Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada Newfoundland Moose hunt October 3rd

Three of us are driving/ferry to Main Brook NF CA on September 30th. We are picking up my son who is flying to Deer Lake Airport; we will spend the night in Deer Lake and head to Tuckamore Lodge Sunday morning. This trip was canceled last year.
It’s a 6-7 hour drive from Port Aux Basque to the lodge. We follow the western shoreline area for several hours and then head east to Main Brook. THe lodge owner told me last week one of the truck drivers counted 28 moose in the general area we are hunting. Plenty of bear and Caribou around. I don’t think I”ll spring for another $10,000 to hunt Caribou!!

How much was a moose hunt? I always wanted to go.

I’ll be up there the same week! Not hunting with Tuckamore though. Our trip was also supposed to be last year. I’m getting very excited!!!

Outfitter was $6000, you need to add a gratuity for the guide, cook and staff. They have a guy with an ARGO that pulls out your moose, need to tip him a couple of hundred, butchering unless you drive it home. Bottom line $8000-8500 including driving from Connecticut to Nova Scotia, take the ferry (we opted for bunks) overnights in New Brunswick and Deer Lake NF.
We drive from CT to St. John NB on October 30th; next day to Sydney NS, pickup the 11:00 ferry to Port Aux Basque. We pick up my son at Deer Lake Airport and spend Saturday Night there and leave in the morning for Main Brook NF. Total mileage in NF 400 miles one way from the Port to Tuckamore.

Alex 38,

You driving from Ohio or flying? Our trip was rescheduled from last year as well. We hunted with Conne River Outfiltters in 2018, we all scored. That also was a 400 mile drive from Port Aux Basque.

My son and I are getting off the ferry in about 15 minutes. Last minute hunt for us. It was 20hrs drive to North Sydney. Be another 6 to meet the outfitter and then 3 more into camp, today.

Who is your outfitter and looking forward to your post hunt stories.

I've hunted moose in Newfoundland several time. It's a great experience. If you score early you can hunt bears or travel up the west coast and visit small fishing/tourist communities. I've done both.

Success rates run from 50% - 75% during most weeks. My last two trips were with Red Indian Lake Outfitters. Top shelf food, accommodations and camaraderie. All hunting from the lodge is done in rugged bogs that require Argos to get around. Quads are useless until the bogs freeze over.

They also have fly in camps for an additional $2k.

Migule mnt outfitters.
Just stopped at deer lake for some breakfast.

Teeder,

We are staying at Deer Lake Saturday night at the Holiday INn. Let me know how it was going through the border. We are going through St. Stephen NB at Calais Maine. Where did you have breakfast at Deer Lake??

Jealous here......was supposed to go last year, but couldn't this year. Good Luck!

My brother in law’s first trip.

That does sound exiting, make sure you let us know how it went, good luck to you and your group.

I'm part of a group heading to northern Ontario (2 hours north of Sault Ste. Marie) to a fly-in camp. All-in the trip will run us ~$4500 (including flights in&out, outfitter fee, hunt license, etc). Last year was a bust (although we did give the outfitter a $2K stipend because they kept our tag rather than reselling to another outfitter), but excited to be going back this year.

2019 we left some trailcams, and two weeks ago the group went up there for first time since Oct 2019 for a fishing trip. Two years later...cams still working!!

It's a nice time of year to travel through Maine and NB. The leaves are out full bloom the 1st week of Oct.

Enjoy your trip. I went last year thanks to the covid and a big drop in prices.

I hope to post when I’m at the lodge. Next year my wife and i are thinking of spending 3 weeks in the Maritime’s. Maybe looking for a referral for a guide to do some fishing Supercub

I’m flying into Deer Lake on Sept 22, to hunt with Ironbound outfitters. Take a helicopter into there camp and hopefully hunting on the 23rd. Thought the ferry ride looked neat but for under $500 round trip decided flying from Ky made more sense then a couple extra days both ways in the car.

