This outfitter hunts different units at different times of the year, from a variety of camps to optimize success. He hunts black bears, moose, and some elk and whitetails too. When it comes to bears, one of the best aspects about bear hunting in Alberta is that you’re ALLOWED TO TAKE 2 BEARS. Since most Lower 48 hunts do not, you can get close to twice the value simply by going to Alberta! And if your first bear is not quite the giant you wanted, it is awful nice to have that second tag in your pocket.
Also no draws, as licenses are allocated to the outfitter for him to sell to his clients. And one more plus – you can have a third tag in your pocket, for a wolf. And often these Alberta hunts offer you a chance for a color phase bear: brown, blonde, cinnamon and others. A very nice package, indeed. AND ON SOME OF HIS HUNTS, THIS OUTFITTER WILL ALLOW ANY YOUTH 12 TO 17 YEARS OF AGE TO HUNT FOR FREE WHEN ACCOMPANIED BY A SUPERVISING ADULT PAYING FULL PRICE – WHAT A GREAT DEAL!
Now take all of those advantages, and add to them a excellent, high-success outfitter with exceptionally reasonable pricing, and you have a hunt you really need to get serious about. Just how good is he?
Comments from these three hunters will tell you: “Hi Butch. My bear hunt I had with this outfitter this past spring was an outstanding hunt. The accommodations were tent style, yet comfortable and warm. They ran a bunk house style kitchen and the food was three square meals a day. The hunt was very rewarding. I bagged a 7’4″ bear that weighed in at 652 lbs. I had him aged and he was 22 years old. A grandpa to say the least. I also had a shot at a sow that I estimated to be somewhere in the 400 lbs range. However, my shot was off enough that it was not a killing shot. The trackers did a good job tracking her, sometimes only finding blood over 50 yards away from the last spot. All in all I feel it was a very good hunt and I plan on returning again.” – Eddie K.
“Good evening Butch. My 14-year old daughter and I hunted with this outfit in May 2013. We had nothing but a good experience with them. The outfitter was very helpful in the planning stages of our hunt. He had recommended travel arrangements, dates and suggested gear lists. When we arrived, he and his guides were polite and prepared. His equipment was in good shape and the outfitter tents with plywood floors had no holes and were clean. The cots were sturdy. We had no need for heat, but our tent did have a nice stove. Although meal times were scheduled, food was available to us at any time. Their bait stations were appropriately marked and well maintained. Safety harnesses are a must. The outfitter went above and beyond to ensure we were at our stations, on time, and took complete care of our animals after harvesting. I recommend him to everyone I meet. Sincerely,” – Mia A.
“Hi Butch. I have hunted three times with this outfit and cannot say enough good things about their operations. I have taken two bears each year, including two brown phase animals. The outfitter runs a hunting operation…no frills. Tent shelters, good beds and adequate meals. I’m 82-years old and have hunted with many, many outfitters and have been disappointed many times, but never with him. Good, honest, hardworking folks. Sincerely,” – Rod H.
In terms of success, they average about 1.5 bears per hunter. Bears average 6 to 7 feet, although they can be larger (or smaller). Patience helps size-wise, as you may need to pass up some bears to get a really big one. Keep a video camera handy! Success would be even higher except that many hunters, after taking their first bear, are then looking for a particular size or particular color phase and pass up other bears. Opportunity to take two bears is very close to 100%. For spring of 2015, they took 20 hunters and killed 27 bears. Of the 8 guys who bought two tags, they killed 15 bears, meaning almost everyone took 2 bears.
DO NOT EXPECT PLUSH ACCOMMODATIONS OR GOURMET FOOD. THIS IS DEEP WOODS HUNTING IN RUSTIC TENTS AND IT ALL TAKES A GOOD DEAL OF EFFORT FOR THEM. So expect gear to be well used. Overall the guides are reported to be excellent and hard working. Food is solid and filling, but this is a bit rough and tumble, so understand that when you book. But if you are more interested in the hunting than a 5-star camp and spotless equipment, you should enjoy yourself. This is bargain priced, after all.
Lodging: Tent camps with some wood floors and some with carpet floors. Tents are older but serviceable. Nice stoves in them for heat. They have cots and pads and hearty cooking. If you have a bad back, bring your own plush cot pad. These hunts take place in the famed Peace River country near High Level, Alberta, where they have two separate camps, which helps spread pressure and saves time for everyone.
Transport: Fly to either Edmonton or High Level, Alberta. Check flight costs and then decide. The drive to camp from Edmonton to High Level is about 9 to 10 hours, but if several guys go and split the driving, that is one choice.
The Hunt: Typically they will drive you to your bear stand in the afternoon. The drive can be 20 minutes to 90 minutes. You will hunt until dark from your blind or set-up. Expect it to be very late by the time you get back to camp, due to long spring daylight hours. So sleep in, or maybe pitch in with the baiting chores.
MOOSE
This outfitter offers 3 different moose hunts: (a) early fall (pre-rut and rut) archery hunts in September and October during the bows-only season; (b) rifle hunts during the rut in September and October; and (c) rifle hunts in early to mid-November.
