Outfitter Review - Moose Valley Outfitters

Outfitter Information

Outfitter Name: Moose Valley Outfitters

Outfitter / Contact: Dean Macdonald

Location: Newfoundland, Canada

Hunt Information

Animals Hunted: Moose and Caribou

Game Quality: Excellent

Game Quantity: Normally Excellent

Accomodations: A-1,; lacks for nothing

Camp Condition: All 100%

Food Quality: Exceptional Home Cooking

Guide Experience: Decades apiece. The best.

Other Personal Experience: Excellent

Review Information

Hunter: Grant Benson

Phone:

Email:

Would Recommend: Yes, but book early!

Overall Impression: Excellent; World Class Value

I am providing this information as a reference on Moose Valley Outfitters, operated by Dean Macdonald and his family in Newfoundland.I’ll lead off by saying that though I go on numerous guided hunts each year MVO is the best operation I have ever hunted with in over 20 years of taking such trips. I bow hunted with them in 2001 and took both a caribou (bow) and a moose (with rifle). I also bowhunted in 2002 for caribou and moose and took a caribou and stalked some of the 30 moose I saw. I’m going back in 2003 yet again for bow moose. To show that my positive feedback is not solely a result of my having taken game with them you should know that I bow hunted successfully with another outfitter (Owls Nest Lodge) in Newfoundland in 1999 for moose and 2000 for caribou, but after trying Dean’s operation out I would never hunt anywhere else in Newfoundland. Here’s a few reasons why:1) The operation is totally family run from the pre-hunt communication to the guiding, the cooking, and the full operation of the camp. Dean and his family personally are involved in it all, trusting nobody else to the welfare and satisfaction of their hunters.2) The hunt is a first class wilderness experience in that it is fly into to a remote and isolated area that only MVO operates out of. You will never see any locals or other outfitters anywhere in the area. The camp is very nice and comfortable in some of the best country on the island.3) The camp is personal and small with only 3-5 hunters a week. The guide ratios are all 1 to 1 which is perfect and not all that common in Newfoundland, at least not without an extra charge. The guides probably average 25 years of hunting experience or more and know the area and game intimately. They take getting you game PERSONALLY !4) If you are interested in bowhunting this is nothing new to MVO and the guides all have experience successfully guiding bowhunters. They do this not only during the two bow only weeks at the start of the season, but also during other parts of the season as well.5) If cost is a consideration you’ll find that MVO is right on par cost-wise to even a bit less than other hunts in the area. You get what you pay for and a lot more with their camp.6) Dean is more than accommodating to special needs a hunter may have and has options to work with people with special needs or restrictions. They are very professional in how they cater to the hunters various needs and different experience levels.7) The use of boats will greatly add to the hunting experience and remote areas are accessed by boats to reduce hunting pressure in areas closest to camp. The fact that this method of transportation is used instead of the ATVs that other outfitters use greatly adds to the experience in the field and makes it a more enjoyable hunt for everyone since it is not all done on foot. 8) The food prepared and always available in camp is second to none. You won’t lose weight on this hunt even if you’re hunting hard 10-12 hours a day.9) The guides are very good at finding game and then, as importantly, figuring out the strategy to get a hunter into range, be it 20 yards for a bow or 200 for a rifle. They are true pros at figuring out the stalk routes, the wind, and the ways to make it all come together for you as the hunter.10) The guides do a great job of taking care of game in the field both from a meat perspective and caring for hides and racks so that when you are flown out everything will be ready for you to take home however you are traveling.11) One thing you do need to keep in mind that as this is a small operation with limited tags it does book full well in advance of most other operations on the island. The reputation and the capacity normally keep Dean booked at least a year ahead, especially for moose.I could go on and on, but the point is made above. This is a first class operation. If you need more references go to the Bowsite at www.bowsite.com and search under “Moose Valley” or “Newfoundland” in both the moose and caribou forums you’ll get a lot of feedback on MVO as well.

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