Whitehorse
HuntingHunting Hot Spots

Whitehorse

George Gruenefeld·

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Species: Bear, Caribou, Duck, Elk, Goose, Grouse, Moose

Coordinates: 60° 43€² 0€³ N, 135° 3€² 0€³ W

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Location: Yukon

Population: 20,500

Why we chose it

You could say that Whitehorse, located at mile 918 on the Alaska Highway, is a southern city of the North. Sure, it gets cold in winter, but come summertime, the weather is glorious and folks hit the sidewalk cafés to soak up the sun. Great weather aside, this place is pure paradise for the big-game hunter—the moose are huge and plentiful enough that you can head out for an evening hunt after work, for example. Float hunts down rivers such as the Teslin are most productive for moose, and you’ll need to go up the Dempster Highway for barren-ground and woodland caribou. Prime areas for bison, meanwhile, are north of the city toward Carmacks and west toward Haines Junction. For thinhorn sheep, day hunts are doable around Whitehorse, although better hunting can be found north of Watson Lake. You’ll also come across goats not far from Whitehorse, and elk have done well in the areas north and west of town. Grizzly bears can be found almost anywhere, but you can only take one every three years. Black bears are also abundant, but they tend to be on the small side. If you can snag one of the 10 deer tags issued each year, meanwhile, you could connect on a honker of a mulie. On the off-chance you find yourself with nothing left to hunt, there are plenty of grouse—ruffed, spruce, sharptails and blue—to be had, along with good open-water shooting for ducks and geese. The only bad news? You need to have lived in the Yukon for a year before you qualify as a resident. Two stores are dedicated to supplying Whitehorse hunters: Hougen’s Sportslodge offers a wide selection of everything from guns to optics, while Bob’s Gunworks and Precision Machining specializes in custom gunsmithing. Plus, one hardware retail chain offers basic hunting gear, along with ammunition.

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—George Gruenefeld