Both outfitters have a high success rate for bull moose. The Quebec hunt is substantially less expensive.
Your thoughts?
I've lived and hunted in central BC for the past thirty five years and shot a lot of moose. "Big" is relative to the area and average sizes for that particular species in that area,
Large moose can be killed pretty much anywhere, but looking at the odds, Northern B.C. is hands down the place to go for a large Canadian moose. Cost? Like most things, you get what you pay for. If you're happy with a 35" to 45" moose for less money, go for it. If you want something 50" plus, it's going to cost a bit more.
Just my opinion.
Just for your information: The current P&Y world record Canada moose (includes the eastern and the western variety) comes from Faribeau in the Gaspe area of Quebec (even with the northern B.C. bulls sometimes being the larger Alaska-Yukon sub-species).
The moose density and number of big bulls is pretty high in the Matane and Chic Choc areas of Gaspe too. All those areas in Gaspe are not that far from a large no hunting Provincial Park. But, the down side is that you need 3 tags for 1 moose over there.
The rest of Quebec requires 2 tags for 1 moose. That can be anyone that has a tag and that is part of the hunting expedition, but not necessarily someone who wants to kill the moose - wife, girlfriend, guide, etc. Discuss that with your outfitter and/or a Quebec conservation officer.
There are big moose almost anywhere in Quebec but the average is more modest. 5 hours north of Quebec city is a decent area, and if you know the guide, you have a good idea what you are getting into.
Should/could be a good hunt for the money... (however, realistically you might have to cut whatever success rate they quote you in half because they might be calculating it: 1 moose = 2 successful hunters - I've seen outfitters do that over here).
But, If you're only planning on hunting moose once and want to put the odds of success in your favor for a really big bull... and money is not a deciding factor, go to B.C.
These days, it's popular for guys who have hunted here most of their lives and killed several moose to treat themselves and go to the Yukon.
I've got 50 Quebec moose seasons behind me (my Dad started me young), and I'm planning on doing a whole lot more. But I went to the Yukon once to hunt with a distant relative that lives there and passed up at least 5 moose with my bow that I would have shot at home... and so to make a long story short, the only place I've ever killed a moose is here, LOL!
Still not sure if I should go to Quebec or BC. Sounds like the moose sizes are somewhat similar, but the populations and tag allocations are the main differences.
Here's a bull I photographed standing along the riverbank coming back down the river after I had killed my bull..
I believe the bull in your,pic above is a B & C shoo in for a Canadian Moose!
Who was the outfitter?
I won't arm wrestle him, though.
TBB
And Steve, about the armwrestling - something really strange happened to me in the last 20+ years... must be a virus of some sort - my knees and back ache sometimes, I lost some hair and what I have left is grey, I got a little shorter, my muscles shrunk too and even stranger yet... moose, bear, and caribou carcasses seem to have gotten bigger, LOL!
As far as moose hunting goes, I was going to ramble off a list of legendary woodsmen/moose hunter friends I know in Quebec, Ontario, and Saskatchewan... until I realized that they're all dead! Hmmm... that might make me an "ole" bushman by default, LOL!
Always nice to hear from you.
I am making the assumption that you probably will want to go hunt moose again even if you kill one. I have never been to either place, but you sure hear a lot more about moose hunting in BC than you do in Quebec.
If you want to go somewhere new then go to BC.
In my opinion, for a first moose with a bow size doesn't matter as long as it has a decent rack. I would not want to kill a spiker, but in my opinion even a smaller bull (35"-40" wide) makes a good trophy. Plus the meat is awesome.
Good luck whatever you decide.
Kevin
That's quite an average for central BC. I sure hope that's the case for you.
The farther north you go, the bigger the moose get and the bigger the price tag. Some of that expense is simply logistics, horses and planes. Some is a premium on trophy quality.
Also, a members bill was introduced into the BC legislature last week that would require all non-residents to take ALL the meat home from any animals killed. Including grizzlies. That will be an interesting debate and outcome.
