Looking for suggestions on a first hunting trip

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canoetrpr

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Just North of Toronto
2013 is the year I hope to get into hunting. I've paried up with a couple buddies, one of whom has hunted all his life with his dad and then stopped 5 years ago and is getting back into it. He's hunted deer (tree stand in his back yard and caribou in Quebec).

We want to do our best to be successful and are thinking that maybe we ought to hook up with a guide / lodge of some sort given our lack of familiarity with the territory if we do a trip. We can do a self guided thing.

Trying to keep costs down as close to $1k-2k for a week per person as possible. Don't mind driving 10 hrs or so. Ideally as someone else suggested here it would be great to get a moose tag in an area with moose and deer. We are all pool 2 so doubt we would get a moose tag.

If anyone has a lodge / outfitter in in mind that we could use or a WMU in general we ought to target, let me know.

My buddy suggested hunting moose in Newfoundland. Is this realistic at all with a $1-2k budget?? Would be a heck of a drive. How does one work the logistics of flying meat back and so on?
 
Nfld will be $4k each minimum.
Most outfitters will be $3500+ per hunter, some are $10K +. Then there is the fuel to drive down and back.

Its 18 hrs to the ferry for me, then 6 hr ride. We take freezers in the truck with a generator, all the meat comes back cut and vac packed. The ferry would cost $270 each way for 1 truck and 3 guys. Add another$125 if you want a cabin to sleep in. No sleeping in truck.

If you want something in Ontario, I'd talk to these guys...

http://www.kennisislakelodge.com/hunting.html

Ive never hunted or stayed there, but I have hunted a lot in wmu 54 and always saw deer and moose.
 
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For around $1500-2000 you could get into blackbear guided hunts in most places in ontario that offer bears. It would be over baits so most if not all of your group gets a chance to shoot an animal. The success of taking a big game animal at closer range would really get new hunters hooked. I love bear meat and love hunting bears so much that I pass up moose hunting to focus on getting my bear every fall. Just a thought. Find any crown land and start baiting. Sleep in tents. Very cheap hunt if you want a self guided experience. I know a few guys that wanted to get into hunting and tried for moose for 3 years and never seeing a shootable animal gave up. If they would have had the trill of a bear walk under a stand I think they'd still be into hunting
 
Muskyhunter1 said:
Do a spring bear hunt in Quebec. Can't recommend anyone but lots out there. A little hunting in evening and fishing in the day. I miss those days. Good luck.
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I agree...If you want something a little more rustic, check out Labrador as well. They have some of the best bear hunting in North America IMO.
 
Never really considered bear hunting as a first trip. Try to be gentle as I explain why. I'm a bit queasy generally about hunting over a baited stand. I'm incredibly new to all of this. Don't get me wrong - I don't judge other hunters and it would be silly for me to do so given I am brand new at this. Currently, hunting over a baited stand does not feel like fair chase to me - nor do a few other things that are perfectly ok with other hunters.

As you point out, I might feel much different if I go hunting for moose or deer three years in a row, in in a manner that constitutes fair chase to me, and come up empty handed :). My concept of fair chase might just change after that ;-)

Again, I don't judge anyone who hunts over a baited stand for bear, or anything else that does not feel like fair chase to me, so please don't take this the wrong way. I cannot tell you how much I do appreciate your feedback and will certainly consider it seriously regardless.

I've also never tasted bear and generally tend to avoid animals that eat meat. No really good reason for this to be honest - I just prefer to consume lower down in the food chain. I raise my own cattle and my beef is entirely grass fed. We've got our own chickens at the farm as well.

I have changed my ways in the past so it may well be that my ethical compass will change over time. For starters, over 15 years ago, I was a vegetarian (for 5 years). I've come a LONG way from then to raising my own beef cattle and getting ready to out hunting for the first time this year.
 
canoetrpr said:
Never really considered bear hunting as a first trip. Try to be gentle as I explain why. I'm a bit queasy generally about hunting over a baited stand. I'm incredibly new to all of this. Don't get me wrong - I don't judge other hunters and it would be silly for me to do so given I am brand new at this. Currently, hunting over a baited stand does not feel like fair chase to me - nor do a few other things that are perfectly ok with other hunters.

As you point out, I might feel much different if I go hunting for moose or deer three years in a row, in in a manner that constitutes fair chase to me, and come up empty handed :). My concept of fair chase might just change after that ;-)

Again, I don't judge anyone who hunts over a baited stand for bear, or anything else that does not feel like fair chase to me, so please don't take this the wrong way. I cannot tell you how much I do appreciate your feedback and will certainly consider it seriously regardless.

I've also never tasted bear and generally tend to avoid animals that eat meat. No really good reason for this to be honest - I just prefer to consume lower down in the food chain. I raise my own cattle and my beef is entirely grass fed. We've got our own chickens at the farm as well.

I have changed my ways in the past so it may well be that my ethical compass will change over time. For starters, over 15 years ago, I was a vegetarian (for 5 years). I've come a LONG way from then to raising my own beef cattle and getting ready to out hunting for the first time this year.
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If you are really wanting something "fair chase" then you need to be very specific with the outfitter you choose. Most hunts you will pay for will be for animals that have already been scouted, patterned, and in many cases baited already for you. Whether its deer, moose or bear...its all the same. Their ticket to repeat business is success rates. If every outfitter just supplied a roof over your head and some land to hunt on, their success rates would plummet. Thats not too good for keeping business in the black.

There are stalking hunts for bears available, but make sure you tell the outfitter that is what you want. Bear meat is like a greasy pork chop...It is delicious unless you get a dump bear. You will know if you shoot a dump bear.
 
