2025 Spring Nunavut Musk Ox

[Steve O]

At the Sheep Show in January a few friends and I pooled our cash and bought some raffle tickets. Imagine my surprise when my name was called out over the speaker system in the convention center for the musk ox hunt with Canada North! As soon as the pictures were taken I limped my fat broken ankled body over to talk with Tony Mudd to see when the soonest opening was for me to go. Well it was last week and here is my awesome animal:




I’ve been to a LOT of remote North America in the last 30 years and nothing can compare to what I just experienced. Brutal and unforgiving is the best way to describe. I wanted to get this started and I will be back over the next few days as time allows to document everything properly.

I’d not taken anything with my .375 H&H so brought that along. 300g Accubond worked most excellent. I believe the 10 yards covered was just momentum as he was already moving when he took one thru the lungs.

 

[Steve O]

Travel. Holy cow, Nunavut is a long way from everything. When you connect in Yellowknife NWT you know you are going to be remote. From Edmonton, Alberta, you fly 1200 miles north. That’s the same distance as Miami is from my place in Michigan. Unbelievable.




My best advice is to be patient and pleasant.

I wish I could drive to every hunt. The airlines seem to do everything they can to make it difficult for the hunter to travel with bows, firearms, or meat.

I’ve been flying to hunts since the last century. I fly all the time for work…I have over a million air miles on Delta alone. I pay close attention to and follow the rules. And there are layers and layers of rules and many conflict between not only airlines but countries as well. I prepare for every contingency and will pleasantly meet any unreasonable agents wishes.



I’ve used many systems over the years. I prefer this locking hard case by SKB; most use it for golf clubs. I like that. There are a lot of scumbags that will try to destroy your weapon. They don’t seem to mind golf clubs. It comes with one locking handle. I replaced the other two normal handles with the same locking handle utilizing the same key so there is no question security wise. I have a soft case in there and sleeping bag (s) and extra clothes/gear to cushion my baby as much as possible.

Keep all your flight, baggage, and firearm forms/information together. Seems everyone wants to see everything. I wonder if they will ever figure out the guy following the rules is NOT the guy that they should be worried about.


Yellowknife and Cambridge Bay luggage carousels are cool:

 

[Steve O]

I do love flying. And as much as I miss the 747, I know as the planes become smaller, the amount of fun I’m about to have is going to get larger.














Getting emergency instructions in English and French is one thing. When the add Inuktitut, you start paying attention

Cambridge Bay is where you start your hundred mile sled ride behind the snowmobile. It’s not a booming metropolis and not very noteworthy from the air. I’m pretty sure there is no asphalt, concrete, or brick anywhere but the runway.

 

[Steve O]

As I said, I won this hunt in one of the raffles at the Sheep Show. Sometimes I wonder if those things are rigged…I can now say unequivocally they are not! I’m as no name as they get.

Canada North are legendary for arctic hunts and I can now see why. Everything was so well planned out and communicated. Every question answered quickly and correctly. Just so impressively professional. I cannot recommend them more highly. I’d not hesitate to do any hunt they offered!

Canada North Outfitting - We Are The Arctic

Canada North Outfitting - Canada North Outfitting is the oldest, most established outfitter in Nunavut. One of the most trusted brands in the outfitting world.

www.canadanorthoutfitting.com

And HUGE thanks to the Wild Sheep Foundation for arranging this donation and making it available in a raffle someone like me could have a chance at it rather than at auction.

There are some misguided souls that ignorantly run WSF down. Nobody else is doing more to keep sheep on the mountain and support all the state agencies and organizations that do the work in the field to prop the fragile wild sheep up again and again. I give them a ton of credit and am a life member of the national organization and many of the state chapters. That’s what I can do to contribute. Once I retire I can do more hands on.

Wild Sheep Foundation

www.wildsheepfoundation.org

 

[Reburn]

What an awesome trip!!!

 

[waspocrew]

Very cool! Congrats on an awesome adventure!

 

[Daz5000]

View attachment 859707

Travel. Holy cow, Nunavut is a long way from everything. When you connect in Yellowknife NWT you know you are going to be remote. From Edmonton, Alberta, you fly 1200 miles north. That’s the same distance as Miami is from my place in Michigan. Unbelievable.

My best advice is to be patient and pleasant.

I wish I could drive to every hunt. The airlines seem to do everything they can to make it difficult for the hunter to travel with bows, firearms, or meat.

I’ve been flying to hunts since the last century. I fly all the time for work…I have over a million air miles on Delta alone. I pay close attention to and follow the rules. And there are layers and layers of rules and many conflict between not only airlines but countries as well. I prepare for every contingency and will pleasantly meet any unreasonable agents wishes.

View attachment 859719

I’ve used many systems over the years. I prefer this locking hard case by SKB; most use it for golf clubs. I like that. There are a lot of scumbags that will try to destroy your weapon. They don’t seem to mind golf clubs. It comes with one locking handle. I replaced the other two normal handles with the same locking handle utilizing the same key so there is no question security wise. I have a soft case in there and sleeping bag (s) and extra clothes/gear to cushion my baby as much as possible.

Keep all your flight, baggage, and firearm forms/information together. Seems everyone wants to see everything. I wonder if they will ever figure out the guy following the rules is NOT the guy that they should be worried about.


Yellowknife and Cambridge Bay luggage carousels are cool:


View attachment 859721



View attachment 859722



View attachment 859723

Awesome trip! Congrats! What SKB case is that?

 

[Steve O]

Awesome trip! Congrats! What SKB case is that?

Deluxe Staff ATA Golf Travel Case

Keep your golf clubs safe with SKB's Deluxe ATA Cart Bag Travel Case. This case can accept drivers up to 49" in length and has been designed to provide maximum protection for the most popular cart bags. This case comes standard with TSA-accessible locking latches and wheels for easy transport...

www.skbcases.com

 

[mike vines]

Looking forward to this read Steve. Wonderful first picture.

