Annual excitment this time the year is the seeing the thousands of migrating Qamanirjuaq caribou herd across from community of Baker Lake.
If they have not been impacted by human activity, or from aircraft noise, they would come right down to the beaches along the southwest side of Baker Lake.
Marie-Helene and I rented a local helicopter hoping to see the annual migration of the Qamanirjuaq caribou herds. After approximately 20min. flying out across the lake, we landed on a dry esker next to a pond fed by crystal clear creek. After pitching our two personal tents and quick snack, I looked through binoculars if the migrating caribou were visible. I saw a herd approximately 1 to 2 thousand that just had crossed the Kazan River. About fifteen minutes later another herd in same number appeared from another site, all coming towards us.
It got too dark to see them clearly and we went to bed hoping to wake up to thousands of caribou surrounding us. Rather we saw a lone wolf, cow and calf, and another male caribou.
We went for hikes hoping to see group of caribou, but we were too far from high hills and couldn't see any major herds.
When we got pick up after 24hours, we saw the herd on the low valley nw from our camp heading out towards Pitz Lake area.
To MH it was something new and exciting, to me it was a rather disapointment not seeing them closer and not able to harvest one to take home.
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:) My major concern was; helicopter coming back to pick us up while we were surrounded. This would have impacted their direction. Although, I knew a perfect place; right in their traditional route, to set up our tents, but it was still too risky of disturbance with our means of transportation. After our arrival home, my mom asked; 'was the caribou fat?', I couldn't even distinquish qalialiit from qaliitut (still shedding winter hair from fully-shed).
Thanks Joan for organizing this trip; I forgot how much work it is to get prepared. Time is so different out there.
Long, it almost has a texture...I am happy to see the wolf and scared to see a bear...
But one thing for sure, I realize how much any movement, smell, visual presence has an impact on the caribou. For exemple you think they changed their path because of our helicopter landing, the way our tent flapped or even the smell of our cooking. Of course any road building, mining, trucking, flying, plane landing will disturbe them; it does not need a big expensive study to find that out or deny it...And of course you should be worried about the changes to come with the uranium exploration. Already you are saying the caribous were coming where Baker Lake is now, they will go further but where?
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