NF moose hunt story

[adamkolesar]

Hi all,
I'm a newish member to RS and one of my favorite features of the forum are the detailed accounts of folks experience in the field. It's great to hear an unbiased recollection of the hunt, the outfitter (if not solo) research, equipment, location, travel etc. The whole process! I'll do my level best to provide one man's account of an October '17 moose hunt in New Foundland.
As a technological Luddite, I've managed to remove all anonymity from my RS handle. As such I'll leave the operators names out of the post. Happy to provide those details through PM.
Planning for this adventure began with a Booker in Sept of '16. I had no clue about RS in those days. I had used this outfit before on a successful BC spot and stalk black bear hunt. Their description of the outfitter and hunt was right on the money, and the hunt was a great experience with great people. When I gathered the requisite cash for a deposit and looked over the NF moose hunt offerings, I gave the regional guy I had been dealing with a call and discussed the two options. The Booker had been on a hunt with this outfitter and was successful across the board on a family hunt. I wished as remote and rugged a hunt as NF could offer. He assured me this outfitter was just the ticket. I specified I wanted the first week of October as that week should have the moose rutting. The other benefit is you get to hunt on Sunday ( a factor later in the story). The dates were on hold pending return of the hunt contract and deposit of $1500. The contract revealed the outfitter's contact information, so I could get further details of the hunt right from the source and make a final decision on whether to take the hunt. (Demonstration of the Booker's transparency) I had planned this hunt with a friend and urged him to submit his deposit (another factor later in the story). I again communicated my desire to the owner of the outfit for the most remote and rugged hunt he offered. This outfitter has 5 camps in the SE portion of NF. The camps range from drive-up big group compounds to fly-in remote plywood shack for two guides and two hunters. (My choice).
All this for just a bit over 5k. Helo flight included. All the hunt plans were set. Now the long wait....
During the ample time from deposit to hunt I sorted through logistics. I determined early on I would drive up and take the ferry. I live in Brooklyn, so the drive would be 16 hours to NS taking the standard I-95 route. I booked in May for the late September crossing. I also elected to go in a reserved easy chair as opposed to a room for the overnight journey. Those who have recommended the room are on point here. I spent a restless night under my hunting jacket fairly freezing with an attempt to drown out the chorus of snoring travellers.
Book early as you can on the ferry as you'll have lots of company on the ride over. My outfitter specified the Friday night 11:00pm(ish) crossing with arrival at 7am(ish) and the 3 hour drive to the heleport. The other reason for the drive was I preferred to transport the meat, cape and antlers (god willing) myself via coolers as opposed to leaving the meat, having it processed on site, and waiting until late November/early December for delivery an hour and a half drive away. The cost quoted was about $500. Not unfair, just not my cup of tea. You'll notice I don't mention my hunting friend very often in the story as he's MIA on any of this planning. He's submitted his deposit, but that's about it.
Now that travel is preliminarily sorted, I've been working up loads at the range. The rifle of choice for this hunt would be my Montana Synthetic/stainless in .338 Winchester Mag.
After trying to develop all sorts of special loads, the rifle just plain liked Federal Premium with a 250 grain Nosler Partition.
Sub MOA all day long. The typical range for the hunt would be most likely under 200 yards. I topped the Montana with a Leupold VX-3 4x12 and was confident out to 200 yards.
If you live in the NE you know there are few ranges beyond 200 yards available. So I certainly hoped for an opportunity within that range!
Fast forward again to zero hour. As predicted, my buddy flaked and left $1500 with the outfitter citing some kind of surprise Birthday party for his Mother. (Instagram revealed this story was a fabrication). Flaking on any commitment is an art form in this part of the world. Fair enough. I would go solo. I broke up the drive and did the first 5/6 hours after dinner on Thursday night. I couldn't risk NE corridor traffic on a 16 hour drive delaying my arrival for the ferry. Time and tide and all that. So I drove to the NH border and spent the night in a motel ready for the bigger push to Nova Scotia. I was advised to show up a couple of hours early to the port so I could get a place in line and all that. The border crossing was a non-event. I had the firearm paperwork ready (not signed as instructed) and my passport and the whole operation took 10 minutes. The remainder of the drive was under bluebird skies and non-eventful. I arrived at port shortly after 9pm. The line was indeed forming and as others have noted, the great state of PA is mightily represented. The atmosphere is akin to a tailgate. Everybody is pumped to be heading to the Rock for a week of chasing moose (or caribou). One peice of gear I coveted was the smaller chest freezer in the back of a p/u or on a hitch extension. They would run the thing on a 12v converter. Smart. Loading was very orderly, and passenger and commercial traffic were loaded in short order. The ferry is clean, had good chow and a decent selection of libations for the weary Traveller. As mentioned, maybe reserve a private room. Being solo, a room didn't make much sense to me.
On time arrival at Port Au Basque. Pictured is the ferry before departure and next morning. To be continued.

