It is 2024 now and near mid June. I took some time to reflect on my Newfoundland Moose Hunt.
Ed’s Moose taken Sept. 19, 2023
I was able to bring all 300 pounds of my frozen moose meat home on the back of our Subaru Ascent. On return home, we crossed over to Nova Scotia from the Port Au Basque side. An 8 hour Ferry ride. We had a ferry cabin, and 2 labrador retrievers with us.
I was hoping for a bull, but here along the Gander River, there were very few big racked bulls but never the less a decent quantity of moose live here. Given my senior age, I liked the hunt on the back of a Quad to get me close to bogs.
Cost of the hunt was in the $7000 range in total. Weather in October is storm prone, so be prepared.
So lets see, my moose meat costs $23 dollars a pound. Is it delicious? Absolutely the best! My wife goes bananas over the moose burger with a bit of pork mixed with it. This is my third moose and thoroughly enjoying the wild experience and the meat. We have shared meat with friends and family and still have plenty on hand.
I have successfully used Nosler Accubond bullets on bull moose and bison out of my .375 Ruger.
But I have not used the AccuBond Long Range (ABLR) bullet on big game yet. I have plenty of 7mm 175g Nosler ABLR’s left from my Newfoundland moose hunt last year. Note: Since, I was staying in Newfoundland for 6 weeks, Canada would not let me enter with my Browning 7mm rifle unless I was headed directly to my hunt.
Hopefully,that will soon to change this fall on my Foggy Mountain Maine bear hunt this September.
The AccuBond ABLR is designed to expand faster than the AccuBond. But will the bullet mushroom “too much” in my 7mm Rem Mag 175g ABLR at say 50 to 75 yards?
UPDATE
Discussion with Nosler says the Nosler Partition will have more weight retention and will mushroom nicely at close range. Accordingly, my Nosler friends are sending some Nosler 160g Partitions for my bear hunt. See the video below.
The biggest complaint from black bear guides is the difficulty of producing a good blood trail, with fat and hair plugging the hole, from smaller diameter bullets. Bears run till death, that may mean hundreds of yards and little blood. I am hoping for a large exit wound for blood trailing.
This fall I am hunting bears that have been hunted before, my researchindicates that, in particular, older larger bears are very reluctant to come to bait in daylight. Sometimes letting smaller bears go first to test the water as it were.
This reluctance is very likely because of mistakes we hunters make year over year. We are in fact teaching older bears how to avoid certain bait stands.
That said; This September, I will hunt with rifle from a further away ground stand or treestand site.
There are many more shot opportunities with rifle than bow.
And I’m not getting any younger.
On caliber, my master guide tells me that big bore fast 3000 fps rifle bullets from say 375 H&H exit but with a small hole and lack of mushroom. Many say slower big bore like the 45-70 are better.
Said, my 7mm Rem Mag was a better choice of rifles I own. The bullet will really mushroom and create a larger exit hole for blood trailing.
Ok! So what are some of our mistakes?
Not watching the wind. Say, you find the wind blows from your stand to your bait? Skip that bait hunt site till the wind shifts away. Else big bruins wont be coming.
Not washing yourself and hair (even mouth) or clothes before the hunt.
Clothes have collected camp scents like campfire smoke or cigarette/cigar smoke.
Clean Boots – Inside the boot too.
Not Wearing Mosquito netting.
Break up your facial outline. Use camo and a face mask.
Hunting too close to your bait.
Coughing or making noise in your tree or ground stand. A real no no. Quiet that cough!!
Fast movement of head or hands. Like swatting mosquitoes.
Big bears circle and wind the site.
Metal on metal clink sounds.
Eliminate these mistakes and you will greatly increase your chances of bigger bear showing themselves.
I noted earlier, in retrospect that big bears will let little bears enter a bait site first. Another tip off.
Secondly, smaller bears tend to watch their backtrail often due to a larger bear. That’s a tip off…
Thirdly, Big bears sometimes approach and circle from behind to the tree stand first and give it a good sniff before heading to bait.
The use of a handgun to ward off a bear attack is proven. It is not uncommon for aggressive bears to climb up your bowhunting tree stand with you in it or perhaps follow you back to your truck at night or a wounded bear attacks during recovery.
Below, find an article with documented incidents where handguns were 98% effective on all bear species black, brown, grizzly and polar.
