mustad

Thanks Darkside,

Hopefully those caribou down south will turn up. It would be a shame to have to return only with ptrarmigan, but we'll see. Regardless, it's going to be a hoot.

So I'm budgeting 20 hours to get from Montreal to km381. Do you think that's ample?

cheers,

Nord QC Bouman

This is true. The animals are beginning to come back in in very small groups. A good size of the herd (20%?) stayed on the North side of LA1 and to the West. These aninals are moving around- still not much snow and the weather is warm. Sorry for the late news but we just got back yesterday. We hunted Dec 4,5 and 6 with truck and snowmachine and did not see 1 caribou. We stayed an additional day and went into the North LA1 area were we say groups of 10-50 moving North East. They seem to be milling around up there and some are circling down par. to Laforge Road to the East 30-60 KM crossing about 430-480 on the taiga road.Some animals - singles, 2 - on the south trailfrom Mirage, but the river is not hard and you cnnot get across as of 07 DEC - there are animals in the southand the herd is turning east to north east in the Eastmain valley and this shoul put some animals near the taiga soon. The herd will start back upif the weather holds - many little ones down as far as KM214 James Bay road onSat 09 Dec.

Fun trip - hit a bou on the way up at0133 @ KM395 JamesBay Road - made a caribou frisbee out of a large cow. Truck ad good damage but was running OK and no bleeding. We continued on tothe hunt and both my partner and I tagged out - 2 bulls/2 Cows nice animals - my bull had a good rackfor this late. We stayed on ourown foranother day and just when we were warming up to leave at 2:00pm 08DEC, my radiator dumped.Iput an egg in the radiator and this stopped it leaking and of we went. KM420 James Bay it began to over heat and we just made it to KM381 inheavy snow.I found somestop leak, mixed up a batch and addeditto heradiator andthe leak stopped. We started again to KM370 and it began to over heat and back we wentto get a room.

Next day we looked forthe mechanic at KM381 - skip this part if you break down it is a wasteof time. Iagain flushed and filled and we started only to come back again for over heating. Tow truck from Matagami - 1000$. We waited 8 hours for a tow, got into Matagami at9pm and got a room. Next daythe mechanic thought the engine blown and advised the dealer in Val'Dor -tow to there=600$.

Dealer closed when we arrived and we hd to wait until Monday am. Got another roomand park the animals next to the window to watch. Dealer on Monday tried (440$) to fixand could not. We looked for a UHAUL (only method to go 1 way to US) for a truck and carrier. Carrier - Lasarre, truck Amos. Rented a car to Amos- stayed over since Uhaulclosed, next day got Truck and went to Lasarre to get carrier.Back to Dealer in Val'Dor and loaded truck - straps for wheels too short. 2 come-alongs atCanadian Tire - 68$. Tied dowm truck and left at 45 MPH max. Got home0330 with animals in tack.

What a trip - we always jolk about breaking down - not I will not. Already bookedfor 2007 - Nov 30 - Dec 3.

Luck to all you guys yet to hunt - I still smell like Caribou.

DARKSIDE55

Mustad.....If the roads stay good, 20 hours would just about do it. But there's a lot of variables for that too...weather and traffic. And the post above this one tells you it's not a good idea to drive after dark.


Nord QC Bouman.....Well I'm glad you got your animals. Everything considered, what do you figure a steaks worth??? $150.00. LOL. Glad you didn't get hurt. They build them trucks everyday. I've said it before, up here's no place to breakdown. It kind of hurts the pocket book. I know there's several dozen guys that have come back. Wonder why none of them made posts about the caribou? But Mustad still has about 3 weeks before he goes up. Things may work in his favor.

mustad

Thanks guys...

