Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada Newfoundland Moose hunt - 4 bulls

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!!

Way to go! Congratulations!
Been watching for this entry.
Now that you have Moose fever it's incurable you know. I noted that you said, " Overall we are very happy and hope to go in 2 years." That's a sure symptom of the Moose fever disease. That grin that grows on your face when you think moose also is symptomatic.
Glad for you. Thanks for the story. We'll be looking forward for the pictures.
May I suggest that you do not over season the meat when cooked. A slab of moose in a cast iron fry pan works wonders!
Thanks
Jim

Thanks, I’m going to have some tonight.
The boys want to go back in two years,
I’ll be in touch.

Delighted to hear of a great hunt! Truly enjoy being in that wild country.
Experience has taught me that I need aspirin for more than I need a knife in NL.
I'm hoping I have at least one more trip to NL left in me....

Can't wait to see the pics, as it was a great story. A NF moose hunt is on my bucket list for sure. Thanks for posting, and congrats.

Congrats Steve! Saw the report Bill S posted on CTF. Have thought about doing a NF trip for a few years. Will PM you for some info..

Five weeks of the Newfie moose season have been completed. Reports indicate a spectacularly successful hunt, to date. Outfitter I hunted with was 29 for 29 last week. Art Ryan runs 9 different lodges. There have been several nice racks, in the 40"+ range taken, including a curious one that looked like a wide, fat elk rack that measured 48".
Hope we'll see a few more reports?

I hope to go back in the next year or 2.

In our camp I think it was an excellent year as well.
Last winter was prett6 mild I heard.
We are planning a return trip in 2020.

Nicely done. After a little work I'll post our hunt story from this year.

Glad to hear you had a good hunt! Sounds like a solid outfit you were with. We saw a lot of bulls with broken antlers this year, a lot more than normal. Looking forward to seeing the pictures!

My son shot one with a broken antler and a broken rib.

We are having issues with pics, I’ll have my son work on that this weekend.

Hey thanks learned a lot from your 2 post ,and congrats on successful hunt. I am going in 2019 ,Newfoundland for moose hunt.

Advice that many people gave me and what you can do for your body.
Let me say aye the end of day 1, my quadriceps, hamstrings and groin muscles were sore for the whole week. Also I went with planters faceitus in my right heel and I was told was arthritis in my left big toe. Had this going on for 6 months. I was hampered by these two issue, nothing more I could have done before my trip.
Upon my return I asked my Physical therapist daughter what I can do to prep for my next trip.
She gave me three excercise to stretch those muscles. Been doing them daily.
As she has preached to me the older we get the stiffer our muscles become. (Except one) lol
I lifted weights for ten months to strengthen my core. No problems at all with my lower back.

Walking in Newfoundland bogs and woods is like nothing else.

If you need to loose weight start now.
I lost 12 lbs, short of my goal of 35; serious now!
When weather permits go hiking and use hiking poles. Hiking poles are useless in NF, I used my tripod there. Hiking builds your cardio faster than the gym workouts and is more realistic to the terrain.
Up and down hills with uneven terrain is best was the best advice I got on the fire.
The terrain, there is nothing like it. Walking in 15-18”boots, light pack and a gun in a bog where you might sink an inch or a foot.
I’ll be working that into my week.

Walk in place lifting left leg, right arm and get the legs up high is a great excercise.
When walking in NF I had my eyes on my guide and watched where he walked and you don’t run or walk fast or take too many long glances, fell daily!
Bring a couple of those hot cold packs for sore muscles or leg cramps.
A client was there same week as us and his legs cramped up the first day and the packs helped. He is 70 and active!
I’m 66 and going again in 2020, however I will be better physically prepared in 2019 if a cancellation or opportunity exists.

Good luck.

You're approaching reality there but it has been my experience that describing it to someone who hasn't experienced it is a dit futile. Previous to my second trip I found a rocky, winding, boulder strewn, creek bed on a long steep hill that I walked up daily for my hunt preparation. It helped .... some. I was doing 3 mile power walking those days also. That also helped .... a little.

Jim