Trying to combine brown bear, elk, moose and mule deer all into one hunt is practically impossible.  Brown bear, by definition, live in a very limited area along/adjacent to coastal areas on mainland Alaska along with the various islands including the ABC islands (Admiralty, Baranof, and Queen Charlotte) as well as Kodiak and Unimak Islands.   With some exceptions including the Kenai and Katmai Peninsulas of Alaska, moose are generally not available in occupied brown bear habitat.  Likewise, mule deer are non-existent in Alaska.  Roosevelt elk are available on some of the Alaskan islands but I believe that they are on a limited quota and tags are hard to come by.  So, the brown bear combination is not practical – most folks that hunt brown bear do so stand alone, although Sitka blacktail deer are available in some areas in conjunction with the fall hunting seasons.

Elk and mule deer are available in a combination hunt in many areas of the western US and southern Canada.  Specific areas of British Columbia may also be able to offer grizzly bear in conjunction with antlered game including elk and/or mule deer – but grizzlies in BC are very expensive.  Insofar as Alberta is concerned, I believe that the grizzly bear season is closed for non-resident alien hunters, but would have to double check that to be sure.

All in all, there are a number of factors to consider in planning your hunt.  If you are looking for a six-point bull elk in excess of say 320 B&C and a mule deer buck in excess of say 170 B&C then it is altogether a different ball game as males of this size just don’t grow on trees and it becomes a function of time.  Moreover, the more animals that you try to combine on one North American hunt, the more likely you are to fail on one or more species – the days of unlimited game populations are over, weather often can be a factor during the fall, etc.  The more animals you try to combine on one northern hunt, the more that these factors come into play and the more limited the areas that we have to choose from.   

My recommendation would be to look at either an elk/mule deer hunt or moose hunt.  You will need to decide if you want Canada moose or Alaska-Yukon, which will then dictate where we need to look and what other species might be available.  An Alaska-Yukon moose would also give an opportunity for black/grizzly bear and/or caribou depending on where you go – keep in mind that Alaska-Yukon moose hunts will run well over $10K/hunter depending on the area and the outfitter and trophy fees will be required for grizzly bear/caribou so you could be looking at $20K each by the time it is all said and done. Canada moose hunts are cheaper, but the moose are smaller and the opportunities for other big game species will be limited depending on where you hunt.  Western Canada moose are generally only available in southwestern Canada.

Brown bear hunts in Alaska are currently running anywhere from $10,800 to over 20K per hunter plus air charters.  Grizzly bear hunts in AK are currently running from about 8K to well over 13K depending on the area and outfitter.

Bob Anderson
Worldwide Hunting Consultant
Global Sporting Safaris, Inc.

Global Sporting Safaris’ Bear Hunting Blog is based in Casper, Wyoming.  Global Sporting Safaris, Inc. is a Full-Service Booking Agency established in 1991. We have a staff of Bear Hunting Consultants and Fishing Travel Agents with a combined 175 years of experience. We hold Integrity, Ethics and Honesty in high regard and deal with each client in a one on one basis

A lot of folks keep “to do” lists for their adult lives. For some, the list is studded with sincere goals or accomplishments and may feature such endeavors as “finish master’s degree” or “bicycle through Italy.” Others compile lists that are more adrenaline charged; they want to check the box next to “scuba dive with sharks” or “bungee jump.”

But if you are the kind of person who would rather be in a duck blind on a bright November morning than anywhere else, you don’t want to jump off a perfectly good bridge anyway. In your world, bungee cords are meant to hold duck boats in pickup beds. So when the editors of Ducks Unlimited asked me which items I might include on a duck hunter’s “life list,” I compiled the following summary of 10 defining tasks and unique destinations for waterfowlers. Perhaps my suggestions, presented here in no particular order, will inspire you to create and pursue a list of your own.

1. Hunt the Canadian Prairie in Early Fall

Whether you choose Manitoba, Saskatchewan or Alberta, an early-season trip to Canada will change your perspective on ducks and duck hunting forever. Hunting seemingly endless prairie dotted with sapphire potholes is truly magical. And this isn’t like duck hunting at home; you can’t just put out your decoys and wait. In Canada, you must go to the birds. That means driving the countryside to find them and then making plans to be under them before they return the next morning.

