What to Bring for Your Black Bear Hunt
Getting it all Together
* 1 pair of easy on and easy off camp slippers (with rubber bottoms) We
have a boots off policy in all our buildings and these slip -ons will make your building
to building travel very easy
* 1 pair of wool pants, 1 pair of long underwear, 1 pair of hunting jeans.
several shirts and undershirts, a good sweater and a coat or extra over for cool evenings.
Also
1 fresh set of travelling clothes for the trip home.
* camo rain suit or poncho
* 1 pair of warm mitts or gloves that are atleast water repellent
* 1 pair of water proof hunting boots
* small hunting knife and meat bags if you are taking home cut and wrapped meat
* 1 stocking cap for cool rides in boats and a.t.v.'s
* thermos and camera and film(we supply bedding and beds)
* video camera, batterey charger and device to display on TV,. via VCR or direct
* personal toiletries ,shaving kit and small tube or bottle of shampoo (unscented preferred)
* extra duffel bag for transporting meat and or trophies
* flashlight or headlamp and replacement batteries-compact light binoculars (optional)
* medium to large sized and quiet day pack for all that "stuff"
* for bugs bring insect repellent with high (at least 90%) deet content, a headnet(I
prefer one without the built in hat because you can store it in your pocket) and light gloves
* sunglasses, suncreen and lipsill.
Beverages
If you are bringing beer or soft drinks to camp please buy in cans !
Hunting clothing
If you are hunting with a rifle you will need a complete outer suit of solid white ( no skyline camo) and a hat of either red or orange. This suit should be of a soft quiet material, sweat suits work well here. They are cheap and are two-piece. Try Cabella's. Whatever you choose should be loose fitting. If you are hunting archery or muzzle-loader you can hunt in full camo(except if you have a rifle in the stand for protection then you must wear white--makes sense, eh?)
* a soft case for transporting your gun or bow from camp to the hunting area. The suit, hat and case are required by law
* Bring the gun or bow that you shoot the best and get in alot of practice in the month before your trip.
* Your rifle should be atleast a 270 or larger and your bullets should be of the heaviest variety your gun can shoot accurately. Speed is not important for close range shooting. As far as ammunition bring 2 boxes of ammunition with good quality bullets.
Remmington Core Locks are a very good bet. You should be capable of a 4 inch group 3 out of 3 times at 50 yards. Hand guns are illegal. Don't bring them!
* wide mouth plastic bottle with screw-on lid for urinating in while in a stand. Big bears can be very sensitive to smell.
* a sturdy warm and comfortable seat cushion-a sturdy and safe safety harness
Archery
If you are hunting with a bow I recommend at least a 55# draw and efficient broadheads. You should be capable of an 8 inch group 3 out of 3 times at 20 yards.
Bring some field points as they are easier on the target. Bring a bow holder for the stand. Remember you must pass our accuracy test before you will be permitted to hunt with a bow. This test is 5 out of 5 arrows in the kill zone of a Mackenzie 3 D target---no misses at 15 yards. After 10 years of watching our archery hunters and chasing wounded bears I have come to the conclusion that not all broadheads are equal. We have seen many different broadheads and the most impressive to date are the mechanical broadheads. I am particularly impressed with the Rocket 3 blade 125 grain and Rocky Mountain Revolution 100. Critics say there is not enough penetration but in the bear business penetration is rarely the problem. Our biggest problem is always accuracy(not all hunters can get their broadheads to fly like a field point) Good mechanical broadheads fly like a fieldpoint and inflict severe haemorrhaging. We have retrieved bears taken with a mechanical broadhead that we would not have got otherwise. I would like to see our hunters bring and use quality mechanical broadheads like the Rocket 3 blade 125 grain and Rocky Mountain Revolution 100. Don't know where to get them call Cabella's and order 2 - 3packs. If you can't make up your mind as to which one order a pack of both and shoot them and see which one flies the best on your equipment. Make sure that you have your sight set for a 12 yard shot as we will be setting up our stands at 12 yards. Hunters who insist on using conventional broadheads will have to verify their accuracy relative to the field points used for the test. Whatever broadhead you choose to bring make sure you can shoot it accurately. Although your 3 D test will be with field points we will have a block for testing broadheads. Do bring dull broadheads just for this. No Longbows Please
Fishing
If you are going to do some fishing I recommend 10 LB test, steel leaders, 4 "5 of diamond" spoons and 4 jigs with spinners. All hooks should be barbless. For those who want to go catch and release a pair of long nosed hook outs and a mouth opener are essential for pike. For fly fisherman 6 to 8 inch streamers with steel leaders can be a lot of fun, Again no barbs are needed for pike. They bite hard!! If you are planning to do alot of pike fishing I recommend a fish glove. For catch and release pike fishing I strongly discourage the use of stainless steel and galvanised hooks for the reason that if a fish breaks your line and gets away with your hook he will likely die. If on the other hand you use hooks that will rust there is a good chance that the fish, whose mouth is very acidic, is going to make it. Also treble hooks are very hard on pike if you are planning to release them. I much prefer to use jigs with spinners and a single barbless hook. When I use these releasing a fish unharmed is very easy and I spend more time fishing. Remember ours is a hunting camp. If you have fish to fillet they are yours to fillet. Hunters hunting before the last 2 weeks of May will have to drive farther south each day to fish (45 minutes).
