exhibit double shovels, back points, and numerous top points. Generally found with dark brown coloration these compact racks provide a stunning contrast to the large white mane and make for a super addition to any trophy room.
Charlie Rebor with another fine stag (2002)
At right, Alan with his fine 2003 stag from Dolland Pond Camp
Quebec/Labrador
Moving west from Newfoundland, the Quebec/Labrador sub- species inhabits all the country from the eastern shores of mainland Canada to the eastern shores of Hudson Bay. There are several major herds in this region and the animals are in an almost constant state of migration.
A large bodied caribou with a rack of antlers to match, this sub-species is probably the most actively hunted caribou in North America. The antler structure has a tendency toward wide racks with palmated tops, bez points, and brows. The coveted "double shovel" stag is fairly rare, and a serious trophy hunter will usually look over many hundreds of stags to find one with double shovels in addition to good mass and top points.
This is one sub species where it really pays to understand how to score the racks and to glass a stag well before making that final stalk to avoid disappointment. There are numerous guides/outfitters that advertise hunts in all the outdoor publications for these animals. This intense competition has lead to a widespread tendency to advertise near 100% success rates. Buyer beware! There is a lot of false advertising and the advertising that isn't blatantly false is at best misleading. Most of these hunts are either semi guided or "outpost" type hunts where clients are encouraged to sit by trails near the water's edge and wait for caribou to migrate by. While this is successful many times, hunters are at the mercy of the annual migration and thousands of hunters return from these hunts every year disappointed. These hunts are conducted primarily in August and September. From September 15th on there is the real possibility of lost hunting days and/or delayed flights out due to inclement weather. The early August hunts can be combined with great fishing in many places, but the antlers will not be fully formed. The velvet starts to shed around the first of September.
Central Canada
Starting from the western shores of the Hudson Bay and reaching across Canada to the MacKenzie Mountains, is the great central barrens. This is home to the Central Canada Caribou. Similar in size to its eastern cousins, this sub-species has a tendency to form a distinctive rack. There is much less tendency for palmation and the racks tend to be much more narrow than their Quebec/Labrador cousins. They make up for these slight drawbacks with a higher percentage of double shovel stags and a tendency to grow points off the main top points. With the general lack of palmation on the tops, and tendency toward branched top points, it is possible to find stags with distinctively tall top points. Combine this with a narrow rack and good double shovels and it makes for a remarkable trophy.
The Central Canada caribou is hunted much the same as the Quebec/Labrador and during the same time periods. The bulk of the hunting occurs in Northwest Territories which requires each hunter to be guided. For the most part this makes for a higher quality hunt with a better chance of success, as the hunters go a field in search of the animals more than just waiting by a crossing. The success ratios on these hunts are usually very high, with good trophy quality and the satisfaction that comes from a hard earned trophy.
Mountain
The Mountain caribou is the largest of the various sub-species, and I believe the most striking in appearance. The antlers have a tendency to be very dark in color and to have heavy mass that carries the entire length. There is little tendency toward palmation, with adds to the "blocky" and massive appearance of the rack on a mature stag. There seems to be a greater tendency for a large white mane which provides a great contrast to the darker antlers making the trophy even more striking.
As the name implies, this sub-species is found in the mountainous region that divides the Central barrens from the Alaska barrens to the west. These caribou can be found in huntable numbers in The Northwest territories, the Yukon, and British Columbia. Hunting this sub-species is perhaps the most exciting and least experienced of all caribou hunting. Accomplished primarily on horseback, on a fully guided basis, these hunts are not inexpensive. The trade off, however is the experience of a lifetime! Due to the higher cost, this is one of the least sought caribou sub-species by bowhunters.
A good way to justify the added expense is to combine your Mountain caribou hunt with moose. This will raise the overall hunt cost, but provides an excellent chance of taking both species in true trophy proportion, for much less than the cost of doing two separate hunts. With a good guide, and the mobility of horses, there is a very good possibility for connecting on both animals while seeing some of the most spectacular scenery in North America.
Another common combination hunt for this sub-species involves adding Mountain caribou to a Dall or Stone sheep hunt. It is not unusual to be able to add them as a second species for minimal cost up front and a reasonable trophy fee if successful.
Barren Ground
Finally reaching to the western end of the range, we find the majestic stags of the Alaskan Barren Grounds. These caribou have large bodies and some of the largest racks to be found anywhere. As in most barren ground sub-species, these animals tend to migrate over large areas. Their antler structure is similar to the Central Canada herds in that there is little tendency toward palmation, and a great tendency toward growing forked points off the main top points. The biggest difference is the tendency toward wider racks, similar (in the respect to width) to the Quebec/Labrador sub-species.
Alaska allows non-resident hunters to chase these animals without the use of a guide, and there are numerous operations that will fly you out to an area with the needed gear, and then return at a scheduled time to collect you. These are not hunts for the inexperienced! There are also fully guided hunts available, and about everything in between.