Unfortunately, my new 10mm Glock 20 has set of daylight sights which makes the Glock defense use in dim light or darkness difficult at best. I swapped them out for cost effective Tritium sights so I can see them in darkness.
I purchased a simple set of TRUGLO tritium sights for around $55 bucks. Not a bad price. Take the top slide off, remove the spring and barrel to get to the front sight nut and prep to remove the rear sight.
You will need to purchase a tool for the front sight nut.
and at least a push tool or bench vise and a wood or brass punch as in the video above.
Next, is a holster for my Glock.
I need instant access for a possible aggressive bear attack, thus I purchased a heat molded chest holster called the Kenai from Gunfighters, Inc. Cost $160.00
The first time the holster gripped the pistol, hearing a click, I wasn’t able to pull it out without using great force. The Kenai literature instructed to carefully use a heat gun on the click/grip area. Luckily, I had a heat gun. It worked. Now, after heat adjusting, I can readily pull the pistol yet keep it secure.
Some folks find that a chest held binocular case can interfere with the draw of the pistol. However, the holster can be adjusted to allow fast access. Below is my Vortex Bino’s case with my Glock 20. The bino case is huge, perhaps too big to wear. The pistol draw needs both hands. One hand to hold the holster base, while my right hand draws the pistol.
I will holster and practice drawing and shooting it with my binoculars on and off. If I’m on a bear stand in a tree, I will likely not wear the bino case.
Below this video pitts the 10mm against the 44 magnum.
A few year back I also did a 44 mag video below. In that fishing scenario, the 44 mag already drawn on an approaching bear, worked for the first shot but the recoil raised the pistol losing fractions of seconds to get back on target.
I have hunted black bear in Ontario, Canada many years ago with my 68 pound recurve bow. Canada does not allow hunters to carry a backup pistol. My Outfitter said I probably would not need bear spray. Right? My experience with a very aggressive and very large boar instantly changed my mind.
Today, with a bear hunt in September, I reviewed my 45ACP as a backup pistol. Yes, it can work but it is considered marginal. I have always liked the 44 magnum as a brown or black bear backup. But you will likely only get one good headshot, if it charges. I tested a 44 mag for a moving head shot. It wasn’t easy and I had only 5 more shots left. The 44 mag with 250g or 300g or 454 Casull are very powerful but many can’t handle the recoil. If you can handle the recoil and shoot it straight, go for it. Many are true believers.
Enter the 10mm Glock 20 Gen 5 semi-auto pistol (Retail $620)
It is a better option for a semi-auto, throwing 15 hard cast 220g bullet at 1200 fps delivering nearly 700 ft-lbs on each shot.
Underwood Ammo says “Hard cast flat nose bullets are non-expanding, powerfully penetrative bullets that are designed with your woods defense needs in mind; whether fending off wild hogs or black bears, the hard cast flat nose bullets are consistently effective in taking down any wild animals that you may encounter. In contrast to the round nose non-expanding bullets, the flat nose bullets are able to pierce through dense bodies of mass while maintaining their nose forward position, which is optimal for maximum penetration. Underwood Ammo’s hard cast featuring a “Black Cherry” coating. Equipped with enhancements from the previous Hi-Tek coating. “Black Cherry” coating is a polymer-based compound; its thermal stability allows it to handle more than any other coating today. The coating will protect against gas cutting with a high degree of wear and abrasion resistance. The “Black Cherry” coating prevents lead to bore contact, thus virtually eliminating lead fouling. All Underwood Ammo rounds utilize flash suppressed powder so that your vision will not be compromised if it becomes necessary to use your firearm in low light.”
The 10mm is increasingly used as a hunting firearm for thin skin big game and a reasonable bear backup that allows faster follow-up shots.
This 10mm 15 shot pistol is apparently taking the Outdoor Industry by storm say many reviews. Like the 44 magnum, the 10mm really does not have enough energy to penetrate a bear skull but most shooters can handle its recoil. We shall see… I just purchased one. Yes, I needed a good reason to add it to my hunt options.
Below is a comparison article from Meateater of 10mm vs 45acp
An Adventure filled Solo Maine Black Bear hunt is in my plans for September 2024. Come on along as I film some video clips too.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_black_bear
I have not hunted black bear for quite some time, but it can be very exciting with a good outfitter and remote land access. I estimate the weight of this bear in the above image near 400 pounds.
