For California hunters
Hunting in Canada from California
More hunters than almost any state, less tag supply per hunter than nearly all of them.
California has more hunters than almost anywhere and less tag supply per hunter than nearly all of them. The state does have elk, tule and Roosevelt and Rocky Mountain, but the draw odds for a nonresident are among the worst in the country, a fraction of a percent for the best hunts. Bighorn is a literal lottery jackpot. And there is no wild moose at all.
We run guided elk, moose and bighorn hunts in Alberta's Rockies on guaranteed outfitter allocations. No draw, no points, no waiting for odds that never come. You book a date and you hunt. California is one of the best-connected states for it: year-round nonstops to Calgary from LAX, San Francisco, San Diego, Orange County and Palm Springs, and our camp near Nordegg is about three and a half hours from the airport.
Hunting moose from California
There is no wild moose in California. It has never been a home hunt, so the only way a Californian tags a bull is out of state, and we make that a booking rather than a lottery.
Our Alberta moose is a horseback wilderness hunt. Bulls average better than fifty inches, we run a small number of one-on-one rut hunts a season, and the tag rides with the booking through our provincial allocation. It is $15,500 to $17,500 in USD plus 5% GST for ten days, archery, muzzleloader or rifle. See the moose hunt page and the moose cost guide.
Elk and bighorn: the worst odds in the West
California elk tags exist, but the draw odds are the kind of number you stop checking after a while, a sliver of a percent for the quality hunts. Bighorn is a once-in-a-lifetime jackpot. You can put in for both for years and hunt neither. That is the tag supply problem in a state this size.
In Alberta the tag comes with the hunt. Our elk rut hunt is $9,500 for ten days of bugling bulls or $7,500 for six days on the migration, and bighorn is the continent's premier ram tag at $45,000 to $100,000. The rule is nationwide: every US state with bighorn, California included, makes it a jackpot or decades of points. Guaranteed-allocation bighorn does not exist in the Lower 48. See elk and bighorn sheep.
What we hunt in Alberta
Everything on this page runs out of one operation: our horseback backcountry camp in Alberta's Rockies near Nordegg, in country where motorized vehicles are prohibited and access is by horse and on foot. We hold provincial allocations for the species below, which is what lets us hand you a tag with the hunt instead of sending you into a draw.
- Moose: premium mountain bulls averaging better than fifty inches, one-on-one, $15,500 to $17,500 in USD plus GST.
- Elk: a $9,500 ten-day rut hunt for bugling bulls, or a $7,500 six-day migration hunt.
- Bighorn sheep: the premier tag on the continent, $45,000 to $100,000, on a guaranteed allocation.
- Mule and whitetail deer: the November rut, $6,500, 130 to 170 class.
- Black bear: baited hunts, $2,500 to $5,000 CAD, the most affordable guided big game in Canada.
- Wolf: a free add-on with any booked hunt, unlimited harvest, CITES permit to export.
Getting here from California
California is spoiled for direct flights. Air Canada and WestJet fly year-round nonstops from LAX, United and WestJet from San Francisco, and WestJet serves San Diego, Orange County and Palm Springs to Calgary as well. You land in the mountains' time zone with no connection to miss, and our camp near Nordegg is about three and a half hours by road.
California has strict rules for transporting firearms, so we keep it simple and walk every hunter through the border paperwork. On the Canadian side it is the same for everyone: the RCMP Non-Resident Firearm Declaration and a flat CAD $25 at the border for non-restricted rifles and shotguns. See bringing firearms into Canada.
What our hunts cost from California
Here is what our hunts cost from California, in plain USD. These are our own published rates, and the figure below is the guided hunt only. Licences and tags, Alberta's 5% GST, your airfare, tips for guides and camp staff, and any taxidermy or export sit on top of it. For the full stack on any species, follow the cost guides.
| Our Alberta hunt | Price | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Elk, migration | $7,500 USD | 6 days |
| Elk, rut | $9,500 USD | 10 days |
| Mule or whitetail deer | $6,500 USD | November rut |
| Moose, rut one-on-one | $15,500 - $17,500 USD + GST | 10 days |
| Bighorn sheep | $45,000 - $100,000 USD | Backcountry camps |
| Black bear | $2,500 - $5,000 CAD | Baited |
| Wolf | Free add-on | With any booked hunt |
For the full itemised breakdown by species, see the moose cost guide, the elk cost guide and the other cost guides.
Bringing your rifle across the border
This part is the same for every US hunter, whatever state you leave from. You fill out the RCMP Non-Resident Firearm Declaration, form 5589, pay a flat CAD $25 at the border, and have it witnessed by a border officer. That declaration acts as a temporary licence for the length of your trip and lets you buy ammunition here. It covers non-restricted rifles and shotguns, the sporting long guns you hunt with. Leave any handguns at home, and note the five-round magazine cap on semi-automatic centre-fire long guns.
We walk every hunter through the paperwork before you travel, so nothing at the border is a surprise. See bringing firearms into Canada for the full walkthrough, and do you need a guide in Canada for why the outfitter is the access, not an add-on.
Common questions
Q. Can I hunt moose in California?
No, there is no wild moose in California. Our Alberta moose hunts carry the tag through an outfitter allocation with no draw, so a bull is a booking away instead of an animal the state has never had.
Q. Do I need a guide to hunt in Canada as a California resident?
Yes. In Alberta a non-resident hunts big game either with a licensed outfitter-guide or an unpaid resident hunter host, and as an American your tag comes through the outfitter's allocation rather than a draw. We hold the allocations for the species we hunt.
Q. How bad are California's elk draw odds compared to your hunts?
California's best nonresident elk hunts draw at a fraction of a percent, and there are no odds at all with us. Our Alberta elk hunt comes with the tag through our allocation, so you pick a date and book instead of applying and hoping.
Q. How do I get from California to your Alberta camp?
Year-round nonstops to Calgary from LAX, San Francisco, San Diego, Orange County and Palm Springs. From the airport our camp near Nordegg is about three and a half hours by road.
Q. What about California's firearm transport rules?
We keep the process simple and walk every hunter through it. On the Canadian side every US hunter uses the same RCMP Non-Resident Firearm Declaration and pays a flat CAD $25 at the border for non-restricted rifles and shotguns.
Keep reading
Plan your hunt
Ask us about an Alberta elk or moose hunt without the California draw
Tell us what you are after. We reply within 1 to 2 business days with honest numbers, real dates and the outfitters we would send our own family to. It costs you nothing.