TerryM

Liquid Orange,
Sorry you got skunked but thats hunting, if you want a guaranteed hunt then go to a game farm. On my first trip for caribou we all got skunked, it happens and it was an expensive flyin hunton the tundra. On my next 2 trips to Nouchimi everybody limited out in 2 days of hunting so I have killed or been at the scene of the killing of 24 bull caribou now and have gutted and quartered my fair share I think. I have also been surrounded by several thousand caribou up there and one time we had to park and watch them pour over the road for almost an hour! So I think I have a clue about the whole process. I also have 4 friends who hunted out of Donat Flamand in 2002 and they had thier own cabin/trailer, no other groups packed in. They all limited out in 2 days and will return to Flamand. As for not seeing caribou if you read my original posts I warn about going up there before the last week of November as it is iffy before that. Last fall 8 of my buddies went up and brought back 16 nice bulls. Mirage is a much nicer establishment, the best up there but they are more money. To each his own.

TerryM

caionneach,
I have used a .308 win and 7mm rem mag. My buddies have used .338 win mag, .300 win mag, 3006, .270 , 35 whelen,and .358 win so far. They are all fine. Shots are usually around 100yds but you would be smart to be ready for a 400 yarder in case a good bull is walking across a frozen lake and is going away from you. The best bull our group ever got was at 430 lasered and it was brought down with a .338 win mag but it is an awsome bull beleive me. The camps up there are all insulated and heated. Nouchimi camps (which we stayed in) are all full electricity with running water and full bathrooms. The camp we always book has 2 bedrooms with 4 bunks per room and huge living spaces, kitchen and bathrooms. These are all bunkhouse trailers left over from when they were building the dams up there. Quite comfortable. The enclosed trailer is the best way to go as the bou can get dirty in an open trailer, which is why we don't quarter them anymore, the meat stays much cleaner. Check your email for a private message.

caionneach

My email contained a message addressed to Liquid Orange about how he got skunked!

Good to know the 35 Whelen is up to the task. However, my shooting skills are not there yet. When I was in the Army I could routinely knock down pop-up targets at 300 yards with the 5.56 NATO ball ammo we were issued with an M16, so I am positive I can do it at the longer ranges you guys advise to be ready for, but I need practice with this new rifle. I really like the 35 Whelen: bigger holes make dead caribou.

Which outfitter did you use? Those accomodations sound very nice indeed.

Kenneth

caionneach

I beg your pardon--I should have re-read the message before asking the question about which outfitter!! In this discussion I had read mixed reviews about Nouchimi from various persons, and I am glad to know you had a positive experience. Economy is important to me and my friends, so Nouchimi is probably our outfitter of choice this time.

Another question I have is about the territory you hunt: how does one know the trails the caribou use so you can set up a proper ambush? Since guides are not used, I cannot imagine hunting a territory without doing a little scouting. I have some of the recommended bookmarks regarding satellite monitoring of the George River herd, so I know where the caribou herd is now, but when they start heading south towards the James Bay area I will need to know the lay of the land. I think I will invest in some topographical maps like I used in the Army. In the Army my topo map was almost as important as my M16. Which zone is Nouchimi in charge of?

TerryM

caionneach,
Don't worry about the lay of the land and looking for active trails. You will be hunting on snow. Basically you drive down the road ( there is only one) until you spot caribou. You then set up an ambush on a crossing which can be where they cross the road or the point of a frozen lake that the herds are crossing. Having a topo is hunting 101 for most all big game but up there you just drive out to a herd, get out and stalk them, not hard don't worry. As far as scouting it is basicaly a waste of time because these are migratory and just because you see them here today doesn't mean they will be using the same trail tomorrow. To put it in perspective, if you were to drive the whole length of the road you would likely bump into caribou every 20 minutes so working a herd for a shot is a given not a big deal. The email I sent you was to your home email not this board.

caionneach

Got your message in my home email, and thanks. Good stuff to know, and that makes me feel better. So my planning is well under way for 2005 and I am eager to read reports of how everyone does this season.

Regarding field dressing: down here we field dress whitetails immediately and drag them out of the woods with a rope. I take it from many of the posts that many do not do that in northern Quebec. I am advised to carry (or drag) a light weight "tobbogan" upon which to drag the bou out on snow, but it looks like many go to the trouble of quartering the animal also.

Another question re shooting: I am presently practicing with a 3 X 10.5 power scope on my 35 Whelen. I am considering removing it once I decide on a specific load, and practice with my open sights due to the ranges experienced prior to December 15th or so. Does anyone use open sights or does everyone use a scope? If I keep the scope, I anticipate using the lower powers due to the range.

Kenneth Smith
Monroe, Louisiana

TerryM

DO NOT REMOVE your scope! Yes you can shoot one relatively close but as I already said you can still get a long shot, I know we have in the past. I am also a .35 cal fan and so are my buddies. I watched my partner shoot one at 300 yds with his 35 whelen and that bull hit the deck harder than the other one he took with his .338 mag the day before. Last fall another buddy of mine tried his .358 BLR and it knocked the feet out from under his bull quite nicely. I own 2 .358 wins and a .350 rem mag. Caribou hunting is a nice place to test guns/loads. The are alot bigger than whitetails but not hard to kill. Never had to shoot twice at one yet.

caionneach

TerryM, since you've hunted in this area before and with a few of these outfitters, have you ever opted for the "European" hunt in the "outpost" camps at Nouchimi? If not, do you know anyone who has? Looks like a fun way to spend the night in northern Quebec, especially in mid January!!


Kenneth Smith
Monroe, Louisiana

TerryM

Did you say mid january? Hit the pause button here! Hunting up there in mid January is brutally cold. You will have to degrease all firearms as firing pins start sticking etc. I really have no desire to be up there in mid Jan. I have had a week straight of 35 below in late november. It gets colder every week after. As for quartering we always do that for moose out of necessity. 2 guys can drag a caribou no problem even easier if you have a sleigh of some type. The quartering described by another poster is a technique that is always used on flyin caribou hunts because they then use waxed cardboard boxes for transport in the float planes. They want to remove as much weight as possible way up there. Not a big deal on a drive in hunt.

caionneach

Just kidding! I mentioned that because the Nouchimi web site mentions a mid season and a late season hunt! I certainly won't do it when we plan to be up there next (peak season, 2005), but I may do it afterwards. I am bringing a good friend who has never been hunting for anything...yes, anything, so I want his experience to be a good one, and for him to be worrying about his survival in sub-zero fahrenheit weather is not a good way to introduce him to hunting. But I do enjoy thinking about it!

Do you know of anyone who has taken advantage of the mid and late season hunting packages? I would be very interested in their experiences, and what they did to make it successful in spite of the extreme cold.

Kenneth Smith
Monroe, Louisiana