 

[adamkolesar]

So here is part 2 of the story. Once I arrived at Port Au Basque the outfitter estimated a 5 hour drive to Portland Lake where the heleport was located.


I was met by the outfitter as expected and he gathered up the remainder of the hunters who were arriving by car to the Helo area. There was a group of 7 or 8 of us going to different camps. We completed the paperwork, got our tags, settled up and then assigned an air craft. I met my bunk mate (he got the hunt my friend bailed on for $1500 off!) Great guy from PA. We would be flown to the mouse pond camp which consisted of two hunters and two guides. The Helo was loaded with our gear, provisions and building materials for the camp. Me and the guy from PA flipped a coin for co-pilot seating and the pictures are a result of my victory. A shortish 30 minute ride got us to camp at around 2pm local time for drop off and extraction of the two guys that preceded us in camp. The guides David and Sam greeted us and we're very proud of their 100% harvest rate to date. We were group 3 of 4 they would guide for the season. As mentioned, I really wanted a rut hunt, hence the choice of timing. The assignment of guide to client was fairly arbitrary. Despite paying full freight, I was assigned the apprentice guide, Sam. Good guy, and super laid back. I didn't want to start camp with some kind of conflict, or bad feelings. It was a contingency I hadn't thought to clarify. The cabin was appropriately rustic, but completely functional and reasonably equipped. Power via generator that was turned on at dark and first thing in the morning. David the head guide quipped that the moose were quite used to hearing the generator fired up each morning. Hunter bunks were arranged above each guide. There was a pit privy out back. All as expected given the remoteness of the location.
After a brief snack we set about glassing and getting oriented to the valley we would be hunting in for the next week. The guides let us go while they attended to camp chores. We would glass with the guides after dinner. We were able to spot far off bulls tending to cows and spotted a real monster at the top of a ridge miles away. Weather was clear, crisp and cool. We were called in for dinner (via the electronic cow call) and enjoyed a nice moose stew. This was the get to know you aspect of the hunt and all went well; that was until we reminded the guides that tomorrow (the first Sunday in October) was a hunt day. That fact caught both guides by surprise as they had been dropped in camp in mid-August. After a brief period of adjustment, all was well. The camp we were staying in was getting an extension built on to accommodate 2 more hunters and guides for the following season. I was happy we were only a party of two. After dinner we got our official orientation of the valley and the various high points the guides would use to glass for moose. Dark fell and after a brief time on the generator, it was lights out. One of the most important pieces of gear I brought was the robust supply of foam ear plugs. Sleeping in close proximity to this crew required substantial reduction in the volume of snoring. The one thing that concerned me as we drifted off to sleep was the very substantial brightness of the full moon. There were shadows cast throughout the cabin. Just sayin'
Dave promptly awakened the cabin at 6ish by firing up the generator via a remote switch on his bed post. Anxious to hunt, we got ourselves geared up and ate a hasty breakfast. The other morning ritual consisted of firing up the electronic call from the cabin's front porch. My guide Sam was responsible for battery maintenance as this was his method of calling. Dave used the tried and true Newfie call which is a tin can wrapped in duct tape with a shoelace attached through a hole in the bottom of the can. The key is wetting the shoelace. Dave and his client made it out the door first as my guide had to get his electronic call in order. The two guides stayed in contact via VHF radio which was mostly effective. Before we could leave the cabin, Dave called my guide with a bull sighting not more than a 100 yards from the cabin. He and his client were set up for a potential shot. We quietly exited the cabin and took up a position well behind Dave and his client. Sure enough Dave called with his Newfie Cow call and a decent bull probably in the mid 30s crossed the creek and took up residence on a small, wooded island. We were at about 150 yards and could see the whole thing. Dave and his man didn't have a good angle for a shot. The bull resisted re-appearing despite attempts at calling him out. Dave's client said he wouldn't have been inclined to shoot a bull literally in the first 5 minutes of a week long hunt within sight of the cabin. Fair enough.
After the excitement, both groups parted ways after a brief discussion on where each of us would hunt. The weather was clear with a high of around 50. No breeze to speak of. Perfect. As to footware I made the choice of 19" Lacrosse/muck type boots. These worked great and I had no foot issues in miles of hiking the bogs. Some attention is needed as you're always one step from an impossibly deep muck hole that will fill that boot with sludge and potentially wrench an ankle or knee. The guides we're very conservative about getting back to camp before nightfall to avoid such an injury. I brought a Cabela's day pack w/ a rifle harness for optics and lunch etc. We assumed our position after a short climb on the "smoking rock". Why was it called smoking rock you ask? Newfie guides (at least mine) enjoy a good smoke or two while glassing for moose. Scent control is definitely not part of this hunt. Neither is camo. These guys had eagle eyes, understood their animals, and were careful about wind (when they could). I signed on for a Newfie moose hunt, and I wasn't going to start second guessing the guy with how I thought the hunt should go. My bunk mate had some difficulty going with the flow however. I can certainly see it both ways. We spent the remainder of the day glassing and spotting two potential candidates tending cows many miles away. Too far to initiate a stalk and return to the cabin before nightfall. Nobody was really pretty aying attention to calling as no other moose were spotted. As the afternoon passed, the winds began to pick up, you can probably see where this is going....
We returned to camp as did David and his client, who passed on a spike. As you can imagine, the camp did not have a cook. David the head guide was on the hook for that responsibility and was none too happy about the prospect of guiding all day and then returning to cook the camp's dinner. Sensing I could contribute to a more harmonious camp atmosphere, I volunteered to cook. I dug around the camp's small chest freezer and found some pork chops. The last thing the guides wanted to eat was the abundant moose meat they had on hand. I regarded meal prep as a challenge, utilizing the modest pantry to create a decent plate of food. Have to say, the chow turned out pretty well. Some stories we're told, the meal cleared and it was lights out. As the night progressed the moon shone at full tilt and the wind persisted all night.
Day two of the hunt and David and his client beat us out the door again. As we took to the field, the wind remained as strong as over night. I would estimate between 15-20 miles an hour. If we spotted a shooter with some yardage between us the wind hold would be a challenge. We returned to smoking rock to see if we could find yesterday's bulls. No dice. We resumed our journey down the valley to another favored vantage point over looking the yellow bog. Hours of glassing and the bulls had disappeared. It seemed the unseasonably warm weather had delayed the rut as bulls we're just beginning to pay attention to calls without commiting either way. On top of that, we had a full moon and significant wind. Not the best recipe for encountering a moose. The other crew reported pretty much the same situation when they returned to the cabin. To be continued.
The view from "the smoking rock"

