Canol Trail - Mackenzie Mountains

[HuntsNorth]

We are in the planning phase of a DIY hunting trip for the fall of 2021. Plan is to head up the North Canol Trail into the Mackenzie mountains. All NWT residents with a pocket full of tags with moose and caribou being the prime targets.

Has anyone ever done this trip before? Looking for some insight as far as what to be prepared for. Have talked to a few people so far and they have relayed some great information to us. Been studying maps, you tube videos, weather reports, outfitters reports, forum stories, etc to try and capture as much detail as possible so we can plan properly.

The plan is to get away from others if possible. Hike, hunt and camp wherever the days take us.

Any and all information will be greatly appreciated!!

Once the trip is done I will definitely post pictures and stories on here whether we are successful or not.

Thanks all,
HN

 

[VernAK]

Lotsa country in there but I've never hunted it. My Dad helped build it back in 43-44.

 

[AKDoc]

Lotsa country in there but I've never hunted it. My Dad helped build it back in 43-44.

That's pretty cool Vern.

I've not driven the North Canol Rd for many years, but when my son was growing-up, he and I would do an annual father-son road trip together up there for many years. We had some really memorable pike and lake trout fishing together with the Zodiac on the North Canol...(I won't name the Lake), and one year we mountain-bike camped into the NWT on the North Canol from the YT/NWT border. It is a very beautiful and special place for me and my son....

Our trips were typically in July, so I was never there in hunting season because we were in Alaska during hunting season! Therefore, I have no idea the degree of hunting pressure the North Canol at the border gets or doesn't get. The road and the countless small one-lane bridges along it were not maintained beyond the YT/NWT border back in those years...perhaps it has changed, don't know (but doubt it has changed). Mountain-biking the road beyond the YT/NWT border had some creek crossings, but wasn't a big problem. That said, we didn't go way far north because the wx that trip was especially nasty. Not sure that driving north beyond the border would be advisable...perhaps running an ATV from the border might make some sense. Without any doubt, I'm sure others have definitely hunted up there from the road. I will say that the topography up in that area definitely looks like Caribou country and likely some moose...i.e., wide-open stretches of pucker-brush and some clusters of spruce.

It is truly beautiful country up there for sure! Hopefully others will offer the OP better hunting information north of the YT/NWT border on that historic North Canol Rd.

...one last thing that I added late...you should check the dates when the ferry crossing at Ross River typically shuts-down because you don't want to be on the North Canol when that happens!

 

[VernAK]

This being a screwed up summer I didn't do my annual canoe trip in YT nor my lake trout trip and I really miss that.

I've traveled Southern Yukon and South Canol Road extensively and I don't consider it to be very game rich.

 

[HuntsNorth]

Thanks for the reply’s folks! I have been in contact with a few people who have hunted that way fairly regularly over the last 10 years. It’s going to be one heck of an adventure no doubt!

AKdoc, you are 100% correct. The road is only maintained up to the border crossing from what we have been told. Can drive a bit further into the NWT the there is a staging area. NWT ENR officers are stationed there during hunting season and are a valuable source of info from what I’m told. All animals taken in that area are checked and permits issued before you leave. They also plug the sheep there if someone is lucky enough to get one.

Have done a ton of research on the area so far. Have to dig pretty hard to find good info but it’s out there. For us is not about the hunt, but the adventure! Going to plan, plan some more and keep planning until it’s go time!! That is if we are allowed in this fall, stupid COVID.

HN

 

[Blockcaver]

Drove up to the airstrip at mp 222 on the North Canol from my home in south central BC in early August 2017....3 day trip. Last 600 km were gravel, starting from an hour outside Watson Lake.

The cable ferry over the Pelly River runs daily, 8 AM first crossing and forget the last but around 4 or 5. One caveat..:when I was returning back I arrived at 7:50 AM. They immediately got me, and said I was lucky, it would be the only trip of the day since they were going to dredge the crossing. They had an excavator staged to put on the ferry. I never saw a sign or anything indicating the upcoming closure when heading North 2 weeks earlier. Something to be aware of for sure. It would screw your plans up to sit an extra day waiting for ferry service.

The road was pretty decent on the Yukon side. I did get one flat there, probably from a piece of steel on the roadway that punctured the tire but never stayed in it. A plug, portable compressor and on my way. Take plenty of tire plugs and gasoline.

The NWT side of the road starting past Macmillan Pass got progressively worse and was muddy, the willows added a few racing stripes to my truck and all the bridges were gone. Crossings were shallow but we were in a hot dry spell. Bet they could get interesting on a wet year.

Quite a few vehicles at the airstrip...outfitters, guides, cooks, etc that drive in and park there. As I recall hearing the road gets impassable soon after the strip for pickups. Driving time from the ferry to the strip was over 7 hours....the last 20 km taking about 2-1/2 hrs.

I never saw any critters off the NWT side of the road. Did see black bears and a lynx in the Yukon.

Sounds like the NWT game check station is only staffed after mid-August. I scheduled my sheep hunt to coincide with the game check being open so I could export my ram meat, cape and horns with me. I took a small freezer and Honda generator....worked perfectly as the weather was warm.

Was a great adventure to drive up and back. Learned a lot about the Canol Project in WWII on the trip. The outfitter’s base camp has the road running through it. But it is rough down there, really overgrown.

And I finished up my archery grand slam on that trip...took 37 yrs to accomplish!

Good luck on your adventure!