BC resident – late Sept/early Oct off… Moose hunt vs caribou tag? Rut/meat taste question

[Sylus]

Hey guys,

BC resident here. I’ve got the last week of September and the first week of October off work this year, and my brother and I are trying to decide what to do for a hunt.

We’re torn between a GOS moose hunt or trying to pull caribou tags (mountain caribou). The main thing holding us up is whether a mountain caribou bull taken in that window is likely to taste strong because he’s in rut.

I’ve heard everything from “they’re great” to “avoid bulls after September XX” and I don’t have enough firsthand experience with mountain caribou to know what’s real. When I started hunting 10 years back people told me Muleys are rank too, but honestly I chalk most of that up to poor meat handling and delicate tastebuds.

If you were in my shoes with that exact timeframe (late Sept into early Oct), what would your call be between a moose hunt vs rolling the dice on caribou tags? For those who’ve done it, how much does rut affect mountain caribou eating quality around that time, and are there any signs you look for to judge whether a bull is likely to be strong?

Appreciate any input.

 

[Ophert]

Is there any GOS moose in the same area you could pull a caribou tag? I usually double up hunts, I'll hunt sheep and caribou, or if it's in September I'll do moose and caribou and hunt where there are both. I've only eaten caribou with velvet on so I can't comment on if they're good in the rut or not, but caribou is the best tasting game meat I have had. I'm from the NWT though so everything is GOS and I don't really need to plan the hunt as much as I did when I lived in BC there for a bit.

If I was to make a choice with those dates I think I would for the Caribou, mainly cause it's a pretty fun hunt. If you don't get the tags you could always just pivot to a moose hunt

 

[Sylus]

It's mainly logistical issues that makes the combo hunt tough. Caribou is a fly-in only option basically in BC (unless you have horses, which we do not) and the zones I know are a ways off any lake. Getting a moose in those areas would be a major undertaking for two guys to pack out and likely is marginal moose rutting terrain at best.

If it was a moose focused trip we would likely take an inflatable jet up one of BC's many rivers into prime moose country, way below where we'd expect to see a Caribou.

Appreciate the input regardless.

 

[Decker9]

if I was looking at the same hunt with intention of filling the feeezer with good game, I’d be looking at a moose hunt. A river moose hunt I think would be a blast. Would elk be an option in any of the rivers you’re looking at?

We took a big caribou a handful of years ago still in velvet, he was some fantastic eating. Iv heard from many that rutting caribou are the very opposite. Iv heard it so much that I tend to believe the rumour, as Iv never heard if a bad early bull.

On the other hand, it may be best to get on the caribou while you can. Could it be a possible late caribou / sheep / goat hunt in the area you’re looking at? If a guy has the time (and weather) it could make a good combo.