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Our Verizon phones will not work 80 miles from International Falls.

postoak;
Good evening to you sir and while we did cover cell phone coverage a page or two in, we didn't have an in depth discussion as to whether or not US carriers work up here.

There was another thread on that very subject here however.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...34/US_cell_phones_in_Canada#Post10191634

I've got to say it's a wee bit of a twist to us as we've traveled a fair bit in the US over the years - mostly west and northwest and Hawaii - but our cell phones worked every time.

We've got Bell and Telus phones by the way if that has any bearing on it?

For sure though it'd likely be a grand question to put to your cell phone provider as it doesn't appear to be unusual for US service to be interrupted on this side of the medicine line.

Hopefully that was useful information sir and again best of luck on your hunt whichever way you decide.

Dwayne

My wife and I traveled extensively in southern Ontario & Quebec, as well as New Brunswick and Nova Scotia during September and October of 2015. Our cell provider, Viaero, is a smaller regional service that operates primarily in the US states of Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado. We experienced excellent coverage for the entire two week period that we enjoyed in Canada. We appeared to be roaming on Rogers. We incurred no roaming charges during that time period. Some other providers may charge you excessively for data usage, so you might wish to turn off your mobile data and instead use those functions that require it when you have wifi available. A pre-trip inquiry to your provider would be an excellent idea ...

Interesting topic.
We travelled in the western US this Aug. My Telus phone worked everywhere except in Nebraska. Could access Facebook but no other service's were available. At least with FB I could message the family that we were OK and where we were. (Basically we were one day/night with no service)
States we were in included N/S Dakota, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Wyoming and Montana.
When we got home I mentioned this to Telus. It seems they have no contract with Viaero to share towers. The service rep indicated they are working to resolve the issue.
When I travel to the US I always buy a US service package for the timeframe we are going to be away, that allows me to use my phone as though still at home. I find it quite useful. Most of the trip my phone was on AT&T towers.

FWIW, if you have a TRAC phone it won't work in Canada.
My folks live in Missouri and only use a Trac phone. (Don't have a regular cell) they got it for when they travel. Found out the first trip north of the Medicine Line that it didn't get service here.
They do find it very useful for all the other travel they do.

So I never heard any more about this. How did it turn out, how is it still going? The outfitters I know seem to be doing well. Hopefully the locals are too.

I am sure these questions have been asked numerous times and I believe I have the answers, but I am going to ask one more time as this is my first Canadian Adventure.

Going into Canada
Guns -
I will need to have the US 4457 Form Completed and stamped before leaving.
Canadian Declaration form to be filled out, but will be signed and completed at border entry and a $25 fee.

Permits -
Will have a wolf tag, so will need to have a cites permit issued before I leave?

Coming back into US.

Meat -
Will need Hunting Lisc and Tag to import meat. Will US allow the meat to be cut and wrapped in canada to import or will it have to be unprocessed? Any other forms?

Am I missing anything with getting into Canada and Back out?

Thanks
Adam

[quote=Hiaring8]I am sure these questions have been asked numerous times and I believe I have the answers, but I am going to ask one more time as this is my first Canadian Adventure.

Going into Canada
Guns -
I will need to have the US 4457 Form Completed and stamped before leaving.
Canadian Declaration form to be filled out, but will be signed and completed at border entry and a $25 fee.

Permits -
Will have a wolf tag, so will need to have a cites permit issued before I leave?

Other than the CITES Permit and your hunting license and Customs Forms already mentioned I don't know.


Coming back into US.

Meat -
Will need Hunting Lisc and Tag to import meat. Will US allow the meat to be cut and wrapped in canada to import or will it have to be unprocessed? Any other forms?

Am I missing anything with getting into Canada and Back out?

Thanks
Adam

Hi Adam,
Where are you hunting? I live in Alberta so if you are coming here and have any questions, just ask, either here or by PM.

Being as I am Canadian, I don't know what forms you need to return south other than your Customs Forms, Hunting License and CITES Permit. WRT packaged/processed meat I would contact US Customs before leaving or when you stop to process your US 4457.

A couple things to keep in mind for crossing into Canada are:

1)Make sure no one in your group has a criminal record of any kind including DUI as Canada Customs won't allow them to come in. Would suck big time to find out at the border.

2)No handguns are allowed as the Canadian Government is afraid of folks owning/transporting them. Stupid but it is our reality here.