I don't know what outfitters you looked at, but the cost of my hunt was right at $12,000. I went with Cassiar Stone Outfitters.
Everyone has different budgets, expectations from a hunt, etc. but for me personally I'd rather spend a little more and go with the best odds even if it means saving up a year or two more so I can do it. I looked at the hunts in central B.C. as well as Alberta and Manitoba but just wasn't impressed with those areas and they are not a whole lot less money.
When I hunt, I want to see game... I don't want to spend a lot of money and have it end up being an expensive camping trip. Spending 10 days in the bush is fun and a great experience regardless of what a person kills, but.....the reason we go is to hunt and kill an animal.
The farther north you go, the bigger the moose get and the bigger the price tag. Some of that expense is simply logistics, horses and planes. Some is a premium on trophy quality.
Also, a members bill was introduced into the BC legislature last week that would require all non-residents to take ALL the meat home from any animals killed. Including grizzlies. That will be an interesting debate and outcome.
I am hunting with sikanni river outfitters. They are out of fort st john.
Ambush, Tatonka, and Ridgerunnerron have all posed similar findings to those that I have experienced. Since Jtelarkin08 is hunting with Sikanni River soon, I hope you don't mind if I include a few photos to whet his appetite....
You can kill a P&Y bull moose in either province that you mentioned....the primary factors to consider are probability versus cost. BC hunts will probably cost more, but you have a higher probability of encountering bigger bulls. For example, the largest bull killed was in Quebec, but it is the ONLY P&Y bull recorded in Quebec in the top 50 animals, and it was killed in 1988 (26-27 years ago). By comparison, 23 of the top 50 P&Y bulls have been killed in British Columbia....hence my comments about probabilities.....
If you are trying to find a place with lower cost, and decent probability of a P&Y bull, you might want to consider Ontario.....which had 15 of the top 50 bulls....
Jtelarkin08,
There is your Sikanni River "fix" for the day......!!
I guess since I live right in the exact geographical center of BC, that's what we call "central" BC. And the bulls taken here certainly do not average 50".
By the time you get even 150 miles north the moose start getting bigger.
A big part of the appeal of a northern BC hunt IS the country you'll be in, as your picture attests. An abundance of rivers and shoreline greatly increases your odds of seeing moose and tagging one. Wide, flat river courses are also usually great moose habitat. If your outfitter's territory is blessed with such habitat, then you will have good numbers and trophy quality.
The Fort Saint John area is just far enough north to have bigger bulls, but still has easy enough access to keep costs reasonable. No long expensive airplane rides or multi day horse trail ins.
And while you're here hunting anyway, maybe consider negotiating a cheap black bear tag and for sure shoot any wolf that crosses your path. They are both very hard on the moose.
And yes, having a big bull committed and coming in, grunting steadily, is a sure way to overload your system with adrenalin! Just so LARGE and in charge!!
It's actually a little less than that, but everything else you state is right on. Like I said my hunt was $12,000 and I was close to the Yukon Border. Gunson's outfitting borders the Yukon and his hunts are about the same as I paid. The one thing we can probably count on is that prices aren't going to go down regardless of where we hunt!
Regarding B.C. vs. Quebec, I know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder but to my eye, Quebec can't begin to compare to B.C. as far as sheer beauty of the landscape.. I've been through Quebec and Ontario several times. Any outdoor scenery is beautiful..all in it's own way but B.C. is a special place... You have to experience it to really understand.
Regarding meat, I don't know about eating grizzly, but taking all of the meat sure isn't a problem for me!! I won't hunt a place where I can't take my meat home. I've thought about hunting New Zealand someday before I die, but from what I understand taking the meat home isn't really an option. I don't mind donating some to those in need, but other than that it's going to end up in my freezer!!!
Unless you book two people at probably near twice the cost (and hopefully one doesn't want to hunt).... if solo another person in camp takes a moose before you, you're SOL?
