guy here is booked with safari nordik for caribou. was supposed to leave this saturday, but got a call yesterday that the bou are moving the wrong way. they rebooked him for 1st week in oct. but only on the basis that the bou change direction. evidently had to call a lot of poeple & cancel their hunts till next year

I'm glad that Safari Nordik has changed their ways. Years ago, 8 of us booked with them and there were no caribou to be found. There guarantee was to move us to a different camp. There were 8 camps in a group of camps. They rotated each camp one camp. Same result. I would not book with them ever again.

There is definitely some issues with the Leaf River and George River herds of caribou. This year. Labrador suspended it's caribou hunts this year. They primarily hunt the George River herd which according to the Canadian government took a substantial decline in population. We have booked September caribou hunts with the Leaf River Lodge for several years without any issues. Alain Tardif who owns Leaf River Lodge stated they could not get a good count on the George River herd as they were so widely dispersed this year. This is very out of the norm. I am waiting to hear from Alain to get a full update on this past season and what his thoughts are for 2011

Safari Nordic has had some bad press in the printed media lately. It has to be bad for a mainstream mag to print that.

I booked with them years ago and all shot some nice bulls but people and things change...I hear they are in some kind of troulbe now and the herds numbers are down--too many predators..check things out before youe book.....

As many of you have heard Labrador closed it's caribou season this year and at this time it appears they will not open for the 2011 season. This has lead to many questions from hunters regarding the Quebec caribou hunts for next season.

I just got off the phone with Alain Tardif, owner of Leaf River Lodge in Northern Quebec and have been given a good overview of the caribou issue. Laval University in Quebec finished up an extensive study on the Leaf River and George River herds on Friday. The Leaf River herd appears to be in good shape. The average size of the caribou was up a little over previous years and female to young ratio was up as well. In addition it appears as though the herd is actually growing in numbers. The issue,(lack of caribou) suffered by some hunting operators seems to be location of the herd rather than the numbers. The climate for the past two years in Northern Quebec has been unseasonably warm delaying the migration of the herds. There has been a few outfitters that have had camps in the southern range of the caribou that are now closing their operations.


Leaf River Lodge is one of the most northerly located outfitters in Quebec, (250 miles north of Lake Pua, or Caniapiscau) and until this year has never experienced a lack of caribou in their area during the season. This year they were forced to close their most southerly camps due to the lack of caribou, and operated strictly out of their main lodge on the Leaf River itself. This allowed them to still maintain a high success rate but was costly do to the added expense of floatplanes required to move the clients.


On November 19th Alain will be meeting with the government of Quebec in order to get the details regarding changes, if any. that will affect next years season. One of the changes that is possible is the reduction of the two caribou per hunter limit down to one. The caribou season stay open until October 30th but they have never offered hunts beyond the end of September due to the harsh weather. If the weather pattern continues to hold it appears they will be offering hunts until October 15th for the 2011 season.
I do not have any comprhensive info on the George River herd at this time but will provide updates as soon as I have anything to share.

the 19th of november is a meeting between outfitters and governement with some biologists advices that again wont be followed.

why the labrador closed a hunt on a herd that is so healthy ????

last year the outfitters asked to let open this year despite the already bad 2009 season. and i dont have the same infos concerning the herds but seems not coming from UL but from Gvt biologists and nor good health nor size and body shape seems in the same spots as you reported.

i guided last seasons up to here and despite being over 60 in the north the last years the caribous werent moving the same way and also changing their routes.

im not an outfitter nor any more in Quebec but seems that the pression on both herds plus no real managements and the fact that for years the gvt relys on outfitters reports for herds health make me wonder the real future of caribous hunts.

i will say too that caribou has a cycle of 100 years and we maybe at the start of the decline.

ps : Leaf river camps are definitly not very far in the north part of northern quebec ...

Results of the George River caribou herd census
http://www.mrnf.gouv.qc.ca/eng...e-detail.jsp?id=8713


Chibougamau, November 9, 2010 – The Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune (MRNF), in partnership with the Newfoundland-and-Labrador Department of Environment and Conservation, has completed its analysis of the results from an aerial census of migratory caribou populations of the George River herd. In October 2010, the herd's estimated population was 74,131 animals. Specialists from both provinces believe the inventory reflects population numbers to a level of accuracy in excess of the usual standards.

The inventory confirms the extent of the decline in numbers anticipated from the biological indicators. Migratory caribou numbers are known to fluctuate significantly, due to factors that are mostly of natural origin. However, some of the causes of these fluctuations have yet to be identified, and research is continuing to find out more about the mechanisms influencing herd dynamics.

The MRNF has decided to intervene quickly in response to the declining numbers in the George River herd. For example, steps are currently being taken with the Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Coordinating Committee and other partners to prepare the next Caribou Management Plan. At the same time, work is underway to identify transitional measures for the 2011-2012 season.

As far as the Leaf River herd is concerned, the inventory could not be completed because of unfavourable conditions in the summer of 2010, and has been postponed until 2011. However, it is important to note that the biological indicators for this herd also suggest a downward trend, the extent of which will be measured properly in 2011. In the meantime, for the Leaf River herd, winter hunting in zones 22A and 22B, beginning on November 15, 2010, is not compromised.


nothing else to add ... seems i was right and not happy about that.

If I am not mistaken the population of the Quebec caribou herds were at their lowest in the 50's and 60's numbering around a total of a couple of hundred thousand(read this in Quebecs main hunting magazine).This was a time where there was very little hunting and the region was as wild as ever.I think numbers were at their highest in the early 90's numbering around two million.They could be down to a little over a million today.Quality is really down.

I spoke with a friend this morning that attended the Government meeting in Quebec yesterday. Although no official decisions were made, the concensus is that they are making no changes to the bag limits or anything else for the 2011 season. Based on the study by Laval Univerity in Quebec he government seems to be more concerned over the condition of the George River herd as opposed to the Leaf River.
I was wanting to read the Laval report but it is in French. Maybe one of the guys on this forum from Quebec could help me out.

Tim,

do you have the link of this study.

the gvt is concerned by george river because they have the latest datas .. for leaf river they were not able to do the census so their conclusions is based on their "feelings" but i can tell you that the herd is lower than everybody can tell. i ve seen than for the previous years the migration getting lower and lower.

This is the link to what I hope is the correct publication. I have limited ability in French so I may have the wrong one.
http://www.caribou-ungava.ulav...caribou_Aout2010.pdf

Has anyone herd any more on the Leaf River herd?

quote:

Originally posted by HuntNBgame:
Has anyone herd any more on the Leaf River herd?

dont bet on good news and not before 2011 fall so after the season ...