3)Don't bring any knives which are automatic, gravity or assisted opening. Again, stupid government paranoia. Standard hunting knives are good, fixed or folder such as Buck 110 for example.

4) If planning to carry bear spray I would just buy it here as they can be anal at the border about certain types.

5) Have a wicked good time while you are visiting. take lots of pictures to show friends/family that aren't along on the trip.
We are a friendly bunch up here.
Jeff

troutfly;
Top of the morning to you sir, I hope this finds you well and spring is beginning to sprung a wee bit in your area of the world.

We've had a long, protracted and chilly one here and as you likely know that's cause for much weeping and gnashing of teeth for us soft, pampered Okanangan residents....

I just wanted to say a quick thanks for helping out our neighbor to the south with the queries - you were as usual spot on.

It's funny that when we've been camping on either side of the medicine line - for instance one summer we worked our way down to Yellowstone, up through Glacier Park Montana, then into Waterton, up through Kananaskis and back down home through Glacier BC. Anyway we could legally purchase the exact same bear spray on both sides and carry it in the same manner - but of course could not legally cross in either direction with it.

When we were tenting south of Revelstoke last summer the campsite was awash with sub-adult black bears and while one of the restricted firearms in the safe back home might have been okay to have if legal, we slept reasonably soundly with the bottom bear discouragement device in between our air mattresses.

As a by the way we're running Challenger loaded Gualandi slugs in it since Brenneke are unobtanium - but the youtube video tests seem to indicate they're not a terrible choice. In the same vein, I'd opine that if I ever have to touch off a Challenger from inside our tent, the hearing of the bear and us will NEVER EVER be the same!

Lastly it was a good call on the knives. My EDC is an assisted ZT which I purchased from a Canadian distributor and is totally legal - but there is no way I ever cross the medicine line with anything but a totally manual and somewhat gummy Buck Vantage Pro - just because, right?

Mostly I just wanted to say hello and wish you and yours a good spring. I see the wind has slowed down some now so I've got to slither out and drop a bug killed Ponderosa in the yard before it comes down where it shouldn't.

Thanks again and have a good weekend sir.

Dwayne

Hi Dwayne,

Good to hear from you.
I just returned home from the Edmonton Boat and Sportsmen's Show. Long 6 hour drive for me but worth it! I hosted an Outdoor Writers of Canada Regional Meeting then took in the show. Accomplished a bit of business as well with the Canadian Dist. for a cool new fly tying product I have been testing for them.

It certainly has been a long winter, even here in Alberta's Banana Belt. You know that snow storm you folks had a couple weeks ago??? There was enough snow left that when it reached my AOR we received over a foot of the stuff. Muchly needed by the way. Most of our winter has consisted of deep cold with no snow. Now all melted with lots of standing and sheet water, hopefully enough to help the waterfowl. Lots of Canada Geese around, anxiously awaiting the Snow Goose migration. Dekkes and shotgun are ready.

Great choice of bear deterrent. I haven't tried the Challenger loads as of yet though. Another I want to try is the Score ammo. Canadian made from what I hear.
I usually have either my Marlin stoked with .44 Mag or a Mossberg 500 with slugs and OO buck. Hornady makes a good load of both.

There certainly are weird rules at the border these days wrt bear spray and knives among other things. Oh how I long for the good old days.

Have a great weekend
Jeff

policy passed as it was written, despite protests. 60/40 split was for high end trophy species, most other ungulates are closer to 80/20 in favour of locals.
Still the best place in NA to live and hunt

The way it used to be—that’s the best way to describe the southeast corner of Alberta, where cowboys still rule the landscape of huge tracts of native prairie grassland. Wildlife Management Unit 102 comprises the majority of the region, and it’s here that the pronghorn is at the northern extreme of its range, making for a unique hunting experience.

Experienced pronghorn hunters swear these last remaining members of the Antilocapridae family have eyes that rival 8X binoculars, making it a challenge to get close enough for a shot in the open grasslands. Tags are limited, and Alberta residents can wait 10 years between opportunities to hunt these antelope, as they’re more commonly known in the province.

regards
www.stickercanada.com

Travelling hunters;
This is a quick update on another situation which we're finding ourselves in on this side of the medicine line which you may want to be aware of.

The good folks at Canadian Border Services have decided that any folding knife which has an addition or device which allows it to be opened with one hand - so thumb stud, hole in the blade, flipper, etc - is now classed the same as a switchblade or gravity knife and as such prohibited. Such folding knives - which of course is most of them nowadays - are now no longer able to be imported into Canada.