You can hunt ducks on big water or small potholes, but what defines prairie waterfowling is dry-land hunting in immense agricultural fields. Once you have been under the milling vortex of hundreds or even thousands of mallards pouring into a pea field or have seen the golden sun set across a sweeping horizon of cut barley, then you can say you’ve experienced the prairie in the fall, the place where the migration begins.

Read Number 2-10 of Duck Hunters Top 10 List, by Doug Larsen, on the Ducks Unlimited website by clicking here

About Global Sporting Safaris, Inc. 
Global Sporting Safaris, Inc. is a Full-Service Hunting Booking Agency located in Casper, Wyoming and established in 1991. We have a staff of 7 Hunting Consultants and Fishing Travel Agents with a combined 175 years of experience.   We specialize in Duck Hunting, Africa Hunting Safaris, New Zealand Hunting and Argentina Hunting.   Global Sporting Safaris invests time, effort and financial resources in developing our hunting trips with a constant eye on the quality and professional services they offer.

Big bucks! No, not the kind that grow antlers, but what many duck hunters spend to fund their sport: private clubs, fancy blinds, pricey shotguns, super-sized decoy spreads, and more. This is one undertaking that can suck up money like a bowling ball in quicksand.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Hunters can experience quality duck hunting while sticking to a budget. Penny-pinching hunters may have to hunt a little harder and smarter, but they can still find high-quality waterfowling.

So, if the recession has left a lasting impression, your credit card is maxed out, your kid’s college tuition has skyrocketed, and you can’t afford 24-carat duck hunting, don’t despair. The quality of a hunt doesn’t always rate proportionally to its cost. Here’s how to cut corners to hold duck hunting expenses down and still enjoy great shooting.  Here more of the story….

• Low-Cost Decoy Spreads
• Saving Dollars on Equipment
• Strategies for Hunting Ducks on a Budget
• Have the Right Mindset
• Hunting Spots for Budget-Minded Hunters
• Budget Blinds

Read the rest of Hunting Ducks on a Budget, by Wade Bourne, on the Ducks Unlimited website by clicking here

About Global Sporting Safaris, Inc. 
Global Sporting Safaris, Inc. is a Full-Service Hunting Booking Agency located in Casper, Wyoming and established in 1991. We have a staff of 7 Hunting Consultants and Fishing Travel Agents with a combined 175 years of experience.   We specialize in Duck Hunting, Africa Hunting Safaris, New Zealand Hunting and Argentina Hunting.   Global Sporting Safaris invests time, effort and financial resources in developing our hunting trips with a constant eye on the quality and professional services they offer.

MISSOULA, Mont.—If you’re an elk hunter, or would like to be, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is offering 10 ideas for improving your efficiency this hunting season.

All were condensed from recent and coming features in RMEF’s bi-monthly member magazine, Bugle. A subscription comes with an annual RMEF membership for $35. To join, call 800-CALL ELK or visit click here.

1. Scout from Space

If you’ve looked into the night sky, you’ve noticed the many satellites now orbiting our planet. They’re great tools for today’s hunter. Google Earth (earth.google.com) uses satellite images and aerial photography to give birds-eye views of elk country. Locate meadows, burns, roads, water, heavy-timber escape areas and more. You can even find places where the forest canopy thins to suggest hidden grazing spots for elk. Newer GPS units accept uploaded coordinates from Google Earth, allowing you to walk directly to and more efficiently ground-truth potential honey holes.

2. Count Points Quickly

In good habitat, a bull normally has a 5-point rack as a 2-1/2-year-old and a small 6-point rack the following year. Instantly distinguishing five- and six-pointers is not difficult. The fourth point, sometimes called the dagger point, is normally the longest point and most distinctive feature of an elk rack. If the main beam goes straight back from the dagger, you’re almost certainly looking at a five-by-five. If there’s another point rising upward behind the dagger, perhaps forming a horizontal “Y,” then you’re looking at a six-by-six.

