Caribou Forever

Caribou Forever

Barren-ground caribou outfitters offer matchless access to a uniquely northern tradition. This professional group, licenced and regulated by the Government of the Northwest Territories, operate in specific assigned areas. Their well-managed camps and lodges offer unique experiences.

Barren-ground caribou hunts in the Northwest Territories are considered by experts to be among the top hunts available in the world today. They are unique in North America for their high guide to hunter ratio and the degree of regulation that is observed. The barren-ground outfitters as a group have worked hard to build and preserve their reputations for personal service, safety and environmental preservation.

Expert barren-ground guides – one guide for every two guests – are often Aboriginal people with a comprehensive knowledge of their traditional hunting grounds. To bag trophy caribou, guests on guided hunts may have to hike up to 35 km each day for several days in a row. Bagging a barren-ground caribou demands a lot of a visiting hunter, who must follow the rules of fair chase.

Caribou outfitters depend on the migrating herds for their livelihood, and consider themselves to be stewards of the barren-ground herds. Outfitters contribute significantly to the scientific knowledge of the herds and their movements. From their key locations on the barren-grounds outfitters report movements of the caribou, and host scientists carrying out research on the health of the herds.

The code of ethics of the outfitters, supported by regulation, ensures that the outfitters are part of the solution and not part of the problem. Putting the outfitters out of business will not bring back the great caribou herds. The barren-ground outfitters believe if all northerners work together to protect the herds, caribou will migrate on the barren-grounds of the Northwest Territories for many generations to come.