In Alberta, there no license requirements to hunt bison, nor are there any limits as such on the number of animals you can take. That's because the bison in this province are viewed as a hybrid species, outside the framework of provincial game laws. Though sometimes called "wood bison" (a protected, non-importable species), they are in fact a hybrid form of plains bison that can be imported freely into the US and other countries.
Many of the bison in Alberta do carry disease, and the prospective hunter should discuss this with his intended outfitter. At least one outfitter I know carries a veterinarian's kit with him into the field to test clients' bulls for tuberculosis as soon as they have been shot. Just how serious a threat these diseases pose is open to dispute. Some biologists have suggested a complete eradication of the northern herd to prevent any transmission of these diseases to local cattle. Others say these diseases have naturally occurred in buffalo for thousands of years, occasionally resulting in die-offs.
At any rate, one outfitter you can call about bison hunts in Alberta is Eric Grinnell, a former wildlife biologist who now operates Silver Tip Outfitters, Ltd. His hunts take place in February and March. His hunters track their buffalo on snowmobile, and then follow them on foot. Grinnell has 20 years experience in the bush and charges $5,000 for his eight-day, 1 x 1 hunt.
Another outfitter to contact is Chuck Beauchamp of Birch Mountain Outfitters. He also charges $5,000, but his hunts do not include accommodations and run for 10 days instead of eight. He calls his hunts "physically demanding," and notes that bison in his area have learned to run from the........(continued)