3. Practice for Stress

Flinging arrows in the backyard is a far cry from placing a perfect shot on a live elk. In addition to changing shot angles and distances, hunters also must cope with distractions and excitement. Hone your focusing skills by practicing out of your comfort zone. Go to a public range, enter a 3D tournament, practice in the rain, shoot with strangers, hunt small game, anything to break normal concentration and practice rhythms. If you’re with buddies, try talking trash: “Hey, watch and learn while I center-punch this target…” Creating pressure and mental stress, expressly for the purpose of ignoring it, can help you overcome bull fever in the field.

Read Efficient Elk Hunting Ideas 4-10 by clicking here.

About Global Sporting Safaris, Inc. 
Global Sporting Safaris, Inc. is a Full-Service Hunting Booking Agency located in Casper, Wyoming and established in 1991. We have a staff of 7 Hunting Consultants and Fishing Travel Agents with a combined 175 years of experience.   We specialize in Wyoming Elk Hunting, Africa Hunting Safaris, New Zealand Hunting and Argentina Hunting.   Global Sporting Safaris invests time, effort and financial resources in developing our hunting trips with a constant eye on the quality and professional services they offer.

MuleyCrazy Magazine is excited to announce the release of MULEYCRAZ-E––the highly-anticipated e-version of MuleyCrazy Magazine! Available in 27 languages, MULEYCRAZ-E uses cutting-edge technology to interactively bring the pages of the magazine to life.

With the click of a mouse, you can now witness running video of giant bucks, you can be there for all the intense hunt sequences, you can watch incredible kill shots over and over again, and you can be there for all the fun, camaraderie, and thrill of the hunt! And here’s the best part…it’s absolutely FREE!

So, if you’re ready to take your MuleyCrazy passion to a whole new level, then click here, sit back, and enjoy the first edition of MuleyCraz-E  

About Global Sporting Safaris, Inc. 
Global Sporting Safaris, Inc. is a Full-Service Hunting Booking Agency located in Casper, Wyoming and established in 1991. We have a staff of 7 Hunting Consultants and Fishing Travel Agents with a combined 175 years of experience.   We specialize in Africa Hunting Safaris, New Zealand Hunting and Argentina Hunting.   Global Sporting Safaris invests time, effort and financial resources in developing our hunting trips with a constant eye on the quality and professional services they offer.

Elk country, there is magic in it. It is not just for those of us who belong to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, it is there for everyone. Our goal is to keep it that way forever. See for yourself what we mean in this edition of PASS IT ON Chronicles, as we feature just a few of the 5 million plus acres we have either protected or enhanced and the animals that call it home. Thanks for all you do for elk country and please “Pass It On”

Watch the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation ”Pass It On” video here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjoUINDcVPY

About Global Sporting Safaris, Inc.  
Global Sporting Safaris, Inc. is a Full-Service Hunting Booking Agency located in Casper, Wyoming and established in 1991. We have a staff of 7 Hunting Consultants and Fishing Travel Agents with a combined 175 years of experience.   We specialize in Elk Hunting Wyoming, New Zealand Hunting and Argentina Hunting.   Global Sporting Safaris invests time, effort and financial resources in developing our hunting trips with a constant eye on the quality and professional services they offer.

By NRA Staff

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has released its annual forecast of the elk population in North America. This state-by-state compilation is a must read for anyone who has an elk tag for this season or is looking for an elk hotspot for the future. Elk used to live across this continent, but, as you can see from the map below, these days you are most likely to find them in the western states and provinces.

A mild winter, spring and summer precipitation and successful habitat conservation are all breeding optimism for the upcoming hunting season for the RMEF. However, wolves are a concern in more than a few sections of elk country. According to the RMEF, elk calf survival rates are now insufficient to sustain herds for the future. The urgent need to control wolf populations is a localized wildlife management crisis now compounded by a recent court decision to return wolves to full federal protections under the Endangered Species Act.

“Generally speaking, elk populations are in great shape and hunters have much to look forward to across the West, as well as in several Midwestern and Eastern states,” said David Allen, president and CEO of the Elk Foundation.

To see these forecasts in their entirety, with links to respective elk regulations or other resources, visit http://www.rmef.org/. But, for now, we’ve compiled the condensed version into an interactive map.  Click here to view the map.

