Due to a combination of good stewardship, a low population, and luck, Canada has managed to keep many of its wild areas intact. For the international sportsperson, this means that the country offers some of the most unique hunting experiences anywhere in the world. These opportunities are mostly to be found in the north and west of the country, where the human population is extremely low and a number of natural conditions make for a variety of ecosystems.

Cougar: Rare or extinct through most of its historical range, cougars are found in abundant numbers in British Columbia, the Yukon, and in the mountainous west of Alberta. Hunting opportunities are abundant. Vancouver Island in British Columbia has the largest concentration of cougars anywhere in the world, although the cats in the interior, and especially in the mountains, grow much larger. Cougars can be pursued using dogs or without, but both need to take place with the assistance of a guide for hunters living outside of provincial or territorial jurisdictions.

Musk Ox: This large game animal is found in a small portion of the world. The Ice Age beasts are like nothing else on the planet, and live on the barren tundra of the North West territories, including several of the islands found in the Arctic Ocean. Musk oxen are herd animals that live in groups of 10 to 400 individuals and feed on lichens and other tundra vegetation. They are perhaps one of the least known about and pursued big game species in the country.

Polar Bear: Environmental groups have been at odds with people who live in close proximity to these animals for years over whether or not hunting should be allowed. Indigenous people in northern areas claim that the polar bear population continues to be just fine, but the species is one of the keystones in any argument about environmental balance as far as city dwellers are concerned. The governments of Canada and its territories have chosen to go with the evidence provided both by area-based science and native populations and continue to offer polar bear hunting opportunities in all three territories. This largest terrestrial predator is a truly unique trophy for any game hunter; 2005 saw the first polar bear-grizzly bear hybrid ever taken in the wild. As with the polar bear hunt, many scientists working out of cities and other groups denied the possibility of this bear’s existence, despite numerous reports by hunters and native groups about the existence (though rare) of such bears.

Grizzly Bear: As with the polar bear, mention of a hunt for grizzly bear is sure to stir up controversy in many quarters. Again, many groups would have the general population believe that grizzly bears are vanishing, but this is simply not true. The population of grizzlies in British Columbia in particular continues to grow in most areas of the province, bringing larger concerns about human/bear conflict as well as bear/bear conflict to the forefront. Hunting opportunities for grizzlies are excellent in the eastern and northern parts of British Columbia as well as the Yukon and North West Territories.

Sheep: The province of British Columbia as well as the Yukon and North West Territories are rife with opportunities for sheep hunters. The entire province is inhabited by Rocky Mountain bighorns. The Okanagan region of BC is home to a substantial California population. In the north, the Yukon and Northwest Territories as well as northern BC offer opportunities to take trophy Dall, Stone, and Rocky Mountain bighorns.

In addition to the species mentioned above, areas in Canada offer sportsmen the opportunity to take caribou and even bison. Trophy hunting for most of these rare species occurs in the northern regions of the country, where the animals have the space and limited human interference, as well as the environmental pressure, to grow to huge proportions.