CASH
Last but not least bring enough Canadian cash to buy any extras such as drinks and confectionery items . . The best exchange rate is always at a bank. Note you can withdraw Canadian cash with your bank card in Canada at any automated teller and you'll get the going rate of exchange!
Pre-trip prep schedule
1. 3 to 6 months before your trip book your airline tickets. Schedule them so that you arrive in Saskatoon early (before 3pm) on Sunday . Schedule your departures for Saturday. Call Uniglobe in Saskatoon at 800 565 6562 to make your reservations . There are special contract fares for both North West and Air Canada that are available from only a few travel agencies. Uniglobe is one of these.
2. If your travel plans involve a stay in Saskatoon I would recommend the following properties all of which are within 5 minutes of the airport in Saskatoon.
* Travelodge 1-800-255-3050 or 306 242-8881
* Sandman Hotel 306 477 4844
* Best Western Inn and Suites 306 244 5552 or
* The Saskatoon Inn 306 242 -1440
ASK FOR THEIR OUTFITTER RATE
3. Let me know what your plans are for your big game trophies. I would strongly suggest using a local taxidermist so that your frozen hide can be delivered to the taxidermist before you leave. He will take care of all paper work and shipping. There is an excellent taxidermist located in Saskatoon that we have used in the past. Phone Harry at Link Taxidermy at 306-242-8595.
NOTE 1
MUZZLE-LOADER HUNTERS YOU CAN NOT FLY WITH BLACK POWDER. WE CAN BUY IT HERE.
NOTE 2
ALL VISITORS TO CANADA WILL HAVE TO HAVE A PASSPORT WITH YOU WHEN YOU GET TO THE AIRPORT AND DO NOT ATTEMPT TO BRING INTO CANADA MORE ALCOHOL OR TOBACCO PRODUCTS THAN YOU ARE
ALLOWED. IF YOU HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD EVEN A DUI YOU MAY BE REFUSED ENTRY. IF SO TELL ME IMMEDIATELY AND WE CAN ASSESS YOUR ADMISSABILITY INTO CANADA.
Gratuities
Gratuities - In Canada it is customary to tip staff on a fully guided trip; however as outfitters we feel a tip to our staff should reflect your overall experience. If you are happy with our staff performance and overall trip, then tip them accordingly. For reference sake a 10% tip for guides is about average. As for the cook anywhere from $50 to $100 per
person per week is in the ball park. Again these are only guidleines based what our clients have done in the past. Ultimately it is still your decision.
Cell phones
We have cell coverage at the ranch. There is only one phone line at the ranch for guests and crew so for those of you who will be spending a great deal of time on the phone please bring your cell with you. Our guest phone is available for your use at no charge.
Getting to Camp (airport transport)
You can rent a vehicle from Calvin @306 652 1830 (or any other car rental agency at the airport) right by the airport and drive to camp. Remember when talking to these agencies the currency will be in Canadian $. Budget has special deals for hunters you can call them at 306 244 7925 mention "SKOUTFIT" rate code and ask that your price be quoted with the 10% discount.
Camp arrivals and departures check ins at the ranch are as follows: Spring bear, Fall bear and Waterfowl arrive in camp after 1 PM on Sunday and depart camp by 10 AM Saturday.
Re-confirm all flights
The last few years have been hard ones for the airline industry and many airlines routinely change or cancel flights . Not all airlines or travel agencies will contact you if such changes are made. It is a very good idea to confirm your flight the night before your departure. This can usually be done online or by phone.
Gun Registration
1. If you are clearing customs in Saskatoon as you would with a NorthWest flight you can pre-register with a VISA, MasterCard or American Express by fax with Canada customs in Saskatoon. To do this you need to create a cover letter which should include your name, address and contact phone # along with the date time and flight number into
Saskatoon (do not do this if you are flying with Air Canada and doing customs in Toronto).
Put on this same letter the type of card you are using (only VISA, MasterCard or American Express), the card # and the expiry date. Next you need to download a copy of the JUS 909 form from www.canadianfirearms.com website--select forms and then visitors to canada. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open this download. Once you have the form in hand, simply fill it out. Note that it has room for 3 different firearms (most people only bring 1 or 2 at most) and note as well that your printer will spit out 3 copies--you only need to fax one to Canada Customs. Once you have the form completed, fax Canada Customs in Saskatoon at (306) 975-5917 and give them a minimum of 3 weeks to process. If you have done all this your preregistration should be complete and your processing time in Saskatoon will be shorter. Their phone numbers are (306) 975-4755 and (306) 975-5110, but only use these numbers if you are concerned about something specific. They have told me that if they do not contact you within 2 weeks then no news is good news -- there is nothing wrong with your application and they will be expecting you in Saskatoon on the flight you noted.
2. If you are driving up or flying with Air Canada you can either phone the Canadian Firearm # at (800) 731-4000 and ask them to send you a JUS909 form or go to the website at www.canadianfirearms.com, selecting their visitors to Canada link and download a JUS909 form. You can either fill this form out ahead of time, not signing it until you are in front of a customs officer, or simply do everything when you get to the border.
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