Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada Moose camp or outfitter help

So, my buddies and I are in the planning stages of a 2016 Canadian rifle moose hunt. There are five of us and we would be driving up from Minnesota. We are looking for an unguided hunt in either Ontario or Manitoba. No trophy hunters in the group, we just want a decent chance to shoot a moose or two. Can any of you recommend a camp or outfitter that might meet our needs? We were hoping to find something in the $2-3k range.

Thanks�.Jeff

bzaoutfitters.com or PM me

I had an excellent hunt with these folks in 2010 and they have options that would meet your requirements. You would cross into Ontario at International Falls and drive to Ear Falls, then fly to camp:

http://www.kayair.com/

Better figure on $1000 for flyin, and $500 for license, and then camp fees etc. I don't know if you'll make it in under $3000. But it'll be something you'll not soon forget. I think most of the trips run closer to $5K -- or the real good ones do.

Check into Mattice Lake outfitters, Armstrong, On. They are the best outfitters I have ever hunted with. Excellent accommodations, radio/telephone communication to the home base, good motors and boats, good hunting. I have personally hunted on about 7 of Don's camps and as I recall we only ever failed to get a moose on one lake (although a Michigan group we recommended this outfitter to did get moose on this same lake).

See my avatar for a picture of a moose I took at one of Don's camps.

Jim

Pete runs a good operation. I did maintenance on his camps a decade ago and they are kept up very well. Give Pete and Karen a call and you will see they are special.
"the big guy" Randy

Another nice thing about this hunt is that the fishing is spectabulous. We were catching walleyes while watching for moose. Pete offers fully guided hunts and also dropoff hunts that would be appropriate to your question.

Actually depending on which lake he has some that produce trophy northerns too. Ask me

Lots of moose in the areas he flies to. Remember our hunt with Jim that time, Randy? And the fish soup we lived on? And the moose brains we ate and the sweet breads of moose? What a trip to remember with dear old Dad.

Guys,

Thanks for the recommendations. We were already looking pretty hard at Mattice Lake.

How do you guys usually hunt on these type of hunts? Take a boat out to a swampy area and call from shore?

Jeff

For a lake we have never hunted before we usually obtain a topographic map and look for adjoining ponds and/or connecting creeks where moose may be expected to travel. Also look for margins along the shore where they may move about. Inquire about old burns or logged off areas where re-growth can be expected. Before we ever set foot on the lake we generally know where our calling sites are likely to be.

Don Elliott of Mattice Lake Outfitters will usually supply a map for any lake you are seriously interested in which will help to pinpoint where you might hunt. It helps, of course, if you have moose hunted previously and have an idea of what you are looking for.

Practice calling from various videos that are available. Watch some of the moose hunting shows on outdoor tv. You do not have to be an expert caller to get results but you need to have some idea of what sounds you are trying to reproduce.

From our experience we have had moose call from quite close to some of our watchers and they always say the real sounds are much deeper and louder than most of us are able to reproduce. In spite of this we still manage to get them to come in.

If you do not have any experienced moose hunters with you it may take multiple trips before you begin to score. Hope some of these comments help.

Jim

Surprisingly we have always had best luck on the most recent cuts, if fact clear cuts done with-in the year even thou they seem to have not much feed have always produced best for us.

I'm interested to hear what you end up deciding. I am planning a moose hunting trip as well in 2014. Fly in sounds appealing but unfortunately too expensive for some of the guys in my group.

Most folks around here do a moose hunt for quite a bit less since it does not include flying in. Problem is I hear things are getting quite busy with hunters in some of those WMUs that used to be legendary for moose like 16C and 15B.

canoetrpr, I don't know your state of residence so am unsure how familiar you are with Ontario's land use regulations. Refer to page 27 of the Fall 2013/Spring 2014 Hunting regulations for information. It is no longer possible to undertake a d.i.y. hunt on Crown land without restrictions.

Possibly your group can afford to hunt under the limitations of the noted section but for sure I would contact the Ministry of Natural Resources for confirmation before entering Ontario. The cost of violating these restrictions possibly could far exceed the cost of an outfitted hunt. Not trying to discourage anyone, just want you to be aware of the restrictions.

Jim

Thank you for bringing that up Jim.
That was my understanding, but you explained it better than I could have.

I've got to fill in my profile. I am a resident of Ontario.

Profile now filled. I'm just north east of Toronto.

Okay, that explains a lot. Obviously the non-resident restrictions will not apply to you and your gang. This is why information is needed in the profile so we know who we are responding to. I had assumed you were a US resident.

Jim

P.S. I was mixing up your inquiry with the original inquiry which did involve a U.S. resident.

My apologies for the confusion gents.

w ww.hearstair.com

Great very professional outfit. I've shot several moose flying in with them.