Need advice on getting animals back from Canada

My group is headed to Saskatchewan in October. We are going after Moose, Mule Deer, Elk and WT. I'm specifically going for Moose and Mule Deer. There is a very high probability on harvesting a B&C Shiraz or Canadian Moose. Does anyone have experience getting the horns and cape back home? I know you cant cut them in half to take on a plane for B&C and you can only bring one animal on the plane anyway. I may just have to get a broker from my taxidermy and crate them home if i take more than one animal which is the plan. Im thinking about getting the hides tanned in Saskatoon and shipped home later. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Travis

My two cents:

Unless you love your taxidermist more than life itself, consider having a local Canadian taxi do your work. Your outfitter can recommend one or two. The local taxi will mount a dozen Shiras moose every year, whereas your Texas taxi might mount one each decade. So the local guy will know what his animals look like.

Also, Canada requires that US hunters pay export fees for taking meat, hides, and horns out of the country. This in in addition to the airline shipping. If you leave your stuff behind for local processing, there is no fee. You will have to pay shipping, of course, for your finished trophies.

I have done this at least a dozen times. I've never been burned, and all the work has been first class. Just be sure that your hunting outfitter is on board with the guy. That way, if you have a problem, there is Canadian up there to help you.

I went to Manitoba last year bear hunting. I drove and had absolutely no problem bringing back the meat and hide from the bear. I did not have to pay any fees to bring the meat and hide back across the border with me. The only fee I had to pay was the firearm importation fee when went into Canada. I have no experience flying back from Canada with meat and hides. Several outfitters have told me if you can drive because of the expense associated with getting trophies back. Hope this helps. Good luck and have a great hunt.

I went in 2006 and 2007 and killed Mule Deer each year. I bought a very large tote the first year when I left with my Mule Deer. I had my outfitter cape the deer and cut the antlers off. I took and cleaned the skull cap completely then salted it. I wrapped in a paper towel and covered that with duct tape so no bone was showing other than antlers. My outfitter told me the cape needed to be frozen so we immediately froze it. I took the cap and the antlers and put them in the tote along with most of my clothes I had along. I sealed the tote with duct tape the first year and put it on the plane to bring it home. Alberta Game official opened it to check and both antlers and cape both years. No issues either time. I used the same tote the next year except going up I put all my clothes in it and put bolts around the top with wing nuts for easy access. I flew home with no issues both years and never paid any fees. Was never checked at Bush Int. in Houston either year on my return. As far as the meat from both bucks, the outfitter actually requested that I leave it as part of the hunt package. He kept it for his family on the 4 hunts he did per year for Mule Deer.

I took a black bear in Saskatchewan last September. I had the taxi work done there and the shipping/fees for delivery was about $360.00 American dollars.
Good luck on your trip.

Any taxidermy suggestions in Saskatoon? Thanks for suggestions fellas!

According to Boone and Crockett Club on their website, "The Shiras’ moose category has the Canadian border as its northern boundary. Its range includes all of the Rocky Mountain region south of Canada and west to the Pacific Ocean, including the following states: Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming." There are no Shiras moose in Canada.

I know there are some Canadian Moose way up north in Saskatchewan, but I would be very surprised if there are any that would qualify for Boone and Crockett. I didn't even know that non residents could hunt moose up there.

Same thing with elk. Most of the elk hunting done there by Americans is on high fenced ranches. Are non residents allowed to hunt free roaming elk there?

The Mule Deer are at the bottom boarder of the state, nowhere near where the moose hunting is. Are you hunting all over the province or will you be going from place to place?

Who is your outfitter? Sure is odd that he would suggest that you would get a Boone and Crockett Shiras moose in a place that they don't exist.

You are correct on the B&C guidelines for Shiraz moose. However there are Shiraz moose and Canadian moose in Saskatchewan. Along with free roaming Elk and Mule Deer. We are hunting an Indian reservation of over 25k acres. All four species are found free range and can be harvested with proper lincense and tags.

I'm by no means an expert so I could be wrong. It happened once before.....

I used http://cusscreektaxidermy.com/ for a bear rug. No problems to report, Danny sounds like a good guy on the phone but I did not get the chance to meet him.


Note- in the upper right corner appears to be a 6 point racoon,

Now I want one of those...

I went to Alberta in 13. We drove thru Saskatchewan to Alberta and came back the same way. Outfitter caped my wt and quartered the deer, I put meat & cape in a large cooler. Not a problem of any kind crossing back into the states at the Saskatchewan border. It was cold enough that I didn't need ice till about the southern Nebraska line.

It is true that the Boone and Crockett Club only recognizes moose taken in the lower 48 of the U.S. as Shiras moose. But some DNA studies seem to indicate that the Shiras subspecies is the most prevalent moose found in extreme southern Canada as well. In fact, the moose from the Canadian Rockies south of Banff are as pure as any Shiras moose taken from Montana or Utah.

Maybe B&C will one day expand its definition of Shiras moose to include those from southern Canada.

Got him back in my check in!!

Tremendous deer.....congratulations!!

X2