Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada Moose guide recommendation

Hey guys, I think I’m finally going to do my first out of state hunt , and am looking for recommendations for moose and maybe a bear hunt.
Anyone have any experience with any guides to look into? I have been looking at Westwoods outfitters so far.
I will probably use a rifle and have a buddy that wants to use his compound. Doesn’t necessarily need to be a trophy hunt, but wouldn’t mind the opportunity to take and or see a good bull.

Thanks
Eric

CopperRiver Outfitters out of Smither BC. Had good luck with them in 16. Good people beautiful country.

Stewart Butland, of Westwood Outfitters has done an excellent job for my son and myself. We have been successful, return hunters with him. I would guess that a majority of his hunters are returnees. Many book the next year while at camp with him. His spaces fill early and if you are planning a 2020 hunt I'd expect you would need to move on it as soon as you can.
He provides great guides, excellent food, a very high % of successful hunts, and a comfortable camp. Moose, Woodland Caribou, Black Bear have all been in abundance. My first year with him I shot the 13th moose that I saw. The scenery there is absolutely beautiful. I'm not connected with Westwoods in any way but I am a highly satisfied customer planning a return.
Jim

Pm sent Jim.

Do research, get references for the exact week you are planning to hunt. References for several years. Know what kind of hunt you want?

We just got back from central BC and it was not what outdoors international had promoted.

We spent 13 hours a day for 9 days road hunting. Not what was expressed even by the outfitters website.
I went with buddy, his brother and his dad. I got a small moose, and buddy got a six foot bear and his brother got a seven foot bear.
We had a couple other chances, but road hunting was not our desired method.

Lots of messaging problems, I showed a second guide on day six where, I and outfitter, had gotten a small moose on day four, guide says “ only Jim(outfitter) would go to that much work to get a moose”. I was the only one to get a moose, a small one, and doing two hours of hunting was the highlight of 10 days. Outfitter quit hunting and started tearing down camp after I shot my moose on day 4.

I raised frustrations and was lectured you can’t guide the guide.

Outfitter stated on day 4 after I shot moose that all the bears were hibernating so no reason to hunt them. Group shot two big bears and I had a chance on night of day nine on big bear. Saw more big bears than moose.

Last day we drove the same 40 km road back and forth. At the same time, guide is denigrating resident road hunters.

Stone Mountain Safaris is good for moose (and a lot more) but little black bear. I hunted with them in '08 and will be returning next fall.

Check out Arluk Outfitters in Newfoundland. Been on three trips with them. Very reputable.PM me for more info.

^^^^^^^^^^
This

I've been guiding for 35-years. Dont waste your time with references. I have no idea why thats still the first thing some recommend. An outfitter wont give you a bad one....I could tell you some of the stories Ive heard about the reference thing but it would take to long. I wrote a piece about this for Bowhunter magazine a few years back....bottom line do some research. Look for guys who have been in business for a long time.....better yet find an outfitter who has guides that have worked for him for a long time. Outfitters who need to hire new guides every year have things going on you dont need to deal with. Unfortunately the outfitting business has become a big money business. Guys are buying outfits, hunting the heck out of them for a few years, then selling them. A family business that has been in the family, like father to son is always a good sign. Get the names of the guides and talk to them. In most cases you are going to be spending all your time with them anyway. Get a feel for their knowledge and personality. Nothing worse than being in an unhappy camp.

I've been guiding for Ceaser Lake Outfitters now since 1994. Two other guides have worked there longer than I have. My son has been with them for 12-years now and my son in law has been guiding for them for 8 years. First class outfit all the way. In this business looking for a cheap hunt is the biggest mistake you can make....you get what you pay for. Im not blowing my horn, just being honest. I've been doing this for a very long time, each and every year. I know just about every outfitter from northern BC through the Yukon. Feel free to send me a PM, and I will do whatever I can to help. I hate hearing stories about guys who paid a lot of money for a hunt that turned into a disaster.

yukon254......great advice!!

Moose have gotten scarce where I fish. Otherwise I'd recommend Merkle's Camp, Wabigoon. Ontario.
If theshootest , of kkaffman would come in on this, they could tell you better.

BC has a lot of issues with the indians shooting every moose they see....

That said on Canadian Gunnutz an outfitter that has good reviews is one called "Wild Coast Outfitters" I believe.

