The Long Run: Every fall, two great herds of caribou filter out of the far northern reaches of Quebec, where they spend the summer feeding, calving, and trying to find relief from swarms of mosquitoes. Before the breeding season, they start to stream south on their annual migration, pushing to reach their wintering grounds. The larger Leaf River herd numbers 700,000; the George River herd, about 400,000. With over a million animals, it's understandable why hunters head north with visions of rivers of caribou flowing past their camp and the idea that hunting them is little more than picking out the critter you want and pulling the trigger. But as I found out on my first caribou hunt last fall, the truth is far different and the hunt much more interesting.