Muskox Archives

Muskox Hunting

Remnants of the last Ice Age, a muskox hunt is a true Arctic adventure!

“Umingmak”, or “The Bearded One”, is on the bucket lists of many hunters. There is literally nothing else out there like a Muskox. An animal still virtually unchanged from the Ice Age. The adventure is a once in a lifetime Arctic experience that you will never forget!

The muskox is a stocky, long-haired animal with a slight shoulder hump and a very short tail. Both sexes have horns, but the horns of bulls are larger and heavier than those of cows. Mature bulls are about 5 feet high at the shoulder and weigh 600 – 800 pounds. Cows are smaller, averaging approximately 4 feet in height and weighing 400 – 500 pounds. An 800-lb muskox will dress out at about 480 pounds, providing roughly 275 pounds of meat.

North American 29

There are two commonly recognized subspecies of musk ox: Barren Ground, and Greenland.

For hunters after their North America 29, these two categories of musk ox (Greenland and barren ground) were combined into a single category. Musk ox from Alaska, Canada, and Greenland are all eligible for entry into this single category recognized today.

Alaska

By the 1920s, muskox had disappeared from Europe, Asia, and Alaska. The only remaining muskox were in Greenland and Arctic Canada. International concern over impending extinction of this animal led to an effort to restore a population in Alaska.

In Alaska, permits vary from year to year based on the year’s muskox counts. Permits are divided evenly between the two hunts. If you’re lucky enough to draw a muskox permit on Nunivak Island, you’re likely to get your bull.

Canada

In Canada, we offer both Barren Ground and introduced Greenland muskox hunts.

Native, Barren Ground muskox hunting takes place on the north slope of the Canadian mainland from about Cape Bathurst eastward to Hudson Bay. You can also hunt them throughout the Canadian arctic islands (except Baffin Island).
Introduced Greenland Muskox Hunting is carried out from Cape Peel to Mount Pelly, on the southern coast of Victory Island.