Glenn and Rons Canada Moose Hunt

[daddysprad]

There are many guided moose hunt stories but this one should make interesting reading.  We started doing some research a year ago trying to find an outfitter/location with these prerequisites:

1.    Good chance of getting a moose
2.   Close enough to drive so we could get our meat home
3.   Affordable enough to semi justify the trip to our Spouses

Not on the list were:

1.    Trophy
2.   1st class service and accommodations.

So in retrospect, we got everything on our prerequisites list and nothing over and above.

We went with Silver Fox Outfitters out of Edson Alberta, known as the Wal-Mart of Outfitters in southern/central Canada. 
We chose, mostly based on price (you get what you pay for) and some good recommendation from a few of the previous hunters.  We paid $4500+ $800 for the tag, each.  Thanks to one of those previous hunters who made it very clear which guide not to get who was described by a current hunter as a “drunken piece of crap”.  We told the outfitter, the guides we would not hunt with based on references and by luck we got who we considered the best guide, Pat.  Pat has his own black bear guide business in the spring and some quality equipment.  The other guides that were in camp, for the most part were good, some were very helpful and some avoided work like the plague.
Our two roommates in the small wall tent were luckily great folks.  The largest and smallest racks in the group picture came from them.  Since all of the meat processors in town were busy, one of the gentlemen from Michiganhelped process 8 moose in his 12 day hunt including ours. 
The Camp cook was really good and made sure we had plenty to eat, think we gained a few pounds.  She was cheerful and brought a smile to our face every day.  Unfortunately she is retiring from camp cooking.
The Outfitter himself does not have a great reputation but is really just a business man.  We only saw him twice, once when we got there and the day we left.  Worked out pretty good as far as we were concerned.   His equipment was some of the most abused crap known to man, every wall tent leaked and was tarped (still leaked) and every other thing supplied by the outfitter was old, broken or worn-out.  Funny that it wouldn’t take a lot of money or effort to seal some leaky tents and do some much needed repair and replacement of cots, pads, stoves, tent floors, etc.  Since both of us are retired military, we are kind of used to making do.
Now for the hunt:  Anyone who has visited the area north of Edson will know that it is a huge area with logging roads crisscrossing the landscape.  The trees are so thick that you can’t see 5 feet ahead, I guess you could say “you can’t see the forest for the trees”.  Really beautiful this time of year.  Anyway, the idea was to hunt the cuts and cut blocks which are few and far between.  So you could call our host a guide or driver because it was mostly road hunting, which kind of made sense after looking at the area.  It’s hard to question our guides methods as at one point during the season, his clients had killed 7 bull moose in 7 days and another one (Ron’s) two days later.  We were 2 on1 with the guide and he had a dislike for sitting around camp.  Our hunt was supposed to start on Monday, but since his earlier clients had tagged out, he took us out Sunday afternoon.  Based on a coin toss Glenn was up first, if we were together. Just driving around we spotted a respectable moose for the area which after the shot, was cooperative enough to run to the road to expire.  Not our favorite way to hunt but was successful just the same. Ron was up next and the weather went to crap.  We spent two days driving around in some of the worst mud I have ever seen, stopping occasionally to call. On the 3rd morning of our hunt nothing except some large tracks in snow/mud.   Glenn was dropped back at camp while Ron and the driver went into town to gas up.  On the way back to camp, Ron and the guide stopped to check a cut line about 200 yards off the main (dirt) road.  Looking out his window Ron saw a cow in the cut to the right.  The guide said get out and get ready.  He called while Ron watched in the direction of the cow.  Ron and the guide heard a grunt, but couldn’t tell the direction.  He called again and the grunt was behind them.  The guide ended up calling the bull to within 125 yards where Ron placed a couple of good shots that dispatched the moose. 
As a side note, both moose were taken back to camp whole.  The guide had a 1 ton GMC with a winch on the front and a hangman’s winch on the deck.   He also had a 4 wheeler on the deck.  For Glenn’s moose (which fell on the road) the moose was lifted with the deck winch, gutted and then swung on to the deck.  Then the guide drove the 4 wheeler on top of the moose and away we went.  Ron’s bull was similar, except it was gutted in the field and winched to the truck and lifted on to the deck.
Every single moose tag was filled by the time we left (2 days early on a 6 day hunt) so it is very hard to complain.  This area is not a large moose area but one guy did want a bigger bull to mount and got a decent bull (45”).
Going with a good friend and keeping a good attitude resulted in a memorable good time.  We knew what to expect based upon research and got it (was hoping for better). This rut hunt has very good history of success and if you are looking to save a few bucks, not a bad gig. The archery hunt (1 for 4 this year) and the later hunts based upon what I heard are a hard row to hoe and this is not the outfitter to go with if things are tough.
PM us if you want any other information.

