I won a trip to Nfld for Caribou and will try to extend it and add bear and maybe moose.
The name of the outfit is Island safaris anyone know of them or hunt with them?
Finally,any advice from anyone that has hunted Nfld would be very much apreciated.
Thanks,Mad

Mad,

I don't have advice, but would like to congradulate you! Good hunting!

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www.rifleshooter.com

Save a plant, shoot a deer!

Thanks Bill,I'll try to kill something for ya.
Mad

Mad,

Don't kill something for me, do it for the plants!

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www.rifleshooter.com

Save a plant, shoot a deer!

I had a very nasty experience in Newfoundland this past September due to bad weather (for hunting), bad location and a very, very bad outfitter (that's really stretching the limits of the word "outfitter").

My advice: if its free, well enjoy! If you have any influence over when to go I would go in October to make sure the weather was cool and the game had begun to migrate around and start looking for mates. How did you "win" this? Be wary of anything that will land you there and then saddle you with a host of unexpected costs. Ask about the hunting area. Are there locals? You want to be in a remote location. Newfoundland is huge and not many folks live there. Not many caribou live there either! (More moose in fact) It is critical to be in a good location for game.

It is a beautiful country and I want to go back but I will be very much more careful of who I book with next time. The bears are very large and numerous, so its a good opportunity to get a big bruin for a cheap license.

Thanks Harald.It's the North American hunting club's membership drive contest.Usually it's gratis except for tags and transportation.It's the 3rd trip I've won.I do like to either extend the trip and add another animal,I think that sweetens the deal for the outfitter.
I love hunting in Canada,I'm the type that has a great time even if I get skunked as long as it's interesting and not a cluster flick.
Mad

Mad,

You've won three hunts!?!? You lucky SOB!

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www.rifleshooter.com

Save a plant, shoot a deer!

[This message has been edited by Bill (edited 01-29-2002).]

Harold,
Don't leave us in the dark about the bad outfitter. Maybe even a clue...initials?

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Phil- Life Member NRA & SCI

I was in Newfie 3 years ago and took a moose and a woodland caribou ; I came to almost 400 yrds of a 500lb class BLK bear.

Caribou are thick in Newfie and there's no way Moose outnumber them. Newfoundland is an outstanding place to hunt. If I lived on our Eastern Seaboard I'd be there every year.

Heres my advice to you, if rifle hunting. Hunt for moose first, no matter what the guide say's. While its true moose can be anywhere they will mainly be in the bog's and creek area's, and in the heavy cover that is around them. There are a lot of moose in Newfoundland but if you see a decent one I would take it, at least me. Moose meat is my favorite wild game and a younger tender one is great eating.

You will see many caribou, and many Stags. While they can be found anywhere they will mainly be on the hillsides "hills are taller then they look there" and the meadow's. If you kill a woodland caribou in the first two day's the odd's are that you will see a much better one before the hunt is over. Bears you will find anywhere.

On the last day of my hunt we had an incredable stag come close to the cabin. We were all filled out but I did get video of him. He would have been the woodland stag of a lifetime.

Also pay extra and chopper in & out. You dont want to waste hunting day's waiting for good weather to travel to camp. A chopper can fly in weather a light plane cant.

Get in shpe, this is a physical hunt. At least if you want to cover ground and see animals. Some of them ole boy's I saw on the ferry were so fat I didnt wonder why they never saw anything. The Newfie terrain is tougher then it first looks. I think someone put a rock in every square inch of that Island.

Your outfitter will tell you that ankle high , waterproof , boots are fine. Dont believe him. Buy hippers with tight walking ankles anyway. To a Newfer crossing 34% creeks in your underwear is 2nd nature, as is walking 10 miles with 200lbs of moose on his back.

Whatever you do dont brag about "being in shape" when you hunt with these people. A Newfer delights in physical tormant, his and yours. Be a self-depreciateing Yank and they might have mercy on you, MAYBE! And dont brag about your shooting, in fact, dont brag about anything. I went into the place saying I was crippled, stupid, a lousy shot, and a cheap tipper. When I left everyone had a high opinion of me!

Its true there are some bad outfitters on that Island, as in anywhere. But its hard to argue with a free hunt, just make sure you find out what exactly is free.

