Back in early 2022, I bid on an auction hunt in the Yukon for two black bears, with an optional grizzly bear add-on for an extra $10,000 CAD. I won the bid at $8,000 CAD (around $9,000 AUD)—an exciting opportunity for a true northern adventure.
Fast forward to 2024, I successfully harvested two color-phase black bears, but the grizzly… well, that’s a story for another time. (Keep an eye out for the full tale in the next edition of my hunting magazine, June 2025.)
The Hidden Costs Begin
After the hunt, I returned to Whitehorse with my two bears and skulls, ready for the next step—meeting the taxidermist. After a consultation to ensure everything was handled properly, I felt quiet confident that my trophies would be well taken in care off and flew back home to Australia.
Fast forward again to October 2024—I received an email confirming the bears had been tanned, and the skulls cleaned. I had them prepared for full mounts at a later date in Australia. As the cost of having them done in Canada or the US was one thing to deal with, but the shipping cost based on cubic size and weight, would be way out of my budget.
My 2 bears were now ready for shipping to my chosen agent in Canada. Then came the bill, which included the Cities export paperwork:
Taxidermy costs: $2,000 USD (~$3,000 AUD)
Travel and Accommodation Costs
The hunt itself was just one part of the cost. Getting there and back added a significant expense:
Flights from Brisbane to Vancouver (round trip): $3,200 AUD
Accommodation near Vancouver Airport (before & after the hunt): $500 AUD
Flights from Vancouver to Whitehorse (round trip): $800 AUD
Accommodation in Whitehorse (before & after the hunt): $600 AUD
Food allowance for the entire trip: $800 AUD
Shipping and Paperwork
The next step was arranging transport through a shipping agent, who also handled all the documentation provided by the taxidermist, and freight to Australia. His fee?
$1,350 CAD (~$1,500 AUD)
Once the bears arrived in Australia, I enlisted an Australian import agent, who managed all the CITES import paperwork and customs approvals on this end. His fee?
$2,100 AUD
What If I Had Taken the Grizzly Bear?
Had I gone for the grizzly bear, the additional costs would have been substantial. Here’s what I estimated:
Grizzly hunt add-on fee: $10,000 CAD (~$11,250 AUD)
Taxidermy (rug or full mount): $4,000–$6,000 AUD
Extra shipping fees for a grizzly-sized trophy: $3,000 AUD
Additional import costs for Australian clearance: $1,500 AUD
Total estimated additional cost for the grizzly: $19,750–$21,750 AUD
Total Cost Breakdown
Without the Grizzly:
Hunt bid price: $9,000 AUD
Taxidermy (black bears): $3,000 AUD
Flights & travel expenses: $5,900 AUD
Food allowance: $800 AUD
Shipping agent & permits (Canada): $1,500 AUD
Import agent & paperwork (Australia): $2,100 AUD
✅ Total Cost: ~$22,300 AUD
If I Had Taken the Grizzly:
Total cost of black bear hunt & shipping: $22,300 AUD
Additional costs for grizzly bear: $19,750–$21,750 AUD
🔴 Total Cost with Grizzly: ~$42,050–$44,050 AUD
Footnote: I plan on full mounting the bears when I can afford to and thats around10-12K.
The True Cost of an International Hunt
When budgeting for an overseas hunt, the outfitter fee is just the tip of the iceberg. Once you factor in flights, tags, tips, taxidermy, shipping, and customs clearance, the total cost often doubles or even triples what you initially expected.
For those considering a hunt in Canada, Alaska, Africa, or beyond, understanding the real expenses is just as important as preparing for the hunt itself.
When I hunted bears in the USA back in 2015 and 16, I was able to get the both bears mounted as floor rugs with mouths open and felt lined for around $800 each, I had them shipped to Texas from Oregon $40, completed the cities paperwork myself for around $150 and was able to place them in a large Colman Cooler $125 and transport them back with me as checked luggage the follow years.
Fortunately I go to hunting in the US most years. This saved me an absolute fortune in fees and charges. That been said its not always possible
Stay tuned for my detailed cost breakdowns in future posts—because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, the hunt never really ends when you pull the trigger.
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