Please don't ask how that makes any sense whatsoever, because it does not and in fact most LEO, firemen and First Responders that I know carry just such blades. They've been legal and available either online or at the local auto parts, Canadian Tire stores for 40 years so why wouldn't they be as common as a cup of Tim Horton's coffee.....

It would be a shame if a visiting hunter got one/several/all of their knives seized - and that conceivably could take place now.

As always, its a good plan to check with their website to see what they'll say about an individual bringing their own personal knife up here - that may be okay and then again if left to the discretion of the individual officer it may not.

Speaking personally I don't cross the medicine line with anything other than a Leatherman Wave anymore as I don't feel like donating any of my folders to the Canadian Border Services at present.

We're working toward getting this mess sorted out, but with the current folks in charge back east, we're not hopeful for any significant change until after an election which would see them unemployed - and we're working on that for sure too.

Good luck on your hunts wherever they may be and all the best.

Dwayne

i planned to hunt there after the lockdown

Prospective Hunters Everywhere;
Good morning to you all, it's election day in the US as I type this so I hope you've all already voted or get out and do so.

My personal thoughts and prayers today are with my hunting brothers and sisters south of the medicine line.

Since we're currently in the middle of a beer flu and the borders are closed to visiting hunters, this entire thread is suspended truly.

We'll keep an eye on the situation and update as soon as we're able to understand whatever it is our Federal government decides is the way to proceed.

All the best to you all this fall and into the winter season.

Dwayne

All;
Since it's been a year and a half since any updates, I'll attempt to put up what I know is the situation as of today.

It's ironic that I'm posting on the anniversary of 14,000 Canadians landing on Juno Beach, but perhaps on further reflection it's appropriate.

There's a website set up by the Feds for anyone crossing into Canada now which should contain the latest updates.

Here it is.
https://www.canada.ca/en/border-services-agency/services/arrivecan.html

I would strongly suggest that any questions be directed to them as they're directing Canadian Border Services staff.

Our firearm situation is a wee bit up in the air now as well, so if you're planning a hunt here in the fall, do check in with your outfitter to ensure each firearm you're intending to bring in will not be subject to some new prohibition.

In the last couple of years I've read numerous comments from posters who've indicated that they're no longer willing to spend money up here because of the actions of the federal party in power at the moment. Of course that's everyone's right to do so, that is to say spend their money where they see fit.

That said, please understand as well that in large measure the people involved in hunting, fishing or guiding are statistically far less likely to be supporters of that group in power. One might even suggest that the Libs would like nothing better than to see the hunting and fishing businesses vanish from the scene as it'd suit a few of their end goals quite nicely.

As always if anyone has specific questions I'll do my best to direct them to a place that might have an answer.

All the best and God bless.

Dwayne

All;
In another 3 days it will be 11 years since I started this thread and the first thing that strikes me of course is how fast that time has passed.

The other thing unfortunately is how many more restrictions are now in the way for anyone visiting Canada.

In the post from last summer I urged everyone coming in to direct questions to Canadian Border Services and that's still the best way to proceed.

Regarding firearms, the current government is in the process of rolling out the most restrictive firearms bans in Canadian history. This was dropped on our laps in late November 2022 so honestly we're all scrambling to attempt to figure it all out.

By way of explanation, there were initially 1500 firearms and "variants" on the list, then all handguns were added and then in November 2022 another 378 pages of additional firearms and "variants" were added. Part of it is a prohibition of firearms whose muzzle energy exceeds 10,000 joules which includes some .460 Weatherby loads for instance.

The list is staggeringly illogical and includes Ruger No. 1, Weatherby Mk V, Christianson Arms, Brazilian 1908 Mauser, Parker Shotguns among others. The way I read the list - and I could be wrong - is that any center fire semi automatic firearm which uses a removeable magazine is now prohibited. I pray I'm wrong about that of course.

It is written such that it could be interpreted that only the firearms which are chambered for cartridges which exceed the magic number of joules are prohibited or it could be the action itself. Nobody has given a clear consistent answer about that.

All that to say if you are planning a hunt up here please do your homework regarding the type of firearm you intend to bring up.

I'm not sure what else to say at this juncture on the subject other than obviously it pains me deeply to write this.

If you're so inclined we would appreciate your prayers as we attempt to navigate this situation.

Thanks all and God bless.

Dwayne

Canadian Cell Service works well in the USA, for the low price of $1,000,000.00 per second! :o(