Jeff C. Neal, INC - Quality Big Game Hunts

Canada Newfoundland

Newfoundland trophy Caribou and Moose hunts

Trophy Woodland Caribou:

This hunt offers your best opportunity in the World today to hunt Trophy Woodland Caribou. The main Lodge at Sam's Pond is the base of the Trophy Woodland Caribou Hunts. The operator then operates many tent camp sites that we fly to by bush plane to give access to caribou movements. The outfitter has a company floatplane that is on site and as many moves that are necessary with the floatplane to and from various locations is included in your trophy caribou hunt adventure. Also, the site at Sam’s Pond provides excellent opportunity for record book caribou. At Sam’s Pond and the tent camp sites we hunt the Middle Ridge Herd of caribou that, according to biologists, are the biggest antlered herd in Newfoundland. We can offer these trophy woodland caribou hunts during the rut, being late Sept- early Oct through late October. They do have our own aircraft and they know where the caribou are located!!! At the tent sites the outfitter will provide a tent and a boat and motor as well generated electricity Tents are outfitter heavy canvass wall tents perched on wooden floors with wood stoves as well as propane.

This past few seasons delivered 100% success on these trophy caribou hunts.

Note that this outfitter’s hunters were awarded the # 1 and # 3 awards for Woodland Caribou at the Boone and Crockett 26th Awards in Forth Worth Texas in July of last year. Congratulations to Mr James Holt of PA for # 1 and Mr Scott Trujillo of NJ for # 2. Our 7 trophy woodland caribou hunters this past season harvested 6 all time B & C trophies and all SCI book animals. Also the # 3 SCI muzzleloader was taken here by Roger Englesman that looks like they have bumped to # 4 by Steve Bruggeman of MN this past season thus it looks like they have the # 2 or # 3 and # 4 muzzleloader. They also have the # 3 SCI archery in 2006. The awards winner for B&C was also the # 2 for SCI Rifle and the largest woodland caribou harvested by a non-resident in 65 years with a score of 384 5/8 B7C and 419 SCI. We are awaiting official scores from the extremely successful trophy Woodland Caribou from this fall. It looks as unofficially James Johnson of MT harvested the largest approx a 350 B&C net score. Hopefully full details about the scores will become available in the next few months.

At the Caribou camp they take a maximum of 4 hunters per week. The lodge has all the comforts of home; hot and cold running water with showers, generated electricity and propane refrigeration, as well as a cell and or satellite telephone.

Moose Hunts.

Moose hunts at the main lodges yield average Newfoundland size moose from 30-40”. Yet each location will produce a couple (and sometimes more) trophies each year. These sites offer all amenities of home, yet they do use various spike camps for overnighters away from the main lodges. Fly-in moose hunts are fairly tough hunts and one would need to be in reasonable shape to expect excellent results. The ground access lodge offers moose hunting as good and less physically demanding and should be considered if you’re not in reasonable physical condition. This ground access lodge though can also offer the fit hunter the adventure of a lifetime as here we have such a vast area that you can literally hunt on foot everyday in different locations, a fabulous hunt indeed for any hunter.

Trophy Moose Hunts are offered on a limited basis. These hunts have yielded moose in the range of 43”--59” with the average around 48-52” with the largest one being 59” and a featured story in the Nov/Dec 2006 issue of Safari Magazine with a score that made # 7 SCI. These hunts are rugged and demanding with no cooks or running water. You will have comfortable outfitter wall tents with wooden floors as well as wood stoves and propane stove. Also generator power is supplied. This hunt is truly an Adventure, but not for the faint of heart. This past season 7 of the 8 trophy moose hunters harvested Bull Moose. The other hunter had many chances to take a bull and one he says that was near 50’’ plus on the first day but held out for bigger. The 2009 trophies ranged from 44’’ – 571/2”. The 2 largest were 53” and 57 1/2”

Hunting Seasons 2010 Fly-in:
Bow Hunting-------Aug 29th to September 12th
Bow/Rifle-----------Sept 12th to Nov 8th
Ground Accessed Season
Sept 12th to December 12th

Black Bear:

Steele Lake, Harold’s Pond and Sam’s Pond, provide good chance to stumble onto a Black Bear. Last season bear sightings were frequent, almost every day. There is a high population of these trophy bruins weighing 400-600 lbs. Even though it is much more difficult to keep a bear around bait during the fall and the chances for success will run 30% - 40%.

Bush Transportation:

This outfitter also operates a commercial air service, Clarenville Aviation Limited. They operate a late model 1980 float equipped Cessna A185F Skywagon II. The Air Charter Company is fully licensed by Transport Canada and the Canadian Transportation Agency. All three camps are remote fly-in as well as many satellite camps. All hunters, employees, supplies, meat, etc. are flown back with our float equipped aircraft. Having their own aircraft enables us to have better access to our facilities preventing hours or days waiting for an aircraft to lift you in or out. Clarenville Aviation Limited also provides air services to various other outfitters throughout Newfoundland. Note that we make sure our hunters are first in line and when weather gets bad we are still first in the air for our clients, no delays when it clears.

