Moose Valley Outfitters Ltd

note: The following reviews predate the numeric rating system and are not included in this outfitter's overall rating.

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outfitter review submitted by: Bob Colby on Oct 8 2002

Species Hunted: Moose/Caribou

Game Quality: Excellent

Accommodation Quality: Excellent

Camp Condition: Very Good

Food Quality: Excellent

Guide Experience: Excellent

Other Personal Experience: Excellent

Overall Impression: Super, World Class

Recommend: Yes

Reviewer Comments: This was one of the best hunts I've been on. Moose Valley is a first-rate, very professional operation. All of the camp personnel are personable and do their best to ensure a quality experience. The guides are absolutely the best. Dean himself goes the extra mile to make sure there are no hitches in the legistics of the hunt. He also accommodateds unexpected changes in the itinerary very well. You can't go wrong with this hunt. There were five hunters in camp this week, all five tagged out by Wednesday.

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outfitter review submitted by: Grant Benson on Sep 16 2002

Species Hunted: Moose and Caribou

Game Quality: Excellent

Accommodation Quality: A-1,; lacks for nothing

Camp Condition: All 100%

Food Quality: Exceptional Home Cooking

Guide Experience: Decades apiece. The best.

Other Personal Experience: Excellent

Overall Impression: Excellent; World Class Value

Recommend: Yes, but book early!

Reviewer Comments: 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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outfitter review submitted by: Damon Allen on Mar 5 2002

Species Hunted: caribou, bear

Game Quality: excellent

Accommodation Quality: excellent

Camp Condition: excellent

Food Quality: excellent

Guide Experience: excellent

Other Personal Experience: good

Overall Impression: excellent

Recommend: yes

Reviewer Comments: This is a top notch outfit. Dean goes all the way to get his client game regardless of weather. The hospitality and food are unmatched and the accomodations are very comfortable. For more information on my hunt see the last issue of Instinctive Archer Magazine.

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outfitter review submitted by: Matt Cranmer on Jan 1 2002

Species Hunted: moose

Game Quality: good

Accommodation Quality: excellent

Camp Condition: excellent

Food Quality: superb

Guide Experience: excellent

Other Personal Experience: excellent

Overall Impression: excellent

Recommend: definitely

Reviewer Comments: I shot a really nice 44" bull, The guides were awesome the food was outstanding and the people were some of the best and most hospitable I have ever seen. All the moose are not that big, I shot the biggest one in camp that week but they usually get a big one once a week or so I think and there seems to be a lot of decent ones floating around too. Everybody had a chance to kill a moose and we all saw them up close and personal. The guides are experts and the food is second to none. Highly recommended

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outfitter review submitted by: John P. Polinski on Nov 25 2001

Species Hunted: Moose and Woodland Caribou

Game Quality: Excellent

Accommodation Quality: Excellent

Camp Condition: Excellent

Food Quality: Excellent

Guide Experience: Excellent: these guides have b

Other Personal Experience: Excellent

Overall Impression: Second great hunt two years in a row

Recommend: Yes, if you want to hunt in Ne

Reviewer Comments: This the second year that I have hunted with Moose Valley. I was very impressed with this outfitter last year and my impressions have not been diminished this year. Dean Macdonald delivers exactly what he says he will deliver. And he has great guides to back him up. This is a family owned and operated sporting camp. It takes only a few hunters each year in comparison to the bigger camps. Here you are included in the family and everybody pulls together as a team so that you will be assured of a successful, friendly, and fun hunt. Again this year I filled my moose tag with a twelve point bull and my caribou tag with a very respectable stag. I have booked with Dean already for the 2002 and 2003 moose and caribou hunts. A note about the caribou that I bagged there in 2000: It registered officially in the Boone & Crockett Alltime Record Book with a final score of 304 and 1/8. I don't think I can make a better recommendation than that.

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outfitter review submitted by: Grant Benson on Oct 1 2001

Species Hunted: Bou and Moose

Game Quality: Very Good / Bou Excellent

Accommodation Quality: Superior

Camp Condition: Excellent

Food Quality: Scrumptious

Guide Experience: 30 plus years / GREAT

Other Personal Experience: GREAT

Overall Impression: Best Ever, Heaven

Recommend: Yes without hesitation

Reviewer Comments: Simply put this is the best hunt I have ever been on. I'll be going back in 2002 and probably 2003. Call me for specifics and I'll go into detail. This is one great location!

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outfitter review submitted by: Frank Bell on Sep 16 2001

Species Hunted: Caribou

Game Quality: Good

Accommodation Quality: Excellent

Camp Condition: Excellent

Food Quality: Excellent

Guide Experience: Excellent

Other Personal Experience: Excellent

Overall Impression: Top Notch

Recommend: Yes

Reviewer Comments: I hunted for caribou the opening week of the 2001 bow season and harvested a stag by 9am of opening morning. I had a second tag which I didn't fill as we were looking for a bigger animal. Warmer than normal temperatures slowed game movement somewhat, but I still saw numerous caribou and moose. Dean and his crew are extremely hard working and will get you in position for a shot. Be prepared for a physical hunt as we probably walked 7-8 miles a day, very little of which was on a level ground. The entire operation is well run, and Dean catered to our needs throughout the week. The food was plentiful and very good. I look forward to a return trip.

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outfitter review submitted by: Cory Smith on Sep 3 2001

Species Hunted: Caribou

Game Quality: Good

Accommodation Quality: Very Good

Camp Condition: Very Good

Food Quality: Excellent/Outstanding

Guide Experience: Excellent

Other Personal Experience: Excellent

Overall Impression: Very Good/Excellent

Recommend: Without Reservation

Reviewer Comments: Quality game was tough to come by mostly due to our unseasonably warm weather...this however is no reflection on the outfitter...this is an excellent outfit with many years of experience...they know/understand the needs of bowhunters and worked VERY hard...one of the best outfitted hunts I've ever been on...will return in the next few years!

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outfitter review submitted by: Curtis S. Ostrander on Jan 2 2001

Species Hunted: Woodland Caribou

Game Quality: Very Good

Accommodation Quality: Very Good

Camp Condition: Very Good

Food Quality: Outstanding

Guide Experience: Very Good

Other Personal Experience: Very Good

Overall Impression: Excellent

Recommend: Without reservation

Reviewer Comments: Dean and company were all very hard working and knew the country, the game, and the needs of bowhunters. Food and accomadations were excellent esp. considering how remote the camp was. I've been on several guided bowhunts and this one probably ranks #1.

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outfitter review submitted by: Mike Jensen on Dec 26 2000

Species Hunted: Moose

Game Quality: Good

Accommodation Quality: Excellent

Camp Condition: Excellent

Food Quality: Excellent

Guide Experience: Excellent

Other Personal Experience: Excellent

Overall Impression: Excellent

Recommend: Very much

Reviewer Comments: Unseasonably warm weather kept the game movement to a minimum for our stay. Under miserable conditions the guides were hard working,courteous and optimistic.Their knowledge of the game animals and terrain prevailed in the end and I took a bull moose.Although I was only hunting moose, I could have easily taken a caribou and a bear.It is some of the most ruggedly beautiful country I've ever hunted. The whole outfit is a family run operation and the evenings around the table after dinner took me back in time to a place before the video games and televisions and computers. A place where you just enjoyed sharing good company and a good nights sleep. Yes sir let me tell you, for six days despite the bad weather, I was as close to heaven as I've ever been. I'm going back too.

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