I have just returned from a Newfoundland moose/caribou combo hunt.
This hunt was recommended to me by Glenn Dunning from ?Tundratour consultants? ( http://www.tundratour.com/ ). I was hunting with outfitter Horace Lane from ?Riverrun Outfitting & Tours? ( http://www.riverrun.nf.net/).
Here is link to review of this outfitter:
http://modernmuzzleloader.com/phpBB/vie ... 0094#10094
Mr. Lane assigned me to the guide Shawn aka Lucky.
Day one:
Rain and wind up to 50mi/h. Lucky decides to hunt moose today. A lot of walking then glassing. Lucky is heavier and shorter then I but he can move. I can barely keep up. There is plenty of sign but no moose.
Day two:
No rain and almost no wind. We are going caribou hunting. We are going to the high country, and drive ATV's between the high points and glass the bogs for caribou.
After first 15 minutes we see a cow moose at 150 yards. This picture is taken through binoculars.
We watched her for a minute and then moved away. There was another cow that followed the first one but no bull. I told Lucky that I want to shoot this bull. We have been driving all morning but only saw one bedded cow caribou and a small group far away.
Another hunter killed nice caribou and Lucky helped them to bring the meat to the truck. After lunch we decided to get closer to the group of caribou we saw previously and take another look. We started to the bog and after two miles I spot a single caribou over the pond. Lucky confirmed it is a stag but we could not say how big it is. We decided to stalk him. After walking a few miles around the pond we can not find our caribou. We decided to continue in the direction he was moving. Soon, Lucky spotted a bedded caribou 500 yards away. After evaluating horns I?ve decided I want to take him. We started slowly closing the distance. When we were within about 200 yards the stag stands up and starts slowly mowing away from us. I made the shots using a Stoney Point bipod and here it is my first caribou:
Not big but I like it. After few hours we loaded it into the truck and got back to the camp by the dark.
Day three:
Rain no wind. Now I can concentrate on the moose. A lot of walking. Abundant moose and bear sign, but no moose.
Day four:
Sunday. No hunting on Sundays. Great day, sunny and warm. Just relaxing. My legs are totally recovered and I?m ready for the next week.
Day five:
No rain yet, but windy. I told Lucky that I only need a good moose. We started early. It?s the same area as the first day. Lucky said the rut should start any day now. He makes few cow calls. Waiting? Walk again and then call and wait. Lucky spots running cow moose at 200 yard on the left of us. She moves very fast and disappears in the trees. Lucky suggests that bull may chase her. We wait but did not see anything. We decided to move on. After few miles slow walking and calling, we both hear a moose call in the distance. We decided to stalk in that direction. After 15-20 min of stalking we spotted cow moose bedded by the pond about 600 yards away. . We decided to get closer and see if there is a bull near by. We got to the trees on the opposite side of the pond. By the time we got there the cow was standing in the middle of the pond and we spotted the bull laying down in the brush. We can only see antlers. Lucky says that it?s a shooter and he chased down the cow. She is not ready yet and ran away from him into the pond. Lucky measured distance - 194 yards. I took position and wait began. In 10 or 15 minutes cow and bull did not move. Cow was making noises and it looked like she was saying: ?get away from me, your dirty @#$$...?. Two ducks landing near the cow but she just looked at them and did not move. Finally, when I could not feel my legs, she decided to move. The bull stood up immediately when she got to the shore and he presented a perfect broad side shot. He took Barnes TSX 270 grain bullet and ran in the middle of the pond for safety, where he collapsed.
As soon as bull collapsed Lucky announced that can not swim and I have to go to get the moose because I?ve shot him . :lol: :lol: :lol:
I did not mind.
I had to strip down and get in the water. After some struggle we got the moose to the shore. Here it is, my first moose:
It took us rest of the day get moose back to the camp.
And then my hunt was over?
This hunt was recommended to me by Glenn Dunning from ?Tundratour consultants? ( http://www.tundratour.com/ ). I was hunting with outfitter Horace Lane from ?Riverrun Outfitting & Tours? ( http://www.riverrun.nf.net/).
Here is link to review of this outfitter:
http://modernmuzzleloader.com/phpBB/vie ... 0094#10094
Mr. Lane assigned me to the guide Shawn aka Lucky.
Day one:
Rain and wind up to 50mi/h. Lucky decides to hunt moose today. A lot of walking then glassing. Lucky is heavier and shorter then I but he can move. I can barely keep up. There is plenty of sign but no moose.
Day two:
No rain and almost no wind. We are going caribou hunting. We are going to the high country, and drive ATV's between the high points and glass the bogs for caribou.
After first 15 minutes we see a cow moose at 150 yards. This picture is taken through binoculars.
We watched her for a minute and then moved away. There was another cow that followed the first one but no bull. I told Lucky that I want to shoot this bull. We have been driving all morning but only saw one bedded cow caribou and a small group far away.
Another hunter killed nice caribou and Lucky helped them to bring the meat to the truck. After lunch we decided to get closer to the group of caribou we saw previously and take another look. We started to the bog and after two miles I spot a single caribou over the pond. Lucky confirmed it is a stag but we could not say how big it is. We decided to stalk him. After walking a few miles around the pond we can not find our caribou. We decided to continue in the direction he was moving. Soon, Lucky spotted a bedded caribou 500 yards away. After evaluating horns I?ve decided I want to take him. We started slowly closing the distance. When we were within about 200 yards the stag stands up and starts slowly mowing away from us. I made the shots using a Stoney Point bipod and here it is my first caribou:
Not big but I like it. After few hours we loaded it into the truck and got back to the camp by the dark.
Day three:
Rain no wind. Now I can concentrate on the moose. A lot of walking. Abundant moose and bear sign, but no moose.
Day four:
Sunday. No hunting on Sundays. Great day, sunny and warm. Just relaxing. My legs are totally recovered and I?m ready for the next week.
Day five:
No rain yet, but windy. I told Lucky that I only need a good moose. We started early. It?s the same area as the first day. Lucky said the rut should start any day now. He makes few cow calls. Waiting? Walk again and then call and wait. Lucky spots running cow moose at 200 yard on the left of us. She moves very fast and disappears in the trees. Lucky suggests that bull may chase her. We wait but did not see anything. We decided to move on. After few miles slow walking and calling, we both hear a moose call in the distance. We decided to stalk in that direction. After 15-20 min of stalking we spotted cow moose bedded by the pond about 600 yards away. . We decided to get closer and see if there is a bull near by. We got to the trees on the opposite side of the pond. By the time we got there the cow was standing in the middle of the pond and we spotted the bull laying down in the brush. We can only see antlers. Lucky says that it?s a shooter and he chased down the cow. She is not ready yet and ran away from him into the pond. Lucky measured distance - 194 yards. I took position and wait began. In 10 or 15 minutes cow and bull did not move. Cow was making noises and it looked like she was saying: ?get away from me, your dirty @#$$...?. Two ducks landing near the cow but she just looked at them and did not move. Finally, when I could not feel my legs, she decided to move. The bull stood up immediately when she got to the shore and he presented a perfect broad side shot. He took Barnes TSX 270 grain bullet and ran in the middle of the pond for safety, where he collapsed.
As soon as bull collapsed Lucky announced that can not swim and I have to go to get the moose because I?ve shot him . :lol: :lol: :lol:
I did not mind.
I had to strip down and get in the water. After some struggle we got the moose to the shore. Here it is, my first moose:
It took us rest of the day get moose back to the camp.
And then my hunt was over?