The pantry.

View from the porch

 

[ChrisAU]

Looking forward to the rest!

 

[RCL]

Excellent write up.
Thank you

 

[mooster]

Nice write up and photos are great.

 

[Scottyboy]

Tagging on for the rest of the story.

 

[Charon]

Beautiful Pictures.

 

[adamkolesar]

Thanks. Appreciate the feedback. Got hung up w/ work but will get the final installment squared away in the next day or two.

 

[Benjaminwill80]

Looking forward to the conclusion.

 

[OFFHNTN]

So far so good!!!

 

[adamkolesar]

And now the rest of the story...
The wind howled through the night amid a bright moon that almost allowed a trip to the privy without a headlamp. The foam earplugs were inserted and off to sleep with a North wind and the chorus of middle aged men's apneic snoring to drift off to.
Sam and myself hatched a plan to make sure we would be out the door first in the morning. Part of Sam's evening preparation was to make sure the back-up batteries for his electronic cow call were sorted, charged and stowed in his pack. He also preloaded lunch in an effort to hit the field first. I made sure I had my day pack loaded and gear in order. Such is the friendly rivalry between guides (and hunters). David hit his remote generator switch promptly at 530 and Sam dutifully activated the cow call. We ate breakfast and were out the door at day break. David and his client scrambled to catch up. The morning was blissfully still, clear and about 40 degrees. The plan was to go for a longer hike and look over some new ground (given we hadn't seen moose in their typical haunts). We would walk the river basin and stop so often to call and glass.

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Hiking to our hunting spot minutes before the bull's appearance.

