| On the last day, I wanted to go out and shoot some videotape. Steve and I headed to Wolf Mountain to check out the tundra. As we started out, saw several doe feeding in the early morning. On a distant ridge, we could see a large black bear gorging him self on �partridge berries�. These are tart red berries, which grow on the tundra. We headed in the direction of the bear to try and get him on videotape, but he was no where to be found when we arrived in the area he was feeding in. While looking for the bear, we saw four doe a couple of hundred yards away. As we glassed them, we saw a huge stag. We stalked within 100 yards of them and I began videotaping. We kept slipping closer and closer to the great stag as his attention was focused on his harem of four doe. We had stalked within 15 yards of the group before they realized something wasn�t right and bolted. Talk about catch and release! The stag had good palmation on his shovel and bez points. He had a lot of mass with long wide sweeping main beams. A Pope & Young qualifier for sure. I had as much fun shooting this stag with my video camera as I did taking the other stag with my smoke pole. Some Final Thoughts: The people of Newfoundland are some of the nicest people I have ever met. They are very friendly and will bend over backwards to accommodate you. Ron and John Hicks run a first class operation at Snowshoe Lake. They take care of all the details so you can relax and enjoy a week of hunting. Everything from meals, lodging, and transportation in the field to licenses, butchering, export permits and U.S. Federal Fish & Wildlife forms were hassle free. I will return to Snowshoe Lake for another exciting week with the Hicks family. Oh, one other thing. Try not to shoot a caribou on the first day. Chances are you will see larger stags through out the week. If you blow a stalk, just go over the next hill to find another group of animals. Recommended Gear: Knee high ankle fit rubber boots (a must) Spotting scope (extra weight, but handy for getting a good look at those antlers) 10x42 waterproof binoculars Range finder Quiet Rain gear Quiet backpack or fanny pack Shooting sticks or bi-pod Boot dryer (nothing like a warm dry pair of boots in the morning) Outfitter: Snowshoe Lake Hunting and Fishing P. O. Box 24 Millertown, Newfoundland A0H 1V0 Ron Hicks (709) 489-3017 [email protected] |