Conne River Outfitting, Newfoundland
05-09-2024, 06:37 AM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3
Conne River Outfitting, Newfoundland
I have been waiting patiently to write this review and have been on the fence in doing so. I feel it’s time I do before someone else falls victim and waste money. Conne River Outfitting in Newfoundland I can not recommend to anyone until the manager Robert is no longer allowed to run this outfit.
We booked with Conne River at the Harrisburg Pa Sportsman Show. Upon meeting with Robert Hanson who is the General Manager not the owner or outfitter which he stated to us he was. We booked for 8 hunters, some moose and some moose/bear combo.
I kept in touch with Robert throughout the year getting all the paperwork, deposits and final payment to him as well as discussing the type of hunting and camp location.
We arrived in camp Sunday October 15th and met with Robert and the guides as well as all the staff.
After Sunday we did NOT see or hear from Robert until the next to last day of the hunt. Not once did he reach out to myself or any of the other hunters to inquire how our hunt was going.
As for the hunt, where do I start. We agreed during the booking of this hunt to a couple hunters doing a 2x1 and the others 1x1 until someone was successful. The 2x1 hunters (myself & another hunter) would then go to 1x1. That DID NOT happen. Unfortunately myself and my buddy basically road hunted or walked from the road seeing a total of 1 cow & 1 calf and TWO GUT PILES. We were both combo moose/bear hunters and the guide informed us the area we were hunting did not hold and bear.
We were never offered the use of a quad or Argo as all the other hunters have been utilizing all week to get into the backcountry. Finally on the last day we were able to have a local friend (not a licensed guide) of the Robert take myself with a quad along with our guide and buddy on another quad into the backcountry.
On to the equipment…WORST maintenance EVER. One of the hunters in our group didn’t hunt for over 2 days due to having to walk out miles after the Argo stalled and didn’t start. Myself and my buddy attempted to get on the river and hunt and we were unable to do so. The boat’s motor would not start and there was no back up motor available. Once again wasting hours of hunting time.
The day Robert finally did show up was Thursday afternoon and was made aware of our displeasure by one of the other hunters. His quick and uncalled for nasty response was “We are the worst group he has ever had”.
Animals….I can’t say anything regarding quality or quantity. My party of 7 shot the following: 1 good bull 52” , 1 small bull, 1 spike & 1 cow. Some hunters never saw a bull. Myself & my buddy on the day we did have the use of quads we did see one bull but never had a chance at him.
There were also 2 bears harvested on the trip. But that is as far as it went. Both bears are now missing. It’s 7 months since we left Newfoundland and the bears are not in our possession and no one can tell us where they are. We have been told it’s due to the government and paperwork (cities permit).
We can’t get any answers and no one has contacted us since March.
Meat processing:
All went well until one of the hunters opened his box after receiving the shipment of meat and only had 3 very small packages of backstraps. Any moose hunter knows moose backstraps are BIG. I sent Robert a text message with a picture which to no surprise went unanswered. That was no surprise because on the day we were to leave camp in the afternoon he forced us to leave earlier than planned them lied and accused us of making his morning chef upset and cry.
When she was given her the tip from everyone when we were leaving she was not crying or upset at us but basically burnt out from a long season. This was confirmed after speaking with a couple of the guides and staff members.
Guides:
They all know the area very well. My guide was born and raised there as most of them are but he was by no means a “go getter”.
So until Robert no longer can get the BCR (Band Counsel Resolution) to outfit on Tribal Land, I can not recommend this outfitter. There are much better and honest outfitters to spend your hard earned money.
In closing we originally started this hunt with 8 hunters. Due to a very serious and life threatening illness (Cancer) one of my friends in the group could not make the hunt.
Robert knowing this situation basically took over $6000 from him and never offered to move his hunt to the following year. Robert knew about this at the beginning of the hunt and stole his money.
We booked with Conne River at the Harrisburg Pa Sportsman Show. Upon meeting with Robert Hanson who is the General Manager not the owner or outfitter which he stated to us he was. We booked for 8 hunters, some moose and some moose/bear combo.
I kept in touch with Robert throughout the year getting all the paperwork, deposits and final payment to him as well as discussing the type of hunting and camp location.
We arrived in camp Sunday October 15th and met with Robert and the guides as well as all the staff.
After Sunday we did NOT see or hear from Robert until the next to last day of the hunt. Not once did he reach out to myself or any of the other hunters to inquire how our hunt was going.
As for the hunt, where do I start. We agreed during the booking of this hunt to a couple hunters doing a 2x1 and the others 1x1 until someone was successful. The 2x1 hunters (myself & another hunter) would then go to 1x1. That DID NOT happen. Unfortunately myself and my buddy basically road hunted or walked from the road seeing a total of 1 cow & 1 calf and TWO GUT PILES. We were both combo moose/bear hunters and the guide informed us the area we were hunting did not hold and bear.
We were never offered the use of a quad or Argo as all the other hunters have been utilizing all week to get into the backcountry. Finally on the last day we were able to have a local friend (not a licensed guide) of the Robert take myself with a quad along with our guide and buddy on another quad into the backcountry.
On to the equipment…WORST maintenance EVER. One of the hunters in our group didn’t hunt for over 2 days due to having to walk out miles after the Argo stalled and didn’t start. Myself and my buddy attempted to get on the river and hunt and we were unable to do so. The boat’s motor would not start and there was no back up motor available. Once again wasting hours of hunting time.
The day Robert finally did show up was Thursday afternoon and was made aware of our displeasure by one of the other hunters. His quick and uncalled for nasty response was “We are the worst group he has ever had”.
Animals….I can’t say anything regarding quality or quantity. My party of 7 shot the following: 1 good bull 52” , 1 small bull, 1 spike & 1 cow. Some hunters never saw a bull. Myself & my buddy on the day we did have the use of quads we did see one bull but never had a chance at him.
There were also 2 bears harvested on the trip. But that is as far as it went. Both bears are now missing. It’s 7 months since we left Newfoundland and the bears are not in our possession and no one can tell us where they are. We have been told it’s due to the government and paperwork (cities permit).
We can’t get any answers and no one has contacted us since March.
Meat processing:
All went well until one of the hunters opened his box after receiving the shipment of meat and only had 3 very small packages of backstraps. Any moose hunter knows moose backstraps are BIG. I sent Robert a text message with a picture which to no surprise went unanswered. That was no surprise because on the day we were to leave camp in the afternoon he forced us to leave earlier than planned them lied and accused us of making his morning chef upset and cry.
When she was given her the tip from everyone when we were leaving she was not crying or upset at us but basically burnt out from a long season. This was confirmed after speaking with a couple of the guides and staff members.
Guides:
They all know the area very well. My guide was born and raised there as most of them are but he was by no means a “go getter”.
So until Robert no longer can get the BCR (Band Counsel Resolution) to outfit on Tribal Land, I can not recommend this outfitter. There are much better and honest outfitters to spend your hard earned money.
In closing we originally started this hunt with 8 hunters. Due to a very serious and life threatening illness (Cancer) one of my friends in the group could not make the hunt.
Robert knowing this situation basically took over $6000 from him and never offered to move his hunt to the following year. Robert knew about this at the beginning of the hunt and stole his money.
