Hey guys & gals I hope you can help me out with some information: I'm a South African who will be moving to Ontario, Canada in a couple of months, and I plan to hunt in Canada and the USA over the coming years. I'm used to how hunts, meat processing, etc are done here in Africa, and I'd like to learn how they differ over there. If I wanted to go hunting here, I would visit a game farm, preferably one with a seasonal exemption certificate, meaning that they're allowed to take on hunters any time of year. Hunting on unfenced land is not allowed, neither is hunting out of season on fenced land without an exemption certificate. The cost of game doesn't differ that much from farm to farm, and after my hunt I would pay a fee per animal killed or wounded. For example, I may pay R500 ($35) per Springbuck, R600 ($40) per Warthog, R800 ($55) per Blesbuck, R6500 ($450) per Oryx, etc. I would field-dress the animal in the bush and discard the innards near where I shot it (some farms do this for you as part of the cost of the hunt), and if I were on a multi-day hunt I would have the farmer keep it in a coldroom for me until I leave. Most farms would come pick up the carcass for me from where I shot it, I wouldn't have to arrange my own transport back to the coldroom. For a small extra fee (R100 / $7 or so) the farm may cut the meat up into shanks, necks, ribs, etc, after which I can take it to a butcher to further process (the cost for this is usually per kilogram, around R10 / $0.7 per kg). For me to transport the venison from the farm to a butchery (or back home) I need a certificate from the farm owner - he would usually complete this for me on the last day of the hunt. Now, I know that things will differ from country to country and state / province to state / province, but could you give me a general idea of what the above process would look like (and cost) in Canada as well as the USA? 1. Where would I be allowed to hunt? 2. When would I be allowed to hunt? 3. I believe you guys get "tags" in order to go hunting - do these tags cover the full cost of each animal, or would you still pay the land owner a fee per animal? 4. With the tag system, what happens to the tags you don't use? 5. What are the requirements around transporting meat back home / to a butcher? 6. What are the costs associated with having the meat butchered? 7. Other than tags, what permits would I need to get in order to go hunting? I appreciate any insights into this process that you can give me!
There are so many different variations that it will be difficult to describe without knowing specifically what you want to hunt, what you are willing to do as part of your hunt, and where. 1. Where would I be allowed to hunt? Generally speaking, in the US (Michigan), I hunt on public land (government owned--federal, state, or local) and private land. Public land is depicted on maps showing forests, etc. You will need to confirm that hunting is permitted in these areas. This can be done by contacting the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in the particular state. Private land hunts will require permission from the land owner to hunt the area. You would need to contact the owner to obtain the permission. There are game farms (think high fence or other enclosed areas) too, but I don't hunt them and have no interest in hunting them. 2. When would I be allowed to hunt? For Public/Private land hunts, the hunting season is dictated by the season set by the state. Contacting the DNR for the state (even their website) will identify the season. Most hunting seasons are approximately (if not exactly) the same each year, but be sure to confirm. 3. I believe you guys get "tags" in order to go hunting - do these tags cover the full cost of each animal, or would you still pay the land owner a fee per animal? A hunting license is a license from the state to hunt the particularly identified game. Some game can be taken with a single hunting license (think small game such as rabbit, squirrel, some birds, etc.) and do not require a "tag". Other game, such as deer, elk, etc.) will require a kill tag that will permit you to take one animal for that kill tag. You will attach the kill tag to the animal after it is killed and before you start moving it. You don't typically pay another fee after killing the animal. However, if you have a special arrangement with a landowner, that might be part of your arrangement--it is pretty rare though. 4. With the tag system, what happens to the tags you don't use? You eat them. (Honestly, they expire at the end of that season and they are thrown in the trash.) 5. What are the requirements around transporting meat back home / to a butcher? The animal needs to be tagged to prove to anyone that you lawfully harvested the animal. Practically speaking, depending on outside temperature, you will want to pack the cavity in ice (for a deer) or keep the quarters on ice. But, this isn't always required. 6. What are the costs associated with having the meat butchered? Depends on the animal and how you want it butchered and packaged. I pay $95 for straight, boneless butchering. It includes tenderloins, backstraps (whole or cut in sections), steaks, roasts, and ground. If you want to have sausage made, jerky, etc. or the ground meet mixed with pork or beef, you pay extra. 7. Other than tags, what permits would I need to get in order to go hunting? Check the local authorities. I wouldn't feel comfortable answering this question for all situations. In US (Michigan), they require us to purchase a base hunting license and then specific kill tags for deer (antlered), anterless deer, elk, etc. Hope that helps.
Morning Willem, I am originally from Cape Town, SA and moved to Vermont, USA about three years ago now. There certainly is a steep learning curve when it comes to hunting in the US and abroad. Treestands, tags, permits, weather, seasons, regulations, etc. I would be more than willing to help answer some of these questions although Bow did do a great job already. Your biggest challenge is going to be finding land to hunt on. I have in three years made some good contacts and have some great public land and private for whitetail. PM me and we can exchange emails or something. Always good to connect with a fellow South African. Best, Dan
Bow Duke covered most of it... just a few things I would add... for seasons, and regulations check the web sites for each state or province, for big game such as deer, elk, moose, sheep, bear, ect you need a tag as stated above, some states are one tag/one kill only, others allow second or third tags... some states you can buy your tags over the counter at any sporting goods store, others you have to apply for and hope you get one... as for getting to and from, with the bow it's no problem (tho some states require it to be cased when transporting), if your taking a rifle or handgun, then there are lots of restrictions depending on states, and crossing from Canada to the US... make sure you research each and every state you will be going thru to make sure ya don't end up in jail someplace... public and private land was pretty much covered above as well.. every state and province has public land to hunt, some more then others... just be warned there are a lot of hunters here, and on public land you will be hard pressed to find an area to hunt that you won't be in a crowd... not mentioned is we also have private outfitters here that charge and guide much like in SA.. some of them even clean and transport the kill for you, a few will do the license/permits for you as well... cost for these vary depending on location and game hunted... from a few hundred for hogs in Texas to 15,000 for a brown bear in Alaska... in addition to your hunting license and tag, some states require an access permit to enter state or county lands, (example: Washington requires a Discovery Pass to enter state forests at $35 a year, but county and federal lands are free).. the hunting regulations for the state your hunting will let you know if that's required or not... Know the area your hunting to make sure you don't cross onto private land or an area your not allowed to hunt (parks, preserves, ect).. one thing I use that helps a lot to make sure I'm in a legal hunting area is OnX Hunt Maps on a hand held GPS... all property lines and unit boundaries are clearly marked on the GPS (along with landowner names and contact info, if your looking to ask permission to hunt their land)
