Muskox Hunt

Last Sunday we went out on the land to hunt for muskox (with a camera). Unfortunately, the only muskox we saw were the ones on the beautiful sign marking the entrance to Ovayok (Mount Pelly) Territorial Park, 16km east of Cambridge Bay. We were disappointed but had a beautiful day out nonetheless. The weather was superb, I think the nicest day since we arrived last September. It feels like spring in earnest now. We did see three Canada geese. This isn't as trivial as it sounds. It means the birds are on the way back. Many people around town have commented about seeing snow buntings, which are the first birds to return and the last to leave, but, we haven't seen them yet. The only birds that overwinter here are ptarmigan, snowy owl and raven. The rest migrate thousands of miles and nest on the tundra in the summer, something we'll look forward to seeing in June/July.

We'd wanted to get out 'on the land' since we arrived, but, only recently found a guide willing to take us out for a reasonable price. It's not wise, without the skills or equipment, to just head out on your own. Ryan was our young and enthusiastic Inuk guide for the day. He'd recently returned from a successful polar bear hunt on the north of the island. Gord, a new friend, also came with us. Most of the photos in this post are his. We'd initially wanted to try and view the spring caribou migration which is starting now. The caribou migrate, in large herds, across the sea ice from the mainland and head north on Victoria Island to their summer grounds. They used to come very close to Cambridge Bay, but now travel north further to the west of town. Ryan conferred with other guides and said the migration was still in the early stages, very few tracks had been seen, the caribou were still on the mainland and if we wanted to see them it would require a long overnight trip with only a slim chance of success. So, we opted to stay close to town and hope for muskox instead.

Ryan works on 'Nunavut time', so, although we were expecting him at ten, we didn't see him until 12:30. A later start was better anyway because the cloud that we woke to had time to clear off and give us gorgeous blue skies for the remainder of the day. He brought the skidoo and qamotiq (sled) alongside TP and we were off.

Getting ready

The central feature of the park is Ovayok (Mount Pelly) a 200 metre high 'mountain'. Unlike the eastern Arctic the land here is very flat. Ovayok serves as a significant landmark for the area. In the past, it was a key stopping place during the seasonal movements of the people. Many ancient tent rings, waiting places and stone caches can still be seen.

Underway with Ovayok in the distance

Looking for muskox

Colourful lichens just reappearing from under the snow cover

White to infinity

Tea break in the gorgeous sunshine. Note parkas are off!

 We plan to revisit Ovayok when the snow has melted, the birds and waterfowl are back and the tundra is in bloom. Maybe we'll get lucky and see some muskox on our next visit.

On the way back to town

Camp cottages along the seashore to the west of town