fishing & hunting guide - Tourism Saskatchewan

S A S K AT C H E W A N F I S H I N G & H U N T I N G G U I D E 2 0 1 2
25
Each piece of lumber, electrical components, plumbing
supplies, and every nail had to be loaded and unloaded.
Each item had to be carefully thought out as there was
certainly no local hardware store to call on.
Although the amount of physical work was enormous,
Serhan has never looked back. His career in the hydroline
industry was just not meant to be. “It was quite a
challenge. Building and living in a tent with the bears and
the wolverines and the wolves... you’ve definitely got to
love what you’re doing,” Serhan said.
“Now, for all the effort, in the middle of the wilderness, we
absolutely do not rough it.” Serhan offers American Plan
lodging, boasting comfortable modern living with fine
touches like cathedral ceilings and covered decks with
fireplaces.
rarity, but now there is a close community and strong
support from the industry.
“It used to be isolated. I couldn’t exactly go down to the
coffee shop and chat to people about what I was doing,
because outfitting was so new. Now, there are all kinds of
entrepreneurs out there doing some great stuff,” he said.
The strong Canadian dollar combined with a U.S.
customer base has also changed things. Always looking
for ways to strengthen his business, especially in times of
the economic downturn, Serhan has his eye on becoming
a year-round operation.
The second lodge was built from the ground up as well
but without the challenges of a fly-in location. This camp
offers outstanding white-tailed deer hunting. The mature
white-tailed buck is a smart animal, and Saskatchewan
provides plenty of space for them to grow to impressive
sizes.
Black Bear
As part of that, he has a number of adventure-style
options for visitors who are not hunters. “Everybody loves
the fireplace in winter,” Serhan said. “We’re only 15 miles
(24 km) out of the city, but it still feels like we’re in the
middle of nowhere.”
White-tailed Deer
Serhan offers both tree stand hunting, as well as stalkstyle
techniques in the forest fringe and farmland areas.
Serhan and his staff spend hundreds of hours scouting
the areas. They learn the game feeding and movement
patterns and, as a result, they have extremely high
success rates.
The prime and plentiful game in Saskatchewan is not
limited to white-tailed deer. Between his two lodges,
Serhan also offers great bear and migratory bird hunting.
That trophy-calibre game has remained a constant over
the years, while the outfitting business itself has evolved
since Serhan’s start in the 1980s. Outfitting used to be a
Operating from his drive-in camp in central
Saskatchewan, the wildlife viewing and photography are
excellent. Whether it is wilderness excursions, stalking the
prized white-tailed deer in the central part of the province,
or coordinating visits to the remote fly-in camp, Serhan
relishes the chance to share his love of nature.
This appetite for the outdoors is a common characteristic
among hunters of all backgrounds, ages, and locations.
For Larry Hanshaw of Virginia, discovering Saskatchewan
has been a high point in his hunting career. He enjoys the
wide open spaces and down-home hospitality he
receives each time he visits Buck Paradise Outfitters.
He first discovered the outfitter on a TV program about
hunting in 2005, and he has visited twice a year ever
since. Hanshaw, who has been hunting for 40 years,
plans to see a lot more of Saskatchewan in the future.
He owns a heating and air conditioning contractor