Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada 'Merican wants to hunt Canada

I have been fortunate enough to have developed a close relationship with a wonderful Canadian woman that has residences in Alberta and Ontario. She is an avid outdoor person that is highly self sufficient in the remotest bush. While she isn't a hunter herself, she embraces it and is happy to participate in any way. I have reasonably extensive experience in the lower 48 and overseas, but I have yet to hunt in Canada and am anxious to pursue any and all of the big game there that is reasonably possible.

I am asking for advice and resources to pursue this. Any and all advice would be welcome. I prefer diy, back country pack in style situations. I am set with the gear, most of the hunting knowhow and interest, fitness and desire. What are the permitting ins and outs? What are the best provinces and areas therein? I am not looking for absolute trophies. A quality experience with a representative opportunity is what I seek. I think she can help me as a "resident guide".

I know these are big questions. Thank you in advance for any help.

gabbott;
The first place I'd recommend starting would be to peruse the following sights which hopefully will answer the non-resident requirements you need to comply with to hunt in either province.

http://www.albertaregulations.ca/

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/FW/Publication/MNR_E001275P.html

The Canadian lady may have to have a hunting licence in the province you wish to hunt in - in order for her to fulfill the requirements for "resident guide".

To the best of my memory and knowledge, that would be a requirement for me to act as a guide for someone who is not a BC resident, so it may or conversely may not be a requirement in Alberta and/or Ontario.

As to which province offers "the best" hunting experience, well I'll let the residents from the provinces mentioned make their cases for you. I've not hunted either one, so can't really make any firm comments one way or the other.

I have hunted Saskatchewan and BC, as well as kicked around in the back country a bit in Alberta and Manitoba over the years.

To be honest, I can't imagine a really bad experience anywhere in the Canadian bush actually, but then I'm admittedly more than a little biased.

Hopefully that was a least a bit of a place to start looking into a hunt up here. Good luck on your upcoming hunts.

Regards,
Dwayne

Thank you for your input. I believe you are correct in that she will have some credentials to obtain as will I of course. It's the larger hurdles that I am most concerned with like permits/point?/licensing as well as the "intel" as to where to pursue moose or goats or........... I guess I need to find out how difficult the permits will be to come by. Presumably hunters that employ outfitters have an inside track to permits...????

In Alberta it would the hunter host licence. GRF

gabbott,Alberta may be more lenient but I cannot host a Non Resident Alien hunter in BC unless it is a CLOSE personal relative.I can host non BC Canadian hunters for some species(no sheep,or grizzlies),by obtaining a "Permit to Accompany".Each Province has it's own regulations.In all Provinces if you hire a guide your tag is guaranteed,but for some species such as Stone Sheep and grizzlies that can get a tad exspensive! Best of luck,I hope you get to hunt Canada with your friend...Monashee

gabbott;
Again I'll preface my response by saying I'm answering what would be done here in BC, which again may not be anything close to what would be the case in the other two provinces. I do know though that the Yukon has similar restrictions.

Here we would apply for a "Permit to Accompany". I can do that for Canadians without too much trouble, but one of the prerequisites is that I've held a BC hunting licence and big game species licence for 3 of the previous 5 years.

For us the sticky wicket arrives when the guided hunter isn't a Canadian Citizen or at least have permanent resident status. In order to guide them there has to be a familial link - laid out in the synopsis - which by the way excludes cousins.

There are also restrictions on the game pursued, so for instance thin horn sheep can't be hunted here by the visiting hunter. If I'm not wrong, the Yukon doesn't allow sheep or grizzly bear hunting in such circumstances.

As you mentioned, the guide/outfitters do have the ability to access a certain number of permits for big game species that even the locals can't sometimes without drawing for. That as you can well imagine often leads to some animated discussions at the harvest allotment meetings.

Hopefully that again was of some use to you and wasn't too confusing.

Good luck on your hunts whichever way you end up going.

Regards,
Dwayne

Monashee;
I see you type faster than I can read the synopsis and type my long winded answers!

Thanks for helping out Monashee and all the best to you and yours this fine October evening.

The offer to drop by for coffee still stands for you folks by the way.

