Communication Open communication is very important. You should at a minimum, discuss your hunt with the outfitter at least once, before your hunt. It helps us to know what your expectations are, and whether or not we are able to realistically, meet those expectations. It also keeps us both on the same page, so that there are no surprises. Once you have booked the hunt, with a 1/3 deposit to hold, we will send you a booking package which consists of: Introduction Letter, Progressive Invoice, Personal Information Sheet, Service Contract, Waiver, Firearms Declaration Form, Canadian Gun Law’s Information, Travel Information, various Brochures, Hunt Schedule and Price List. Feel free to call us or email anytime, for any questions regarding your trip.  Personal Information Sheet All clients fill out a Personal Information Sheet. This form contains information required in order to make this trip as safe and successful as possible. Information from this form is strictly confidential, and is used for obtaining your licenses and tags. All hunters are required to buy the basic hunting license (non-resident alien), a non-resident hunting preservation fund membership (NRHPF), a G.O.A.B.C. requirement, as well as tags for each species included in their hunt package. Please check each species tag you wish to purchase. Elk hunters and Goat/Elk combination hunters may also buy tags for whitetail, mule deer and black bear, although these species should be considered incidental or bonus trophies. You will hunt for your main species and if successful, may continue to hunt for the “bonus” species. Most black bears disappear to hibernate by early October. We suggest all hunters also purchase a wolf tag. Wolves make a beautiful trophy, and it helps to maintain a healthy balance between ungulates and predators. The Personal Information Sheet also helps us to access what kind of physical condition you are in, for example smoker or non-smoker, recent knee surgery etc, whether you have any medical condition, allergies or dietary restrictions. Based on this information and through other communication, we will have a better idea, whom should be your guide, and which camp we should use.  Services Provided Our contract basically outlines, the dates of your hunt, and what species are included in your hunt package. Generally you will be responsible for the following, unless otherwise arranged:   • All travel and accommodation prior to the first day of scheduled activity and accommodation on the last day of scheduled activity.   • Fees for hunting and fishing license and tags   • Non-Resident Hunting Preservation Fund (NRHPF)   • Any fees for processing, taxidermy, shipping by freight, airlines, etc.   • Persons traveling into Canada require one of the following in addition to their driver’s license: Valid passport, voter registration, or birth certificate   • Applicable taxes The Service Contract must be completed, signed, and returned to us, as soon as possible. Please note that a verbal agreement will only hold your booking for 14 days, without a deposit, unless otherwise arranged. It is advisable that you bring your copy of the contract through customs with you.  Progressive Invoice A “progressive” invoice will be included in this package. On the enclosed invoice, you will note charges for the hunt fee, basic license, NRHPF, and all applicable taxes. Once we receive your completed Personal Information Sheet, your invoice will be adjusted to include tags as well. Please note that the cost of Licence and Tags is subject to change.  Liability Waiver We have a standard liability waiver, which is required by our insurance company. This form must be completed and signed prior to departure of hunt.  NRHPF Non Resident Hunting Preservation Fee The NRHPF was introduced in 1996, through the Guiding Outfitters Association of BC (G.O.A.B.C) as a way of ensuring that funds would be available to protect the interests of non-resident hunters and their opportunities to continue to hunt in British Columbia. Some of the current issues that are being dealt with at this time include: Native land claims and treaties, grizzly bear hunting, anti-hunting activists, more restrictive hunting regulations, wildlife allocations, East Kootenay elk and land use conflicts. The NRHPF fund is a single annual charge to a non-resident hunter. If you book two hunts in British Columbia with one or more outfitters in the same calendar year, you should be paying only one fee. Your NRHPF fee includes a one-year subscription to G.O.A.B.C’s quarterly magazine - Mountain Hunter, a pewter pin, and certificate.  Airlines & Flights Fly to the Cranbrook Airport the day prior to the first day of your hunt. Example if the hunt dates are Sept 9-18, you will fly into Cranbrook on Sept 8. For return flights plan for the day after the last day of your hunt. Using the example above – Sept 19. There are two major airlines which fly into the Cranbrook Airport   • Air Canada Jazz   • Pacific Coastal Airlines The above airlines fly from major Canadian centers either Calgary, Alberta or Vancouver, British Columbia. From the Cranbrook Airport you will arrange for your own transportation to your hotel. There is a limousine service available (250) 426-6988 at the Cranbrook Airport.  