About Global Sporting Safaris, Inc. 
Global Sporting Safaris, Inc. is a Full-Service Hunting Booking Agency located in Casper, Wyoming and established in 1991. We have a staff of 7 Hunting Consultants and Fishing Travel Agents with a combined 175 years of experience.   We specialize in Africa Hunting Safaris, New Zealand Hunting and Argentina Hunting.   Global Sporting Safaris invests time, effort and financial resources in developing our hunting trips with a constant eye on the quality and professional services they offer.

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — State officials sought Tuesday to revive gray wolf hunts in the Northern Rockies, even as they entered talks with environmentalists whose lawsuit restored the endangered status of the animals.

Hunters in Idaho and Montana killed 260 wolves last year in the first managed hunts since the species rebounded from near-extermination in the past century.

This year’s hunts were doubtful after a U.S. District Court ruling that portions of the wolf population remained at risk.

On Tuesday, Montana asked the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to commit by Sept. 10 to the state’s plan for “conservation hunts” beginning this fall.

State officials said the hunts were justified because the wolf population had exceeded its “carrying capacity” — the number of wolves that are biologically and socially sustainable. They also said the hunts would help curb increasingly frequent wolf attacks on livestock and big game herds.

Idaho plans to make a similar request. Jim Unsworth of Idaho Fish and Game said the state will point to the legal harvest of other protected species such as salmon and bull trout as a precedent.

It was uncertain how many animals might be harvested. State officials were waiting for a response from the federal government before setting any quota.

There are an estimated 1,700 wolves in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana — more than five times the federal government’s benchmark of 300 wolves for the species to be considered recovered.

“Montana began 2010 with a minimum of 504 wolves, even after a conservative but successful 2009 hunting season,” Joe Maurier, director of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks wrote in a letter to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Acting Director Rowan Gould.

Maurier asked that the federal government issue Montana a conservation hunt permit by Nov. 30.

Original plans called for a hunting quota of 186 wolves this fall in Montana. That would have driven down the population to 439 by the end of 2010.

Idaho had not set its 2010 quota. The state’s long-term goal is to reduce its wolf population from current estimates of at least 843 animals to roughly 500.

Federal officials have declined to say if they would allow any public hunting while wolves remained on the endangered list. Even without hunts, wolves are killed regularly in the region by wildlife agents and ranchers responding to attacks on sheep and cattle.

Environmental groups have vowed to stop attempts to circumvent the federal court ruling. Their attorneys were meeting Tuesday with officials from Idaho and Montana and the Fish and Wildlife Service.

Wolves were removed from the endangered species list in Idaho and Montana in 2009 before that decision was reversed in court earlier this month.

U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy ruled the government ended up violating federal law by stripping wolves of their endangered status in Idaho and Montana while portions of the population remained at risk.

Wyoming’s 320 wolves were not taken off the endangered list last year. Federal officials said the state’s wolf law was too hostile to the animals, allowing them to be shot on sight in a predator zone covering about 90 percent of the state.

About Global Sporting Safaris, Inc.  
Global Sporting Safaris, Inc. is a Full-Service Hunting Booking Agency located in Casper, Wyoming and established in 1991. We have a staff of 7 Hunting Consultants and Fishing Travel Agents with a combined 175 years of experience.   We specialize in Africa Hunting Safaris, New Zealand Hunting and Argentina Hunting.   Global Sporting Safaris invests time, effort and financial resources in developing our hunting trips with a constant eye on the quality and professional services they offer.

Whether you are red stag hunting in New Zealand, Australia or red stag hunting in Argentina, the answers will be pretty close to the same for all three of these  southern destinations.

February:  Red Stag normally start to come out of velvet into hard horn around the 3^rdweek in February. Temperatures are normally warmer at this time of year as it is late summer south of the equator. Very little red stag hunting is done at this time of year.

February Weather: Lows in the mid 50°F and highs in the mid 80°F to low 90°F.

March:  March 20^th starts the first day of autumn and is pretty close to the beginning of the red stag rut (also known as the red stag roar). The rut can actually start +/- 10 days from the first day of fall if the mornings are cold and the afternoon’s hot. Hunting red stag during the “Roar” is a pretty exciting time hunt. The red stag are starting to stake out territories and gather the red stag hinds (female red stag) at this time. The Red Stag will “Roar “most mornings and evenings. It is not uncommon of most red stag hunting rifle shots to be less than 100 yards. This is a great time for bow hunting red stag too. Spot and stalk bow hunting should produce results in the 25-40 yard range. The stag will be in very good condition at this time of year.

