justhuntitall

Hi all


What Im looking for is a semi guided archery moose hunt in Canada . I would rather hunt in the states but takes forever to draw tag and trust me Im trying to draw from east to west. Looking for 2011 . If anyone has a place they have been or just some general info I sure would appreciate it .



Thanks All
Shane

Windwalker7

I went to Newfoundland in 2005. Lots of moose there. I think the success rate for the entire province is 85%. the outfitter I used has a 95% success rate, I believe.

http://www.biggameoutfitting.com/about_us.html

I will say this, I'm not sure how well this outfitter will cater to bowhunters. Being a bowhunter myself, I was talking to our guides about bowhunting and asking how many guys came to their outfit with bows. I immediately got the impression that theydidn't prefer to guide bowhunters. they said in the past they had problems with moose only getting wounded and not recovered.


Moose are a big animal. They can absorb the shot from a magnum rifle and stay on their feet making you think you missed.


The guides will bend over backwards to get you a moose. the fact that moose were getting wounded and not recovered made hard decisions for the guides to make. Do they continue to guide that hunter for another moose (possibly having that hunter in reality causing the death of two moose)


Or do they refuse to guide that hunter for another moose causing hard feelings and possible complaints against the whole outfit.

It leaves them in a tough situation.

Walking up there is difficult. Your feet sink into the ground a few inches causing you to lift your legs higher for the next step. This wears you out quickly. This maybe another reason for them nopt prefering bowhunters. It requires them to get you close which may drop their success rate.

If you give them a call, they may answer many of your questions. They will guide you, they would just rather you had a gun. At least that is the impression I got.

If there is anything in paticular you want to know, just ask.

justhuntitall

Thanks for the info this is good stuff!

I will check in with this outfitter and feel them out again thanks a bunch!!

salukipv1

you can try applying for a shiras moose in ID, can draw your first year....best odds in the west... 1 in 8 I think, have to buy a non-resident hunting license to apply however.

Windwalker7

I wanted to take a few minutes and expand on this outfit. They run about a dozen camps. The camps are fly-in only. There is no road access. That means you won't be competing with locals.

The main lodge you drive to. When you arrive, they get your license in order and have you fill out a paper on how you want your moose butchered. (a real confidence booster)



You wait at the main lodge until it is time to be flown out to the hunting camp. Now here is the kicker; If you arrive a day or two early, they will fly you in early as long as there is a camp open. in other words, if a camp of hunters has tagged out and are ready to leave, they fly those hunters out and fly your group in.

The guides will live at the hunting camp for the entire season (about 6 weeks) The outfitter pays them for being there whether they are guiding or sitting around waiting for the next group of hunters.

Our hunt was supposed to start Friday but since the group before us tagged out and wanted to leave, we started our hunt Wednesday. We could have stayed until the following Friday turning a 6 day hunt into a 8 day hunt if we would have needed the extra time, with no extra charge. I advise arriving at the main lodge a day or two early.

One other thing i wanted to touch on. many of the moose taken are not very big antler wise. there are many nice racked moose taken as you can see by the website pictures but many are very small. Many consider this hunt a meat hunt. talking to some of the other huners at the mani lodge, it seemed to me that this was an anual trip for them. Hunts were just a way to fill the freezer.

I just don't want you to get the impression that the buls are huge like the hunts you see on TV. I think they said the average spread is 36-40 inches with some bigger and some smaller.

You can choose to pass if a shot is presented and the rack is too small, but be aware that you will walk, walk and walk some more. you will get tired from walking. it is difficult to walk there as I stated before. I believe that many hunters settle for a small moose for this very reason. They just get tired of walking.

If you get a moose, the guides radio in to the main lodge that evening. As soon as weather permits, the pilot flys in to get your meat. It is flown out and taken to the butcher. When your hunt is over, you stop in (on you way home) at the butchers' and pick up your frozen, vaccum packed, boxed meat. It is a neat setup and you don't have to drive out of your way. The butcher is along the main route home.

Newfoundland boasts the highest success rate on moose found anywhere. It is a great experience and you will totally enjoy a hunt there. I don't have any experience with any oyther outfitters and there are many good ones. I know that the one I used was very good. Hope this helps.

Pygmy

Good firsthand info from Windwalker..

There is another outfit that bowhunters on another forum give excellent reviews on..

I believe the name is Moose Valley Outfitters... Google up Moose Valley and I'm sure you'll come across it...

If you want an excellent chance to shoot a moose and aren't hung up on shooting a great big one, Newfoundland is the place..

If you really want a big rack, save your $$$ and hunt western Canada or Alaska...

Keep in mind, even a small moose is a pretty big critter......

moosemike

I've held three moose tags in New England and my wife has held one. So it's not impossible to get drawn in those states.

bdog2003

I stayed at a fishing resort here twice and there seem to be alot of father/son type guides in that area. The boy that cleaned boats and fish at the resort guided with he dad for deer bear and moose. He had a really nice album with all the animals their clients have taken. Alot of people hunted with them from toronto to texas.
Kingfisher Resort. www.kingfisherlodge.com
Perrault Falls, Ontario, CA

AK Jeff

If you're only looking for a semi-guided hunt have you considered booking through a hunt planning service in Alaska? I'd highly recommend you look into Larry Bartlett's hunt planning service through his company Pristine Ventures. It's far cheaper than a fully guided hunt, and takes care of the cumbersome logistics of where to go, how to get there, and what gear to use, etc.

http://www.pristineventures.com/ungu...tPlanning.html

I know Larry and will personally vouch for him. He's a stand up guy and he runs a top notch operation. He can plan out essentially every aspect of the logistics for you, and then the hunting portion is up to you. Trophy quality doesn't get any better than Alaska, and non-resident tags are over the counter.

justhuntitall

Real good info here ! Thanks everyone ! This is what these forums or for good info and tips to chase !