Maria Canton
Northern News Services

Kimmirut (Feb 28/00) - Southern hunters will be making their way to Kimmirut this summer all for the love of the game.

For the first time in four years, the Kimmirut Hunters and Trappers Organization has signed a contract with a southern outfitter to bring hunters north in pursuit of bagging a caribou or two.

The spinoffs from sport hunting are many and the local HTO secretary-manager says the community will only benefit from the expected summertime hunters.

"Reviving the sport hunts will help the economy in Kimmirut, create jobs for the local guides, as well as employing cooks and helpers," said Martha Padluq.

"It will also create some business for the local hotel and stores."

The eight-member HTO board thought reviving the hunts would be a good way to create employment and jumped at the opportunity when Ontario-based Canadian North Outfitting approached them with the idea.

With planning under way since December, the HTO has allotted four weeks this summer to bringing up groups of six hunters for one week at a time.

Once they arrive in the community, they will prepare for the hunt -- the HTO provides floater suits and camping gear -- and be taken out to local hunting spots by boat.

For every two hunters there will be one guide and with 48 tags committed to the project, each hunter will have the opportunity to kill one animal and a second if they so desire.

"The hunters will have to pay extra if they want to shoot a second animal," said Padluq.

"Although we can't say we guarantee they will get something, the hunts have been very successful in the past and the guides know the land very well."

A lot of the hunters, many of whom are from the United States and some from overseas, are looking for a caribou with a large rack rather than hunting for meat.

The meat has to pass through several inspections before it can be transported across international borders and is often donated to the residents or used in a feast for the hunters and guides.

Canadian North Outfitting will promote the Kimmirut hunts through trade shows across North America and is expected to fill each of the four available weeks between July and September.

The HTO's previous contract was also with Canadian North Outfitting.