Bowsite.com

Ray’s or Effords in Newfoundland

What experience or knowledge do you have on these two outfitters for moose

I went with Rays. Worst hunt of my life. It may have gotten better. It was a few weeks after 9/11. They were highly recommended, even by Dwight Schuh

I went with Ray's years ago. His son Paul guided me. I had a great time hunting caribou. Moose did not go that well. You get what you pay for because I only paid $4500 for a combo hunt. Ha those were the days.

I went with Ray's back in 2014. I had a good hunt because his son was my guide. Only a few of us were bowhunting. Some of the others did not have as good of an experience. A few of the guides only wanted to basically hunt from the truck (rifle)

BSC recommended rays. Interested in what others think

Don't have experience with Ray's but hunted Effords this year and although I wasn't successful (with the recurve), I'm booking again for '24. The camp we hunted and my guide where top notch. All rifle hunters took their moose. Wind blew in the 40's for three days then the temps went into the mid 70's....tough on a bowhunter. I booked in '21 through BSC at Tuckamore...not a good experience. No knock-on Ray's , but I'd go Effords. Be sure to request a specific guide who knows bowhunting and get references on that particular guide,

Thanks Mike.

All keep feedback coming

I’ve hunted Newfoundland nine times the last seven with Moose Valley ……most recently last month.

They’re a great operation and I tried to book again immediately for 2025 but they were all booked up until 2026 so I’m trying to find another decent outfitter to go with in 2025 so I don’t go four years without getting back up there. I have re-booked with Moose Valley for 2026

I’m used to flying in small camps and hunting from boat and on foot and I’m hoping to be able to replicate that not interested in drive in truck hunts or ATV adventures I’m logging roads

If you go with Ray's ask for Perry the main son/partner. He is top notch

If you are perceived to have big money, you will probably get good service. If not, you might end up like me and my guys, riding around in rusted out trucks with guides that ALL smoked. We hunted the same cuts that the locals were hunting at the same time with rifles. Me riding around with my recurve, felt pretty stupid.I saw one spike moose on a dead run driving in the truck. That was it for my 5 grand. Big bucks in 2001. Meanwhile the corporate lawyers were riding around in an argo back in the wilderness, seeing 10 to 15 bulls a day. The food was hideous, the camp was a dump. Those things I could of course live with, but the hunting for us was pathetic. The only silver lining was the lawyer lost his family heirloom rifle in the tuckamore. At least I have a story to remember. Ray pulled in on day 2 in his new Corvette, heard we were grousing a bit, left and never came back in our camp. I could go on but I am waaay over it.

That’s what scares me

I had a good hunt with Effords on a fly in, (rifle) when we were driving to where they fly the plane out, I think it was a couple hour drive, a couple locals had dropped a cow moose in the road we stopped and talked to them while they were loading it up from what I read fly in is the way to go. Saw several big bulls flying into camp

BOU.... DADG is also recommended by BSC. I'm booked with them for 2024. Could try sending Dean and email to see what's available. He seems like a stand up guy that I spoke to several great references about

Archery? I’d definitely go with Efford’s but only if you can get Tyler Chubb as your guide, he gets and loves Bowhunting. Did Bou last year and booked for Moose next.

Knifeman,

Your comments are is what is making me more nervous about booking hunts.

I guess I am just getting more skeptical of people as I get older lol

I will say it soured me on guided hunts after that for a bit. Rays may have changed since then, just relating my experience. I believe Ray was done with things and his boys were in the process of taking over.

My friend and I hunted with Rays in 2014 and had pretty much the same experience as Knifeman. The only guy who shot a moose out of what I think was eight guys was the guy who went with Ray’s son on the Argo. All of my hunting was from the truck. My guide told me at the start he smoked but he wouldn’t smoke in the truck, what a joke. We’d start up the mountain in the morning and once we got away from camp he pulled over and got out and lit up with another guide. He said they were making a hunting strategy, then hop back in reeking of smoke. I saw Ray the first day when he took our money and that was it. I would like to go again but it won’t be with Ray’s.

Register here to reply to this topic