For South Dakota hunters
Hunting in Canada from South Dakota
Pheasant capital of America. The antlered northern game comes with the booking.
South Dakota is the pheasant capital of America, and come October the state is about roosters. What it is not about is big antlered mountain game: there is no huntable moose, only rare wanderers, and the Black Hills elk permits are resident-only, effectively closed to nonresidents. For elk or moose, a South Dakota hunter is looking north.
We run guided moose, elk and bighorn hunts in Alberta's Rockies where the tag comes with the booking. No draw, no residency wall, no points. From Rapid City or Sioux Falls it is a clean one-stop north, and from western South Dakota it is a long but doable drive, so you can book an Alberta hunt for antlers the same fall you chase roosters at home.
Moose from South Dakota: not a huntable animal
South Dakota sees only rare wandering moose, with no huntable population and no season, so there is nothing to draw. For a South Dakota hunter the Alberta option is a clean one: there is no home hunt to compare it against.
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. See the moose hunt page and the moose cost guide.
Elk and bighorn: resident-only at home
South Dakota has elk in the Black Hills, but the permits are resident-only, which effectively closes them to nonresidents. There is no accessible wild bighorn tag for a traveling hunter either. Both animals mean leaving the state.
In Alberta both are a booking. Our elk rut hunt is $9,500 for ten days of bugling bulls, and the migration hunt is $7,500 for six days, on a guaranteed allocation with no draw. Bighorn is the continent's premier tag at $45,000 to $100,000, and the rule holds everywhere: 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 Dakota
From Rapid City or Sioux Falls the routing is a one-stop to Calgary through Denver or Minneapolis, both of which have year-round nonstops on to Calgary. From the western part of the state you can also drive it, a long day-plus behind the wheel, and cross at a land port with your own truck. From the airport our camp near Nordegg is about three and a half hours by road.
The rifle paperwork is the same for every US hunter, and the land crossing uses the exact same form: the RCMP Non-Resident Firearm Declaration and a flat CAD $25 for non-restricted rifles and shotguns. See bringing firearms into Canada.
What our hunts cost from South Dakota
Here is what our hunts cost from South Dakota, 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 Dakota?
No. South Dakota has only rare wandering moose with no huntable herd and no season. Our Alberta moose hunts carry the tag through an outfitter allocation with no draw.
Q. Do I need a guide to hunt in Canada as a South Dakota 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 Black Hills elk as a nonresident?
No. South Dakota's Black Hills elk permits are resident-only, effectively closed to nonresidents. Our Alberta elk hunts come with the tag through our allocation, no draw and no residency requirement.
Q. How do I get from South Dakota to your Alberta hunts?
A one-stop from Rapid City or Sioux Falls through Denver or Minneapolis, or a long day-plus drive from the western part of the state. Our camp near Nordegg is about three and a half hours' drive from the airport.
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 Dakota
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.