Damn good airfare!. My son is flying out of Montreal to Deer Lake. Direct flight. Our daughter lives in Burlington VT, so he is overnighting at there house. 3 1/2 ride from CT to VT. Only 1 flight per day to CA and often delayed or canceled. For me it’s 1300 miles plus the ferry ride. On the way home we will attempt a non stop once we arrive in North Sydney. Be home by midnight.

GOOD LUCK!!!

Make sure you book a room on the ferry. It is money well spent, esp if your doing a lot of driving the next day.



I can't help with the fishing as I haven't wet a line in years but I'd be happy to buy you a coffee on the way through. I live in Saint John, just an hour east of Calais ME.

Room is booked, staying at the Hilton in St. John the first night!

We did book a room, need a good nights sleep and shower.

You will be staying uptown. There's a few nice places to eat up there and if you're there early enough a walk through the old city market is worth the time.

Not sure how much time you will have this trip, but if you're here for three weeks next year, maybe we can get together.

Could you explain what you had to do with ArriveCa. Guess you can bring firearms etc. My dads in Nova Scotia planning a visit now.

Good luck and shoot straight y'all

I was scheduled to be hunting there this week. Then 2 weeks ago I got the Vid. Had to cancel the trip and now rebooked for October 17th-24th. I plannned on driving from Georgia but since it went from a group of 6 to now a budy and myself we have decided to fly. Sux because getting meat / horns back now will be limited. I originally was booked last year but that was nixed due to the border closuer. Anyone have any experiance on shipping meat back? I planned on carrying my bow and having a rifle back up. Having to considate my luggage, what items are a must and what should be left?

We will have a few hours if we leave home early enough, walk around ST. JOHN, get a bite to eat.

We just got home this afternoon. Damn long drive!
I can't write much right now, but my boy dumped 2 eating sized moose on our last full day of hunting (Thursday).

Have hunted Newfoundland many times. Last 2 with Red Indian Lake. First class outfit. Group of buddies headed up in 2 weeks, my crew going end of September 2022. Keep debating a Caribou tag, but can't justify the cash, I'd rather have a freezer full of moose meat. We take a flat trailer with chest freezers and a couple generators. With the meat froze solid before we leave, no trouble keeping it frozen back to Pennsylvania.

I hunted there 3 times all for woodland caribou with Snowshoe Lake Hunting and Fishing. First class operation from the hunting aspect and the food was really great. Getting a berth on the ferry is the only way to go. You get private beds and a shower. I can't believe how much it costs now for the hunts. In the early to mid 2000s the total cost for a 1 week hunt for caribou was less than 3K.

Thoughts on taking firearms to Canada. Check the serial number local to be sure it's not listed as stolen, and check it in at US customs before you leave the Us, so they can't say you bought it in Canada.

Bringing firearms into Canada requires filling out paperwork and registering with Canada customs at the border. Form includes serial numbers, so there's no issue about bringing it back to U.S.

Canadian citizens are precluded from purchasing ammunition unless they they have a card. U.S. citizens who travel with a firearm registered at the border can use their paperwork to purchase ammo in Canada. I've bought calibers not listed on the paperwork and nobody at Canadian Tire flinched. Unclear about rules for declaring your ammo purchases upon return, but we've never been asked and never declared. Canada allows you to travel into country with up to 200 rounds (perhaps that number's changed since I used to shoot trap in 2015, but I'm certain about that stupid number because a flat of shells for a weekend shoot is 250 rounds...forcing you to buy some locally).

Caribou hunt is between $11,200 - $15,000+. I will leave my checkbook home.

Teeder,

Any recommendations or suggestions going through the border? How long did it take you? We are going via Calais MAINE. Leaving the 30th.

Use this link.[img]https://www.canada.ca/en/public-hea...s-disease-covid-19/splash-arrivecan.html[/img]

Make sure when you fill out the form, Canada uses Postal Codes, Wabigoon is, P0V 2W0.

Use capital letters, and numerals.

