NF moose hunt story

[adamkolesar]

Alas, I don't think I have PM privileges yet.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

That’s awesome man, moosenhunting is dope as hell.

 

[adamkolesar]

Update on Parson's Pond Outfitters. It seems they sold their three southern camps (Mouse pond where this hunt took place was one of them). I guess the outfit is consolidating their operation. I think they have a drive up camp and two camps accessed by float plane for the '19 season.

 

[clearwateralaskaoutfitters]

Great pictures!! Thanks for taking the time to share it here.

 

[huntinelk]

Great hunt and write up

 

[bartman9]

Thanks for sharing your story. You did a great job with all the details! Curious, if you were to go back, would you use the same outfitter or would you choose someone different?

 

[deerkiller]

GREAT READ, over my first cup ….. sitting in the gun room getting ready to load some rounds

 

[DaveEarley]

Approximately how many pounds of meat made it home?
Thanks
Dave

 

[adamkolesar]

Approximately how many pounds of meat made it home?
Thanks
Dave

I ended up with 385lbs as per the processor. Had just a bit of loss while waiting for pick up. We didn't grab rib meat (didn't know that was an option at the time). I did get the heart, and liver though. Fit the meat and cape in four large coolers for trip home.

 

[rwmorgan48]

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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oView attachment 95523
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.
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A noble beast
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Author and moose
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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.
View attachment 95529
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.

fantastic writing, cant wait for the ending.

 

[rwmorgan48]

fantastic writing, cant wait for the ending.

 

[rodney482]

Love a well written story. Congrats!!!

 

[GatorMike]

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.
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Sam busy at work caping.
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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.

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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.




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Moose in his new home.
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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!

How wide is the rack? (maybe I missed it in your write up)

 

[adamkolesar]

How wide is the rack? (maybe I missed it in your write up)

The rack measured out right at 40". Not much palmation, but at least some width.

 

[Piranha37]

This was fun to read, I went in 2019 as well and had good luck. The terrain is surprisingly tough for as gentle as the hills and mountains look. The bogs are of course the worst.

 

[Mdk_archer88]

Beautiful!

 

[Mdk_archer88]

Great story!

 

[Elkhunterdan]

Great story

 

[pacoalcracker]

Great story. I hunted that same place and knew it quickly by the pictures you posted. 3 brothers owned it. Roger, Trevor and i dont remember the other, but all great people. My guide was Trevor and his wife was the cook and I ate really well. I was the only hunter in camp except for the last full day I was there. A muzzleloader hunter came in and the next day I was scheduled to leave, he shot the biggest racked Woodland caribou i seen that week...and i saw hundreds. I shot a 36" well palmed bull moose and a decent caribou. Trevor was fantastic...and yes, he liked his cigs. That was back in around 1995..a moose and caribou hunt for $2750. Sad to hear its sold....but those original owners are getting old. Last time I saw Roger at the sportsman show in Pa was probably around 2015/2016. Yes, its a great area to hunt and they got plenty of moose and caribou there.

 

[Joseph2186]

Great story and congratulations on a fine moose!