Taloyoak, formerly known as Spence Bay, is the most northern community of the Canadian mainland, located in Nunavut’s Kitikmeo region. There are no roads in or out and access is by plane only. Taloyoak is within the arctic circle and thus has an abundance of musk ox in the region. The community is extremely remote, and the outlying hunting lands are even more remote. And THAT is why we chose to hunt musk ox with Two Oceans Outfitters located in Taloyoak.
We flew into Edmonton in late April. Jumped a Canadian North plane to Yellowknife where we boarded a plane that was half cargo/half passenger. Over the next 6 hours we landed in various communities on the snow covered tundra with names like Gjoa Haven, Kugaaruk, Kuujjuaq and Cambridge Bay. Each airport became smaller and more remote. It truly felt like we were at the top of the world. And we essentially were.
By the time we reached Taloyoak it was late in the afternoon. We were greeted at the airport by our guide David and his wife (who is also a guide) Sheila. We were ushered off to the town motel which is also a community center. David filled us up with a piping hot plate of Arctic Char and rice. It was go time! It was -30. It was 5:00 pm. We were going to snowmobile to camp which is a 3 hour ride. While we thought we were prepared for the cold that we would soon endure, we realized part way into our journey that nothing could prepare you for the cold of snowmobiling in the dark in the Arctic Circle! Sheila soon had us bundled in caribou pants and wolf gloves she created herself.
We arrived at camp in the dark with the temperatures plunging lower. It was indeed cold. Now, we live in Gunnison, Colorado which is one of the coldest cities in the lower 48 states. We can handle cold. This cold, however, was much different.
We settled into the remote cabin for the night. White gas stoves heated the space and cold steam crept through the doorway. It should be noted that anything you didn’t want frozen should be put in the cooler! I woke to frozen contact lenses and toiletries, making a mental note to ferret away everything I needed into my sleeping bag the next night. We fueled up on sausage and waffles and off we went for the day.
As we emerged from the cabin, the sun was bright and there was nothing but a vast expanse of white landscape in all directions. It was the first time in my life I truly felt small. Despite the sun, it was still -50. The snowmobile engines were kicking to life and we headed out into that giant, white void.
Did I mention that it was cold?
Also guiding us were Sheila’s brother Simon and her dad Daniel. The entire crew had hunted these lands for a lifetime and their knowledge came from generations before them as well. Two of the snowmobiles pulled sleds called gamutiiks made of wood lashed with rope. They are made this way as the rope is more forgiving and can withstand the cold and jarring of being pulled across the ice and rocks of the frozen tundra.
Simon spotted a small group of musk ox. We approached and glassed but could not identify any bulls in the group. It was amazing to see these almost prehistoric animals up close! They were much smaller than I had imagined and their coats were impressive.
Another herd of musk ox was spotted in the next valley. We made our way in that direction and spotted two bulls in the group. David and Steve were able to set up and Steve took a shot with his bow. A direct hit. He nocked a second arrow to finish off the bull. Concurrently, Sheila and I were able to get in position so I could level off a shot with a rifle at 50 yards which took the bull down immediately. Yes sir, ladies and gentlemen…we had both bulls down within a minute of each other.
What an experience. I not only was guided by an amazing female guide, I was the first sportswoman to hunt from Toloyoak. Steve and I were able to check off another item on the Bucket List together. This was a perfect day.
The crew got to work on the musk ox and quickly had the hides, heads and meat removed and loaded into the gamutiiks. We lounged a bit in the sun drinking hot tea and enjoying some lunch. I’m not going to lie, I was not looking forward to jumping back on the snowmobile in the sub-zero temperatures again!
Once we reached camp, we were able to help the crew pull the gill nets they had placed the day before. Arctic Char was pulled out of the frigid waters one by one. Interestingly, the fish froze almost as soon as they were removed from the nets. Yes, it was that cold.
We retreated to the cabin where we had musk ox and rice for dinner and some raw Arctic Char. We settled in for the night knowing we would break camp and head back to Taloyoak in the morning. I dreamed of a hot shower that night. I also slept with my contact lenses in my pocket! No longer would I struggle with frozen cups of contact solution.
The weather on our ride back to Taloyoak started out as a beautiful, sunny day. That said, it was still -50. However, about an hour into the ride we were hit with a powerful side wind that introduced another level of cold I couldn’t even imagine. The visibility became poor in places due to the blowing snow. The ride to Taloyoak was much colder than the ride to camp and I was immensely happy to get to a warm room and a hot shower.
This adventure was indeed the adventure of a lifetime for us. We had long wanted to hunt musk ox and were looking for an opportunity that would push the envelope a bit. Find it we did! We booked our hunt with Two Oceans Outfitters through Canadian High Arctic Adventures and I highly recommend them. Not only do they provide Musk Ox hunting, they have caribou hunts and polar bear hunts available. Regardless of the species you choose to hunt, I guarantee you will have the adventure of a lifetime!
Want to know how to cook your latest conquest? Download our Wild Game Gourmet