2026 Spring Nunavut Musk Ox (The Sequel)

[adamkolesar]

Forward:
Firstly, many thanks to @Steve O for the excellent write up on his adventure with Canadian North Outfitters chasing Musk Ox in Nunavut Canada last Spring. His story was so compelling, I immediately contacted Shane Black from Canada North and arranged "the same trip Steve had!" (My words).
Shane offers many trips in the Canadian Arctic for a variety of species, but relatively few trips for Spring Barren Ground Musk Ox. As you likely know, the Barren Ground sub species is about 20% larger than the Greenland variety. In fact, Shane was running a couple of Greenland Ox hunts and polar bear hunts in different Communities during my stay. The goal of this write up is to serve as a supplement to Steve's excellent write up of last season.
Every trip is a different experience given the variables of weather, guides, animal location and the formidable logistical challenges that inform executing a hunt in a very unforgiving environment.
I've had Musk Ox on my radar for some time. I've entered the draw in AK for the last 10 years with no luck. Reading about Steve's experience prompted me to contact Canada North. I'm glad I did!
As mentioned, Shane, Tony and Gina are consumite pros at logistics and communication from the time you pick up the phone. Gina sets up the flights from Edmonton (in my case) to the hunter's final destination and arranged all the paperwork /Licences/permits and lodging ahead of the hunt. Shane greeted me at the airport in Cambridge Bay and checked me in w/ Wildlife for the locking tags and licence.
Shane is very connected in the Community. It seems he knows everyone! As importantly, he has a deep respect for the Inuit culture and treats his guides well. I've read more than a few accounts of Outfitter's poor treatment of their guides, and that attitude trickling down to the client.
The nature of this hunt, and the inhospitable conditions out in the Arctic demand guides who know the score. Shane keeps two phones with him at all times, and a text from a customer or guide is ALWAYS answered within minutes. I'm pretty sure there wasn't a period of more than 5 minutes during my time w/ Shane that he wasn't in contact with someone. The guy takes prompt response to a new level. As Steve mentioned, Shane provides Canada Goose expedition grade Arctic suits to his clients. I brought up all my cold weather gear thinking "I have this covered". Shane looked over my Kuiu gear and said "man, you pack pretty light". He said "wear everything!" including my travel clothes. He provided me an additional Kuiu Super Down jacket, the newish down glassing glommit and what would be the clutch addition to the cold weather arsenal, hand crafted beaver mittens!
So my layering was as follows:
Upper half
Kuiu merino tee
Kuiu merino pullover
Kuiu pelton 240 hoodie
My cotton travel hoodie
Kuiu DCS Vest
Kuiu super down in L
Kuiu super down XL
Canada Goose Expedition Parka
Hands: merino gloves, beaver mittens
Lower half:
Smart Wool lightweight knee socks
Kuiu calf height wool hiking socks
Baffin Bay expedition boots
Kuiu merino boxer briefs
Peleton 240 long underwear
Filson tin cloth pants (travel pants)
Kuiu super down pants
Canada Goose Expedition Bibs
When the waitress at the local diner, the game officer and your Inuit guide comment about how cold it's been, you know you're in for it.
In fact, our departure temperature was -47 with a headwind across the open ocean creating a -56 wind chill. The high temp for the trip was -30 at around noon on the mainland. Shane was rightly concerned that his client from "down south" was reasonably prepared for the journey to the hunting grounds.

 

[Steve O]

You look cozy. Looking forward to this!