March Weather: Lows in the mid 40°F and highs in the mid 70°F to low 80°F.

April:  The First 10 days in April are probably the “Best of the Rut” for hunting red stag. By this time, the stags are roaring 24/7 and are not paying attention to anything but the Hinds and the encroaching stag competition. This is the best time of the season for bow hunting red stag. This is also a great time to rifle hunt with almost all shots well under 100 yards for the spot and stalk red Stag hunter.

The second 10 days in April (April 10-20) usually sees the most fighting between the red stag stags. These fights are often times to the death. Red stag hunters will notice more stags with broken tines during this time of year. The Roar is usually over around the 20^th of April.

April Weather: Lows in the low 40°F and highs in the mid to low 70°F. Expect early morning fog and possible light rain.

May: This is post Rut (Roar) red stag hunting. Expect shot distances to increase to the 150 to 200 yard range as the stag are wise to the hunters at this time. Red stag hunting is more challenging now.

May Weather: Lows in the high 30°F and highs in the mid to low 60°F. Shorter hunting hours.

June: Expect shot distances to stay in the 150 to 200 yard range as the red stag are wise to the hunters at this time. Red stag hunting is more challenging now. June 20^th marks the first day of winter. Shorter hunting hours.

June Weather: Lows in the low 30°F and highs in the mid to low 50°F. Shorter hunting hours. Expect snow at the higher elevations. First week of June it snows (historically) in New Zealand.

July: Expect shot distances to stay in the 150 to 200 yard range as the red stag are wise to the hunters at this time. Red Stag hunting is more challenging now. Shorter hunting hours. Most destinations stop red stag hunting at the end of July.

July Weather: Lows in the low 30°F and highs in the mid to low 50°F. Shorter hunting hours. Expect snow in the higher elevations.

August: Expect shot distances to stay in the 150 to 200 yard range as the red stag are wise to the hunters at this time. Red Stag hunting is more challenging now. Shorter hunting hours. Red Stag will usually start dropping their antlers during the 2^nd half of August thru the first week of September.

August Weather: Lows in the low 30°F and highs in the mid to low 50°F. Shorter hunting hours. Expect snow in the higher elevations.

Now you know the best time to go Red Stag Hunting in New Zealand, Australia or South America (Argentina). Look for future articles on traveling with firearms to these same destinations.

About Global Sporting Safaris, Inc.  

Global Sporting Safaris, Inc. is a Full-Service Hunting Booking Agency located in Casper, Wyoming and established in 1991. We have a staff of 7 Hunting Consultants and Fishing Travel Agents with a combined 175 years of experience.   We specialize in Africa Hunting Safaris, New Zealand Hunting and Argentina Hunting.   Global Sporting Safaris invests time, effort and financial resources in developing our hunting trips with a constant eye on the quality and professional services they offer.

Six Wyoming Commissioner Hunting Licenses  for areas:

• Elk license request is Wyoming area 100 and 31
• Deer license request is Wyoming area 101 and 102
• Antelope license request is Wyoming area 59 for both

The Muley Fanatic Chapter of the Mule Deer Foundation again applied for and received two elk, two deer, and two antelope Commissioner’s Licenses for children between ages 12-20 years that have life threatening diseases.

Now we just need candidates!

If anyone you know is qualified for this donation, please send him/her our way. We want to be able to make their dreams come true, and the Wyoming areas that were selected are easy access and high in success.

If anyone you know is qualified for this donation, please let us know by calling Chapter Chair Joshua Coursey at 307-389-7495.

About Global Sporting Safaris, Inc.  
Global Sporting Safaris, Inc. is a Full-Service Hunting Booking Agency located in Casper, Wyoming and established in 1991. We have a staff of 7 Hunting Consultants and Fishing Travel Agents with a combined 175 years of experience.   We specialize in Africa Hunting Safaris, New Zealand Hunting and Argentina Hunting.   Global Sporting Safaris invests time, effort and financial resources in developing our hunting trips with a constant eye on the quality and professional services they offer.