I want a moose...

[sbhooper]

Newfoundland guides run nearly 100 percent on success, too. You may not get a giant, but you will have a great hunt and kill a moose. There are big ones there, also. If I spend money on a hunt, I want the highest chance of success for the large amount of dollars spent. Newfoundland hands down wins that battle.

I drove to Newfoundland with a partner and put 6000 miles on my truck. The whole trip cost me a total of $6000 and by driving, I was able to bring back all of the meat.

 

[mdhunter]

I second Idaho as the best option in the lower 48 for moose. Last year I drew a once in a lifetime tag in one of the so called "high draw percentage units". I also second the opinion that if you are not familiar with the area you can get in over your head pretty quick. I ended up hiring an outfitter as I live 2,500 miles away. Idaho has some thick nasty places and the assistance was priceless. I tagged a 45" and had a great experience.

Good luck.

 

[mixedbag]

I'll do Newfoundland one day just to experience the island.But for me, Ak is where the big boys live and I'm fine if I come home empty.The whole trip/experience is worth my costs and the moose just makes it better but I am going to a pretty good spot.If you do Newfoundland, do a fly in hunt which will cost almost 6k.The drive up lodges compete with locals and a lot of very small moose.Of course the get a few oddball big ones but that's not the norm at a drive up camp

 

[mdhunter61]

Heres my Ak hunt price breakdown
Free roundtrip from Philly-Fairbanks thru Alaska Airlines miles
$1800- for bush plane flight and one meat load
$500 for roundtrip flight from Fairbanks to small town to meet bush pilot
$500- moose tag/ak license
$200 food
$300 half of raft rental
$400 for meat haul back to lower 48
$200 hotel/BB overnights
There you go.Thats the entire costs on my trip along with maybe $150 for extra baggage with airline.You don't need a guide for moose just a GOOD spot to hang out and wait for them to show up

Hey Scott,

You forgot the $200 for that Luxurylite Cot that you want to sleep on.

Michael

 

[phutch30]

Ive got 12 yrs of applying for ME and NH (grew up there) and going on 20 here in MT...Still waiting. NH is only issueing 105 moose tags total for the 2015 hunt so doubt I'll see a tag there this yr. Its easy to build moose points not exactly cheap to do it and you may not live to see a tag. ID odds are at least even across the board so to speak, no worry about points.

Best bet is probably a eastern Canada hunt. Newfoundland is pretty cheap compared to other areas.

 

[Foxtrot1]

Anyone here ever bought a tag in Ontario and went self guided?

 

[big28hunter]

This. Fantastic hunting destination. I hope to go back before I get too old.

I have been there also. Completed the Newfie Slam. Incredible adventure.

 

[big28hunter]

Newfoundland guides run nearly 100 percent on success, too. You may not get a giant, but you will have a great hunt and kill a moose. There are big ones there, also. If I spend money on a hunt, I want the highest chance of success for the large amount of dollars spent. Newfoundland hands down wins that battle.

I drove to Newfoundland with a partner and put 6000 miles on my truck. The whole trip cost me a total of $6000 and by driving, I was able to bring back all of the meat.

Beautiful Newfie Bull! Congarts

 

[big28hunter]

Hey Scott,

You forgot the $200 for that Luxurylite Cot that you want to sleep on.

Michael

Lmao!

 

[big28hunter]

Scott is soft! Can't even get through the laurels of PA. What the heck is he going to do with Alaskan alders and willows?

 

[mixedbag]

Just praying the bull dies right at camp,lolThen pretend I have no clue how to break down the moose and let my partner do it.I just hope theres a restaurant within walking distance once I'm out there and not thru any alders/willows

 

[WV Hunter]

Just praying the bull dies right at camp,lolThen pretend I have no clue how to break down the moose and let my partner do it.I just hope theres a restaurant within walking distance once I'm out there and not thru any alders/willows

That was a Hilton we stayed at when we went antelope hunting wasn't it?

 

[mixedbag]

Chris,doesn't everyone stay at Hilton when they antelope hunt??Probably should have stayed at holiday Inn and we could have outsmarted a few

 

[Musket Man]

I dont know about the eastern states but in the western states my advise for building points is dont! In most states with a points system if you are not a max point holder or close to it you might never draw and in some areas even with max points you might never draw so starting to build points now wouyld be a waste of money. I would only apply in random draws like Idaho where you atleast have a chance to draw a tag.

 

[Meat Whack]

Idaho has by far the best draw odds for moose in the lower 48 on a year to year basis with no points needed. The worse part about it is having to front the money which is $2101.75 for the tag and $154.75 for the license. The tag fee you will get back if not drawn but the license and application fee you will not so basically it costs around $175 per year to apply which is a little steep unless you're planning on hunting deer or elk in Idaho anyways.

 

[sbhooper]

I'll do Newfoundland one day just to experience the island.But for me, Ak is where the big boys live and I'm fine if I come home empty.The whole trip/experience is worth my costs and the moose just makes it better but I am going to a pretty good spot.If you do Newfoundland, do a fly in hunt which will cost almost 6k.The drive up lodges compete with locals and a lot of very small moose.Of course the get a few oddball big ones but that's not the norm at a drive up camp

I second the fly-in camp, just for the fun of doing it. My entire trip in 2011 cost $6000 and we drove the whole way. I did not want to try to ship back 300 pounds of meat. The expense would be a little more now, but Portland Creek Outfitters is still pretty reasonable and have great camps.

Newfoundland moose are not as big as the Alaskan, but who cares? They are still huge animals and the hunt is nearly 100 percent success, no matter which outfitter you pick. They do produce a 50+ incher occasionally, too.

 

[Zim]

I am glad I started applying 20 years ago when apps were paper and snuck in with a WY tag is 2011 and New Hampshire in 2012. The systems and odds have blown up since then. In addition, lucky to have scored a small bull in the wolf infested WY hunt and a wallhanger in NH. The only place I am continuing is Maine, but only since I have 15+ NR points and my odds are multiplied by their convoluted system. I still don't expect to ever draw there. If I were going in on the ground floor today I would pass on all moose apps except for perhaps ID or CO (resident only). Best realistic option today is to save money and do an Ontario semi-guided hunt first to get your feet wet, then a guided Newfoundland hunt as others have stated.

Now all I need is for Illinois to overhaul their outrageous and unsustainable state employee pension system so I can afford to actually buy a home decent enough to display my mount.

 

[Ballistic]

A state pension system that would allow a new home purchase in St.Charles, Il. Would be unsustainable.

 

[Flatland Crusoe]

Anyone here ever bought a tag in Ontario and went self guided?

I just got back from an Ontario Fishing Trip and the lodge we stayed at sold their tag authorizations for anyone who stays there when they hunt. As a result their waitlist is long and I emailed them to get on it. The kicker is they also lost about 25% of their tags this year and give preference to people that did the hunt year after year. It was something along the lines of $450 moose tag plus cabin rental/boat rental and flight. Another lodge on the lake was selling a package that was $3500 for unguided moose hunts for a week with lodging and transport from the float plane station.

Talking to the locals it sounded like you could draw a tag every 5 years or so. Tons of public land that is lakes, timber and logging cuts. You can hunt about 90% of the unit.

The real value right now is the USD to CAD exchange rate is about 1.3 so it works out nicely.

 

[BackcountryMT]

I've done 2 diy hunts in Alaska both were very inexpensive. A lot of the air charters know good locations. Do some research there are people who will share info on where to go.