Quebec Winter Caribou Hunting
11-22-2009, 04:47 PM
#2022
Spike
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Along the shores of Erie
Posts: 57
Just got home from Mirage, tough hunt but we tagged out, many did not. The caribou have gone through and are below the road.
Thursday we got a big cow at Klm 24 on the road going north.
Friday we were on rented snowmobiles from Mirage and took a large bull with no head gear and a calf way back in and only saw 3 other calves we didn't shoot.
Saturday we got a small bull about 1 klm up the road going north and that tagged us out.
Going through the resident zone on the way in we saw lots of bou and some nice bulls, but only saw 2 caribou on the way home.
Most, but not all lakes are frozen but far from safe, some could be travelled with snow machine, about 1 foot or so of snow in bush.
Guys on the road were hit and miss, there are still some bou coming through but not many, if they were in the right place at the right time they shot some caribou.
We talked to a few guys that came up short to filling their tags and at the 381 check station they confirmed that last week guys were filling tags, but many guys returning now were short.
I talked with one guy who was way up by the dam and he said not many guys getting bou, they shot 2 for 3 guys, but one was a really nice bull.
The caribou came through between Mirage and Zone A and many road guys did well there, next best area was going up the road north to about Klm 28.
The plane was up on Friday and saw only a few small herds of 10 - 12 animals coming south and Saturday these animals went through the road near Mirage and the road hunters got a few.
We met a couple guys who went out with the guide Billy from Mirage on Friday, same day we rented snow machines and they saw nothing all day then shot 2 small cows at the end of the day, they were going home next day and that was their only animals.
Hope there are more animals somewhere coming down for guys who are going up, certainly going to be a tough hunt but I wish everyone the best and good hunting.
Thursday we got a big cow at Klm 24 on the road going north.
Friday we were on rented snowmobiles from Mirage and took a large bull with no head gear and a calf way back in and only saw 3 other calves we didn't shoot.
Saturday we got a small bull about 1 klm up the road going north and that tagged us out.
Going through the resident zone on the way in we saw lots of bou and some nice bulls, but only saw 2 caribou on the way home.
Most, but not all lakes are frozen but far from safe, some could be travelled with snow machine, about 1 foot or so of snow in bush.
Guys on the road were hit and miss, there are still some bou coming through but not many, if they were in the right place at the right time they shot some caribou.
We talked to a few guys that came up short to filling their tags and at the 381 check station they confirmed that last week guys were filling tags, but many guys returning now were short.
I talked with one guy who was way up by the dam and he said not many guys getting bou, they shot 2 for 3 guys, but one was a really nice bull.
The caribou came through between Mirage and Zone A and many road guys did well there, next best area was going up the road north to about Klm 28.
The plane was up on Friday and saw only a few small herds of 10 - 12 animals coming south and Saturday these animals went through the road near Mirage and the road hunters got a few.
We met a couple guys who went out with the guide Billy from Mirage on Friday, same day we rented snow machines and they saw nothing all day then shot 2 small cows at the end of the day, they were going home next day and that was their only animals.
Hope there are more animals somewhere coming down for guys who are going up, certainly going to be a tough hunt but I wish everyone the best and good hunting.
Last edited by bjess; 11-22-2009 at 04:49 PM.
11-22-2009, 07:14 PM
#2025
Spike
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 64
Hey bjess when you rented snowmobiles from Mirage did you leave right from the lodge or did you have to trailer the machines somewhere? If you left from the lodge did you head West towards the boundary between 22A (resident zone) and 22B (non resident zone). I looked at some of the maps and it looks like the power line running from the LA-1 dam to the LG-4 dam would be where they are travelling through. Did the snowmobile trails you used follow the powerline?
11-23-2009, 06:54 AM
#2026
Spike
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Along the shores of Erie
Posts: 57
Hi Luv2hnt,
I talked to guys from camp Kisk and many did not tag out on caribou.
I would say that having a snowmobile to get away from the other hunters and watch the lakes would be a good idea. Certainly makes it easier to drag the animal out and you can get a few miles from the road where you are all alone.
We went up the snowmobile trail just east of Mirage, that is also where the guides take their clients, we left right from the lodge.
We never got to the powerline because all the lakes are not frozen safe yet.
When you go up the snowmobile trail the first lake you come to which is not far in is a good place to watch, this is where the guide was sitting and they shot 2 caribou that night but they saw some calves they didn't shoot.
I shot my bull on the far side of the lake along a river, sides were frozen but middle was flowing. It looked like a hiway with all the caribou tracks there, but they had already gone through, we sat there for a couple hours with no more caribou.
I would suggest going up the road that goes to Kisk and trying to get back into the lakes up there to watch, they seem to be coming from the east to the west always going south, we shot 2 caribou off this road.