 

[Daz5000]

Deluxe Staff ATA Golf Travel Case

Keep your golf clubs safe with SKB's Deluxe ATA Cart Bag Travel Case. This case can accept drivers up to 49" in length and has been designed to provide maximum protection for the most popular cart bags. This case comes standard with TSA-accessible locking latches and wheels for easy transport...

www.skbcases.com

Thank you! Considering replacing my pelican so it’s not as conspicuous.

 

[Steve O]

Clothing.

Rent their expedition gear. I have incredibly warm gear. Nothing a normal North American hunter has in his arsenal is made to keep you comfortable being hauled around in a Jed Clampet sleigh for 10-12 hours a day and over 100 miles in -40 to -20 temperatures.

The jacket and bibs are stuffed with goose down and each weigh at least 10#. Gauntlet mittens. Foam lined boots.

I layered under with liner and heavy wool socks, heavy Sitka merino base layers, Ambient Hoodie, Aerolite vest, and Gradient pants. I used the merino liner gloves and an Incinerator beanie as well. I was as comfortable as one can be in those brutal conditions. I kept my Blizzard parka in my Yeti backpack cooler and used that for active times like cutting up the ox or around camp.


















The Wolverine collar is not only a bad ass look, but it was incredibly functional. Cinching that hood down, I found I could go without the goggles. They did not play well with my glasses. Glasses are not really handy in that cold. I won’t do this hunt again but if I did I would spend a lot of time testing out a glasses and goggle system that would not ice up easily.




Honestly I’m so impressed with the Wolverine fur, my next quest is to get one of my own. Have to research some of those predator hunts and/or trap line expeditions up north.

 

[oregonoutdoors]

More Please....

 

[galopoh338]

Yea please more


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Cantshoot]

Great post thanks

 

[Steve O]

Transportation. The hunter rides to camp in a “sled” which is pulled by the guide with his snowmobile. I am an engineer and to me these units were a never ending fascination. Everything about them had been honed to perfection over time…a kind of Land Cruiser perfection not a Cadillac

One would think riding in a sleigh would be pleasant. It is the most brutal and punishing day you will have. The snow is hard as concrete and there is nothing smooth about it. The camp we went to was 102 miles from town. Each day hunting we did 64-77 mile loops from camp. Every second those machines are in motion you are being pounded. You can’t see what is coming, and you have a 15-25mph -20 at warmest wind buffeting you as well.

The snowmobiles were 900cc 4 strokes. Both the sleds and the snowmobiles seemed to be status symbols for the guides. My guide, Tommy, was 64 years old and had been guiding for over 40 years. He had so many incredible stories from being born out in the bush to building most of modern Cambridge Bay. He is a carpenter by trade and his sled showed it.

I had gleaned enough about musk ox hunts that I figured I would bring a couple items to help with the daily rides. I brought the sitting pad from my turkey vest and I went out and got a moldable gel filled mouthpiece from the local sports store. Best move ever.




The country is immense. I can only describe it as what I would think it is like on the moon but with oxygen. It amazes me that people or animals can live there!

 

[Steve O]

More sled details:













You can’t see there is 1/4” steel plate running along the length of the bottom of the runner. That is because HDPE plastic gets chewed up by the rocks. I can now understand how igloos are made. That snow is not like lower 48 snow! Those sleds are HEAVY without camp or an animal loaded. Not once did we make more than a runner mark from the sleigh or more then a track or ski mark from the snowmobile.

The guides were very respectful of the country and climate. They never go out alone. Each sled is packed with survival gear for all along. Small canvas tents for shelter ect.

 

[Steve O]

Camp.

I cannot convey how comforting it is after 10 hours that first day in the sled to have camp pop up into view from the white abyss!

I was prepared to stay in a double wall canvas tent spiked into the Arctic Ocean. Instead we were treated to a 16 x 20 plywood shack on the banks of the mighty Ellish River. You never know where you will be put until you get there so have to be prepared for everything. We also had generators but I had brought more than necessary power pack as we may have been without anything to charge phones/InReach.













We had plenty of room, comfortable bunks, and a diesel stove. The first night I thought I was not going to make it it was so HOT! The boys were able to do some fine tuning and we were very comfortable the rest of the trip.

We ate well; my highlight was Arctic Char Chowder along with AC jerky. Tommy loved his coffee so we got along really well.

We took great measures to keep warm coffee out on the trail. Old style Thermos inside a soft cooler inside a hard cooler. Same with lunch sandwiches to ensure they are not frozen blocks.

 

[Steve O]

Evening entertainment consisted of various Arctic wildlife coming into camp to snack on an old caribou quarter or table scraps. Arctic hares are HUGE, they looked like deer out in the fields 100 yards from camp. Had a camp Arctic Fox. Ptamigan flocks flew in every evening to roost among the outbuilding windbreaks.

 

[Steve O]

Better shot of the travel system. Inside the Sitka Nomad are a couple soft duffels for bush plane, horseback, of sled. One a Sitka Drifter which I used to bring back a whole hindquarter. I put it in a game bag, then a contractor bag, then wrapped in a sleeping bag. I packed it away on a Monday and it was still frozen solid when I transferred it to my chest freezer noon Thursday. Typically I bring the meat back as carry on in the Yeti Backpack cooler. It will fit all the steaks and chops of a Sitka Blacktail or all the loins of a musk ox in leakproof safety. Nothing thaws. On the way to my destination it is filled with optics, electronics. And clean travel clothes.

 

[waspocrew]

That ride sounds rough! We did a 64 mile loop through Yellowstone a few weeks back. I was definitely sore for a couple of days after.