Drive there, take the ferry, and bring every cooler you, and your neighbors , have. A moose, a caribou, and a BLK bear can fill a lot of coolers. Everything has to be flash-froze on the Island. There is no dry-ice on Newfie and you wont find any until you hit Maine.

I'd add a couple of days just to look at the scenery of that area, it is lovely.

I hunted with Rollie Reid and Newfoundland Hunting LTD out of DeerLake. We hunted almost due North about 90 clicks, in the Savior Lake area. They were nice guys but the clown who put my trip together was a BS artist and really screwed them. That kind of leaked thru into the hunt, they didnt mean to let it, but when you live with people for a week there isnt much that is hid.

I would definately extend and add Bear and Moose to your trip...........good hunting...........10

[This message has been edited by 10point (edited 01-29-2002).]

Thanks 10,appriecate the advice.
I'm in decent shape but something like this gives me the incentive to get in alot better shape.
I'm going to bring the recurve and a rifle but I have a feeling I'll be doing the deed with the rifle.I'm not the global hunter and a trip like this is probably once in a lifetime and,to be honest,I'd rather take the moose or caribou with the rifle than to be unsuccessful with the bow.The bear isn't a priority as I've taken 4,but will not think twice about taking a real big bear.
My guide on my Alberta hunt was a Newf and a great guy and guide.Gotta get ahold of that crazy SOB.
Thanks,Mad

10Point, that "clown" wouldn't be Bill Bryden by any chance? You see, I hunted Savior Lake at Rollie Reid's cabin this September (without his permission evidently). The whole nauseating tale can be read at:

http://ulfhere.freeyellow.com/ballistics/newfoundland/newfoundland.html

I second 10Point about the terrain. Its rugged and the locals are much more adept at negotiating it. I wore 16 inch Bean boots (my favorite hunting footwear), but then I am afraid of any quagmire that looks like it might need hip waders to cross and I'll walk a long way around something like that. One nearly swallowed up my brother in Alaska.

Bring some high powered binoculars and a small tripod if you can stand the weight. It will save your neck and arms.

Harald I found your post disturbing. I remember a "Bryden" but he was an older guy and was the Light Plane pilot. While the cabin on Saviour Lake was no hotel it was comfortable, at least for hunting.

Rollie Reid must have left the outfit, or died, or something. Rollie is an honest man and there is no way he would be involved in something like this. When I went it was right after the big hurricane hit, I think '99, in fact I had to outrun it my whole drive up the coast.

And no, Bryden had nothing to do with my situation. What happened was some guy, whom I wont name, had told Rollie that he had 6 guy's to go on this trip. For that Rollie was going to throw him a hunt. Crunch time came, and the week before th hunt this guy called Rollie and said everyone canceled and only I and another hunter were going to show. This guy still tried to get his free hunt, when Rollie said no this guy cancled too.

Rollie had 4 guides up at the cabin for this trip, and had promised them work. He had gone thru all this, food...ect, expecting 7 hunters in the cabin.

There was a bit of an attitude over this. I dont think it was meant at me, the other hunter and myself had nothing to do with it all. But still it leaked thru, you know, when people feel screwed they dont hide it much.

I got my animals and on leaveing day I left my tips, quite generous at that. I didnt give the cook as much cause he didnt do squat except break some egg's. I tend to give more to a guy who carried 100lb quarter's on his back for me then to some cook who didnt do shit.

I only saw two moose "both Bulls", two bears, and quite a few caribou. I took a decent one, and with my young moose, did ok! The other hunter never saw a moose.

I didnt shoot much video cause Im tired of outfitters expecting a free video just cause Im a professional videomaker and Im there hunting. I dont travel the world paying for hunts and make free videos. Still I put something together for Rollie cause he was a nice man , and this other guy had screwed him.

Nobody there ever said thank you.

All in all I never sent anyone there and I wouldnt hunt with them again. Im ambivelant about the place and I dont doubt there are much better outfitters in Newfoundland. Newfoundland is a Gem, no doubt about it.

Im sorry your hunt went bad, there are some real chickenshit outfits out there............10

10Point, have no fear, Rollie was alive and well. He was over at Valley Lake that week and didn't know anything about what was happening at the cabin till later. It was his daughter actually that came by in the helicopter (unless I've confused Rollie with the owner of the cabin - in any case he was over at Valley Lake where we should have been). The young fellow, Morgan, was his nephew.