What is even better is that very often you will see more than one bear or two or more on a 6 day hunt.
Most hunting is done in afternoon and evening on ground blinds or tree stands over bait.
Baiting is a great way to hunt bear, in particular, because you can be selective; e.g., to pass or shoot a smaller or larger adult bear.
The tough part is to gage the size of a bear coming to bait. Often, bears, particularly big ones, come to bait just minutes before dark, making judging size, and fur color even harder.
I am very pleased with my 10 Point Turbo Crossbow (390 – 400 fps) and my NAP Killzone Cut-on-Contact 100 grain mechanical broadheads. Bears often hit with a razor sharp broadhead in the heart/lung area, will run flat out for 10 seconds and then collapse deader-than-a-door-nail… never knowing what bit them. Too far forward may result in the arrow hitting the scapula bone and tough tracking so the shot must be true.
My Equipment, a 10 Point 400 fps Turbo S1 Crossbow Arrow Flight with Killzone Broadhead or my Browning 7mm Rem Mag.
Killzone provides a practice blade. It isn’t easy to assemble the practice blade but once done, it works. Note; that the there is a pencil point type head that you can get as well for this broadhead but i prefer a cut-on- contact point.
Haven’t killed a bear with the Killzone head yet, but we shall see. Many experts suggest fixed blade broadheads on bear. I have some to experiment with as well.
I will have my backup Kimber 45 ACP and my Browning Speed 7mm Rem Mag Rifle along with me as well.
I called to further discuss rifle at 75 yards vs bow at 20 yds and will decide when I get there. Rifle setups are further away from bait thus allowing less human odor at dusk near bait. Big bruins didn’t get big by being stupid. They use their nose and minor noise to determine when it is safe to approach bait, often after dark. Take away noise and smells at the bait site and maybe enough to to make a show.
What will I do with the hide, skull and meat? If the bear is large, I will make a rug and have the skull cleaned. I am a meat-eater and home-made butcher and self- trained chef. Bear fat can be rendered for lubricating/rust protection and also the lard makes a great ingredient for pie crust. Bear meat and fat was a real commodity in early America for its versatility in cooking/frying and for both lubrication and rust prevention and even lamp oil.
My Outfitter “Foggy Mountain Guide Service” hunts deep in the wild woods of Maine. Driving from southern New Hampshire to my Maine hunt location will take me about 5 hours, where I’ll spend up to six days hunting.
My BOG Tripod below worked great. My fleece head pullover kept me warm for hours on stand. In the picture below we were standing in water. You must be prepared.
Hunting in bogs of Newfoundland I found water everywhere, even in the grass and tundra in the bog below. Even trees and leaves were soaked with water.
If it looks like a field, the field had 6 inches of water on average. Slogging in an inferior boot will cut your hunt short. And not wearing your waterproof bib rain suit will soak you to the bone. I made some poor decisions too. I did not wear my rain bib and jacket on one morning and got soaked by water soaked bushes. My gloves were not waterproof and riding on the back of an ATV my gloves absorbed 1/2 cup water in each glove on a morning hunt. Get water proof gloves! My back pack was too heavy. With a guide, I did not need a large or heavy backpack. A walking stick gave me balance.
Below my most prized must-have accessories:
BOOTS – Buy best high calf waterproof boots with good tread
RAIN GEAR – Heavy duty green waterproof rain bib like Helly-Hansen and water-proof jacket too.
I killed my 800 lb cow moose with a new Browning X-Bolt in .270 Winchester with 150 grain Winchester Power Point bullets.
Ed’s Moose taken Sept. 19, 2023
The rifle was zeroed at 100 yards. The .270 is great on deer, good on elk and can easily kill moose broadside but has some distance and energy limitations. On the flip-side, the advantage of the .270 is lighter recoil and improved accuracy.
Distances are somewhat restrictive. Muzzle velocity form this bullet is 2850 fps, thus I calculated drop and energy on-line with JBM Ballistic Trajectory for this bullet before the hunt to determine my limits.
The JBM Ballistic calculation below provides data for the hunter to use in determining max range, energy and bullet drop.
