Hunting in North America is both rewarding and exciting. It can be even more rewarding for hunters who learn to take advantage of everything the continent has to offer. Following is information that can help enhance any North American hunt.

For information about hunting for virtually all game species in about any place imaginable, check the websites of outfitters and outfitter organizations. They pull information together for their members and clients – information that is available online, as well as contact information for further details.

Stretching from the arctic reaches of northern Canada to the jungles of Panama, the North American continent offers a lifetime’s worth of hunting experiences. More than 60 game species, subspecies and varieties of big game animals are found throughout the continent, plus about 100 species of game birds. A hunter will find everything here from large predators and ungulates in the northern tundra to amphibious reptiles in the southern wetlands.

Adding to the variety in species, North America features such a breadth of typography that a sportsman could never get bored hunting this land. There are hunting opportunities in rainforests and deserts, on rugged mountains and wide-open plains, on agricultural lands near small towns, and in absolute wilderness areas where a horse or a plane are the only way in and out. No matter what experience a hunter may seek, North America can provide it.

But with so many opportunities, how does a hunter narrow the choices? How can a hunter prepare?

This section of the Hunter Information Service is designed to help with that. Following are some resources that will make it easier to research species and destinations within North America and prepare for the various opportunities. Where possible, we also provide links to other sources that can help (such as state conservation departments and outfitter associations).

The North American Conservation Model depends on hunters to fund and support the conservation of habitat and wildlife for everyone to enjoy. Get out to the woods today!

Hunting Associations

Hunting Associations are membership organizations for professional hunters, guides and hunting operators. These organizations support the hunting industry in their regions of focus and usually represent their members when dealing with local conservation departments and government. They are often a good place to start researching a hunt and an operator. Hunting associations typically have a code of professional ethics by which their members must conduct themselves, so verifying an operator’s membership is one way to vet whether an operator is a legal and recognized outfitter.

SCI works with hunting associations around the world to represent the interests of hunters and the hunting industry. We also work together on important conservation management initiatives. Below is a list of associations SCI works with. We will be adding more associations from other parts of the world where we are working for hunters and sustainable use conservation.

United States Expand

 

Alaskan Professional Hunters Association
Phone: 907-929-0619
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.alaskaprohunter.org
Facebook: @alaskaprohunter Colorado Outfitters Association
Phone: 970-824-2468
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.coloradooutfitters.org Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association
Phone: 208-342-1438
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.ioga.org
Facebook: @IDOutfittersandGuides Maine Professional Guides Association
E-mail:  [email protected]
Website: www.maineguides.org
Facebook: @IDOutfittersandGuides Montana Outfitters and Guides Association
Phone: 406-449-3578
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.montanaoutfitters.org
Facebook: @MontanaOutfitterandGuides Nevada Outfitter and Guides Association
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.nevadaoutfitters.org
Facebook: Nevada Outfitters and Guides Association New Mexico Council of Outfitters and Guides
Phone: 505-440-5258
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.nmoutfitters.com
Facebook: @NMCOG Wyoming Outfitters and Guides Association
Phone: 307-265-2376
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.wyoga.org
Facebook: @wyoga1959

 

Canada Expand

 

Alberta Professional Outfitters Society 
Phone: 780-414-0249
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.apos.ab.ca Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia 
Phone: 604-541-6332
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.goabc.org
Facebook: @GOABC1966 Manitoba Lodges and Outfitters Association 
Phone: 204-772-1912
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.mloa.com New Brunswick Professional Outfitters and Guides Association 
Email: [email protected] 
Website: www.poga-nb.ca
Facebook: @Poganb Newfoundland and Labrador Outfitters Association 
Phone: 709-639-5926
E-mail:  [email protected]
Website: www.nloa.ca
Facebook: @newfoundlandoutfitters Nature and Outdoor Tourism, Ontario (NOTO) 
Phone: 705-472-5552
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.noto.ca
Facebook: @natureoutdoortourismontario Quebec Outfitters Federation 
Phone: 418-877-5191
E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]
Website: www.pourvoiries.com/en/; www.quebecoutfitters.com
Facebook: @QuebecOutfitters Saskatchewan Commission of Professional Outfitters 
Phone: 306-668-1388
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.scpo.ca Tahltan Guide & Outfitters Association 
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.tgoa.ca Wildlife Stewardship Council 
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.wildlifestewardshipcouncil.com Yukon Outfitters Association 
Phone: 867-668-4118
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.yukonoutfitters.net
Facebook: @yukonOutfittersAssociation

 

Conservation Departments

Whether its licensing information, season dates or area specific news and wildlife reports, you can access the information directly from the conservation departments listed below. Just click on the links to visit each site.

