In the hunting booklet distributed by the Newfoundland wildlife department it is suggested that caribou stags not be shot during the rut (2-3 weeks in October) because of the potential nasty taste.

The past two years I have taken my stags in mid november and the meat has tasted great but both animals had lost their antlers before I crossed their path. Antlers are not a priority but I wouldn't mind a set so next year I think I'll try a couple of hunts in September if its cool and there aren't a lot of flies.

Another reason reason to hunt earlier is that a mature stag loses a lot of weight during the rut. Between fighting and rutting he doesn't get alot of time for eating and resting.