I think we'll head out around 5 or 6th on the 4th which should put us at 381 in light.

cheers,

BKMSTR

Nord QC Bouman - We would have been up there staying at Kisk the same time that you were up. Reading your post makes me glad that we decided to postpone till next year and try our luck then. Sounds like you had a trip that you will not forget for a long time! Do you have any pictures of your bou to post? Anyone else have any pics to post?

got a hunch

As opposed to last year, there were not a lot of great pics to post this year. Let's just say we got some meat. Next year will be better. For all of those that say that hunting caribou along the Transtagia Road is like shooting fish in a barrell I say to you get off the couch, out of your recliner or your heated deer blind with a bait pile 60 yards in front of youand come along.It's true that some years are easier than others but it is always an adventure.Those of you who have ventured into the bush 20, 30, 40 miles or more know what I 'm talking about. It is not a trekfor the faint of heart or the old and fat (like me) it really is an adventure. Everyone should do it once. I hope that some of the heard turns north-east for those of you who are still waiting to go and you have a productive hunt. Good luck all and remember, the name of the sport is still called hunting.

spike00

Hello Big & Small :Yes we did leave Kisk around 11:30 Thursday the road was bad, driving slow... As far as hunting goes this was our hardest hunt for caribou in eight years. we got a total of nine out of twelve no big ones. We took six on lake Polaris by the Mirage and three above Kisk.How did you guys do?

Nord : What a trip !!!! you hear of these stories wow! Glad you and your group madeit back in one piece. we seen a lot of caribou coming back all along James Bay Highway.
We have also booked for next year Mirage Nov 27-Dec-1

Got a huntch: I agree with you, I have almost had a heart attack more than once trying to walk in three feet of snow, digging my snowmobile out from a snow bank, dragging caribou around, freezing my hands off while gutting aminals..... this is not as easy hunt as a lot of people would have you believe. thanks for keeping it real!

I did hear of some crazy hunters this year,but no one from our group ran into any of that, all good experiences;.we had a lot of time on our hands, we talked to a lot of hunters... no caribou to shoot at !!!
Maybe the herd will co-operate better next year. we had a great time at the Mirage and visiting friends at Kisk. Hope everyone had a good hunting season,Happy Holidays to all....

cwcjr119

Hello all, If anyone out there with dates at the Mirage for around the week of Thanksgiving/last week of November, is interested in about a two or three year rotation for 3-4 hunters let me know. I've been to the donut assasins twice and would prefer not to go back if I didn't have to. Every year is a little much for me, but you can't beat caribou meat and I would still like to get the big one.

got a hunch

Spike: A couple of years ago when it was so cold and the hunting was tough, although not as bad as this year, we had only one bou between three of us half way through the third day. It was -10F at 11:00 AM when a small heard came onto alake we were hunting about two miles off the LA1 road. We were spread out just about right for the three of us to fill our other five tags. It was so cold that when I went to put on my gutting gloves they got so stiff I could only get them half way on. My buddy opened my knife and I got one opened up with the gut hook and got my hands inside. I never thought a gut pile could feel so good. My hands got warm the gloves got soft the adrenalin started and I was sweating like a pig in no time. I said I'll gut you guys hook em up to the snowmobile and haul em. Sometimes the messy job isn't all that bad.

rpllib

I see a few more are willing to get off the road in the last two years. We went in just past the helicopter drop point north of the dam last year and ended up with full tags about five miles in. It definitely made it an adventure. I am wondering how far anyone has been in that trail and if it goes all the way west to the north south snowmobile trail the leaves the mirage.

got a hunch
What was the trip to the powerline like in terms of the trail itself. Did you have to do a lot of brushing along the way and was the trail already broken? How was the ice? Was there more ice or more time in the bush in that 20 miles. We had scouted that trail last year with air and satelite photos but never made it in because the animals were just reaching north of the dam the day before we left. How did the sleds do in the snow and was there a lot of slush to deal with. Were you able to go left or right once you reached the powerline? Would you do the trip with two on a sled and one pull behind?

Just trying to get some info for next year

Thanks
Randy
Kalkaska