Driving For those who will be driving, we advise you to plan your route through either:   • Kingsgate Canada Customs – Follow Highway 2, through Bonners Ferry, Idaho, and then on the Highway 95.   • Rooseville Canada Customs – Follow Highway 93 up through Eureka, Montana and then to Cranbrook. Those you are driving should follow the same guidelines for arrival times into Cranbrook as mentioned above.  Canada Customs Persons traveling into Canada will need one of the following in addition to their drivers license: Valid passport, Voter Registration Card, or copy of Birth Certificate. See Canada's Gun Laws, other Border Entry Info, Liability Insurance. View GOABC Q & A in Adobe PDF format  Accommodation You will be responsible for your own accommodation prior to the 1st day of your hunt and on the last day of your hunt. Use the same example above, Sept 8th and Sept 18th. We are recommending the Inn of the South (about 20 minutes from the airport) (250) 489-4301.  Departing for Camp You will be picked up from your hotel in Cranbrook, in the early am the 1st day of your hunt, and brought to our main ranch. (Approximately 35 miles from Cranbrook to Main Ranch) Introductions will be made to your guide. All paper work will be cleared, personal gear checked and rifles lined in. By late morning we will depart to the hunting camps. This will entail a 2 hour drive by pickup truck and then a 1-3 hour horseback trip depending on which of our two main camps you will be staying at. On the last day of your hunt (late afternoon), you will be taken back to your hotel in Cranbrook. You will be responsible for your own transportation from the hotel to the airport the following day.  Meat Should you wish to bring your meat home, we will arrange for processing and or shipping at your expense.  Guides We are extremely proud of our guides, whom we boast to be some of the best in the industry. Most are locals, extreme hunting enthusiasts, and come with years of experience. We attribute much of our success and our repeat clientele to these dedicated guides, whom without we could never do what we do.  Gratuities This is a delicate subject, one that we get asked a lot, and is difficult to answer. There is no industry standard that we know of. While tips are not mandatory, they have become customary. What we have told clients in the past is that a 10% tip is very generous, and anything less is appreciated. Either way, the guides will work hard for you and try their best.  Pictures/Video All photos and videos taken during the hunt can be used for promotional and/or publicity purposes by Rocky Mountain High Outfitters. Being a small business and having a limited advertising budget, we also appreciate any letters of recommendation, referrals, or even magazine testimonials, if you are so inclined.  Taxidermy and Trophy Care Once an animal has been harvested the hide will be field prepped, bagged and either salted or frozen depending on your travel arrangements. In order to transport the hide through customs you will require a Report and Declaration of Guide Outfitter Form, and depending on the species a CITES Export Permit.(Wolf, Cougar, Grizzly, Lynx and Bobcat). An American hunter may export a black bear hunted by the person, if it is in a fresh, frozen or salted condition and the person is exporting only the hide, the hide with paws and claws attached, the skull, or the meat excluding any organs, without obtaining a CITES Export Permit. Clients can expect a turn around time of five business days, from date of application, for a CITES permit. We strongly believe that the local taxidermists who specialize in the species native to our area, produce the most “life like” mounts, and are above average in quality. Their rates, including shipping, are reasonable and very competitive. For the safety of your trophy, and for a more authentic mount, we highly recommend that you leave your trophies in their care, and would be more than happy to recommend our favorites.  Booking & Payment Schedule All prices are quoted in US funds. Please add 3.5 % Federal Goods and Services Tax (GST). This takes care of any rebates non-residents would be eligible for and eliminates the need to apply directly to the government for a rebate. A deposit of 1/3 of the hunt fee is required to secure a booking. The balance is payable prior to departure to camps, in the form of a CASHIER’S CHECK, TRAVELERS CHEQUE, MONEY ORDER OR CASH. Deposits are non-refundable but they are transferrable to a future hunt or to another person. We suggest that you purchase cancellation insurance as deposits are non refundable.  Gear List Our gear list is available for download in pdf format.  References Please contact us for references.