Though part of Quebec, Anticosti Island stands alone as a hunting destination due to its unusually high deer densities and limited access. “No one part of the island is better than another for big bucks,” says Gilles Dumaresq, a manager for Sepaq Anticosti (800-463-0863), the government-run outfitter that controls access to most of the island. A Sepaq guide will assign you a hunting area. Once there, hunt the edge cover, particularly where open bogs and fields meet thick stands of spruce. Early morning and late afternoon to evening are the best times. What Anticosti may lack in trophy potential it makes up for in overall numbers. “Year after year, the deer population on the island averages about 125,000,” says Dumaresq, who also notes that 90 percent of Anticosti hunters go home with two deer. Those hunters interested in heading to Anticosti should know that this year will mark just the second time that a December hunt will be offered on the island.