 

[adamkolesar]

Part one:
As mentioned, each one of these excursions is different for a variety of reasons. Shane hosted a pre hunt dinner with one of the indigenous HTOs (a liaison between the Inuit people and the Canadian Govt) and my guide and his wife. I found out at dinner the other hunter cancelled last minute.
Typically these hunts are two hunters, each with his own guide. There's a purposeful redundancy in this arrangement for safety/equipment, help and additional scouting of a given area. The guide who first spots the herd/animal has first dibs for his client.
Given this development, Shane enlisted George as my guide. With 40 years of guiding, he is amoung CN's most seasoned veterans. (More on George a bit later).
We decided to meet at "the dock" at 10:30 the next morning.
After a restless night's sleep I was advised to leave off the expedition gear in teansit so as not to overheat.
I was armed with the excruciating detail of Steve O's depiction of the Quamutiik experience. We off loaded my gear and rifle and I donned my Canada Goose parka (yes, it weighed 10lbs).
George was concerned about visibility to the south. These guides don't use GPS and rely on decades of travel and use of landmarks to navigate!
If conditions weren't right, we would have to turn back. We were going to give it a try! Then I climbed into the "tumbler".

Plenty of fuel for the Ski-Doo and stove!

In the event you would like to build your own Quamutiik...

Last bit of lashing down.

We would be crossing Queen Maude Gulf on our way to the "mainland" which is south of Victoria Island home of our Cambridge Bay base.
Our destination was "half way cabin" where the hunt would be based.
George had fabricated a couch cushion wrapped in the ubiquitous blue plastic tarp to keep things dry. He had his giant zero degree bag as a back rest. As I climbed in, things seemed comfortable enough.
Then George fired up the Ski-Doo and off we went. As mentioned, -47 on the open ocean with a stiff head wind to welcome us.
Imagine sitting in your parent's '78 Caprice Classic station wagon while those parents were competing in the Baja 1000. I was reminded upon my return by George's wife, that the Elders and new born infants have been riding in Quamutiiks for generations. 'nuff said...
Despite George's honest attempt to coddle this Southerner, I ended up sliding forward, not being able to sit upright for the duration of our 5 hour trip to halfway cabin.
My goggles fogged almost immediately. Thankfully I got better a fog control as the trip progressed.
We would stop about every hour or so for re-fuel, pee and/or smoke break. I could get out and see the sights for a few minutes.


That haze around the sun was what George was concerned about. It's a low ceiling (fog) that is crystalized by the extreme cold. We would stop in wind breaks, but out in the open visibility was poor.

As Steve O said; You're on another planet that just happens to have oxygen!
I was grateful that visibility improved enough for us to push on to halfway cabin.
We arrived around 330 and set up camp.

Our home away from home.

Being it was just George and myself, we had a nice chat with him telling me about his family and retelling many hunting stories. George exuded a quiet dignity an understated confidence and a love of his home and way of life.
He then revealed a startling tale!
In 2011 George was pursuing a Grizzly bear on his Ski-Doo on a client hunt.
He was hot on the bear's tail when it 180'd and attacked George, knocking him off his sled and mauling him.
What I didn't mention earlier was George has an eye patch from severe trauma to his left eyeball and orbit. He has a reconstructed nasal bridge and suffered a crushed skull.
On that day his helper and client crested the ridge to find George being mauled and killed the bear. The problem was George was bleeding out in the Arctic Wilderness. They transported him back to Cambridge Bay while trying to summon a medivac helo. On their third attempt they found an available chopper, and George was taken to Edmonton (1200 miles to the South) for level one trauma emergency care.
George told me he had a vision of the Elder's beconing to him to come join them, and that it was comfortable where they were.
Somehow he pulled through, and spent a month in the hospital recovering. He recuperated with his family, and after a time, asked a reluctant Shane to return to guiding hunters in pursuit of Spring Grizzly.
I pressed George a bit to ask how many bears he's killed in his 40 year career. He reckoned between 35-40 bears. He really lit up when he recounted his many bear hunts.
Interestingly George has no interest in pursuing polar bears. His heart is with the Grizzly.

That darned crystal fog at day's end.

Lights out at half way cabin.

 

[Steve O]

There is not a better sight than one of those tiny cabins popping up out of the white abyss after a brutal day in the sled!

 

[adamkolesar]

Man. You ain't kidding!