What to Bring for Your White-Tail Deer Hunt
Clothing
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
Feet
Synthetic sock first then a good wool sock followed by a boot rated at least to -85°F. Good boots available at Cabella's are Lacrosse Ice King, Sorel Dominator and Yosemite. U.S. Mickey Mouse boots are a poor choice I would recommend not bringing them. For very cold weather boot blankets are a good idea especially if you have chosen not to bring a heavy pack boot. Our more experienced hunters wear cotton socks to the stand and once in the stand they take them off,dry their feet and put on the proper socks.
Hands
One pair of well insulated gloves and/or mittens and for sitting in the stand a warm hand muff that will accommodate chemical heat packs and allow you to keep both hands together. You might want a very light pair of gloves to use in the muff.
Underwear
Synthetic underwear in 2 layers. 1 medium to light poly uppers and lowers as well as a set of heavier poly pile. These layer well and if not too tight will really work. No Cotton!!!
Seat
Some hunters bring an extra seat cushion to supplement the loft of our cushions
Outer Layers
The best system that I am familiar with is Raven Wear's (Caroline, Alberta) anti freeze system. If you are going to hunt in extreme cold for several years I would recommend one of their outfits. Otherwise good quality (bibbed preferably) fleece pants, sweaters, vests, coats and any other article that would compliment a layered system. Polarfleece make good inside layers then say a qualofill then wool or some quiet outer shell. Bring a pair of hunting jeans in the event of a heat wave and ofcourse clothes for traveling.
Head and Face
A complete head stocking with a face mask and a warm knitted red or orange hat. Another good idea is a neck gaiter to help the cold from working its way in. Your head and face can lose a lot of heat. The 2 layers on your head will slow this down.
Remember that moisture and restricted blood circulation resulting from clothes that are too tight are your enemies out there. Adopting a loose fitting and layered approach to your choice of clothing may mean the difference between success and failure. Prime time for us is between 9:30 AM and 2:30 PM and typically we get our hunters in the stand by 8:30 AM. To hunt effectively you must be able to sit quietly for 6 to 9 hours. This can only be done if you dress for it
The Stand bag
Note that we have stand bags for all our hunters for no additional charge. These things will keep you warm in very cold temperatures especailly if you use chemical heat packs. While the bag is in your posession it is your responsibility to take care of it. Anyone using the bag will be held responsible if the bag is lost or destroyed. Boot blankets are not necessary if you use a stand bag. By using stand bags you do not have to use a heater though we do have these available as well.
Chemical Heat Packs
I strongly recommend the disposable heat packs that you can buy at most sporting goods stores or Walmart. Some hunters use small ones in their hand muff, and very large ones under their feet in the stand bag and over their kidneys. Some hunters have had thin vests made to accommodate these heat packs.
Mandatory by Law
* a complete outer suit of solid white and a hat of either red or orange. This suit should be of soft quiet material, try Cabelas.
* a soft gun case for transporting your gun from camp to the hunting area. The suit, hat, and case are required by law. No camo of any kind!
Beverages
If you are bringing beer to camp buy all your beer in cans please!
Miscellaneous
* thermos or water bottle for beverages and a wide mouth thermos for soups and chilies for a hot in-the-stand meal(we supply mattresses and all bedding.
* shaving kit, scent free shampoo, compact light binoculars
* large day pack for all those clothes and equipment in the stand
* an equipment cord (25-30 feet) for pulling your equipment into the stand
* camera and video camera with lots of batteries, battery charger and equipment to view on TV
We do our best to keep you comfortable out there but if you come without sufficient clothing there is not a great deal that we can do. Temperatures range from -25F to +30F during the fall hunt. Bring a wide mouth screw top plastic bottle for urinating in while in the stand. Remember that there is often some walking involved to get to our stands and the ability to layer down for the walk in is extremely important to keep you from sweating.
Firearm
Please bring an accurrate repeating rifle. Single shots are a very poor choice. Bring the gun that you like the most and get in lots of practice in the month before your trip. As far as rifle caliber anything from a 270 and up is great. I prefer hunters using a smaller rifle they are really comfortable with than using a magnum they are not comfortable with. Hand guns are illegal. Don't bring them! Also talk to your gunsmith to see what precautions you should take to ensure that your gun fires when you pull the trigger. Sight in your gun so that it is 2 inches high at 100 yards.Be ready for shots of 50 to 200 yards. Average shot 75 to 100 yards. We have the odd stand now that requires shots up to 300. You should be able to shoot a 4 inch group at 100 yards and if you want to be able to hunt a stand that has the possibility of 200 yard shots you must be able to shoot a 6 inch group at 200 yards!! The success of your trip will come down to one shot. To ensure that this is a good one you should go to the range for several weeks prior to your trip.
You would be amazed now many of our hunters do no shooting prior to their hunt with us and this becomes apparent at our range and our mandatory shoot in. We are not just testing your gun at the range we are also testing you.
Ammunition
Bring 2 boxes of ammunition with good quality bullets from 130 grains and up. If in doubt Remmington Core Locks are a good bet. If you can bring 150 to 180 grain bullets if you and your gun can shoot them accurately.
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 7% tip for guides is about average with 5% on the low end and 10% on the high end. As for the
cook anywhere from $50 to $100 per person per week is in the ball park.
Again these are only guidelines based what on our clients have done in the past. Ultimately it is still your decision.
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. 9 to 12 months before your trip book your airline tickets. Schedule them so that you arrive in Saskatoon on Saturday night (I much prefer Saturday night because of lost luggage and other airline related problems) Schedule your departures for Sunday. 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.
* Travelodge 1 -800-255-3050 or 306 242-8881
* Best Western Inn and Suites 306 244 5552 or
* The Saskatoon Inn 306 242 -1440
* Sandman Hotel 306 477 4844
ASK FOR THEIR OUTFITTER RATE
* ALL VISITORS TO CANADA HAVE TO HAVE A VALID PASSPORT. 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.
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.
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.
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.
Baggage
Airlines are increasingly cutting back on how much baggage their passengers can take. Check in with your airline and ask them how many bags and what size and weight restrictions they might have. Note: some of our hunters who come regularly are storing their bulky cold weather garments at the ranch. If this is of interest to you simply buy a plastic mouse proof tub at Walmart on your way up and store your things in it when you leave.
Camp arrivals and departures
Arrive in camp after 12 noon on Sunday and early enough so that your gun can be shot in before dark. (Hunters arriving after dark will have to shoot their guns in at daylight the following morning before their hunt will begin.) All hunters must leave camp by 8 PM Saturday. If you do not want to travel to the city at night you should consider stopping your Saturday hunt earlier in the day. Your trip includes a full day hunt on Saturday but it does not include staying over Saturday night.
My phone # is 306 244 1461 in the city and 306 236 3905 at the ranch see you soon!
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