We were hiking for a bit less than an hour when Sam suggested we cross the river which was at a normal fall level with exposed rocks and reasonably shallow water. The guides had designated crossing spots with hand hewn walking sticks they had fabricated as part of their camp prep along the river's edge. We crossed and followed a smaller tributary. We encountered a 15 ft deadfall tree about 30 ft off the river at the timberline. Sam asked me which side of the tree I wanted to hunt. I opted to hunt the side facing the river. The deadfall was perfectly situated at about 3 feet high as Sam and I concealed ourselves with the sun behind our backs. Another welcome feature was the totally stable gun rest. I felt like I was at the range. Sam set up his call and let out a couple of yelps. I got my range finder and noted a couple of shoreline landmarks for reference. Sam was intently glassing down river while I was glassing across. We had only settled in for two minutes when I noticed movement in the trees across the river from our vantage point. Another look revealed the head of a bull through the the brush. A step or two revealed the left profile of antlers and the lower legs. I tapped Sam on the shoulder and pointed to the area of activity. I quietly chambered a round. A moment of panic set in as the bull backed away from the edge of the tree line. All I could see now was his four legs. He stood out of reach for what seemed like an eternity. Dave hit a single cow call (w/ volume substantially lowered) and the bull moved forward. The treeline was atop an 8 or nine foot berm that transitioned to the river bed. The bull slowly worked his way to the river bottom unaware of our presence. In the quick evaluation, I knew he was a shooter. Not a giant, but mature and palmated with a reasonably wide spread. He turned a perfect broadside; his bronze coat reflecting the morning sun. With my .338 securely resting on the deadfall I set the cross hairs forward shoulder. It was as if I were providing an image for a Leupold scope catalogue. A perfectly lit moose filled the reticle. I squeezed the trigger and when the rifle came to rest, nothing. I asked the guide "where did he go?". "Ahhh you dropped him my son" was the reply. Ranging confirmed he was at 93 yards.

A noble beast


Author and moose

Getting it done! Note the calf deep muck...

As every hunter knows, you have seconds to judge an animal, consider the prevaling conditions, assess the shot and execute or pass. My personal assessment and the nearly perfect shot opportunity made the decision straight forward for me. This was a bull few first time moose hunters would pass up on the last day.
Also of interest. In the course of the set up and shot Sam and I did not speak. He was a man of few words. There really wasn't discussion on trophy size or goals for the hunt. As mentioned earlier, the manner of hunting is straight forward. When the bull presented himself it was a go for me. Sam was happy for me and proud to keep his 100 % harvest streak intact.
We crossed the river to find the bull. He was a 9 pointer with a 40" spread. I was completely happy. Sam was not so happy at the location of the kill. It turns out the bull was dropped in calf deep wetland. Sam was even more thrilled that I wanted the moose caped. I ignored his mild consternation and we went about memorializing the kill. My hunt consultant mentioned I should make sure to urge the guide to take pictures, as photography might be considered a low priority chore when a moose is on the ground. In looking around the kill site it was quickly apparent this was his bedding area. After a night of carousing with the ladies, the poor fellow just wanted to get some shut eye. We set about the task of quartering the bull. Everything you hear about the hide and unique hollow hair of the moose dulling even the best blades in short order are true. Frequent sharpening in the absence of a replaceable blade Havalon is the order of the day. We skinned and began quartering. We also boned the quarters as the meat is taken out by helo at the conclusion of the hunt, (more on that later). To Sam's surprise I requested three of the lower legs intact. My wife specifically requested the legs for lamps. Very little of this animal would go to waste! Each quarter of meat had its own game bag and tag. I hid the offending added bone of the legs at the bottom of the bag covered by a hundred pounds of meat. The pilot would never know!
A bright spot in my guide's day was that we had a bull down at 7am and had a beautiful and unseasonably warm day to get our work done. As soon as the sun crested the valley, the wind picked up again.

Ready for pick up

We dutifully filled each game bag with meat and left the cape in one of the front quarter bags. I made sure to get the liver, tongue and heart as well. The way most outfitters in NL work with a remote kill like this is to process on the spot, bag and tag the meat and leave it. There are bear around, and one hopes that their prize is not discovered. No attempt was made to conceal or hang the meat. The four bags were left on the river bank. Once a moose is killed the guide contacts the outfitter and a decision is made to pick hunter and moose up for extraction. There are a couple of potential rubs in that plan
Weather. I got lucky in that the high each day was middle 50's with lows at night in the lower 40's. Also that damned wind was good for meat preservation. Secondly no rain. Thirdly, someone killed a moose in another camp the next day and I was extracted with him 48 hrs after the kill. I don't know how many outfitters would send a helo to extract a lone hunter. In fact, my bunk mate killed a moose the day I left and lost some of his meat and all of his cape due to really warm weather (mid 70's). The other thing to keep an eye out for is the material of the game bag your outfitter might be using. My guy used his last four fabric (cotton) game bags. The next crew would have to settle for those terrible poly weave bags. If I did this hunt again, I would bring my own game bags as insurance. Time to sign off. One last installment to go with a wrap up and final thoughts and pictures.

