Quebec Winter Caribou Hunting
11-26-2004, 09:55 AM
#271
Fork Horn
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Linwood, Michigan
Posts: 168
RE: Quebec Winter Caribou Hunting
Well said!! Go for the experience and enjoy it. I've been going since 2000 and I told my wife that I'll keep going until I either get tired of it or can't do it anymore. She wasn't exactly wild over the idea but she does like caribou meat. So far neither has applied. I have seen and shot some animals with unique antlers that may not be monsters but are definitely worth mounting. As liquidorange says, go and enjoy the experience a huge bull is a bonus. If it doesn't happen you have an excuse to go back.
11-26-2004, 09:57 AM
#272
Spike
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Dearborn Michigan
Posts: 82
RE: Quebec Winter Caribou Hunting
Hi guys read your response about caribou hunting, had to join this site...
our group has been going caribou hunting five years now and we stay at mirage outfitters: a very nice place to stay.we will be there Dec 5.6.7
talked to my friend who is there now, he says, the caribou are IN and that
the lakes have ice on them, but you have to be careful...
also about 16" of snow on the ground...
our group has been going caribou hunting five years now and we stay at mirage outfitters: a very nice place to stay.we will be there Dec 5.6.7
talked to my friend who is there now, he says, the caribou are IN and that
the lakes have ice on them, but you have to be careful...
also about 16" of snow on the ground...
11-28-2004, 04:13 PM
#273
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 2
RE: Quebec Winter Caribou Hunting
I'm also going to Mirage 5, 6, 7 this will be my 3rd time there, very nice place!!. Went to Dontat in 2000, Caribou weren't realy in, did get 2 scrubs. I will never go back to Dontat (Northern Caribou Adventures) The place was beat. I don't blame the outfitter for the caribou not being in, the place was just realy run down. I called Mirage the other day, caribou everyware. anybody get back from up there???
11-28-2004, 06:26 PM
#274
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location:
Posts: 3
RE: Quebec Winter Caribou Hunting
I got back last week from Donat Asselin's place (Northern Caribou Adventures).
The good news: Caribou were everywhere. Everyone bagged two. The weather was very mild.
The not so good news:We didn't expect plush surroundings, but Donat camp was a disorganized mess and Donat acted like a horse's ass. I will never return there. He overbooked the cabins and we had guys sleeping on in the kitchen and on the floor. Our hunting licenses were not available the day we arrived. Donat rides his little snow mobile around screaming at his customers about various things. Warning, there is no drinkable water at Donat's camp, bring plenty of your own.
The Canadian authorities are very polite but they were very aggressive about writing tickets. They were ticketing people for parking on the shoulder of the road. They have plowed little parking spots out every mile or so and you are expected to park only in those spots. One person in our camp got nailed for $125. They were chewing guys out for even pausing in the road with their hazards on. Donat (or "Doughnut" as started calling him) decide he was going to "patrol" as well. One of our party stopped ion the road for 30 seconds to get a bottle of water out of the back of the truck and Donat came roaring up in his vehicle to chew him out about supposedly parking in the road.
The trans-taiga road was snow covered and slippery, go slow, we saw a nasty accident. Don't forget the dry gas, we had ice form in some gas we bought up there that we had forgotten to add dry gas to.
The customs guys on the US side strapped on rubber gloves and inspected our animals for brain material, make sure you get all of that out or you won't get your Caribou into the US.
Good Luck.
The good news: Caribou were everywhere. Everyone bagged two. The weather was very mild.
The not so good news:We didn't expect plush surroundings, but Donat camp was a disorganized mess and Donat acted like a horse's ass. I will never return there. He overbooked the cabins and we had guys sleeping on in the kitchen and on the floor. Our hunting licenses were not available the day we arrived. Donat rides his little snow mobile around screaming at his customers about various things. Warning, there is no drinkable water at Donat's camp, bring plenty of your own.
The Canadian authorities are very polite but they were very aggressive about writing tickets. They were ticketing people for parking on the shoulder of the road. They have plowed little parking spots out every mile or so and you are expected to park only in those spots. One person in our camp got nailed for $125. They were chewing guys out for even pausing in the road with their hazards on. Donat (or "Doughnut" as started calling him) decide he was going to "patrol" as well. One of our party stopped ion the road for 30 seconds to get a bottle of water out of the back of the truck and Donat came roaring up in his vehicle to chew him out about supposedly parking in the road.
