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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 after seeing 32 in ten days of trying with a bow).

I bow hunted in 2002 for caribou and moose and took a caribou and stalked some of the 30 moose I saw, but did not take a moose. Hurricane weather cost us a couple days on that particular week.

In 2003 I hunted moose with the bow and saw 58 moose for the trip. Of the 58 at least 18 were bulls including some long range sightings of real monsters and a close encounter with a 14 pointer called in to 30 yards that did not present a shot. I had four encounters with moose at 30-35 yards, but no shot opportunities due to angles not conducive to good clean arrow kills. This was a great amount of action especially since the weather was horrendous for hunting due to very high temperatures that set the rut back weeks.

In 2004 I bowhunted for both moose, bear, and caribou with the bow and took a decent caribou at 32 yards and a black bear via spot and stalk at 12 yards. I also had a shot at a 10 point bull moose at 25 yards, but hit the shoulder. No moose falls to that shot! Later in the week I had another close encounter with a monster bull that I managed to mess up. The guides did all in their power to get me the “Newfoundland Grand Slam” with the bow, but I was not up to the task. Though caribou sightings were down, the quality was still high and the moose numbers were at or above prior year levels. As always nearly every, if not every, gun tag was filled in the camp and those that were not we left open due to hunter’s not having the stamina to hunt hard every day all day all week.

In 2005 I bowhunted for moose with the bow and did not take a moose. The weather was horrendous with 6 days of rain due to a hurricane off the Nova Scotia / Newfoundland coast. Regardless the camp of 5 people, four bowhunters and one gun hunter, took a caribou and a moose and three were missed by bowhunters at ranges of 27, 10, and 15 yards by other hunters. As always nearly every, if not every, gun tag was filled in the camp and those that were not were left open due to hunter’s not having the stamina to hunt hard every day all day all week.

In the five trips that I have taken when there were guys in camp rifle hunting (a total of 6 weeks) I believe that all but a few tags possessed were filled with moose or caribou and I have seen up to 8 bear in the field and been in camp with bear taken as well as having taken one myself.

To show that my positive feedback is not solely a result of my having taken game with MVO 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 4-5 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 your 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 daily to reduce hunting pressure in areas closest to camp. The fact that this method of transportation is used instead of the ATVs or 4WDs that other outfitters use greatly adds to the experience in the field yet 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, longer generally for moose.

12) The accommodations in camp are excellent with a new spacious cabin allocated specifically for hunters as the centerpiece of the camp. You’ll have all the comforts of home in the “middle of nowhere”. An electric generator and indoor plumbing and hot water are always available.