Canada offers some incredible hunting opportunities few other countries in the world can match.
I think we can all agree Canada has some outstanding hunting. After all, Canada is slightly larger than the United States, but only has a population that’s only about 10 percent as big as ours. This translates into an absolutely massive amount of undeveloped land where many species of wildlife, ranging from bighorn sheep to polar bears thrive. After all, there’s a reason why so many people from all over the world decide to hunt in Canada each year.
However, Canada is also extremely diverse and the hunting opportunities vary widely in different parts of the country. This also means there’s something for just about every hunter regardless of whether you’re interested in hunting whitetail deer from a treestand in Manitoba or a fly-in hunting adventure for Dall Sheep in Yukon Territory.
In today’s post, I’m going to break down where you need to hunt in Canada for the best opportunities to pursue some of the most popular species of small and big game.
Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan
The prairie provinces of Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan are extremely popular destinations for nonresident hunters from the United States. This is due in part to the fact they’re relatively easy to travel to, but it’s also because these provinces have such great hunting for so many popular species of big game.
Milo Hanson famously harvested the current Boone & Crockett record typical whitetail deer in Saskatchewan in 1993 and all three provinces are renowned for their outstanding whitetail deer hunting opportunities. In fact, these provinces might be better known for whitetail deer than for anything else. That being said, while these provinces may offer great whitetail opportunities, that’s far from the only animal worth hunting in that part of the country.
Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan have some good hunting for mule deer as well as some nice opportunities for western Canada moose. As you go farther west into the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, there’s some great hunting for Rocky Mountain elk, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and Shiras moose. The northern reaches of the provinces also have some good caribou hunting and there are opportunities to hunt mountain lions and wolves in some areas as well.
All three provinces are very popular destinations for black bear hunting and produce some really big bruins each year. All things considered, these provinces are excellent places to go for an affordable hunt in Canada with an opportunity to bag a B&C black bear.
British Columbia
Speaking of black bears, British Columbia also has some fantastic black bear hunting, particularly on Vancouver Island and along the Pacific Coast of the mainland. Those coastal black bears have a salmon-rich diet that helps them get really, really big. Those coastal areas are also home to lots of Roosevelt elk and blacktail deer.
Further inland, British Columbia also has hunting for white-tailed deer, mule deer, mountain lion, Shiras moose, Rocky Mountain elk and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in the southern half of the province. British Columbia was also a popular grizzly bear hunting destination until the government abruptly shut down the grizzly bear season in 2017.
The province also has some outstanding Stone sheep and mountain goat hunting. Additionally, the Cassiar Mountains of northern British Columbia have some of the best mountain caribou and Canada moose hunting in all of North America.
As a testament to just how good the hunting is in the province as a whole, the current world records for Canada Moose, Rocky Mountain Goat, Roosevelt Elk and Stone Sheep all came from British Columbia.
Yukon Territory
The Yukon lies just to the north of British Columbia. With a population of just 35,000, the territory contains a large amount of unspoiled wilderness that makes it another popular destination for those looking for a true hunting trip of a lifetime.
The Yukon has incredible hunting for Dall sheep, Stone sheep, mountain caribou, barren-ground caribou, and Alaska-Yukon moose. However, there are also opportunities to hunt black bears, mountain goats, wood bison and grizzly bears there, too.
Northwest Territories & Nunavut
Continuing to the east from the Yukon are the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. It’s possible to hunt black bears, grizzly bears, moose, mountain goats, and sheep in this part of Canada. But barren-ground caribou, Arctic Islands caribou, muskoxen, polar bears and walruses are the main draw for nonresident hunters.
Newfoundland & Labrador
Even though hunting is now closed for the famous George River caribou herd due to their rapid population decline in recent years, there’s still excellent hunting for woodland caribou elsewhere in the province. In fact , Newfoundland & Labrador as a whole remains a premier destination for caribou hunting and is certainly well worth considering for a hunt in Canada. The province also offers very good black bear and eastern Canada moose hunting.
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island
These small, Canadian maritime provinces don’t have as many big-game hunting opportunities as other parts of Canada. Similar to the American state of Maine just to the south, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have hunting seasons for eastern Canada moose, whitetail deer and black bears. These regions also offer superb hunting opportunities in regards to game birds like ruffed grouse, woodcock and waterfowl. The tiny province of Prince Edward Island only has small-game hunting.
Ontario & Quebec
Last but not least are the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. These are both provinces you should consider for a hunt in Canada if you want a great opportunity to take a big Canada moose or woodland caribou. Like many other places in the country, these provinces also have good black bear and whitetail deer hunting, as well as fantastic fishing. Quebec’s Anticosti Island is particularly well-known for exceptionally high deer densities and fantastic hunting.
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