Costs
Combination Hunts in Canada: The Math of Stacking Tags on One Trip
One trip, more than one tag. The math of a combination hunt is simpler than it looks.
A combination hunt stacks more than one tag onto a single trip, and the math usually favours it. We negotiate combinations case by case, but the pattern is common: hunters add a mule deer or a black bear tag to a main elk, moose or deer hunt, and every hunt we run already includes a wolf tag for free, with unlimited harvest. The reason to combine is not just variety, it is cost. Airfare, the drive from the airport, camp setup and your guided days are largely fixed whether you fill one tag or three. Run two separate hunts and you pay that overhead twice. Stack the tags on one ten-day trip and you pay it once. Below is how the numbers actually work, what typically gets added, and what to weigh before you commit to more than one animal.
What actually combines
Combinations are negotiated case by case rather than sold off a fixed menu, because the right stack depends on your season, your species and what our allocation allows in a given year. That said, a few pairings come up again and again. The most common additions are a mule deer or whitetail tag, or a black bear tag, alongside a main big game hunt. And every single hunt we run includes a wolf tag at no extra charge, with unlimited harvest, so wolf is less an add-on than a standing part of the deal. If you want the detail on that, see our guided wolf hunting page.
One thing to plan for on the wolf: exporting the hide means paperwork. Wolf is a CITES Appendix II species, so taking a hide home requires a Canadian CITES export permit. It is a straightforward step, but it is one to arrange rather than discover at the airport.
The math: one trip versus two
The case for combining is overhead. A hunt carries costs that do not change much with the number of tags: your flights to Alberta, the roughly three-and-a-half-hour transfer from the Calgary or Edmonton airport, getting camp set and stocked, and the block of guided days themselves. Book two separate hunts in two separate years and you pay all of that twice. Book a combination and you pay it once, then add the incremental cost of the second species on top. Our published rates make the pattern easy to see: an elk rut hunt is $9,500 USD for ten days, a mule or whitetail deer hunt is $6,500, and a wolf tag is included free with every hunt. Those are USD and carry 5% GST, and licences, tags, airfare and tips sit on top, but the shape of the trade is what matters.
| Approach | Airfare | Airport transfer | Camp and guided days | Overhead paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two separate trips | Twice | Twice | Two full camps | Doubled |
| One combination trip | Once | Once | One camp, one block of days | Once, plus the added tag |
What to weigh before you stack tags
A combination is not automatically the right call, so weigh it honestly. Two species on one trip means splitting your days and your focus, and a hunt hard-set on a single marquee animal can be worth keeping single so nothing distracts from it. Overlapping seasons and our allocation for the year also decide what is genuinely possible, which is exactly why we build combinations one hunter at a time rather than off a price list. The wolf tag is the easy yes because it is free and rides along with whatever you are already hunting. Beyond that, the question is whether a second tag adds to the trip you want or dilutes it.
When the seasons line up and you want more than one animal, the economics are hard to argue with: you are spreading fixed travel and camp costs across two hunts instead of one, and the free wolf tag is pure upside. When your heart is set on one animal, keep it clean and put every day into that. Either way, the honest number lives in what a combination actually includes, which we lay out on our Alberta hunts page.
Every hunt already includes a wolf tag
Wolf comes free with every hunt we run, unlimited harvest. Exporting the hide needs a Canadian CITES permit. See our wolf hunting page.
What combinations we quote
Because we negotiate combinations case by case, the fastest way to a real number is to tell us the stack you want. Give us your main species, the second tag you are thinking about, mule deer and black bear being the usual pair with a big game hunt, and your rough window, and we will tell you whether the seasons and our allocation line up and what the combination runs. The wolf tag is already in every quote at no charge. Send it through on the plan your hunt form and we will put honest numbers to it.
Common questions
Q. What is a combination hunt?
A trip that stacks more than one tag onto a single hunt, for example adding a mule deer or black bear tag to a main elk or moose hunt. We negotiate combinations case by case, and every hunt already includes a free wolf tag with unlimited harvest.
Q. Why is a combination hunt cheaper than two separate trips?
Because airfare, the airport transfer, camp setup and your guided days are largely fixed whether you fill one tag or three. Two separate trips pay that overhead twice. One combination trip pays it once, then adds only the incremental cost of the second species.
Q. What species do hunters usually combine?
Most commonly a mule deer or whitetail tag, or a black bear tag, alongside a main big game hunt. Wolf is included free with every hunt, so it rides along with whatever else you are hunting.
Q. Do I need a permit to bring a wolf hide home?
Yes. Wolf is a CITES Appendix II species, so exporting the hide requires a Canadian CITES export permit. It is a straightforward step to arrange, but plan for it rather than discover it at the airport.
Q. How do I get a price on a combination hunt?
Tell us your main species, the second tag you want and your rough window. Because combinations depend on overlapping seasons and our allocation for the year, we quote them case by case. The free wolf tag is already in every quote.
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