Getting There: Guests hunting at Harold’s Pond and Steele Lake will be required to fly into Deer Lake Airport, Newfoundland on a Thursday. Guests will be picked up early Friday morning and transported by vehicle to Peter Stride’s Pond on the Burgeo Highway (2 hr drive) for a midmorning flight. Your return would be midday the following Friday.

-Guests hunting at Sam’s Pond and tent camp outposts will need to fly to Gander Airport or St. John’s, Newfoundland on Saturday. Guest hunting our ground accessed lodge North West Gander will need to fly into Gander Saturday evening.

-Guests will be picked up early Sunday morning and transported to float-plane base at Thorburn Lake for early afternoon flight on Sunday or driven to the ground accessed lodge. Return midday the following Sunday. There is a $100/person fee for St John’s pickup.

-Guests that drive to Newfoundland via the ferry from North Sydney, Nova Scotia, can reach Peter Strides Pond within approximately a 2.5 hr drive from Port aux Basques. Driving guests hunting at Sam’s Pond will need to drive to Thorburn Lake, which will take about 6-7 hrs from Port aux Basques. The ground access lodge at NWG is about 5.5 hr- A Newfoundland Road Map with marked locations will be sent to driving guests.

Meat Handling:

All animals will be boned in the field, packed back at camp and hung in our meat houses. On Wednesday, or earlier if temperatures are warm, the meat will be flown to base. For driving guests, meat is usually chilled. For flying guests, the meat will be packaged in waxed insulated cartons and chilled for the airlines.

Note: Butchering of meat is only done on request and is an additional cost.

As well a ground shipment company can make arrangements to ground ship your meat capes and antlers, frozen back to the USA. We provide boxes and drop off to this shipper.

Shipping Company: “Central Newfoundland Shipping”

License Fees:

License fees are included in the package price.

Equipment:

Each location is equipped with gas powered generators and chest freezers. At Harold’s Pond there are 2 aluminum boats and 2 canoes with outboard motors. They also have a 4 wheel ATV for use to retrieve meat. At Steele Lake we have 3 aluminum boats, 1 canoe and a 6-wheel Argo ATV. At Sam’s Pond and Rainy Lake combined they have 5 aluminum boats and motors and an 8-wheel Argo ATV. At North West Gander River Lodge (the ground accessed site), they use a 4x4 Pickup and ATV’s.

Accommodations:

Harold’s Pond, Steele Lake and North West Gander lodges are approximately 800 ft2 in size and very clean and comfortable. They are of log construction with three double occupancy private bedrooms, hot and cold running water with showers and indoor plumbing. Lighting is provided by generated power and refrigerator and cooking range are propane. The lodges are heated with 12-hour burner stoves. A full-time cook is on staff at each lodge to provide home cooked meals and shore lunches during the day. The menu will consist of turkey, beef, duck, steak, fish, etc. Any suggestions are welcome to the menu. Sam’s Pond Lodge is 1,200 ft2 with five bedrooms and can accommodate six hunters. North West Gander Lodge can accommodate 6 hunters. Note when there are only 2 hunters in camp the guides do cooking.

Motel:

Guests flying into Gander or St. John’s will normally have to fly in on Saturday evening, thus, requiring hotel reservations for Saturday night. Guests flying into Deer Lake will need to fly in Thursday evening, thus, requiring hotel reservations for Thursday night. Hotel costs are the responsibility of the hunter. Assistance in making reservations can be provided to you upon request.

2011 Air Accessed Lodge Rate Schedule
Eastern Canadian Moose - $ 5,250.00
Eastern Canadian Moose/Black bear - $ 5,650.00
Spring Black Bear - $ 3,700.00

Newfoundland Trophy Hunts (tent based)
Trophy Woodland Caribou (fly-outs included) - $ 12,500.00
Trophy Eastern Canadian Moose - $ 6,900.00
Trophy Eastern Canadian Moose (12 day hunt) - $ 8,900.00
Trophy Woodland Caribou (12 day rut hunt) fly-outs included. Early Oct –Late Oct - $ 15,800.00
Trophy Moose/Woodland Caribou/Black Bear(12 day) - $ 19,900.00
Additional Week - $ 3,300.00
Non-Hunter Fee- $ 1,600.00

2011 Ground based Lodge Rate Schedule (2x1 guide)
Eastern Canadian Moose - $ 3,900.00
Spring Black Bear - $ 2,800.00
Additional Week - $ 2500.00
Non-Hunter Fee - $ 1,200.00
Add Bear to any of the above - $ 400.00

- Rates are in US Funds
_Rates include License Fees
_Rates are for 1 Week Hunts (Sunday-Sunday or Friday-Friday) unless stated otherwise
_Rates do not include sales tax (6.5 % non-residents) or (13 % for Canadians)
_All Fly-in remote hunts are (1 Hunter: 1 Guide)
_Ground Accessed hunts are (2 Hunters: 1 Guide), upgrade to 1x1 guide for $750.00