Happy Canuck Thanksgiving to you and yours Monashee and good luck on your hunts this fall.

Dwayne

Thanks guys. I do already have a WIN and am pressing forward with this. I know they are necessary but every dad gum state and province has such different approaches to reg and permit and licensing that it can be a bit boggling. I am beginning to gather that there would be virtually no license available to me without a draw process unless I go with an outfitter. Moose or maybe elk (not so interested in deer unless they can be hunted concurrently)appear to be some of the easier animals to be drawn for unless I am missing something (likely). She has to obtain her hunter host license. I guess I need to nail down good units for chosen species. I am sensing some phone calls to Canada coming on soon.

gabbott;
To be clear sir, as I've not done the research on the two provinces in question, I certainly didn't mean to infer in any way you may need to draw for a permit.

My intent was only to highlight the intricacies of our BC system as an example of what you might want to look into for the provinces you are interested in hunting.

By all means, do as much research as you're able to and again by all means do make some phone calls.

Hopefully that made sense?

Good luck on your hunts wherever they end up to be.

Regards,
Dwayne

Understood. Thanks. Looks like drawing may not be necessary in all cases. Will be calling tomorrow.

I just now read your inquiry. The Ontario game regulations booklet runs to 88 pages so obviously it is difficult to provide much information without the possibility of leaving something out.

Pg. 44 of the reg's has the following first para. concerning non-resident hunters:

"A non-resident who wishes to hunt moose in Ontario must have valid hunting accreditation and be a registered guest and actually accommodated at a tourist establishment. The outfitter must apply for and receive, on the non-resident's behalf, a validation tag to hunt moose (see exceptions below)...."

If it were me I would be phoning the game department of the province in which you wish to hunt and asking them your specific questions. If the answers create interest for you I would also ask to have a written confirmation of the information provided. (Staff have been known to make mistakes and having their comments in writing helps to avoid controversy in the future.)

There is little uniformity among the provinces and I believe all have regulations which are at least as complex as ours here in Ontario.

Not trying to discourage you, just trying to avoid your having a bad experience along the way.

Jim

That's hearty counsel, Jim. Go to the source!

A non resident of Ontario must hire an outfitter, OR be a close blood relative of an Ontario resident who holds a current license for the game to be hunted by the non-resident, and must accompany the non-resident hunter. The non-resident must also hold a current big-game license from the State, Province or country in which he/she is a legal resident.

By close relative is meant: a parent, a grandparent, a son or daughter, grandson or granddaughter, sibling, or someone currently married to any of the above.

Also, a person who may not be a Canadian citizen but who owns a property in Ontario which is considered a residence, and in which he/she resides for 6 months of the year, who also is qualified to hunt in Ontario.

Ontario is one of the most difficult Provinces in Canada, if not THE most difficult, to obtain a license to hunt in if not a resident.

I know that to hunt in Saskatchewan, for example, without a licensed outfitter, you only need be a Canadian citizen with a legit license from another province. But, you/I would still need to purchase a license for the game to be hunted, and it may be at the cost of a non-resident license. Quebec is the same. I can cross the border into Quebec in the spring to hunt black bear without an outfitter, but I would have to pay the non-resident fee which is more than double than for Quebec residents.

In coming from outside Canada to hunt in Canada (any Province), the aspirant hunter must prove residency, purpose of entry, and if guns are involved... without an outfitter providing papers for application of entering firearms ???? Good luck!

When we lived in Nova Scotia, I served as guide for my son-in-law who was a resident of Ontario and a qualified Ontario hunter.

Bob

www.bigbores.ca

Thanks to all for the responses. I will keep plugging away on this and report back!

In Alberta an Alberta resident can take an American big game hunting and the American does not have to be related but there must not be any financial gain involved. The Albertan then has to wait 2 years before he can do it again. The application is a simple process and if for some reason after the application is made and you choose not to hunt that year the appliction is not held against you.

Dwayne,

here in Yukon we can guide (only canadian resident and once every three year ...) under the special license but no sheep you re right nor elk and bison. grizzly is open mostly on the southern lakes area for this special license ... but there is still caribou, black bear, moose, wolf etc ...

all the best.

Phil.