You are right, but its not just First Nations. Northern and central BC is getting hit hard by residents from the lower mainland. Some areas are literally awash with hunters once the season opens. An outfitter friend counted 90 big jet boats on the Kichika river a few years ago on the opening day of elk season. The air charter company we use for our fishing loge in southeast Yukon, does a ton of flying each fall hauling residents into the backcountry in northern BC. Its something every hunter going to BC needs to understand....hunting pressure is high in most areas of BC and getting worse. Even the outfitters that have remote fly in areas are seeing pressure. Thats what makes Yukon so attractive to non residents. Our population is low and out in the back country hunting pressure is not an issue. The areas I guide in are never hunted by anyone but us. Its a real nice feeling to know you are the only hunter in the area. I know its not the norm for most guys, and I know it wont be that way forever; but Im 56 years old and wont live long enough to see it change that much.

I'd like to hunt in the Yukon, but I imagine it ain't cheap!

Yea thats the problem now days. Jim Shockey is largely responsible for the current Yukon hunt prices. He started charging upwards of 20k for a moose hunt and everyone else saw that he was getting it so then everyone raised their prices. These days a moose hunt here, will cost you north of 20k by the time you're back home. When the prices started climbing to those levels I thought it would become harder and harder to fill all the spots, but that doesn't seem to have happened. The good outfitters are still booked up at least a year in advance; and their best rut hunts could be booked two years out.

What Jim said. I'm going back to hunt with Westwoods in Newfoundland next year. If you book with them I have a suggestion, take along an extra pair of stretchy pants as Grace is a great cook!

yukon254;
Top of the morning to you sir, I hope that the beginning of the shortest day of the year finds you and yours well and warm.

It would seem we've spent roughly the same amount of time on this earth - a tad more in my case - but anyway for clarity to our readers I'm approaching this from the standpoint of a 36 year resident of BC - well 37 as I lived here a year, then moved back to Saskabush and then back here 2 years later - but again I digress....

While I am loath to not recommend my home province for hunting, I must in good conscience say that we've personally never seen game populations so low in all the years we've lived here. As a member of a couple BC forums, I can say that it's more or less province wide too, obviously with some exceptions, but overall it's not great.

The reasons for the plummeting game populations are legion -resident hunting pressure, unregulated First Nations hunting, wolves, stopping the grizzly hunt, logging practices, logging road access, record snowfalls and an absolute lack of observable positive game management by the ministry responsible.

The governments - both NDP and Liberal - have been ignoring anything east of Chilliwack and it's been obvious with everything from mill closures to the fiasco we see in our game populations.

Hunting pressure is absolutely at an all time high and there seems to be no shortage of folks who will shoot animals on the theory that it must be okay if the ministry has allowed a season for it. In my neck of the woods for example we're seeing perhaps - perhaps - 5% of the deer that we had 5 years ago. Despite that there is still a whitetail doe open season and folks will shoot them. Then of course they'll wonder out loud why there's no deer anymore....

Please understand that this isn't merely a local venting sour grapes. We're working for some better outcomes for wildlife and hopefully making better days ahead for our kids and grand kids after.

That said, there's going to be way, way more stories like KRAMPT told for out of province hunters coming to BC to hunt.

One cannot imagine how much it pains me to write this - well hopefully my words convey some of that - but anyway folks have been warned.

All that said sir, Merry Christmas to you folks up in the Yukon and all the best to you in the New Year.

Dwayne

PS;
Should a visiting hunter wish to come and shoot wolves or black bears, then finding an outfitter who can do that should be a cake walk.

Please do come to BC and shoot all you're able to.

I've stated here before I wish every visiting hunter to BC left with a black bear under each arm and dragging a sled filled with wolves.

Dwayne, we are wintering well all things considered. My 'check engine light' did come on briefly and they sent me to Van for some tests. Seems I have to go back later next month but the doctors opinion is that I might very well be around awhile longer!

Anyway, your post was very much on point and it is obvious you are highly tuned into the problems in wildlife management we are dealing with across a lot of western Canada. Yukons low population density is the only thing saving us from BCs fate. Northern BC is in much the same boat as your neck of the woods Im afraid. A very well known outfitter in the trench told me that his moose population is less than 50% of what it was just a few short years ago. The grizzly hunt debacle just made things a lot worse.

I hope you and yours have a great Christmas and all the best to you in the new year. All old guys like us can do is to keep plugging along and do our best to give sound advice when its warranted ! BC used to have the best hunting in north America by a long shot, and for those of us that experienced it, the current situation is very sad to see....