For Virginia hunters
Hunting in Canada from Virginia
The coalfields elk tag is a raffle ticket. Ours come with the booking.
Virginia's elk restoration in the coalfields is a proud story, and the state opened a hunt around it in Buchanan County. But it is a fully random lottery for roughly a few dozen permits, nonresidents may enter, and the odds are tiny, which makes a Virginia elk tag a raffle ticket more than a plan. It is the state's only elk door, and there is no wild moose in Virginia at all.
We run guided elk, moose and bighorn hunts in Alberta's Rockies where the tag comes with the booking. No coalfields raffle, no residency wall, no points. Around fall the Washington nonstop is off, but a hunt-season trip is a clean one-stop from Richmond, Norfolk or Dulles, our camp near Nordegg is about three and a half hours from the airport, and you book a date rather than buy a ticket.
Moose from Virginia: not a home animal
There is no wild moose in Virginia, so a Virginia hunter has no home season or draw to weigh against Alberta. The moose hunt stands on its own.
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.
Hunting elk from Virginia
The Buchanan County hunt is Virginia's only elk opportunity, a fully random lottery for roughly a few dozen tags a year that nonresidents can enter, with tiny odds and no points to build. The coalfields herd is a restoration to be proud of, and the tag is still a raffle ticket. There is no wild bighorn in the state.
Our Alberta elk carries the tag through an outfitter allocation with no draw. The rut hunt is $9,500 for ten days of bugling bulls, and the migration hunt is $7,500 for six days. Bighorn is the continent's premier tag at $45,000 to $100,000, and in every US state with the animal a tag is a jackpot or decades of points, so 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 Virginia
The Washington to Calgary nonstop runs summer-seasonal, so for a September through November hunt do not count on flying it direct. The reliable routing is a one-stop from Richmond, Norfolk or Dulles through Chicago, Denver or Toronto. 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 Virginia
Here is what our hunts cost from Virginia, 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 Virginia?
No. Virginia has no wild moose 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 Virginia 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. How does the Virginia coalfields elk lottery compare to booking with you?
The Buchanan County hunt is a fully random lottery for roughly a few dozen tags with tiny odds. Our Alberta elk hunt comes with the tag through our allocation, so you book a date rather than draw. The rut hunt is $9,500 for ten days.
Q. How do I get from Virginia to your Alberta hunts?
The Washington to Calgary nonstop is summer-seasonal, so for a fall hunt plan a one-stop from Richmond, Norfolk or Dulles through Chicago, Denver or Toronto. 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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