[shanevg]

Looks like a good time!

[quadrafire]

Great write up and information on a guided hunt. I have never been on one and wouldn't have known what to expect.
Congrats on the Moose? Now you can wait for your 2nd in a lifetime here in the states for your next one. 

[daddysprad]

We keep saving our points...

[quadrafire]

That was supposed to be an (!) after moose, sorry about the (?). I just now noticed 

[daddysprad]

I didn't even catch it, but thanks.     

[buck man]

Great job 

[Reinsurance shooter]

Thank you for be detailed story/info accompanied by nice pics. Congrats to you and your buddy.

[WALLEYEGUY]

Ron

 Thanks for getting this put on the site

Glenn

[GoldTip]

Looks like lots of good eating for sure.  Sounds like a good hunt for someone who just wants to harvest a reasonably priced Moose.

[carpsniperg2]

Congrats

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Looks like lots of good eating for sure.  Sounds like a good hunt for someone who just wants to harvest a reasonably priced Moose.

Congrats on your success! I love moose meat. Looks like you did your planning.

Not complaining, so don't take me wrong, we all have our own reasons for hunting. But when I hear people talking about a reasonably priced moose and see the hunt cost $5,300 just for the guide and the tag, I choke a bit. I could buy a beef about the size of those moose for $2,000, and the same amount of pork would cost you somewhat less, so it's not bargain priced meat you're after.

If you just wanted to take a moose (pretty much guaranteed it sounds like) because you haven't got one before and wanted to see some different country and be minimally taken care of, this was probably an OK deal for what it was. Hunting in Canada is fairly expensive because you have to hire a guide. But you also could have had a fairly nice DIY hunt in Alaska for the same money and it would be wilderness hunting, not road hunting.  Myself, If I was paying that much money for a hunt (which I never will), I'd want a good back country hunt. I'd want the full experience.

If you ever want to do something like that, I know of a couple guys in Alaska who help out of Staters with logistics and equipment and hunt plans for hunts like that. Some of their hunts are float hunts. PM me and I'll give you the info to contact them.  From what I know of them, they are both stand up guys and I believe ex military. One I've chatted with, and the other I've met and talked to. There is a charge for their services, but for what you get, I think it's pretty reasonable.

There's no guarantee you'll get a moose, but if you do, chances are it's going to be pretty nice.

[daddysprad]

Must be an election year... .  Our point was to pass along accurate details of our hunt so others could make up their own minds (which it sounds like you did).  If we hunted based on the price of beef or pork, I think the sport would be extinct.  As far as the Alaska hunt, if you do your homework like we did, it's not cheap.  Just getting the meat home is very expensive and the amount of vacation time triples, which we didn't have.

I was hoping the last point to our story was that any hunting/fishing trip with a good friend is priceless.  We have worked, hunted and fished together for many years involving kids, parents and now grandkids.  It' all what you make of it.   

[C-Money]

Congrats on your hunt! My wife and I want to moose hunt very badly. We have looked at Canada a few times, we just need to "pull the trigger" and do it. We found your write up very helpful. Thanks!

[Machias]

Great write up and photos!!  Glad you both got your animals!!!!  I miss you guys ALOT!