W,
We went to border and customs located at Bradley IAP and they checked out the guns and signed off on the form. Getting our covid test on Tuesday, Leave CT on Thursday and arrive in St. John’s with time to spare on the 72 hour clock. The new guys going with us are excited all get out. It is an adventure for sure.

There are actually 3 crossings at Calais. There is a small one at Milltown. It's the one that the locals use given much less traffic but I doubt there would be a lot anyways. I find this one the fastest and least hassle. It's the only one I go to when we go over.

Here's one I saw there last yr. No tag.

That's where we crossed. We used the smaller main street crossing. Got there at 7:00 am and where the only ones there. It took about 20 minutes and was very easy, though we had everything prepared before we got there.
They checked passports, vaccination records and proof of negative test (my results didn't show up until the night before), and had us pull out the rifles to check serial numbers against the certs we got from homeland security.
They also gave us randomized test packets to take with us.

We ate at the deer lake motel, right across the street from "the big stop".

Cabins on the ferry are not available, due to covid. They don't even have the restaurant open. Just a deli/coffee bar. Bring snacks, pillows and prepare for a somewhat sleepless night. I don't do well with 100 dudes snoring.

That's interesting, we were told they weren't using the cabins when I booked months ago.

"Bringing firearms into Canada requires filling out paperwork and registering with Canada customs at the border. Form includes serial numbers, so there's no issue about bringing it back to U.S."

+1

Neither time we've done this have the us border asked a single question about our firearms.
All we did this time was declare the moose meat and fill out an import form when we got to the border.
Pretty easy.

That's weird. I went across last fall and they wanted you to use the cabins to limit contact with others. I got a room both ways, no problem.

Importing the meat is easy with a completed form. But, if you get a bull, the antlers are different matter. Returning to Michigan, we're not allowed to import skull or any brain matter unless it's been fully taxiderm'ed. If you cutoff the antlers at the base, you'll be okay. Don't know whether this affects all U.S. border crossings, or only Michigan. Personally, I think it's a wink-and-nod between U.S. and Canada to give more business to Canadian taxidermists. Brain born & prion diseases are a non-issue for moose in Canada.

Have a safe enjoyable hunt men!

"But, if you get a bull, the antlers are different matter."

They asked if we kept the antlers, but never looked. Didn't open the coolers, just made me open the tailgate.

We could have had 600 lbs of Pot!

Good luck Steve and others! Always wanted to do this trip. Sounds like quite an adventure..,

If you end up going through Montreal like we did customs is a disaster, allow lots of time. We missed connecting flights and had to overnight on the way in.

On a side note, everyone in camp saw a shooter caribou, but only one guy had a tag. It was 5k extra for bou tags where we were at.

As of September 22nd New Brunswick as their rules, haven’t checked them out yet.

Teeder, I’ll call Maritime Canada and get the scoop on the cabins, thanks for the heads up.
Our taxidermist wants the hides so we may have a problem bringing them back. I would do a European Mount on the skull and. Prefer to bring it home but not opposed to leaving it in NF and picking up next year on a return trip or possibly a fishing trip.

DId you tell the border agent YES re: antlers? When we went through US customs, the agent said, Line up, I’ll give the forms, don’t do anything until i tell you. Fill out sections 1,2,3,4 and sign and date. Thank you and congratulations.

Cut horns off leaving skull plate attatched—scoop out brain matter—skin skull plate—pour Clorox (Javex) over skull plate. No problem at Michigan border last year

We told him yes about having antlers. He never asked to see them, though.

Thanks guys.

I just went through this morning heading north. The Canadian border folks signed my rifle form without even looking at it. easiest northbound passage I have ever had.

I hope the US guys are as good southbound in 10 days

Hi, goodi to know.

noKnees, who is your outfitter? We are going to Tuckamore Lodge, the western Peniinsula, 400 miles from Port Aux Basque. Staying in Deer Lake next Saturday night. I checked in my rifles at Bradley IAP Border and Customs. He didn’t check the serial numbers and looked in one of my cases and not the other. HE said they will check at the border which I knew. Signed the form, BS’d for 15 minutes and went home.