Call me greedy, but if I were going I'm going to hunt hard and do what I can to kill something... not just an expensive vacation.
Two tags per moose??? That would be a deal breaker for me, even going with a hunting partner. If we both tag out then we'll deal with it somehow. But I'm not going for "the experience" of having hunted moose.
I'm talking total cost. If the hunt is $15, then you have to add cost of travel, license, incidentals and then getting stuff back should you get lucky. $12-15 will grow into $20 quicker than you think.
TBB
It may not matter to you, but you should know what you're getting for your money.
One other point, when I hear someone say that the Bulls in a certain area "Average 40-50 inches", I'm suspect. You heard 50, they meant 40. If they're striving for accuracy and full disclosure, an average would be a number, not a range.
Moose are in big demand everywhere they live, and it's pretty certain that hunting interest will keep prices going up. Good luck to all those chasing them this fall.
You're correct... There are some additional costs in getting there. Those costs will vary considerably depending on whether you drive or fly, etc. I drove up with a freezer in the back of my pickup so I could bring the meat back (Plus I wanted to see the country). Flying and shipping meat and horns back would add quite a bit to the cost, but all of those expenses are going to be there regardless of the actual price a person pays an outfitter. The licenses were included in the cost quoted by the outfitter.
It might look like an outfitter is making a ton of money on the hunts they offer, but in reality they aren't getting rich. Example: My hunt (what I paid the outfitter) was $12,000. Out of that $12,000 my guide was paid $3,000. Then there is the price of the air charter and meat flights.. $1,000 per trip from what I was told. The pilot made the trip in to drop us off, another trip to pick up meat, and another trip to pick us up at the end of the hunt. Add in earlier flights during the summer getting camp ready, bringing the guides and their gear in, etc. The outfit I hunted with built a new cabin on the lake where I hunted... $15,000 by the time they flew in the materials, paid for the labor, etc. Then there is gas for the boat, generators, food, licenses, etc.. They pick up people who fly in from Whitehorse...more expense picking up the hunters and bringing them back after the hunt... I'm sure I haven't covered all of the expenses. When it's all said and done, their profit margin isn't great...
Ace - I do know what I am getting into, I hunted with the outfitter this past year and did see some of the moose they are taking. It will be my first moose hunt, part of the appeal to me is that they don't have a big 50" minimum, etc. I'm more than willing to take a "small" bull as my first one and will be dang proud of it. :)
It is cheaper to hunt in QC than in BC, but a couple things to consider : 1-There is much more pressure in QC, so less big bulls 2-The hunts are often shorter in QC, so it is not easy to wait for a bigger bull even if it might be around, when you have 6 days of hunting ( vs may be 10 in BC )
Another point is where do you live ? Moose meat is among the very best, so you might want to drive and bring it back home.
Besides QC, other cheap options are Ontario and Newfoundland.
Best of luck, no matter where you decide to go.
If size isn't a factor and you will be satisfied with a "small" bull, why not go to Newfoundland? From what I've read, they have the most moose per square mile of any place and the hunts there are relatively reasonable. The bulls there run small compared to most other places, but there appears to be a lot of them!
By the way, NW British Columbia has no 50" minimum. Some parts of B.C. as well as Alaska, etc. have a 50" minimum or 3 points on at least one of the fronts but the area I hunted doesn't. With the number of moose and the quality of the bulls there, I don't know why anyone would want to shoot something small unless it was the last day or two or something like that.
It's certainly not all about size... The whole experience needs to be considered (the scenery, the other wildlife you will see, the people, etc.) but for most people at least knowing there are whoppers around adds a lot to a hunt.
Be sure to update this thread during and particularly after your hunt. I'm curious what you encounter.
Hopefully you have a rut hunt and get to experience one of the largest animals in NA grunting and smashing his way to within bow range. Texas whitetails may seem a little tame after your hunt.
