Adventure

Northwest

Big Game

Outfitting

The above picture is of Randy Walk's two wolves taken at Pellatt Lake in 2005. Click Here to see the rest of Randy's Hunt Pictures.

Hunt Conditions

The Arctic wolf hunt remains one of our most exciting and successful hunts. Able to tolerate years of sub-zero temperatures, up to five months of darkness a year, and weeks without food, the arctic wolf represents a challenging adversary. Arctic wolves inhabit some of the most inhospitable terrain in the world. The winter tundra is cold and extreme, but it also offers a beauty that is majestic and cannot be compared to anything else in the world. Your hunt will be exciting as you face the wolves arctic habitat but your adventure will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to face this animal as few people in the world ever have. Our hunt will also provide an opportunity to hunt small game including the beautiful white Ptarmigan and to take in some ice fishing for our famous arctic lake trout.

Arctic wolves thrive in abundant numbers in the area north and east of Yellowknife and Great Slave Lake. Known for their beautiful winter coats, the wolves you hunt can range in colour from red, gray, white and black. The shoulder height of the arctic wolf varies from 25 to 31 inches. On average, they are about 3 feet tall from head to toe. Their body length may vary from 3 to 5 feet (nose to tail). The approximate weight of a full grown male is 175 pounds.

At Adventure Northwest, “the Premiere Big Game Outfitter in Canada’s Arctic”, our overall record for the last 7 seasons, 68 hunters have tagged 94 wolves. I do not know of any other outfitter that can say that.

Our hunt this year will be by vehicle along the extensive ice road systems that run through the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. These ice roads have been made famous by the program “Ice Road Truckers” on the History Channel this year. That program illustrates some of the excitement you could be in for as you hunt your wolf. Using this extensive ice road system you will be following the caribou to locate the wolves. These roads are subject to winter conditions so this hunt is an exclusive hunt based on ice road availability for a limited time at the end of the winter season.  We do not give absolute specifics about how this hunt works because each hunt is so very different. Ice roads can carry the hunter to regions of the territories that would be impossible to see during any other season. You will be hunting with a master guide and his assistant. This hunt demands that you follow the caribou to find the wolves. You will be hunting the wolves the same way they hunt the caribou. It is an exciting and challenging way to hunt. You and your guide will travel up the ice roads pulling a snowmobile. When you spot a wolf your guide may use the snowmobile to chase the wolf and bring him in range. The rest will be up to you. Your accommodations for this hunt may be in one of our comfortable heated polar tents or one of many of our simple hunting camps located all along the ice roads. You will be eating freeze dried food. Depending on your location you may also be able to access one of the ice road camps. We have included the possibility of an air charter fee up to $950.00 to allow optimal opportunity to travel by air to other locations should the caribou move away from the ice road. This hunt also allows greater flexibility for your return to Yellowknife should you tag out early.

Travel Schedule:

When you are travelling by ice road you will be met at your hotel very early in the morning to take full advantage of the hours of daylight for travelling and hunting on your first day out. At the end of your week you will return to Yellowknife by vehicle and be transferred to the wildlife office to pay trophy fees and obtain appropriate export/C.I.T.E.S. permits. You will then be taken to the hotel.

Method of Hunting

As mentioned above the best way to hunt a predator is the same way he hunts his prey. Wolves hunt by Spot and/or track, ambush and/or chase. We hunt wolves the same way. We will use the caribou to locate the wolves. Each hunter has two tags but the focus is to make sure that both hunters get one wolf.

What is included in this hunt?

•  Transfer to ski-plane base and return.
•   Lodging in an all weather camp or polar tent.
• All meals while in camp.
•  Services of one master guide and one assistant for every two hunters.
• Hides will be frozen in camp.

What is not included in this hunt?

• Wolf tags and trophy fees.
• Small Game Licence
• Fishing Licence
• Gratuities to staff.
• Accommodation and meals while in Yellowknife before and after the hunt.
• Taxidermy fees.
• Overweight baggage fees.
• Expenses incurred due to delays, caused by bad weather, mechanical problems, or other factors beyond our control.
• Canadian Goods and Services Tax. (GST)
• Air charter up to $950.00 to locations away from the ice road should the hunt warrant

 Important Notes:

This hunt runs 2 hunters per week from March 1-7, March 7-14, March 14-21, March 21-28. The hunt is run by one master guide and his assistant.

 All wildlife requires either a Nunavut or NWT export permit prior to removing the trophy from the territory. These export permits are available from the applicable Wildlife Office and are issued free of charge when the trophy fee is paid.

 Because one of your wolves may be taken in Nunavut, it will be necessary to keep the hide in Nunavut until an export permit can be issued, we will then ship the hide to a destination of your choice.

 For export out of Canada a wolf skin requires a C.I.T.E.S. permit, which can be issued by either the Nunavut or NWT wildlife officials. Sometimes it is necessary to leave your trophy with Adventure Northwest until a C.I.T.E.S. permit can be issued and this can take up to a month. Upon receipt of the permit the hide will be shipped to a destination of your choice.

Please feel free to download our latest newsletter (PDF)