Why start with big game? Small game and upland birds are far easier to start with. You can do that closer to home, need less gear, easier to get hunting access, easier to handle the game after the shot, etc, etc.
 
Longwalker said:
Why start with big game? Small game and upland birds are far easier to start with. You can do that closer to home, need less gear, easier to get hunting access, easier to handle the game after the shot, etc, etc.
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Absolutely. I do hope to start with some small game, upland birds, maybe even turkey early next year. We are thinking of a big game hunt for reasons in addition to the actual hunting. i.e. spending a week off in a cabin, having an enjoyable time around the campfire with friends, starting a tradition.
 
mvarley84 said:
If you are really wanting something "fair chase" then you need to be very specific with the outfitter you choose. Most hunts you will pay for will be for animals that have already been scouted, patterned, and in many cases baited already for you. Whether its deer, moose or bear...its all the same. Their ticket to repeat business is success rates. If every outfitter just supplied a roof over your head and some land to hunt on, their success rates would plummet. Thats not too good for keeping business in the black.

There are stalking hunts for bears available, but make sure you tell the outfitter that is what you want. Bear meat is like a greasy pork chop...It is delicious unless you get a dump bear. You will know if you shoot a dump bear.
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Certainly gives me food for thought. I guess everyone's view of what qualifies as fair chase to their ethical compass is different. I guess where I sit now, I don't have a problem going to an outfitter who has scouted out game, what their patterns of movement are and so on. I would prefer to do it myself but is likely not realistic given one week off for hunting and not much other time to go to the area to do the scouting. That would be idea.

I've been thinking about it tonight and oddly I have less of a problem with hunting a deer from a stand over a food plot or just at an appropriately placed stand in the natural environment, than I have with hunting bear from a stand over a baited area. Does that really make sense? Probably not since a planted food plot is really bait. I guess it seems more natural to me than using doughnuts or apples or some sort of ration as bait.

Maybe once I do it I will realize that hunting bear from a stand even with baiting isn't exactly shooting fish in a barrel and my notions of fair chase might disappear.

I'm encouraged by blargon's post about the wmu he refers me to and that he has always seen moose or deer there.
 
The deer and moose hunts are at different times there, so it will be one or the other, not both. Bear is open during both.

Last time i hunted deer there, i had to bump moose off my deer watch 2 days in a row...:D
 
To each his own. I respect you for not bashing bear baiters and admitting you have never tried it. Every hunter has their reasons for choosing how they hunt. I first thought it would be like shooting the neighbors dog at first a bear over bait but I went anyway to say the least bear hunting has become my favorite big game animal to hunt. It is not as easy as it sounds and I've never worked so hard to get an animal
I can't recommend any moose/deer outfitters simply I've never used one but I used to work for a hunting/fishing camp so I do know find out as much as you can about the outfitter. Ask any and all questions. Your very new to hunting so find out is skinning butchering hanging cutting wrapping is all included in the price. How much land they have to hunt on. How many hunters they take. Success rate. References. Pictures of game taken recently! How long they've been in business. What condition is the camp in. Some have cabins some have a space for your tents some have what is described as a cabin that makes you wonder how it is still standing. And shop around. I don't know where you are located but places like the toronto sportsman show allow you to browse thru many outffiters. If ontario is your spot NOTO northern ontario tourists outfitters may be of help.
Also plan your hunt for your equipment. Bow hunters need different stand set ups then rifle hunters. Doesn't make sense to have a stand over looking a 500 yard food plot if you can only shoot 40 yards. Most guides will accommodate archery hunters as well as shotgun and rifle hunters. Best of luck to you and your group!
 
I've heard that after the spring bear hunt was stopped in Ontario the population of black bear in many parts is sky high; to the point where they are becoming a nuisance. Is this true? Are bear tags very easy to get as a result?
 
Yes some areas have a high number of nuisance bears. Overall the bear population is healthy and growing in almost all areas of their range. Tags are as easy as buying one. 2 in some areas. I'm not sure of out of province prices but a ontario resident tag is less then $50 if I remember correctly
 
canoetrpr said:
I've heard that after the spring bear hunt was stopped in Ontario the population of black bear in many parts is sky high; to the point where they are becoming a nuisance. Is this true? Are bear tags very easy to get as a result?
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The government really dropped the ball on this one, outfitters lost a sizeable chunk of income and there are lots of bears being shot as pests and dumped in the landfills. Not to mention the extra predation on moose and deer.
 
waltman said:
The government really dropped the ball on this one, outfitters lost a sizeable chunk of income and there are lots of bears being shot as pests and dumped in the landfills. Not to mention the extra predation on moose and deer.
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I only vaguely recall the reasons for it. What where they? Seems odd that they could not have been satisfied with reasonable allocation of tags.
 
canoetrpr said:
I've heard that after the spring bear hunt was stopped in Ontario the population of black bear in many parts is sky high; to the point where they are becoming a nuisance. Is this true? Are bear tags very easy to get as a result?
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Bear tags are "you pay fee, you get tag". No draw system. They are good anywhere in Ontario where there is an open season for Bear. And yes, the ON bear population is pretty high.
 
I have a friend, Ralph Pearson, who runs Chalets Diane in Laniel Quebec on Lake Kipawa. ht tp://www.chaletsdiane.com/index.html

It is about 1 1/2 hrs drive east of North Bay. Fall moose hunt is $900/person, spring bear $1000/person. Includes use of a boat/motor to do some fishing. Cabins include fridge, stove and hot showers.
Ralph usually has a booth at some of the winter hunting shows. I'm not sure which ones he has signed up to do this year. He usually goes to the one in London, ON
If you would like any further details, feel free to send my a PM.
 
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