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This area has more moose per square mile than any other Canadian province. The hunt is accessible to Eastern hunters. You'll stay in one of eight lodges, but you should expect to do some spike camping for the best hunting. The price includes the helicopter charter flight, which is needed to get to six of the lodges. Most of them are on lakes. The lodges have electric lights and showers, bunks and stoves. You can add caribou. Caribou hunts have been 100% the past few years. The caribou have been preyed upon by coyotes lately, and the province has cut back on caribou tags. This outfit is run by five brothers with plenty of cousins to help guide. Most of the hunters who do not get moose have been bowhunters who did not get close shots or trophy hunters waiting for big bulls, of which there are very few in the 45 to 52-inch category. However, the province gave the outfit a new trophy moose zone that had not been hunted until 2007, and now they're offering a special trophy hunt to a limited number of hunters in that zone. The outfit accommodated four hunters there last year, and all four got bulls with antlers spreading at least 45 inches. Hunters are picked up at Deer Lake at no charge. Licenses are on a quota and openings are limited.
This hunt produces moose that are typically 36 to 40 inches wide and occasionally a bigger one. Moose over 45 inches wide are rare in Newfoundland.
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Notes: Unlike most hunts, this one includes your license and tag as well as the helicopter charter flight if needed.
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Moose are often active during weather than is unpleasant to hunters. Dress for inclement weather.
Report from Hunts.Net client Robert Schettig of Pennsylvania: He took a "40-inch moose, good for Newfoundland, and a 23-point caribou, a little better than average" on his combination caribou and moose hunt in late September and early October. He rated the hunt "very good" overall. He said he saw 40 moose, 30 caribou and four black bear. He said there are some good bull moose and that hunters should expect to work hard. He said the food and cook were excellent, the guides were good and hard-working and tried hard to please and the camp was well-run and clean. He said the outfitter gives a good honest hunt, and his only suggestion for improvement was in meat handling. He said he would recommend this hunt to others.
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You should expect to cover a lot of terrain to increase your chances of taking a bull like this one.
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Click on photo for larger image
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| Hunt, guide ratio |
Price |
| Standard moose, 6 days, 1x1 |
$4,400 in 2008 (includes license).
$4,600 in 2009. |
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| Trophy moose, 6 days, special area with virtually no hunting pressure, 1x1 |
$5,700 (includes license), 2008 or 2009. |
| Moose/caribou combo |
booked for 2008 and 2009 |
| Black bear |
Bowhunting |
| You may take a black bear for a $250 trophy fee. |
Archery hunter success is typically 100% on caribou and 75% success on moose. Some hunters start with a bow and end up using a rifle to score. |
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| Lodging |
License fees |
| Main camp is one of six lodges with electricity and hot water; some spike camping is required on some hunts. An overnight stay in Deer Lake is not included. |
$420 for moose and $670 for caribou, but the license fees are included in the hunt price |
| Hunter Success |
Trophy size |
| 1997-2007: Hunter success average typically 80 to 90%. In '07 80 hunters got 76 bulls. In '06 82 hunters got 76 bulls. In '05 success was 89% (73 moose for 65 hunters). All the hunters in four camps scored, but due to high rivers due to hurricane-caused storms, hunters could not cross the rivers at some camps, reducing success. Caribou hunter success is typically 100%. Only three caribou hunters since 1997 have not filled their tags. The outfit accommodates about 40 caribou hunters per year. |
Moose average 40 inches in antler spread with a handful most years exceeding 50 inches. In 2007 nine were over 45 inches wide, including all four taken by the four hunters in the special trophy area. In 2005 there were six over 50 inches. Most hunters see bulls in the 36 to 42-inch class. This is not a good hunt if you intend to hold out for Boone and Crockett caliber moose. The woodland caribou taken on this trip often make B&C, however. Most bulls will score 220 to 270 B&C with a few over 290 B&C. A 265 bull will make the awards book; 295 is the all-time minimum. |
| Meat and trophy care |
Travel |
| The guides cape and salt your trophies and deliver your game to a butcher, who charges 50 cents a pound for meat cutting. He ships the vacuum-packed meat, cape and antlers as cargo, usually a week after your departure. You can pick up your boxes at your local airport. Crating and shipping charges are extra. The outfitter guessed that most hunters pay $200 to $400 to get their meat, capes and antlers home. |
Airport at Deer Lake, Newfoundland. You'll be picked up on Friday and will fly out on Saturday. The air charter from Deer Lake to your camp is included in the price of the hunt. You'll be picked up on Friday and will fly out on Saturday, necessitating an overnight stay for hunters who arrive by air. Accommodations in Deer Lake are not included in the price of the hunt. |
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