My son, his buddy Bill, Brian and myself set out for Conne River Newfoundland with a fly in hunt with Conne River Outfitters.
On the advice of Garry from the Cabela's East Hartford gun room we left a day early, September 27 and drove to St. John NB, stayed the first night and continued on day 2 to the ferry in North Sydney N.S. He recommended being rested for the 892 mile ride from Windsor Locks Connecticut. Great advice and he was right.
No tailgating at the ferry due to rain but had the opportunity to talk to hunters who arrived as far away as Tennessee, all going in different directions.
We stayed in Van Kor's hotel at the Head of the Bay, met David MacDonald and Tracy Howse from CRO and 5 guys from PA/MD, all friends who were flying into the bow hunting only camp.
Next morning off to the float plane base where we met two hunters who were at the same camp, Todd and Butch, great guys and we had a good time with them all week.
Sunday we fly in to camp on a beautiful 1962 DeHavilland Beaver, the work horse of the North Country from Alaska to the Maritimes. Cool listening to the sound of the radial engine. What power!
We met our guides, all seasoned from years of experience. Gus, age 64, started when he was 14 with the family. I think Gus was full blooded member of the band (tribe). A man of few words but a someone who spent his life in the woods with the logging companies, trapping and guiding. He was the real deal and gained the respect of the other guides.
My guide Pat started trapping with an old timer when he was 18, now 61 and new the bogs and woods like the back of his hand. I spent the week with him and enjoyed the hunt but also the details and history of the area. Everyday at lunch he (and Gus with his hunter) would break out a mini gas heater and boil water for afternoon tea. A nice touch.
Where we hunt, the Province built a power line from North to South over a three year period. This fall the power company will remove the bridges and eventually the road will return to what is was before construction, the biodegradable membrane will breakdown. Argo's will be the transportation of choice is what we are assuming.
On day 1 we took the 6x6 out several kilometers down the road and headed inland for a 2+ kilometer walk. We come to a rock plateau, climbed and settled in for a few hours of calling and watching. That's all I can think of was Little Round Top at Gettysburg but on a larger scale. What a place to hold off an incoming attack with a platoon or two!!
No luck, walked out passed an old trappers cabin that the trapper burned down because he called it a day.
We continued to stop, walk to a high point, call and glass. No luck day one for me. At the end of the day my body was shot, hamstrings, crotch muscles were aching as well as my quadriceps. I worked out religiously every day on building my core, legs and upper body.
I did some walking but didn't start until early last spring.
One issue I had for the last 5 months was Planters Faciitus in the right heal and the doc told me arthritis in the left big toe joint. It was a definite hindrance. Took Advil for some relief but the muscles and extra weight I didn't loose made it difficult.
The bogs and rocks were something I couldn't train for.
On day 1 Brian shoots a nice bull at the Bear Den, a big rock fit for a sow, facing east right off the hydro road.
On day two and three we repeat day one except we drive 60 plus kilometers east on the hydro road, cover more ground, walking, sitting, calling.
We are 200 yards off the road and Pat hears a faint return call. We wait, call, glass. As I'm glassing I see a large bodied bull (of course they all look big) on the road 1500 plus yards uphill.
He looks around and continues walking out of sight into the woods. FIRST THRILL!!
Later in the day we stop, do the same and Pat gets a response. He sees the bull 400-500 yards away and the it disappears behind a big rock. We wait but the wind is not in our favor.
An hour or so later we spot the bull a couple of miles away - returned where he came from.
ON day 3 Wednesday our last stop is back to the bear den at 3:40 after driving and doing the same thing except further from camp. Fewer locals hunting that far out during the week.
I'm glassing east, Pat west.
When Brian and his guide retrieved their meat on Tuesday another bull had come out of the woods and the guide played the other bull scenario, walking side to side arms up. Came within 60 yards.
Pat is calling and Ten minutes later a bull comes out of the woods from the west. Pat runs around the rock to retrieve me and tells me to load up. I put a 160 grain Federal Nosler partition in m Browning BLR7 mm magnum and follow the bull. I have a 6x S&B mounted on the gun. I range the Bull at 300 yards and closing in very slowly. I'm amazed how little time it takes from the time we spot the bull and shows up where I can take a shot.
Pat gives me the go ahead and shoot when he stops. I let the first round go, catches a lung and Pat sees the bullet hit the pond 20 yards behind the bull.
I load another and hit it again in the lung area.
I load a third and I thing it hits too far back high and creases the gut.
Down it goes, 262 yard shot. 8 point nice rack
After the high fives we go down and check out the bull and get to work. Once we were done, it took 1 1/2 hours to drive back to the boat.
What else was really cool was Brian shot his bull 200 yard away and when we approach earlier the ravens and eagles were feeding on the carcass. I counted 4 mature eagles and one immature fly off and head for the trees.
My son saw a cow he passed up on day two and a bull running away on day two. He took a few pics of the cow approaching him.
HE and Gus head back on Thursday, very windy and overcast.
Gus spots a bull on the road crossing and Dave hops off the 6X6 and runs to the top of the hill and shoots as the bull is running into the woods. ONE SHOT creases the heart, drops like a stone.
I was in camp sitting in the chair and looked out the window and glassed the lake. When I saw the boat and both sitting in the back I knew he shot one.
His bull has one antler, the other broken off in battle. He also had cracked or broken rib that was obviously old.
SO we are down to Bill because the other two guys shot nice bulls on Wednesday morning somewhere down the lake and in the woods by another pond.
Bill chose the spike camp from Wednesday afternoon - Friday.
Dave takes a ride with the pilot and at base camp gets a call Bill has one that needs to be packed out. They return to camp, pickup a guide, Bill and Brian and fly to the spike camp.
Bill shoots a 44"+, still hasn't measured it but bigger than Brian's 43" and the two other bulls.
6 for 6 in camp.
We hunted in the prime of rut and did well. the guys in the other camps did very good. One chose not to shoot a 21 point.
I can say the guides worked hard for you and much teamwork among themselves either packing out for another hunter, skinning or cleaning before butchering.
Food was good, alway enough.
Overall we are very happy and hope to go in 2 years.
We tipped them well for all of their efforts and skill.
I'll post pics when my son downloads from my camera.
Thank you guys for all the advice I received on the forum!!