The trans-taiga road was snow covered and slippery, go slow, we saw a nasty accident. Don't forget the dry gas, we had ice form in some gas we bought up there that we had forgotten to add dry gas to.
The customs guys on the US side strapped on rubber gloves and inspected our animals for brain material, make sure you get all of that out or you won't get your Caribou into the US.
Good Luck.
11-28-2004, 06:41 PM
#275
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Baxter Tennessee USA
Posts: 117
RE: Quebec Winter Caribou Hunting
I just returned last Tuesday from the great white north. 3 of us went we all killed decent bulls. Caribou are there, but they arent real thick yet. We stayed at Donat Asselin. This was our 2nd trip up, both times we have been with Donat, and both times have been exactly what I expected. I didnt pay for, nor expect, a babysitting hunt. I paid for a warm dry place to sleep and thats what I got. NO COMPLAINTS HERE. We went into these hunts knowing we were expected to be self sufficient, so there were no surprises.
There was ONE surprise, and it was a pleasant one! HOT SHOWERS are now available at Donat Asselin!
There was ONE surprise, and it was a pleasant one! HOT SHOWERS are now available at Donat Asselin!
11-28-2004, 09:17 PM
#276
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Bradford, Ontario
Posts: 2,205
RE: Quebec Winter Caribou Hunting
Huntaholic!!
Good to hear from ya! I am the guy who kind of talked you in to caribou hunting last year I believe (formerly Otis). Obviously you guys did OK again although it sounds like the rules are getting stricter up there big time. No doubt because of a few cowboys. We had a great antelope hunt this fall in Wyoming, appreciate all the help. Take care.
Good to hear from ya! I am the guy who kind of talked you in to caribou hunting last year I believe (formerly Otis). Obviously you guys did OK again although it sounds like the rules are getting stricter up there big time. No doubt because of a few cowboys. We had a great antelope hunt this fall in Wyoming, appreciate all the help. Take care.
11-29-2004, 05:32 AM
#277
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location:
Posts: 3
RE: Quebec Winter Caribou Hunting
For the record, no one in my group wanted a babysitter, we did want the outfitter to live up to his promises, a bunk for each guy, licenses available on the day of arrival, etc... . Donat is cheap but he could make things a whole lot better by being a little more professional. If some guys on this board like Donat's camp, great. We were disappointed in the way things were handled there, not the accomodations.
One note in Donat's defense, the outfitter we booked with, Northern Caribou Adventures, apparently rents out the camp, or portions of it from Donat. There seemed to be some finger pointing between Donat and NCB as to who was to blame for some of the issues we encountered.
Other posters have mentioned the Mirage is nicer. We stopped over there and talked to them. The facilities are great and the staff seemed much more customer oriented. They are only a couple hundred bucks, but as other people have mentioned it's hard to get in there.
One note in Donat's defense, the outfitter we booked with, Northern Caribou Adventures, apparently rents out the camp, or portions of it from Donat. There seemed to be some finger pointing between Donat and NCB as to who was to blame for some of the issues we encountered.
Other posters have mentioned the Mirage is nicer. We stopped over there and talked to them. The facilities are great and the staff seemed much more customer oriented. They are only a couple hundred bucks, but as other people have mentioned it's hard to get in there.
11-29-2004, 07:55 PM
#279
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Baxter Tennessee USA
Posts: 117
RE: Quebec Winter Caribou Hunting
ORIGINAL: TerryM
Huntaholic!!
Good to hear from ya! I am the guy who kind of talked you in to caribou hunting last year I believe (formerly Otis). Obviously you guys did OK again although it sounds like the rules are getting stricter up there big time. No doubt because of a few cowboys. We had a great antelope hunt this fall in Wyoming, appreciate all the help. Take care.
Huntaholic!!
Good to hear from ya! I am the guy who kind of talked you in to caribou hunting last year I believe (formerly Otis). Obviously you guys did OK again although it sounds like the rules are getting stricter up there big time. No doubt because of a few cowboys. We had a great antelope hunt this fall in Wyoming, appreciate all the help. Take care.
Drop me an email at [email protected]