 

[adamkolesar]

Final installment of my NL moose hunt.
After a morning of breaking down the moose and getting him bagged we took the antlers with us for further cleaning of the skull. We were back at the cabin for lunch. Sam let me know David would call the boss that evening and let him know we had a moose down. We took care of some chores and I got started on a celebration dinner (again to the great relief of head guide David). I was able to dig up chicken. I also made sure to bring a bottle of Maker's 46 to sip on post harvest. Newfies traditionally enjoy a snort of screech which is a close relative of Medford rum. Not for the faint of heart. A fine sipping Bourbon was a welcome novelty for sure. Dinner was served and the story of the harvest shared. My bunk mate and guide hiked a good way down the valley (further than any other client that season) in search of a bull. No dice. The wind and full moon were taking their toll. After dinner David grabbed the sat phone and informed the boss mouse pond had a moose down. We were informed that no other moose had been taken as of yet and as soon as at least one other moose was taken the outfitter would dispatch the helo. Fortunately temps dipped down into the low 40's that evening. My meat and cape would be safe for the meantime.

Sam busy at work caping.

The antlers ready for transport.
David and Sam headed out early full of determination to find a bull and explore new territory. I contented myself with exploring the surrounds of the camp. Sam and I spotted a smaller bull on a hillside maybe two miles away. We radioed David, but they were investigating a bull of their own. Looked like things might be improving. I busied myself with gathering ingredients for dinner which would be meat loaf. I also hoped someone else would score so I could get my moose off the ground! Evening came and my bunk mate reported passing on a small 4 pointer and a cow. David was mildly perturbed as Newfies hunt moose after they shed so antlers really have no value. The better news was that a guy in another near by camp killed a moose and was ready for extraction.


The surrounds and source of camp water. Potable if you're a Newfie guide!

I was told I should be ready to go first thing in the morning. David and his client headed out bright and early and the Helo landed by 8am with provisions for the camp and to pick me and my moose up. A short hop to the kill site, a quick load up and off we were to the next camp which was about 15 minutes away. The process was repeated and back to base.
I had brought every cooler I owned (which turned out to be just barely enough for the cape and quarters. This is where driving in is an advantage. As mentioned by others, the ferry is flexible heading west. I called as soon as I got cell coverage and changed my return (which was late that evening). As a note, if you're extracted from the field early make sure you're likely to make the west bound ferry. Ice for my coolers was about an hour's drive from the Helo base. I made sure to top off my gas and pack my coolers with ice for the trip home. When I arrived in Port Au Basque I drained and refilled my coolers for the overnight ferry ride. The guys that assisted in the ferry loading couldn't have been nicer. They asked about the hunt and made sure my vehicle wasn't too close to the engine room. Top notch service!
Arrived in North Sydney at 7am for the next push home. I have a place in the Adirondacks and planned my route home accordingly. I would cross the border just north of Malone, NY (home of Dannamora prison) where my taxidermist was waiting up for me to drop off the cape and legs. I would then stop overnight at my place (again draining and refilling ice) and head slightly further south to Saratoga springs to drop off the meat at the processor.





Moose in his new home.

A fine use for a leg...
All in all a great adventure I would recommend to anyone. My bunk mate ended up with a really fine bull the afternoon I left. The two guys who followed us to close out the month long season scored as well. David and Sam kept their 100% harvest rate intact!

 

[INgunner54]

Great pictures and story! Thanks for sharing. Maybe I missed it, but do you mind sharing what outfit you hunted with? Thanks again!

 

[Labdad]

Great write up

 

[jmcarlson6641]

Great write up! Its things like this that bring me back to reading forums

 

[Shrek]

Congratulations ! Thanks for the story !

 

[adamkolesar]

Great pictures and story! Thanks for sharing. Maybe I missed it, but do you mind sharing what outfit you hunted with? Thanks again!

Sure. Given the general positive nature of the hunt, I don't the Parson's Pond Outfitters would mind the mention. Thanks for the kind words.

 

[Ridge Ghost]

Great story! Thanks for taking the time to share it

 

[CREillY]

Thanks for sharing!

 

[FSUHUNTER]

great job describing your trip. I'm headed there for the 1st week hunt in September. Can you pm me your contact info, would love to hear more about some of the nuances that you'd have done differently...such as game bags, and guide reference.