In Newfoundland, the weather can change in a heartbeat. The best thing you can do to prepare for this hunt is to make sure you’ve got the right gear to keep you warm, dry and moving each day. The fall time brings quite a bit of rain, and on average, our hunters see at least 1 or 2 days with rain during their hunt. Although it’s not the most pleasant weather to hunt in, it’s also a good time for animals to be on their feet. Making sure you have a good set of rain gear will ensure you get the most out of your trip.
Newfoundland can throw a lot of different weather patterns at you throughout the week. It’s been common to have a 30-degree morning, followed by a 75-degree afternoon, and back to 40 degrees for the sunset boat ride back to camp. Dressing in appropriate layers is a must to make sure you’re warm, comfortable and versatile throughout your hunt.
Another must for the trip is a quality pair of rubber boots. It is imperative you find a pair that won’t leak, are at least 16” tall, and you can walk a good distance while wearing. Most of the areas we hunt are wet, boggy and
along the waterways. Having a quality pair of rubber boots will help keep you moving. Our hunters often recommend the Muck Boot, Lacrosse Boots, or any other good, quality rubber boot that fits you well. In recent years, we have seen an increase in hunters bringing a high quality, tall, Gore-Tex hiker paired with a pair of waterproof leg-gaiters.
It is recommended that the firearm you bring be powerful enough for the game you’re pursuing, but one that is also comfortable for you to shoot and carry throughout the week. A well-placed, accurate shot is much more important on any hunt than the caliber/size round you’re shooting. We recommend anything at/larger than a .270 to hunt all game species with here at Conne River Outfitting. If you choose the smaller end of these rounds, accuracy will be everything and you’ll want to ensure you stay away from the shoulder on your shots.
Moose, Caribou and Black Bear are some of the largest big game animals in North America. As of the past few years, we’ve taken the position on the type of broad head that we’ll allow to be shot at our camps. It is no longer acceptable for you to use an expandable broad head. We recommend shooting an arrow weighing more than 425 grains with a fixed, cut on contact broad head. Some of the top performers here have been G5 Strikers, Muzzy, NAP Thunderheads, or any good fixed blade broad head like these, that flies well with your set up. Taking ethical shots on any animal is a must. Just because you can shoot 75 or 80 yards doesn’t meanthat you should. It is your responsibility as a hunter to make ethical shot decisions and distance of the shot is a factor. Your arrow loses a lot of kinetic energy out past 40 yards. Even with best set-ups, at those longer distances, it’s most likely that you will not get a pass-through shot and with the thick hides, you may not get enough penetration to even hit vitals.
These species are very large and have thick hides. A combination of a heavy arrow, good fixed blade broad head and a well place shot within 40 yards or closer will almost always result in success!
We have teamed up with our friends at Capture Media Group & Seasons TV to bring you their recommended list of gear for hunting Newfoundland. On top of that, you can use the link here to Save 20% on all your purchases made at www.pnumaoutdoors.com
The gear presented here is simply a recommended list. There are many manufacturers that produce high quality gear in similar styles and performance.
Over the years, and many trips to hunt Newfoundland with Conne River Outfitting, we have found that certain gear simply out-performs others. The CAZA Camo pattern found on the Pnuma line holds the perfect shades of greens and yellows to seemingly disappear in the landscape here. We have spent countless days with combinations of the gear listed below, and have found these to be must-haves every time we travel to THE ROCK!
