Musk Ox & Bison Hunts

Musk Ox and Bison both derive from the Family: Bovidae. Along with the the pronghorn, Musk Ox and Bison were one of a few species of Pleistocene mega-fauna in North America to survive the Pleistocene/Holocene extinction event and live to the present day. We've described the hunts for Bison and Musk Ox(especially) as resembling a dinosaur hunt, and that has factual merit. These prehistoric beasts are incredible species with a history few can match. There are two commonly recognized sup-species of each Musk Ox and Bison. Musk Ox are found to be either Barren Ground Musk Ox or Greenland Musk Ox. Bison, often referred to as Buffalo, are known in two sub-species in North America; Plains Bison and Woods Bison. There is a third sub-species surviving in Europe, the European Bison; however it is extinct in the wild. They have been reintroduced and limited hunting has occurred.

Musk Ox range across the North American arctic (Alaska and Canada) and the West Coast of Greenland. The Alaska populations have drastically declined in the last decade with limited hunt opportunities remaining. The vast majority of hunting takes place in northern Canada and Greenland where populations are stable to increasing. The ox rut in August/September and that's the time to see the bulls annual head smashing event. It is a spectacle like no other. It is also very popular to hunt them in spring via snow machines or if you're really lucky dog team. Ox are gregarious animals and almost always in groups.

It's said that only 4% of the worlds Bison are wild, we don't know that to be fact but seems reasonable. Bison range from northern Mexico to Alaska with permits and hunt opportunities in several states and provinces. A lot of hunted Bison are private herds with year around seasons. Several Reservation prospects exist. A majority of the State tags and Provincial hunts are held in the fall and the spring, with some tags going through the winter.