Where to hunt Woodland Caribou
Woodland caribou, true to its name, prefers forests to tundra. For their winter survival they depend on the kinds of lichen that only grow on very old trees. Habitat loss due to logging and other threats diminished woodland caribou numbers across the North American continent, and the only place where it can be legally hunted is the Canadian province of Newfoundland.
Price distribution
Woodland caribou hunts start at about 10,000 USD. As a large part of the price comes from the cost of travel to remote areas of Newfoundland, it’s advisable to combine woodland caribou hunting with hunting other species such as moose. Combination hunts typically are a better value.
Learn more from our blog story
It’s amazing how creatures can adapt to living in the harshest of environments. You’d never thought that something as unappetizing and unnourishing as lichen can support tens of thousands of robust and hard-going deer. Yet, here they are, all over the Northern Hemisphere: known as reindeer in Eurasia and as caribou in North America, the Arctic deer is the source of life for many indigenous peoples, and an irresistible attraction for hunters from the developed countries.
4 Oct 2018 CaribouWhen to hunt Woodland Caribou?
Resident hunters prefer to hunt caribou either in the early or in the late part of the season, because the flesh of an adult bull during the rut may be unpalatable. Hunters who would like to harvest a bull with antlers in prime shape, however, would have to time the hunt after the bulls get their antlers out of the velvet stage and before they drop the antlers after the rut.
Hunting methods
Woodland caribou hunting is said to be more predictable than tundra caribou hunting, because this species does not typically do large scale mass migration. Still, caribou are constantly on the move, and spot-and-stalk is a very active pursuit that will take the hunter for many miles across the woods, meadows and bogs. The alternative method is to predict the motions of the herd and ambush it. Successful guides often combine the two methods.
Why hunt Woodland Caribou?
Newfoundland and Labrador woodland caribou can weigh between 350-500 pounds, and mature bulls may tip the scales at some 700 pounds. They carry large and impressive antlers that are typically semi-palmated and resemble those of the fallow deer. In addition to these trophies, which are for a true hunter only material symbols of the challenge of the hunt, a great attraction for woodland caribou hunting is the feeling of being in the middle of nowhere in the unspoilt wilderness, among crystal clear lakes and primal woods of the province.
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