One of the booking agents I contacted was Keith Atcheson of Jack Atcheson & Sons. His recommendation was for a British Columbia elk hunt with an established outfitter. The cost of this seven-day hunt is only $3,000 per hunter on a 2 x 1 guided basis. A 1 x 1 hunt costs $3,750. What makes this an even better value is that the price includes the hunting license, elk tag, the Nonresident Hunter Protection Fund fee (now collected by most BC outfitters to fight anti-hunting efforts) and the GST tax. Hunts are available from September 20 to October 20.
This hunt area has been under a six-point restriction for the last six years, and the program is starting to pay off. You can expect to tag a six-point or better bull scoring 280 to 330 points. Hunter success varies widely, from 25 to 70 percent, and depends largely on the hunter's physical condition. This is steep and rugged country. A hunter in reasonable shape will have the best chance for success. Fortunately, the outfitter uses horses extensively during this hunt, so that will help improve your odds.
If you are interested in a deer instead, this outfitter also has some good deer hunts. He has openings from late October to early November for only $2,500. Remember, in British Columbia you can take both a mule deer and whitetail. If you want a rut hunt, the outfitter has a hunt from November 9-15, also on a 2 x 1 basis for $3,000. Again, these prices include the hunting license, deer tags, the Nonresident Hunter Protection Fund fee and the GST tax. This area has also been under a point restriction, with a four-point regulation for deer. You can expect to see mulie bucks scoring from 160-180 points, and hunter success should run around 75 percent. The typical whitetail scores in the 130 to 140-point range, with the possibility for a larger........(continued)
