Percival McKinnon Alberta Whitetail Outfitters

• Date: November 22-29, 2008
• Location: Alberta, Canada
• Species: Whitetail

Note: You can read my feature article about my trip to Canada with my father to hunt with Percival-McKinnon Alberta Whitetail Outfitters by clicking here. In November 2008, I had the opportunity to hunt with Percival-McKinnon Outfitters in Alberta, Canada. I have had the pleasure of knowing Dale McKinnon and his wife Debra for several years after a successful bear hunt with them and we have always stayed in touch. So when the opportunity presented itself to go hunt with Dale, I jumped. If his whitetail operation was run as professionally and efficiently as his bear operation, this was going to be the hunt of a lifetime. Below is a small video clip that will give you an idea of the lodge, caliber of deer, how hard the guides work and just the kind of operation that Dale McKinnon is running. You will be able to see Dale and his operation featured on our TV show coming October 2009. Stay tuned for more details.

LODGE The lodge is absolutely breathtaking and at the same time relaxing with a cozy fireplace, comfortable beds and meals that are out of this world. With a log cabin interior and giant Canadian Whitetails hanging on the walls, it isn’t hard to see why that first night at the lodge is hard to sleep with visions of giant bucks running through your head.

STANDS On this trip I would be taking my father because I knew that this was going to be the opportunity of a lifetime to harvest a monster buck. From the beginning we had some unique requests, including setting stands that my father and I could hunt together. The stands were all very comfortable tripods, set in locations that have not been hunted and were recently scouted by Dale's guides. When I say recently scouted, the day before is usually when they set up a stand always insuring that there is deer activity in the area.

DEER Percival-McKinnon has a 150 inch minimum on their deer and they run around a 75% success rate. The success rate would run closer to 100% but many of Dale’s clients are repeat customers coming back year after year who are searching for that once in a lifetime 175 class buck and bigger. Being from Pennsylvania, the size of the bodies on these deer are amazing. In many cases you are talking about 300 lb deer, with racks that have great mass and character.

GUIDES All of the guides that I have ever had with Dale McKinnon have be a pleasure to be around all week and most importantly, they work their tails off. After dropping you off at your stand in the morning they spend the rest of the day scouting for giant bucks. On a six day hunt, we hunted 4 different stand locations missing two opportunites at two giant whitetails. If they get on a big buck, they don't hesitate to move you.

Cameraman Don Ott, Me, Carl Say and our guide Ryley Hunter

Dale also has a fantastic bear hunting operation and his website is www.albertabear.com . I would also like to personally thank Dale and Debra for doing so much and going out of their way to make this a hunt of a lifetime for my father.

If you are looking for a very realistic chance at 150 and much bigger, beautiful lodge, great guides and fantastic hospitality, I would highly recommend Percival-McKinnon Alberta Whitetail Outfitters.

For more information on hunting with Percival-McKinnon Alberta Whitetail Outfitters contact them at:

DALE & DEBRA MCKINNON P.O. Box 600 Lac La Biche, Alberta, Canada T0A 2C0 Ph: 780-623-3040 Fax: 780-623-3040 e-mail: dalemck@telusplanet.net

Dale is also attending the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, where you can meet him personally and talk about his operation.