Why do Canadian guided hunts costs so damn much compared to international hunts?
- Thread starter Northern Shooter
- Start date
Anything West of Manitoba requires a guide as a non-resident Canadian from what I have seen, talking specifically big game.
The only caveat is if the province/territory offers the hunter-host program which comes with it's own strings.
The only caveat is if the province/territory offers the hunter-host program which comes with it's own strings.
- Location
- Alberta, North America
You will get way more bang for the buck doing a European or even Africa trip ... Canadian guide prices are for the richest of the rich and that's who the market is for.
Moose + Elk + Bears in Canada: pretty easy and no it's not expensive - if you live here and know where to go etc. <spoiled hunter> grew up hunting and have had the best of the best.
Moose + Elk + Bears in Canada: pretty easy and no it's not expensive - if you live here and know where to go etc. <spoiled hunter> grew up hunting and have had the best of the best.
Pretty sure you can buy a Canadian resident bear tag in SK and head off into the bush by yourself. Spot and stalk in the fall over oat fields would be your best bet unless you’re fortunate enough to know someone running a bait.
Looks like you're right on the bear. White tail and Black Bear seem to be the exception to the rule here.
Elk, Sheep, Goat, Caribou, Grizzly etc require a guide.
I went for Pronghorn several times in Wyoming and Montana; would have loved to do the hunt here in Canada but the difference in price was astronomical...something like 4x higher. Maybe not a fair comparison, as Pronghorn are thick as thieves down there, especially in Wyoming, compared to their population density up here. Getting the tag you want is far easier as well, for the same reason.
But how about other species? I took one Mule Deer only, again in Wyoming, and would have paid far more if I tried to do the hunt up here. We saw some deer for sure, but probably fewer than I had seen many times in the past north of the border. Overall, I don't really know how the numbers compare to Alberta or Saskatchewan. Drew a tag without too much difficulty, on only the second year that I tried.
I'm sure there are at least some other good reasons for the discrepancy, but nevertheless...it rankles me to have to go across the border to do something that is available in my own country, but only for a much...much...higher price.
Don't even get me started on more exotic locales; I don't have much experience with them, but what little I do makes me ill when I compare value for dollar spent. I've hunted in Namibia and Botswana, and of course they aren't as cheap as some homegrown guided hunts for a single species...but you are hunting multiple animals, in an unbelievably exotic locale, seeing sights unlike anything you ever will at home, all while being treated and fed like a king. Maybe it's more money...although not necessarily, considering some of prices for stuff like sheep or Alaska moose or others mentioned in this thread...but it is on a whole different level of overall experience.
But how about other species? I took one Mule Deer only, again in Wyoming, and would have paid far more if I tried to do the hunt up here. We saw some deer for sure, but probably fewer than I had seen many times in the past north of the border. Overall, I don't really know how the numbers compare to Alberta or Saskatchewan. Drew a tag without too much difficulty, on only the second year that I tried.
I'm sure there are at least some other good reasons for the discrepancy, but nevertheless...it rankles me to have to go across the border to do something that is available in my own country, but only for a much...much...higher price.
Don't even get me started on more exotic locales; I don't have much experience with them, but what little I do makes me ill when I compare value for dollar spent. I've hunted in Namibia and Botswana, and of course they aren't as cheap as some homegrown guided hunts for a single species...but you are hunting multiple animals, in an unbelievably exotic locale, seeing sights unlike anything you ever will at home, all while being treated and fed like a king. Maybe it's more money...although not necessarily, considering some of prices for stuff like sheep or Alaska moose or others mentioned in this thread...but it is on a whole different level of overall experience.
Africa is definitely the best value for dollar. I'm hunting 9 plains game species for about the price I paid for my guided elk hunt in AB. Of course export and taxidermy can easily balloon that price but if you only stick to 1-3 mounts it can be quite reasonable.
BC has a "permit to accompany" authorization that is availlable to Canadian non resident (BC) hunters.
I have applied for 2 for this coming season for a friend who moved to ontario some years ago.
The non resident hunter needs to sign up for a BC Non resident Hunter number thru the WILD system online then the "host" applies for the dates and species to be hunted. I am not current on which species are not included but I know that black bear, mule deer, sitka and coastal blacktail as well as whitetail deer are on the list to apply for. It also depends on the area being applied for as far as what species will be availlable.
Nice! Now I just need a new best friend that lives in BC.
It looks like most provinces offer some kind of hunter host program. They are usually limited to certain game (no sheep, goat, brown bear) and places like Yukon have a total allotment each year that they hand out. I believe its only 250 or so.
ya the Yukon used to be awesome. You just had to have a resident up there to hunt with and tags were not hard to come by. Then they changed it all a few years ago and we have not been able to pull a non resident tag since.
There is no quota is BC like in the Yukon but the species must have regular open seasons and there are no lottery draw type tags availlable like the Yukon does for non residents.
BC has some incredible black bear and deer hunting though and if a guy was looking to harvest here , it is possible through the Permit to Accompany program. I doubt sheep and goats are included in the options
I’ve always had a problem with that too. Whether it be fishing or hunting etc. This is Canada, on Canadian soil, quote the fees in the same currency. If you were to book a trip to the US for instance, do they quote fees in Can. $, I think not.
There is a good reason for that. Outfitters are not bankers, they can't follow the exchange rates on a daily basis... most clients for Canadian Outfitters are American... if you want an apples to apples (fair) rate system for clients, there needs to be a level playing field, CDN means nothing to your American clients, so the 20% of clients that are Canadian have to pay in American dollars. It would not be this way if 80% of the clients were Canadian... but if you ask any Outfitters, this is just not the case. Do the conversion for yourself to figure out the price, and either pay it, or look elsewhere... but it will probably be in USD regardless of where you look. The alternative is for Outfitters to base prices on the worst case scenario regarding exchange rates, in which case the client ends up paying more, most of the time.
I realize that and understand why they do BUT I still don’t agree with it, this is Canada, charge Canadian funds.
unstableryan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Beautiful Okanagan Valley
I got an explanation once. Canadian guide in Northern BC. He doesn't want to take Canadians to his spots because they will find a way to go there themselves next year. Out of country people will pay and can't do that.
You aren't in business are you...
You cater to your clients or they go elsewhere, and then nobody gets the opportunities. If 80% of your business is American and they are clamoring for quotes in USD, then you price in USD. Our education system should be good enough for Canadians to figure it out... or at least, I thought so.
I have hunted in Africa too, and guess what denomination the prices are in? When the world reserve currency is USD, that is how most business is done. I can imagine how much crying there will be if BRICS takes over the USD and all pricing is in Yuan...
I'm sure the Americans are fully capable of doing a currency exchange themselves -- everyone has a smartphone nowadays, takes me less than 30 sec. to convert USD to CDN or vice versa...
Do outfitters not buy their supplies in Canada with Canadian dollars? Pay the employees in CDN funds? Seems to me all their expenses are in CDN funds, so why wouldn't it be easier to set prices in CDN dollars??? Then, when said American clients want to book a hunt, it would take them 30 sec or less to figure out what it will cost....
Because 80% of the clientele is American... this is really not that hard to understand. Have you ever heard the phrase; "The customer is always right"? Simple concept... you cater to your customers and believe it or not, American customers want to deal in American currency... and as Forrest Gump liked to say, "That is all I got to say about that." Y'all can go in complaining about what is...
