Vancouver Island in British Columbia has always been the “go-to” place for big Roosevelt elk, and with the closing of hunting on California’s Santa Rosa Island next year, that is truer now than ever before. Last October, for example, a friend of mine returned from Vancouver Island with a 7x7 bull grossing 298 points. Putting that score into perspective, the B&C All Time minimum is 290 points. Although he took a potential book elk, all my friend could do was bemoan, “I shot the wrong bull!” He is still talking about the one that got away in very thick cover at close quarters.
Such trophy elk are the expectation when hunters book with Dave Fyfe of North Island Guide Outfitters (250-850-1500; www.huntingvancouverisland.com). In the past 19 years, this outfitter has the remarkable track record of having only ONE client who stayed the entire hunt without either shooting or passing on a B&C-quality bull. I don’t know of another outfitter who can make that claim on any big game species. This year, once again, Fyfe’s six hunters all killed quality bulls with five handily exceeding the book’s minimums. The largest two bulls scored 360 points and 375 points – easily qualifying for SCI’s top-10 honors. In fact, Fyfe has accounted for a number of other high-ranking bulls.
Despite such success, Fyfe hasn’t increased his prices for the last two seasons, and his 10-day, 1x1 hunt is still priced at $21,500 (US). As you would expect, based on results, he is booked several years ahead. Fyfe has more of the nonresident elk permits allocated than any other outfitter, but he is still limited to only 24 permits over a five-year period – a plus to maintain quality, but a negative for hunting opportunity. I suggest you call and get on his waiting list, since opportunities can open up at a moment’s notice.....