Did they test you coming back either Canadians or US?

We were given "randomized test kits" to take with us when we crossed the border into Canada.
The instructions were: when we arrive at our destination we were to create an account on line, take the test, then someone would come to our destination to pick the tests up. I told him we were going to be in the middle of nowhere with no internet connection. He smiled and said "do our best".
We didn't do it. No one else in camp got the kits.
There were no covid related questions when we came back to the US.

BAD NEWS.
Tested positive today. Have a cold and that is a precursor to breakthrough among other things. Blood oxygen is 99% and will check hourly. Person at the test site told me to return tomorrow in case its a false positive. My daughter is an APRN and she spoke with the infectious disease APRN at her employer and she said its accurate. NOt sure where I picked it up. I wear a mask in stores. Waiting for my brother in law to get his test results this afternoon because he and his wife had been hacking the last 3-4 weeks.

Oh, NO!!! So sorry for you, man. Hope it turns out to be a false positive. Sending positive energy your way.
Good Luck

TY,

UGH! What a bummer! Gut wrenching news. Hours of planning, capital outlay, hopes and aspirations! What a disappointing let down. That hurts.
I hope and pray you weather this storm well and quickly emerge healed.
Jim

^^^ T H A T ^^^

Way too many false positives. Ask me how I know Get at least 2-3 more tests wherever you can as quickly as you can.

We're rooting for you eagle!

Going tomorrow for another test.
Thanks Jim, I’m bummed for the other guys.

Good luck abby. Hope you get things lined out so you can make this trip. I'm gonna make it up there eventually myself after last year's cancellation.

Oh man, that sucks! I hope it's a false positive.

Been following this thread, that really sux!!! Hope it works out you can make it.

Abs, hoping for you Mate !

GOOD NEWS!!!! NEGATIVE ON SECOND TEST, THANK GOD THE TESTER TOLD ME COME BACK TOMORROW (YESTERDAY) AND I DID WITH MY WIFE WHO ALSO TESTED NEGATIVE.

I FORGOT TO POST YESTERDAY. I WENT FOR ANOTHER TEST AND TESTED NEGATIVE. We left CT this morning at 6:15 and now I’M POSTING from our hotel in St. John’s NB. Leaving tomorrow for North Sydney.

After the positive test I was bummed more for my son and brother in law who was Hunting and bro in law 2 was a walker. After the test the person at the site told me come back Wednesday at 11 which i did with my wife who wanted to be tested. By the way we both were vaccinated Feb 13 and March 13 with Moderna. My wife was negative.
So the tester said she talked to the nurse after test 1 and her comment was that likely i was at the end of the breakthrough cycle and second test obviously detected nothing or false positive. That being said my bro in law that is with me was hacking a month ago, and now his wife is going for a Covid test tomorrow (he is telling her now as i write this). So i will know if she comes back positive or her grandson.

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT AND WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT.
TO BE CONTINUED.
BTW, GOING THRU the border was easy. Passport and negative test. 5-10 minutes later we were inside checking in and then outside the CA BP officer checked our rifles. We talked for about 10 minutes. HIs positive comments were as follows. Good you had open bolts so he could see they were empty; prefers the bolts out and the cases had padlocks on them. Apparently many times they find a bullet in the chamber and that’s why once the case is unpad locked, he wants control and not us to touch it. My colleague went to PEI last week and they were selected for a random test at their location on face time being observed by the proctor and then a Puralator courier picked up the sample.

That’s awesome you tested negative.

We hunted in the 80s $2500 moose $3500 moose and bou
Black bear was free

Newfoundland is one of my favorite trips ever. Newfies are the best. Everyone we met from gas station to outfitters.

You’re going to have an epic adventure!

Can’t wait for the story!

My wife and daughter who an APRN really think it was inconclusive and hence the false positive.

Great!
Good luck and enjoy!