Accordingly, I followed my own rules for energy.limits. I would not pull the trigger when terminal energy is under 1500 ft-lbs. In my case, under 1500 ft-lbs is at 300 yards. Luck would be in my favor with my guides laser distance at 240 yards. Energy was over 1600 ft-lbs and a broadside shot. I held 6 to 8 high from my BOG tripod rest and fired from a sitting position. A second later you could hear the bullet hit with a hollow drum-like thunk.
The moose never moved but you could see she was hit.
My guide says, “fire another shot.” I aimed a bit higher near the spine and fired. She fell like she was pole axed.
Examination of the wound sites showed 2 hits, one high and one low on the chest. The high hit was a few inches below the spine, my second shot. My first shot hit low in the chest. The lungs were a wreck, blood had filled the chest cavity. My guide Matt pulled heart and lungs from the chest along with the lower gut. I wanted to examine the heart. As you can see below the first bullet gashed the gallon-sized heart. This was not luck, it was understanding bullet drop and a good tripod rest. Well, maybe a little luck! We did not see any exit wounds but did not look for the bullets as we had work to do.
For those readers interested in the Ballistics data below is the JBM Data for Drop and Energy. You can see velocity at 250 yards is 2196 thus the bullet will mushroom. Drop is 8 inches and delivered energy is 1606 ft-lbs and did great damage without an exit wound.
Processing a moose can be time consuming if you have to quarter and bone the meat too.
Moose quarters headed to the butcher for boning and freezing
Working with a veteran Outfitter like Gander River makes it easy. They know how to;
Gut and quarter your moose
Prep for trophy taxidermy if needed
Get it out of the woods in excellent shape
Skin and hang the quarters to cool
Get it to the butcher in prime shape for boning and freezing for my trip home to New Hampshire
Yes, you pay a premium for these tasks, but worth every penny.
I drove my frozen boned moose meat home (you need an export permit from your outfitter) and it was still frozen solid after 2 days on the road using 2 large coolers. In fact 2 days after arrival my moose meat was still frozen. I have done this before and it works great.
After cleaning/prepping the kitchen and pans/ trays and grinding equipment, I brought around 80 to 100 lbs inside, incrementally and examined the bundles and labels.
I chose to cut some steaks at first but was looking for meat that will become burger and stew meat.
In addition, I purchased 18 pounds of fresh pork butt and cut it up for grinding to add to the moose burger. I boned the pork and saved the meaty bones for a winter stew. I will purchase more pork butt later for mixing.
All big game meat grinders have a rough grind head (right) and a finish grind head (left).
Below my favorite LEM Grinder, meat pan and cutting board.
Use the rough grind for both moose and pork at a ratio of roughly 4 to 1 moose to pork. This adds enough fat for burger to bind together.
Mix the rough grind by hand in a larger stainless tray and regrind with the fine grind head. Then vacuum seal in 1 to 2 pound increments. Label and freeze. It is best to keep your meat cold and near frozen so work as safe and quick as you can. My wife and I work well at this as a team.
Below, my freezers are full of large chunks moose meat to be processed.
If you have enough freezer space, like we have, you can take a break from processing for a few days.
We use a Food Saver™ Vacuum Sealer and heavy seal bags to store our meat in the freezer. Todays freezers can store meat for well over 2 years provided the vacuum is good and you don’t have freezer burn.
Use sharp knives!
Next is to cut more stew meat for pressure canning!
I will cut tenderloin and backstraps later too.
Good Eating!
PS We had this moose burger for lunch and discovered the meat was tender and very flavorful.
It all happened so fast…Was it a bull? Nope! But she was broadside. My guide lasered her distance at only 240 yards and really Big! But I had a new Browning X-Bolt in .270 Winchester with a Leupold Scope.
Ed’s Moose taken 5pm Sept. 19, 2023
I was hunting with Newfoundland’s Gander River Outfitters.
I contacted the Gander River Owner/Outfitter, and my soon-to-be guide, Matt Romkey. We arranged a hunt date, September 17, 2023 to begin a 6 day Moose hunt with a tag for a bull or cow moose. Their website is https://ganderriver.com/
I was vacationing and cod fishing in Newfoundland, Canada for such a long a time frame, (a month and a half) in a different location, Jamestown, NL on Bonavista Bay, that Canadian Customs would not allow me to take my rifle across the border.
“Gotta go directly to the hunt”, said Canadian Customs. That was very disappointing…to say the least.
