For Wyoming hunters
Hunting in Canada from Wyoming
Wyoming hunters have spreadsheets. Alberta needs a calendar.
Wyoming is the state where building points is a retirement plan. The Shiras moose runs on a 90/10 resident-to-nonresident license split, and a nonresident banks preference points well over a decade for the good areas, often longer. Elk is points and patience for nonresidents, and bighorn points stretch multi-decade. Wyoming hunters have spreadsheets tracking it all, because that is the only way the system makes sense.
We run guided moose and elk hunts in Alberta's Rockies where the tag comes with the booking. No 90/10 split, no decade of points, no spreadsheet. From Casper or Jackson it is a one-stop north, and from northern Wyoming you can drive it in a long day-plus. Alberta does not need a point balance, it needs a calendar, and the tag comes with the hunt.
Hunting moose from Wyoming
Wyoming's Shiras moose is real, but the access is a grind: a 90/10 resident-to-nonresident split means a nonresident banks preference points well over a decade for a decent area, sometimes a good deal longer. It is a carefully rationed tag, and for most out-of-state hunters it is a very long-term project.
Alberta treats moose as a species you can book. Our 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: Wyoming's points economy
Wyoming elk is points and patience for a nonresident, special-fee shortcuts aside, and bighorn points stretch multi-decade. It is a genuine trophy state, but the access is measured in years banked, not seasons hunted. The spreadsheet is the tool that makes it work.
Our Alberta program takes the wait out. Elk is $9,500 for a ten-day rut hunt or $7,500 for six days on the migration, on a guaranteed allocation. Bighorn is the continent's premier tag at $45,000 to $100,000, and the rule holds everywhere: in every US state with bighorn, 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 Wyoming
From Casper or Jackson the routing is a one-stop to Calgary through Denver or Salt Lake, both of which have year-round nonstops on to Calgary. From northern Wyoming 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 Wyoming
Here is what our hunts cost from Wyoming, 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 Wyoming?
Only through the Shiras moose draw, which runs a 90/10 resident-to-nonresident split where a nonresident banks preference points well over a decade for good areas. Our Alberta moose hunts carry the tag through an allocation with no draw and no points.
Q. Do I need a guide to hunt in Canada as a Wyoming 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 building points in Wyoming compare to booking with you?
Wyoming moose and bighorn take well over a decade of points for a nonresident, and elk is points and patience. Our Alberta hunts come with the tag through our allocation, so you book a date rather than bank points. The moose hunt is $15,500 to $17,500 in USD plus 5% GST.
Q. Can I drive to your Alberta hunts from Wyoming?
From northern Wyoming, yes, a long day-plus behind the wheel to our camp near Nordegg, crossing at a land port. Otherwise it is a one-stop from Casper or Jackson through Denver or Salt Lake. The land crossing uses the same RCMP declaration and CAD $25 fee.
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, no points and no split.
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Plan your hunt
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