Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Jerome Knap of Canada North Outfitting has been bringing American sport hunters to the Kivalliq since the mid-1990s. His company brought more than 30 hunters to Arviat and Baker Lake this season.
But Knap said last week that the caribou have changed their migration pattern and no longer go by Maguse Lake. As a result, only half the hunters he brought to Arviat this year shot a caribou.
Just one was a trophy bull.
Knap said a comfortable facility was built at the south end of Maguse Lake, but it's no longer viable for hunters. "Last year's hunting was bad and this year was worse," said Knap. "Radio-tracking collars show the caribou have swung further to the west."
From Arviat, the camp can only be accessed by plane. A floatplane has to be ferried in from Churchill at a huge cost because none are based in Arviat.
Knap said hunters will stop coming if a flexible plan can't be worked out.
"I wouldn't take hunters back to Maguse Lake. None of my clients of the past two years would recommend the place."
The hunters Knap brought to Baker Lake fared better -- the trophy quality of the bulls was good, but there's still work to be done. "We worked with Qimukyuk Outfitters, run by Tom Kudloo and Philip Putumiraqtuq," said Knap. "Although there's still room for improvement, I'd have to rate the guiding as pretty good."
About $2,000 US from each hunter stays in the hamlet. Knap said that kind of money is better off in the hands of private entrepreneurs, rather than local hunter and trapper organizations.
"HTOs are involved with too much and if a trip doesn't go well they shrug their shoulders and forget it. A private company has more on the line because this is how it makes money," he said.
"That's the proper incentive for making the industry successful."
