For South Carolina hunters
Hunting in Canada from South Carolina
Lowcountry hunters are in the woods early. Our northern game comes with the booking.
South Carolina has one of the earliest deer openers in the country, mid-August in some zones, so Palmetto hunters are in the stand while Alberta bulls are still in velvet. But the state has no wild moose and no elk, so for antlered northern game a South Carolina hunter is traveling.
We run guided moose, elk and bighorn hunts in Alberta's Rockies where the tag comes with the booking. No draw, no points, no residency wall. From Charleston or Greenville it is a clean one-stop north, our camp near Nordegg is about three and a half hours from the airport, and the northern game South Carolina cannot offer comes with the hunt.
Moose from South Carolina: not a home animal
There is no wild moose in South Carolina, so a South Carolina hunter has no home season, lottery or points to weigh. The Alberta hunt is a clean proposition: get on a plane and hunt one.
Our Alberta moose is a genuine 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. Our moose hunt is $15,500 to $17,500 in USD plus 5% GST for ten days, and if you time it for the November rut you can pair a deer hunt with it. See the moose hunt page and the moose cost guide.
Elk and bighorn: never a South Carolina option
South Carolina has no elk hunt and no wild elk herd, and no bighorn sheep. Both animals have always meant leaving the state for a Lowcountry hunter.
In Alberta both are a booking. Elk is $9,500 for a ten-day rut hunt or $7,500 for six days on the migration, and bighorn is the continent's premier tag at $45,000 to $100,000, on a guaranteed allocation. The bighorn rule holds nationwide: in every US state with the animal, a tag is a jackpot or decades of points, and 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 South Carolina
From Charleston or Greenville the routing is a straightforward one-stop to Calgary through Atlanta, which has a year-round nonstop on to Calgary, or through Chicago. From the airport our camp near Nordegg is about three and a half hours by road, the same from Calgary or Edmonton.
The rifle paperwork is the same for every US hunter regardless of state: 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 South Carolina
Here is what our hunts cost from South Carolina, 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 South Carolina?
No. South Carolina has no wild moose and no season. Our Alberta moose hunts carry the tag through an outfitter allocation with no draw, so a bull is a booking away.
Q. Do I need a guide to hunt in Canada as a South Carolina resident?
Yes. In Alberta a non-resident hunts big game with a licensed outfitter-guide, 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. Can I hunt elk in South Carolina?
No. South Carolina has no elk hunt and no wild elk herd. Our Alberta elk hunts come with the tag through our allocation, no draw. The rut hunt is $9,500 for ten days.
Q. How do I get from South Carolina to your Alberta hunts?
A one-stop from Charleston or Greenville through Atlanta or Chicago, then about three and a half hours by road from Calgary or Edmonton.
Q. Is there a draw for your hunts?
No. Every hunt we run comes with its tag through our Alberta allocation. You pick a date and book.
Keep reading
Plan your hunt
Ask us about an Alberta moose or elk hunt from South Carolina
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.