The following are some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that have been posed to us:
What’s included in the hunt?
Your hunt includes pick up and drop off at Deer Lake Regional Airport, meals, lunches, tags, guides, accommodations and all in-field transportation. Clean towels, face cloths, sleeping bags and pillows are provided by us. Not included is the cost of having your meat butchered, the cost of having your meat transported home and the gratuities for your guide and cook.
How will my meat and antlers be cared for?
Once your hunt is successfully completed, we have a game shed to hang your meat until it is flown out of Spruce Pond. Your guide will get your meat back to Spruce Pond Lodge. Spruce Pond works with a professional meat processing facility where you can have your game processed into steaks, roasts, stew meat, burgers or sausages.
Driving your own vehicle:
You can take your meat home with you in poly bags, provided you bring coolers and/or freezers. We will meet you when you fly back out of Spruce Pond and provide ice in which your meat can be packed in the coolers and freezers.
You can also have your meat processed professionally in Western Newfoundland by our butcher. Cooled and vacuum-packed, meat will keep for over a week without spoiling, allowing ample time to travel home. Please note, you may have to wait several days before the meat is processed and you can take it home. Any costs resulting from this, such for accommodations, meals, etc., will be your costs.
Flying with the airlines:
Antlers, meat and capes can be packaged and frozen and stored at our butcher until mid-November or early December, at which time a large reefer tractor trailer will transport all items from Newfoundland to the United States at a predetermined drop-off point. This is arranged through our butcher and is generally cheaper than shipping through the airlines and also more convenient if you do not live close to a designated US FDA distribution point.
*Note: Meat cutting fees are separate from the cost of your hunt.
What can I expect for weather?
Fall temperatures usually range from lows of 40-50 F in the morning and evenings, with daytime highs of 60-70 F. Later in the fall, towards the end of October and into November, it can get a little cooler in the mornings and evenings, below freezing. Typical lows might be around 15-30 F and highs into the 30-35 F range. Newfoundland weather conditions during this period are very changeable and more often than not there is rainfall sometime during a week-long period.
Will I require a Passport?
All U.S. citizens traveling to and from Canada are required to have a valid passport to enter Canada. Visitors from all other countries must have valid national passports.
What do I need to know about bringing firearms into Canada?
Firearms for the purpose of hunting are permitted into Canada as long as they are declared to Canada Customs at point of entry. Appropriate declaration forms and regulations regarding the transportation of firearms and the type of firearms permitted will be forwarded prior to one’s hunt. They can also be found here.
What if I should need hospital or medical services while in Newfoundland?
Visitors to Canada are strongly urged to obtain health insurance before leaving their home country. Canadian hospital and medical services are excellent, but an extended hospital stay can be costly. If you are taking medication prescribed by your doctor, it’s a good idea to bring along extra medications and a copy of your prescription in case you need to have it renewed by a doctor in Canada.