What to Bring for Your Waterfowl Hunt
Equipment
* a soft gun case for transporting your gun(required by law)
* chest waders ( yes bring them!!)
* please bring camouflage clothing for your bird hunt.
* a complete camo face mask (these things make a real difference)
* 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 1pair of long underwear. 1pair of hunting jeans, several shirts and undershirts, a good sweater and a coat or extra layer for cool evenings. Also 1 fresh set of traveling 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
* 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,battery charger and device to display on TV. via VCR or direct
* personal toiletries ,shaving kit and small tube or bottle of shampoo
* extra duffel bag or cooler for transporting meat and or trophies
* head lamp for moring set up and brushing in blinds and replacement batteries - compact light binoculars (optional)
* medium to large sized and quiet day pack for all those clothes, waders and equipment
* sunglasses, sunscreen and lipsill.
Beverages
If you are bringing beer to camp buy all your beer in cans please!
Dogs
If you are thinking of bringing up a dog please contact me before hand. We have had trouble with some dogs and some owners! We still allow dogs but only under specific circumstances.
Fishing
If you are going to do some fishing I recommend 10 to 15 lb test ,steel leaders, 4 "5 of diamond" spoons and 4 rubber jigs with small spinner blades. 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 catch and release pike fishing I strongly discourage the use of stainless steel and galvanized 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. Please remember that fishing is a bonus for you . You will not be charged extra for it nor will the guides be available to clean fish or take you out unless it is part of your schedule.
If you want to do alot of fishing and want the guides to help please let me know ahead of time.
CASH
Last but not least, bring enough Canadian cash to buy any extras such as drinks and confectionery items . The best way for you to get canadian cash is to use your bank card at any automated teller in Canada . Also note that if you use your credit card in Canada you get a very good exchange rate on your dollar.
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.
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.
* The Saskatoon Inn 306 242 -1440
* Travelodge 1 -800-255-3050 or 306 242-8881
* Best Western Inn and Suites 306 244 5552 or
* Sandman Hotel 306 477 4844
ASK FOR THEIR OUTFITTER RATE
If you are planning on bringing birds home with you please note that a collapsable cooler is a great way to take them back. Please check with your airline to get current baggage restrictions.
ALL VISITORS TO CANADA HAVE TO HAVE A VALID PASSPORT. HAVE YOUR 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
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 on our clients have done in the past. Ultimately it is still your decision.
Cell Phones
We have cell coverage at the ranch and in over half of our bird hunting spots. There are 2 phone lines in camp onof which is for guests and crew . For those of you who will be spending a great deal of time on the phone please bring your cell with you. This phone is available at no cost to you .Like any business I need to be able to access my phone to
contact landowners and arrange for permission, contact suppliers, coordinate transport for incoming hunters and to be available for incoming calls if spotters are calling in.
Firearm 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.
Shells
Can your gun shoot steel? Lead shot is no longer legal in Canada for waterfowl. Steel, tungsten or bismuth or other non-toxic shot only. You will need 4 boxes total for geese and 1 to 2 boxes a day for ducks. For geese I like 3 1/2 inch BBBs in steel and for ducks 3 or 3 1/2 inch #2's or #3's. . And for those hunting after Sept 15 when the grouse season is open 1box of 2 3/4 inch upland 7&1/2 lead for upland. If you want to shoot some clays in camp add some skeet loads to your order.
This is it!!!
You can now buy ammunition directly from me in camp--no more ordering from stores where nobody seems to know anything about anything. I will have a good quality steel ammunition for sale.
Beverages
If you are bringing beer to camp buy all your beer in cans please!
Camp arrivals and departures
Check ins at the ranch are as follows: 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.
My phone # is 306 244 1461 in the city and 306 236 3905 at the ranch see you soon!
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