Newfoundland-Effords or moose valley outfitters?

[Matt79]

Guys,

I am looking for all the information you guys can give on each effords and moose valley outfitters for a rifle moose hunt. I think I have narrowed it to the 2, but other recommendations under 7k with good bulls I’m all ears to also.

I have read all I can find on both online, and both seem to be pretty solid outfitters w high success and kill some decent bulls (by looking at there galleries). Found few negatives on effords but not any negative on moose valley, but even w the neg for efford there is prob 100 good to a 1 bad review.

We aren’t going to expect 50” bulls but want the opportunity at upper 30s”- low 40s” bulls with good palmation to have a good representation of the species for the wall and memories. For the guys have been to either place, was this a reality? I’ve seen pics of some killed with less bone on there head than whitetails I’ve killed. That isn’t my idea of a bull moose hunt that cost 6-7k and just trying to avoid places that find that the normal bull. They all seem to post pics of the good bulls but I question how many dink’s are killed and not put on there sites. besides size of bulls, how many bulls did you see in a week hunt, and was there opportunity to pass numerous? I feel like it’s best to hear from guys that been to each place , than only an outfitter trying to sell a hunt.

All info will be greatly appreciated, just trying to get some help to make us decide one way or the other. Moose valley is about 1k more than effords in 2022, trying to see if they have more opportunity for our goals, for there higher price.

Thanks guys,
Matt

 

[chippewawarrior]

Good luck booking with Moose Valley anytime soon. Dean's openings are like that of Dall Sheep outfitters or pilots in Alaska, as he was booked out for close to 4 years when I was looking. He was my first choice, and I think he is EVERYONE's first choice. I talked to him a bunch, and he offered up a ton of local knowledge. Great guy. Effords offers sheer numbers, Bob has access to a crazy amount of camps.

Ultimately, I booked with Bob simply because he had openings. In the end, he did everything he said he would and more. We did a fly in hunt, and we were the second of three groups to hunt the area for the season. He also offers drive-in lodge hunts. Seven hunters total (2+3+2) for the camp we were at for the season. The first group in camp shot two bulls, one great trophy. We went 3 for 3, 2 bulls. I also had a bear tag, and even had a stalk for a bear. One of the bulls was small with the deer like rack you alluded to and the other was palmated in the upper 30's. They were not trophies of a lifetime, but that’s not why I was there. I was there to moose hunt with my dad, and we wanted the meat (I took a cow tag). I don't know what happened in the third week.

The cabin we stayed at was wonderful, the guides were old but awesome. They were in better shape than three quarters of the continental US, and the food was excellent. My guide also guided for the trophy moose hunts if they are purchased. Bob said he has a few (1 or 2) each season. We were 60 miles from the nearest road, and 100 miles from the nearest improved road. Bob does all the flying himself as he owns his own plane. You are picked up at the hotel by taxi (minivan) and driven 3 hours to take off. The flight was 40 minutes and we were in camp. We hunted that afternoon after lunch. Spot and stalk hunting, lots of glassing. Primary transportation in camp was by boat. You could go on walkabout, but that would just use unnecessary energy. The area was vast, and stalks could be long. My buddy's moose was spotted at least 2 miles away. If there are any negatives, there is no hunting on Sunday (before Oct. 1st, I believe?) and the fishing season is closed, but that is not in Bob's control. We tagged out on moose by Tuesday. We saw moose, and other game, everyday (one monster caribou). We had decent weather all week and only had half a day rained out (like monsoon type rain), but obviously that was luck of the draw.

PM me if you need more information.
-Chip

 

[MallardMaster]

Good luck booking with Moose Valley anytime soon. Dean's openings are like that of Dall Sheep outfitters or pilots in Alaska, as he was booked out for close to 4 years when I was looking. He was my first choice, and I think he is EVERYONE's first choice. I talked to him a bunch, and he offered up a ton of local knowledge. Great guy. Effords offers sheer numbers, Bob has access to a crazy amount of camps.

Ultimately, I booked with Bob simply because he had openings. In the end, he did everything he said he would and more. We did a fly in hunt, and we were the second of three groups to hunt the area for the season. He also offers drive-in lodge hunts. Seven hunters total (2+3+2) for the camp we were at for the season. The first group in camp shot two bulls, one great trophy. We went 3 for 3, 2 bulls. I also had a bear tag, and even had a stalk for a bear. One of the bulls was small with the deer like rack you alluded to and the other was palmated in the upper 30's. They were not trophies of a lifetime, but that’s not why I was there. I was there to moose hunt with my dad, and we wanted the meat (I took a cow tag). I don't know what happened in the third week.

The cabin we stayed at was wonderful, the guides were old but awesome. They were in better shape than three quarters of the continental US, and the food was excellent. My guide also guided for the trophy moose hunts if they are purchased. Bob said he has a few (1 or 2) each season. We were 60 miles from the nearest road, and 100 miles from the nearest improved road. Bob does all the flying himself as he owns his own plane. You are picked up at the hotel by taxi (minivan) and driven 3 hours to take off. The flight was 40 minutes and we were in camp. We hunted that afternoon after lunch. Spot and stalk hunting, lots of glassing. Primary transportation in camp was by boat. You could go on walkabout, but that would just use unnecessary energy. The area was vast, and stalks could be long. My buddy's moose was spotted at least 2 miles away. If there are any negatives, there is no hunting on Sunday (before Oct. 1st, I believe?) and the fishing season is closed, but that is not in Bob's control. We tagged out on moose by Tuesday. We saw moose everyday (one monster caribou). We had decent weather all week and only had half a day rained out (like monsoon type rain), but obviously that was luck of the draw.

