For Texas hunters
Hunting in Canada from Texas
Texas is the lease-and-ranch capital of hunting. This is the exact opposite end of the sport.
Texas is the lease-and-ranch capital of hunting, and it produces a lot of what people travel to Texas for. But two of the animals we hunt are simply a different sport there. Texas has no wild moose at all, and its elk are classed as exotics hunted behind high fences, which means there is no draw for them because there is no wild, free-range herd to draw for. Even the desert bighorn tags that exist are vanishingly rare.
We run free-range horseback hunts in Alberta's Rockies, out of wall-tent camps and cabins in country where motorized vehicles are prohibited. It is the opposite end of the sport from a ranch gate, and that is the point. Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston both have year-round nonstops to Calgary, our camp near Nordegg is about three and a half hours from the airport, and the tag comes with the hunt.
Moose from Texas: not a Texas animal
There is no wild moose in Texas, and no state has less moose habitat. It is the wrong climate and the wrong country entirely, so a Texas hunter has never had a home moose season, which makes the Alberta hunt 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 one-on-one rut hunts, 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. See the moose hunt page and the moose cost guide.
Hunting elk from Texas, the free-range way
Texas elk are exotics behind ranch gates, hunted like any other high-fence species, with no draw because there is no wild herd to allocate. That is a legitimate hunt for what it is, but it is not the free-range mountain elk experience, and if that is what you are after, Texas cannot give it to you.
Our Alberta elk is the wild version: a $9,500 ten-day rut hunt for bugling bulls or a $7,500 six-day migration hunt, on horseback, on a guaranteed allocation. Bighorn is the continent's premier tag at $45,000 to $100,000, and the rule holds nationwide: in every US state with bighorn, including Texas desert bighorn, a tag is 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 Texas
The two big Texas hubs are covered year-round: American flies a nonstop from Dallas-Fort Worth to Calgary, and United and WestJet fly nonstop from Houston, both routes running all year. From Austin the Calgary nonstop is summer-seasonal, so for a September through November hunt do not count on flying it direct: plan the easy one-stop instead. 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: 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 Texas
Here is what our hunts cost from Texas, 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 free-range elk in Texas?
Not really. Texas elk are classed as exotics hunted behind ranch gates, with no wild free-range herd and no draw. Our Alberta elk hunts are free-range mountain hunts on horseback, with the tag included through our allocation.
Q. Do I need a guide to hunt in Canada as a Texas 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 moose in Texas?
No, there is no wild moose in Texas, which has among the least moose habitat of any state. Our Alberta moose hunt at $15,500 to $17,500 in USD plus 5% GST comes with the tag through our allocation.
Q. How do I get from Texas to your Alberta hunts?
Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston both have year-round nonstops to Calgary, on American, United and WestJet. From Austin the nonstop is summer-seasonal, so a fall hunt is an easy one-stop. 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.
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Plan your hunt
Ask us about a free-range Alberta elk or moose hunt from Texas
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.