Great news!




FYI ...... St. John's is in Newfoundland. Here in New Brunswick, it's Saint John.


Have a great trip!

Great news, man! Very happy for you.

What an emotional rollercoaster you've been on....

Now, go and enjoy your hunt.

Great news, man! Very happy for you.

What an emotional rollercoaster you've been on....

Now, go and enjoy your hunt.

WOOT, WOOT !!!

Good for you Mate !

I'M REJOICING FOR YOU!
WONDERFUL!
Hope you have a greatly successful hunt.
Best to you.
Jim

10/3 is a personally important day for me also. I'll be turning 82 years old on that day.

Great news! Good luck Steve!

That’s great news! We are driving across New Brunswick and will be on tomorrow morning’s ferry. When are you going across?

We crossed last night and staying at the DEER LAKE HOTEL tonight (Saturday). Picking up my son at the airport in an hour. Talked to a guy from Texas and they killed 4 bulls. I swear they're weren’t as MNY hunters on the ferry as 2018 same time of the month.

Happy Birthday JIm!!!

Thanks so much. That put a grin on my face.
I'll be following your reports here. Sure am glad that you received the false positive, overcame the obstacles and are hunting that rugged Newfoundland terrain again.
Best to you.
Jim the grinnin geezer.

We crossed this afternoon and are staying in Stephenville tonight. Meeting our guides in the morning to fly back in to hunt. We saw quite a few really nice racks on trucks getting off the ferry before we got on today. Hope they left some for the rest of us! Good luck on your hunt, and I look forward to seeing pics from your trip. I’ll post mine as well.

Sitting in camp now and breakfast is at 5 a.m. tomorrow, meet the guides at 6 and head out shortly thereafter.

Have a great hunt!

My son and I shared a guide because the camp was full which we were aware when we booked. First day out and the motto is didn’t pass up something on the first day if you would shoot it on the last day. My son and I shared a guide. We saw 3 bulls and two cows, watched them for over 20 minutes. The guide said it was at my discretion. My son wanted one with paddles since the last one had one antler.
At 139 yards I shot and he followed up and it dropped within 10 yards. Nice 5 point. Rut is on so he has 4 1/2 days to find his!. Weather is slightly overcast, a little passing drizzle.
Camp is a first class operation, food and service is very good, Tuckamore Lodge in Main Brook on the Easter side of the Western Peninsula.

good deal abbydog. good luck for your son

Wonderful! Hunting with your son, wonderful. Hunting that Newfoundland Moose sure is exciting. Glad you scored! I'm pulling for your son. My first hunt there was with my son. What a joy it was when we both took a bull. May you each experience the same.
Best to you.
Jim

GOOD LUCK

Dirty Harry

My son shot today at a bull 175 yards, wounded it and couldn’t find but one drop of bright red blood. As we approached the area, up it went and off never to be seen again. We combed the area for about 3 hours and then came back with my son’s drone and checked the surrounding ponds and bogs, edges etc. NOTTA.

Sadly if you hunt long enough, it’s going to happen....

That strong possibility exists at every stage of a hunter's life, new or old. I'd strongly encourage him to keep hunting. Honestly assess the situation, looking for any errors on his part and keep hunting. If he discovers errors own them, rectify them, and keep hunting. If he finds none keep hunting. Be encouraged. Encourage him.
Best to you.
Jim

Spot on Jim

You guys are right, he’s passed it. Thanks for the insight, it is always reassuring. Dave and Paul are heading back out tomorrow.

Today i drove with my bro in law, another hunter and a woman here from Germany with her 77 year old friend who shot a bull on the first day with the guide’s gun because her gun and luggage didn’t make it!! This lady hunted in quite a few countries and this is her last overseas hunt, she is closing this chapter in her book. We drove to the VIKING SETTLEMENT ON THE NORTH SHORE -L’Anise aux Meadows, a National Historic Site. Reproduction Viking Sod houses relatively close to the ocean. It was worth the drive.