PM me if you need more information.
-Chip

Sign Me Up!! Sounds like a top notch outfitter.

 

[Trial153]

I have bowhunted with Dean, there are several post about it on here. I am going back up the October for caribou and moose

 

[Oklahomadave]

I went with Moose Valley last year. Incredible hunt, great guides, good accommodations and good food. Saw plenty of moose and killed a 36” bull on the third day. You can’t go wrong with Moose Valley. I am rebooked for 2020.

 

[FSUHUNTER]

We're going with Bob Efford in September this year.... he seems like a good guy and references all checked out. I'll keep everyone posted.

 

[Matt79]

We booked with moose valley. Dean has answered every email and the numerous calls, seems like a great guy. As far as effords, we ruled him out after about 3 weeks on not answering our emails. It’s now been over a month since we first tried contacted him and still haven’t heard from him. Needless to say we are stoked for our hunt w dean!

 

[lbasilon85]

You guys hear anything about Ironbound Outfitters?

 

[Tjwjr89]

I'll also be hunting with Effords this fall. I've spent alot of time talking to him and explaining my expectations. I want a moose that looks like a moose. Over 35" with some palmation. He assured me it's very doable just be in shape enough to hike and be patient.

 

[Sako76]

Don't hunt with Bob Efforts, he's a liar and a thief. Five of us booked a drive in hunt with him in 2015, I asked how far will we have to drive from the camp to the hunting area and he said "you can walk out the back door and start hunting". After we booked the hunt, some of the references called and informed us that Efforts had sold his West Gander camp (our camp) after we booked. When we asked him about it, he stated that he booked us into a "better camp". My buddy sent me a pic of the aerial of the camp on a lake with about 100 houses on the lake. I asked my buddy about competition from local hunters and he said Efforts told him there wasn't any, I was very skeptical. This camp turned out be a fishing camp i a very populated area loaded with local hunters.

After a horrendous flight to NF we get to camp and informed that we are hunting Trout Brook, a 2 1/2-3 hour ride each way, I am now furious. We ask to speak to Bob Efforts but are informed he is flying clients and is unavailable. Our 3 guides are 75, 73 and 69 years old. They don't like getting out of the truck. This turned out to be a road hunt, driving up and down roads, with caravans of local hunters either coming out of the road we are going down or having multiple vehicles behind us. Tree planters were everywhere making large areas unhuntable. The guides never scouted the area and the "guides" got lost several time. I hunted on a side by side 1x1 and the it kept overheating, it was so hot it felt like I was sitting on a pizza oven. I made the guide get out and still hunt, we saw nothing.

Two guys shot bulls from the road, one guy saw a cow and a calf, me and another guy never saw a moose. The hunt really sucked. Efforts never returned our calls or came to camp to talk to us. When a couple of guys confronted Efforts at the Harrisburg show, Efforts mouthed off and got poked in the chest and he changed his tune, it's a good thing my one buddy dragged my other buddy away or Efforts would have found out how the US medical system worked!

Again, Bob Efforts is a liar, thief and money grubbing punk! He could have told us he sold the camp and either offered us another hunt or gave us our money back, instead he kept the $18,500 American dollars and put us in a bad hunting area. Beware!

 

[john2]

We're suppose to do fly-in hunt with Bob in October, hope its better than the story above.

John

 

[Brent9477]

Hope your hunt turns out better . Most hunters work hard for their money an deserve to be treated fairly an honestly .

 

[Sako76]

Brent--go to 24hourcampfire.com and search in the general hunting forum. Efforts booked guys into a fly-in camp and shorted them a full days hunt, then they got screwed on the cost of the hotel waiting for their commercial flight home.

 

[FSUHUNTER]

We just finished our hunt and had a blast. We went 4 for 4, sizes were 46 - 17pt, 42 -14 pt, 41 -13pt, 38 - 13 pt. Here are the pictures, i'll write up a long post when a get some time but pm me in the mean time if you want more details.

 

[RichP]

Nice Bulls FSUHunter.
I'm going up and hunting with Moose Valley in 2 weeks. I'll post my adventure when I get back.

 

[Trial153]

Nice Bulls FSUHunter.
I'm going up and hunting with Moose Valley in 2 weeks. I'll post my adventure when I get back.

Say hello when I get off the plane...

 

[Trial153]

We just finished our hunt and had a blast. We went 4 for 4, sizes were 46 - 17pt, 42 -14 pt, 41 -13pt, 38 - 13 pt. Here are the pictures, i'll write up a long post when a get some time but pm me in the mean time if you want more details.

Those are good NF bulls, glad to see it went well.

 

[RichP]

Say hello when I get off the plane...

I definitely will.

 

[JGRaider]

This is a bucket list hunt for me. Great pics and bulls FSU. I would be more than happy with any of those bulls.

 

[Tjwjr89]

Man does that get me stoked FSU, I fly out Thursday and into camp Friday.