Not many people were on this road and around klm 24 was a good spot, if you can get back in and get up high and watch a couple lakes or openings you should get some bou.
Good luck, hope you do well
I talked to guys from camp Kisk and many did not tag out on caribou.
I would say that having a snowmobile to get away from the other hunters and watch the lakes would be a good idea. Certainly makes it easier to drag the animal out and you can get a few miles from the road where you are all alone.
We went up the snowmobile trail just east of Mirage, that is also where the guides take their clients, we left right from the lodge.
We never got to the powerline because all the lakes are not frozen safe yet.
When you go up the snowmobile trail the first lake you come to which is not far in is a good place to watch, this is where the guide was sitting and they shot 2 caribou that night but they saw some calves they didn't shoot.
I shot my bull on the far side of the lake along a river, sides were frozen but middle was flowing. It looked like a hiway with all the caribou tracks there, but they had already gone through, we sat there for a couple hours with no more caribou.
I would suggest going up the road that goes to Kisk and trying to get back into the lakes up there to watch, they seem to be coming from the east to the west always going south, we shot 2 caribou off this road.
Not many people were on this road and around klm 24 was a good spot, if you can get back in and get up high and watch a couple lakes or openings you should get some bou.
Good luck, hope you do well
11-23-2009, 07:15 AM
#2027
Spike
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Along the shores of Erie
Posts: 57
Luv2hnt,
If you have a topo map, we went in on snowmobiles about 2 klm east of Mirage on the roadway jutting north of the taiga rd, we kept to the right and went onto Lac Polaris, it was frozen and you could drive the snowmobile on it, just where you go onto the lake is where the guide would sit.
We went across the lake to where you see the snowmobile trail and up the little river to about where the snowmobile trail makes a sharp turn east, that is where we shot the bull and all the tracks were.
No one went far off the road unless they had a snowmobile and there were not many of them, it is just too tough going with the snow and terain and would be almost imposible to drag an animal out without a machine.
Get back in and you will have a better chance of seeing and harvesting an animal
If you have a topo map, we went in on snowmobiles about 2 klm east of Mirage on the roadway jutting north of the taiga rd, we kept to the right and went onto Lac Polaris, it was frozen and you could drive the snowmobile on it, just where you go onto the lake is where the guide would sit.
We went across the lake to where you see the snowmobile trail and up the little river to about where the snowmobile trail makes a sharp turn east, that is where we shot the bull and all the tracks were.
No one went far off the road unless they had a snowmobile and there were not many of them, it is just too tough going with the snow and terain and would be almost imposible to drag an animal out without a machine.
Get back in and you will have a better chance of seeing and harvesting an animal
11-24-2009, 04:27 AM
#2028
Spike
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 64
Hey Perrywinkle and bjess thanks for the tips and info on the caribou hunt. Also congrats on getting some bou. Did you guys try the tenderloins yet? We are going to have 3 snowmobiles for 8 hunters. I think the first day we arrrive on the 26th we'll split off into groups and hunt different areas of the LA-1 road at the mileages you suggested. I did well at km 19 on the LA-1 in 2007 but the caribou were tripping over each other that year. The second day some will hunt the trails up to Polaris Lake, the Road area from Mirage to the 22B boundary and the LA-1 road. I have topo maps and satellite photos. Also the guys on the snowmobiles are bringing GPS to record their tracks and caribou crossings. If you can think of anything else please fill me in. Leaving tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 PM and should be there by 7:00 AM. Post some pics if you get a chance and once you learn how to I might have to ask you guys how to do it.
Last edited by luv2hnt; 11-24-2009 at 04:31 AM.
11-24-2009, 11:24 AM
#2029
Spike
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Burton, Michigan
Posts: 77
luv2hunt, good luck to you and crew. I think some of our days overlap. I will be at Mirage 11/27-11/30. I have silver chevy silverado crew cab short box with black side boxes and big black brush guard, (caribou catcher) We will probably rent sleds and do similar to you. If we meet up, happy to share info. By the way where did you get the topo and sat maps
11-24-2009, 02:41 PM
#2030
Spike
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 4
Hello everyone, first time poster here. I have been reading the posts and I need to update all of you. We are hunting 11/26 and staying at Donat. We are currently at the Radisson for the night. There is NO snow and NO ice on any of the lakes that we have seen. There is only a few caribou that we have seen coming back on trucks. Most of the guys that we have talked to have been residents and are getting a few but working for them. We have seen none on the roads as of yet. We brought our snowmobile up, but I doubt that we will be able to use it. Right now it is 28 degrees out and it misted most of the day. Hopefully, the info helps. Good luck to all, maybe we will see ya out there 