We at Hunt-Nation consider this to be a hunt for average moose, with many Meat bulls also being taken. Most will be 24-38” but some can be very large. However we prefer to quote you averages, and if a 45” or better shows up – great!
OUTFITTER’S 2015 statistics: 13 early moose hunters, 16 bulls shot at, 10 killed. Here is one report from a previous season: “Bought a 6-day hunt through a Montana Bowhunter Association Convention. Went on the hunt with my friend Curtis. The food was good our guide Zane was awesome. We nicknamed him the “moose ninja.” Zane is an expert caller and an absolute woodsman. We spent our days hiking and calling. Zane carried a moose antler, decoy and birchbark horn and used them from daylight until dark. In 6 days Zane called in 7 bulls and four cows. Curtis shot a 35″ moose on day four of the hunt with his compound bow. For the next two days, Zane worked hard and called in two more bulls, just not into bow range for me. The area we were in held a large number of moose and, as Zane proved, getting off the road a bit resulted in never seeing another hunter the entire week. This area of Alberta has excellent access, easy terrain (I live in the Rocky Mountains so easy is relative), and incredible moose numbers. I highly recommend this hunt.”
2016 moose hunter says: “I had such a great time on our moose rut hunt this year! Everything turned out prefect this year. Dan and Cliff did an awesome job as guides! It was great getting to be in camp again with Huey and his wife. The cooking was wonderful! The hunt sure made for some great memories with all the hunters tagging out. I wanted to share a few pictures of the hunt with you. Thanks so much to you and Judy for everything!” – Dustin H.
The November hunt is run from their Carrot Creek tent camp in units that allow rifle hunting only in November. This area has good access, limited resident numbers, and normally snow to make tracking moose easier. Success rates have fluctuated in the past based mostly on the weather conditions at the time. One year when conditions were perfect, he had 10 hunters tag 10 bulls in 1 week. Another good example was the 1st week of Nov. ’13. One of the guide’s hunters saw 7 bulls, with both clients tagging theirs. In 2014, this same guide hunting in poor no snow conditions saw only 1 cow the first week. Later it snowed and the 2nd week that same guide and his new client saw 12 moose with 4 bulls and the client tagged out.
All trips include airport pick up, meals, on site transportation, and lodging. Prices don’t include licenses, taxes, processing fees, etc. All prices are per person and quoted in U.S. funds. Hunts are normally two hunters with one guide. Dates are subject to change to comply with the Alberta government season openings. A 50% deposit is required within 10 days to confirm your spot on the hunt. Final payment must be by certified check, money order or cash.
PRICES 2018 (subject to change without notice; all prices in USD)
The base hunt prices listed below do not include any license fees or the 5% federal tax due. In addition, to show their clients that they are serious about them tagging game (and rather than increasing prices generally), they’ve implemented a trophy fee on many fall hunts, payable only if game is tagged. The trophy fee is payable only on the primary species listed on the hunt contract and NOT on any other secondary species licenses purchased.
Baited Spring Bear Hunt, two bear limit, FIVE DAYS hunting $3190
3-day hunt, 1 bear only $2390
First bear license $400
Bowhunting license $25
Second bear tag $750
Extra hunting days, per day rate. $350
One on One upgrade, per day rate. $100
Non-Hunter, per day rate. $100
Youth Hunt Special: ANY YOUTH 12 TO 17 YEARS OF AGE TO HUNT FOR FREE WHEN ACCOMPANIED BY A SUPERVISING ADULT PAYING FULL
PRICE
Moose pre-rut bowhunts, 2×1 guiding (Sept. 10-22)
6 Days $4,590 12 Days $6,690
Moose rut bowhunts, 2×1 guiding (Sept. 24-Oct. 13)
6 Days $4,590 12 Days $6,690
Moose rut bowhunts, self-guided drop camps (please speak to us first)
6 Days $1,190 12 Days $2,380
Moose rut rifle hunts, 2×1 guiding (no trophy fee on this hunt) (Sept. 24-Oct. 13) 6 Days $4,590 12 Days $6,690
Moose November rifle hunts, 2×1 guiding (Nov. 1-17)
8 Days $4,590 16 Days $7,390
Moose license $800
Bowhunting license $25
Trophy fee payable upon tagging a bull $800
Other species license/permit fees if available in that hunting unit.
Elk $800
Whitetail Deer $800
Mule Deer $400
Black Bear $400
Wolf/Coyote $100
Game Bird $100
All hunts include pickup, on site meals, tent camp accommodations and 2 on 1 guiding. You can add other species to your hunt or upgrade your hunt to a 1 on 1 for only $100 per day.
IMPORTANT: In order to import your gun, you must pay a $25 Canadian fee and submit a “Firearms Declaration Form”. This form can be down loaded from the web site www.cfc-ccaf.gc.ca. We have done this many times. It is simple and easy, but DO NOT SIGN THE FORM UNTIL YOU ARE IN FRONT OF AN AGENT AT THE BORDER! Also, if you have a DUI, a felony, or a domestic restraining order relating to firearms, you will need to contact us for assistance.
WE ARE YOUR ADVENTURE SPECIALISTS!
307.637.5495 or info@hunt-nation.com