As luck would have it, in Calais, Maine there was a sporting store/hardware store (Johnsons) that allowed my to store my own Browning rifle for a fee and pick-it-up on the return home to New Hampshire.
My Outfitter Matt allowed me to use his rifle, a brand new Browning X-Bolt, like mine, but in .270 Winchester with a Leupold “Freedom” scope for the hunt and Winchester 150 grain Powerpoint bullets.
To get to the hunting/fishing lodge along the Gander River we boarded the Outfitter’s famed Gander River Boats; a 21 ft canoe with 15 hp motor.
We met other hunters and received room assignments and shot rifles to ensure they were on target.
We met a father/son team Chase Anthony and his father Dan who came to hunt thanks to a Pennsylvania non-profit organization called Saving Dreams Outdoors. See the facebook link below.
Chase, a handsome lad, is a cancer survivor who was given the hunt. Dan came for support!
Chase was successful thanks to the skill of his guide Sheldon and the support of everyone at the lodge.
Travel to our hunting bog areas is done by ATV’s, mine was a King Quad 500 Ati operated by Matt, a real expert, as all the guides were.
Sunday Day – First Night, I sat high in the back with raised seating, metal stirrups and hand grips while Matt and guides took us on “wild” ATV rides to the famed moose hunting BOG’s of Newfoundland in terrain so remote and hidden. In some cases we made our way through what seemed like miles of old trails overgrown with Alder bush. Bushwhacking really! Can you just imagine!
Our first jaunt was in the aftermath of Hurricane Lee where the clouds hunt low and delivered 30 plus mph winds and sheets of rain.
The black spruce in the BOG bent too-and-fro in the wind as rain fell sideways from branches. I looked forward to a warm meal.
Meals at camp, we hunters were up at 4am, had breakfast of eggs, sausage, toast/pancakes, coffee and juice; back for noon lunch of soup and sandwich. and dinner prepared expertly prepared by the camp cook “Gary”. And served to us by none other than Owner Matt Romkey. Such service, I was overwhelmed with hospitality! And then dessert too!
Our sleep quarters were separate from the main lodge and each bedroom had a private bath and shower. Nice!
Back to the hunt. Luckily the wind subsided during the week but rain was on and off. Temps were in the 50F range.
I learned the hard way by not wearing my waterproof bib and jacket on an outing and got soaked in the process. See the leaves on the Quad…
I was much better prepared on the afternoon hunt via ATV. About 5pm we began walking on a high crest looking down into the bog I named “The Big Valley”.
I was awestruck with this scenic valley/bog as we were high up looking down at the immense beauty.
Suddenly, I gazed over Matt’s shoulder as he looked for a place to set up. I whispered to Matt and pointed…”moose, I said!” He ducked low and excitedly whispered “Set up your tripod and rifle…hurry.”
I was equally excitedly and set up my tripod Called “Death Grip” by BOG. It’s like a bench rest in the field!
It was a huge lone cow standing broadside. Matt laser ranged her at 240 yards. I could not ask for a better setup, be it cow or bull. I made the decision right then to take her.
The rifle was zeroed at 100 yards thus I estimated the drop and held around 6 inches higher above the heart lung area… and squeezed the shot off. Thwack! we heard the bullet hit.
At the shot she stood frozen, as if transfixed and motionless.
Matt said “Shoot again.” And I did. She dropped like hit by Thor’s hammer.
OMG… Matt and I high fived each other again and again. It was picture and tag time, then gut and half the moose.
I noticed the entry bullet holes as I held the chest cavity open to remove blood filled heart and lungs. One hole was low in the chest, my first shot, and one high. Investigating, I said “Hey Matt, pull that heart so I can see it. As he did, Matt replied with a grin, “She never knew what hit her, eh Ed!”
The first bullet struck the heart! See video below! The second shocked the spine.
That night at dinner I had the cook saute some heart slices in butter, salt and pepper for hunters to taste. All said very tender and delish!
Sadly, I ended the hunt on the very next day. The moose went to the local game butcher, de-boned and frozen for our drive back to New Hampshire.
The first 2 weeks at Gander for hunters showed 100% success. All the guides are friendly and eager to find you a moose!
It was a pleasure hunting with Matt Romkey and the Gander River Guides.
Use the rough grind for both moose and pork at a ratio of roughly 4 to 1 moose to pork. This adds enough fat for burger to bind together. 