US Conservation Departments Expand

 

Alaska Department of Fish and Game: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=home.main

Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources: https://www.outdooralabama.com/

Arizona Game and Fish: https://www.azgfd.com/

Arkansas Game & Fish Commission: https://www.agfc.com/en/

California Department of Fish and Wildlife: https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Mammals/Bighorn-Sheep/Sierra-Nevada

Colorado Parks & Wildlife: http://cpw.state.co.us/

Connecticut Bureau of Natural Resources: https://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2690&q=322440&deepNav_GID=1641

Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife: https://dnrec.alpha.delaware.gov/fish-wildlife/

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: http://myfwc.com/

Georgia Wildlife Resources Division: https://georgiawildlife.com/

Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife: http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dofaw/

Idaho Fish & Game: https://idfg.idaho.gov/

Illinois Department of Natural Resources: https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Indiana Department of Natural Resources: https://www.in.gov/dnr/

Iowa Department of Natural Resources: http://www.iowadnr.gov/

Kansas Wildlife, Parks & Tourism: https://ksoutdoors.com/

Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources: https://fw.ky.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries: http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife: https://www.maine.gov/ifw/

Maryland Department of Natural Resources: http://dnr.maryland.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game https://www.mass.gov/orgs/department-of-fish-and-game

Michigan Department of Natural Resources: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fishwildlife/index.html

Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries, & Parks: https://www.mdwfp.com/

Missouri Department of Conservation: https://mdc.mo.gov/

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks: http://fwp.mt.gov/

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: http://outdoornebraska.gov/

Nevada Department of Wildlife: http://www.ndow.org/

New Hampshire Fish and Game: https://wildlife.state.nh.us/

New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife: https://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/

New Mexico Department of Game & Fish: http://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/

New York Division of Fish and Wildlife: https://www.dec.ny.gov/about/634.html

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission: https://www.ncwildlife.org/

North Dakota Game and Fish Department: https://gf.nd.gov/

Ohio Department of Natural Resources: http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/

Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation: https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/

Oregon Department Fish and Wildlife: https://www.dfw.state.or.us/

Pennsylvania Game Commission: https://www.pgc.pa.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Rhode Island Fish & Wildlife: http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/fish-wildlife/

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources: http://www.dnr.sc.gov/

South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks:  https://gfp.sd.gov/

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency: https://www.tn.gov/twra.html

Texas Parks & Wildlife: https://tpwd.texas.gov/

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources: https://wildlife.utah.gov/

Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department: http://vtfishandwildlife.com/

Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries: https://www.dgif.virginia.gov/

Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife: https://wdfw.wa.gov/

West Virginia Division of Natural Resources: http://www.wvdnr.gov/

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources: https://dnr.wi.gov/

Wyoming Game & Fish Department: https://wgfd.wyo.gov/

 

Canadian Conservation Departments Expand

 

Alberta Environment and Parks: http://aep.alberta.ca/fish-wildlife/default.aspx

British Columbia Fish and Wildlife Branch: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/sports-culture/recreation/fishing-hunting/hunting; http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/traf/index-eng.htm

Labrador – See Newfoundland and Labrador Fisheries and Land Resources

Manitoba Wildlife Branch: http://www.manitoba.ca/sd/wildlife/index.html

New Brunswick Natural Resources: https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/erd/natural_resources/content/wildlife.html

Newfoundland and Labrador Fisheries and Land Resources: https://www.flr.gov.nl.ca/wildlife/index.html

Northwest Territories Environment and Natural Resources: https://www.enr.gov.nt.ca/en

Nova Scotia Department of Lands and Forestry: https://novascotia.ca/natr/

Nunavut Department of Environment: https://www.gov.nu.ca/environment

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry: https://www.ontario.ca/page/ministry-natural-resources-and-forestry

Prince Edward Island Fish and Wildlife: https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/topic/fish-and-wildlife

Quebec Ministry of Forests, Fauna and Parks:  https://mffp.gouv.qc.ca/the-wildlife/?lang=en

Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment: https://www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/parks-recreation-heritage-and-arts/hunting-trapping-and-angling/hunting

Yukon Department of Environment: http://www.env.gov.yk.ca/

 

Airline Firearms Carriage Policies

Every airline has a different policy regarding the carriage of firearms in checked baggage. Some allow multiple firearms in a gun case and others do not. Some require advance notice, including specific information about your firearm, others simply will accept the firearm upon check-in. Some charge a handling fee for firearms, others include it in your free baggage allowance.

Learn More