Wolverine tracked
Wildlife plays many roles in young hunter's life and career
Derek Neary
Northern News Services
Monday, June 12, 2017
QAMANITTUAQ/BAKER LAKE
For the past eight months, Lars Qaqqaq had been chasing higher grades.
Holding this 40-pound male wolverine admittedly took quite a bit of effort, according to hunter Lars Qaqqaq, who shot the animal approximately 40 km outside of Baker Lake on May 7. - photo courtesy of Lars Qaqqaq |
He was enrolled in the Environment Technology Program at Nunavut Arctic College in Iqaluit, and graduated this spring.
In May, he finally got a chance to go out hunting again after a fairly long hiatus. He and some friends took off on snowmobiles for a few days. While they enjoyed being out on the land, they saw no prey and were heading back on May 7.
About 40 km from their home community of Baker Lake, they spotted a wolverine heading west. Qaqqaq and his buddies took off in pursuit.
"He kept going in a clockwise circle, up over snowdrifts. I think we turned in maybe three circles before I finally shot it. They're very smart," Qaqqaq said, adding that wolverines have enough stamina to run close to 30 km/h for up to 15 minutes. "It was a real adrenaline rush."
The predator weighed 40 pounds.
"When I lifted it up, I couldn't really hold it up for long," he said.
It was the first time Qaqqaq, who turns 21 this month, slayed a wolverine. He had heard from others about how fierce the animals can be.
"A friend of mine was caribou hunting and after they finished skinning their caribou, a wolverine came around and tried to take over and get the carcass," Qaqqaq said. "He said the wolverine was even growling at them. They have a lot of attitude."
The animals are fairly common, especially this spring, Qaqqaq said.
Hayward Harris, manager of communications with the Nunavut Department of Environment, said wolverine numbers in the Kivalliq vary across the region but are thought to be stable or increasing slightly, based on harvest reports and Inuit observation. He added that the animals' range has been expanding to the north and the east.
The specimen that Qaqqaq brought home will have its hide tanned at a shop in Manitoba.
Qaqqaq is an experienced hunter, having started out on excursions for caribou around age nine or 10 with his father. By age 17 he was going out on his own.
He tends to head out on the land once a week, he said.
Qaqqaq observes wild animals in his job as well. Agnico Eagle hired him in May as a wildlife monitor at the Amaruq gold deposit, 110 km north of Baker Lake.
His environmental technology education in addition to a one-year fish and wildlife program at an Ontario college gave him the credentials.
"I had a pretty good interest in biology in high school," Qaqqaq said. "I've always had a passion for wildlife. I read a lot about it."
