About Us
Ursa Major Outfitters is a Nova Scotia based business, owned and operated by Shannon and Sali Cunningham. Shannon has spent most of his life in the back woods with over 35 years of hunting and angling experience. He is a licensed trapper and guide as well as a Marine Navigational Officer. Qualified as a medical first responder, a licensed meat cutter and volunteer to Ground Search and Rescue, Shan has spent countless hours in the back country exploring the wilderness and beauty Nova Scotia has to offer. When he’s not in the woods, he’s busy volunteering his time to non profits such as Safari Club International as an Executive director and for WTH. Like Shan, Sali Cunningham is a licensed guide for hunting and fishing in both Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. She is a licensed trapper, certified in CPR and emergency water rescue. Sali is also an Executive director for Safari Club International and Women that Hunt, a non profit organization dedicated to introducing women and children into the hunting world. *Fun Fact!* Both are two of Nova Scotia’s Bass Pro/Cabelas Pro Staff! One of the only “couples” ever selected in North America.
Ursa Major Outfitters are unlike all other outfitters/guide services because we are urban based. Located in the Halifax Regional Municipality, which covers shy of 5500 square km and while we don’t hunt in the urban areas of course, there are hundreds of square km that are wooded and very remote from the city.
We are a short 20 min drive from the Halifax Stanfield International Airport. We house our guests in hotels rather than remote hunting camps. While this setting may not appeal to many hunters that prefer the camp setting, we offer the alternative for folks that would rather their own private room and shower and can also turn their hunting trip into a vacation. It makes for a great couples vacation where one can hunt and one can sight see.
Folks joining us for a week long bear hunt have limitless options for how they spend their time while not hunting. We typically hunt our bears in the afternoon/evening. which gives you lots of options for the mornings and after your hunt is complete. If shopping or sight seeing is your thing, you’ll be surrounded by some of the best shopping on the East Coast where you can take advantage of the strong American dollar (usually worth $1.30 Canadian depending on exchange rate). You can also take in the local sites or even see a movie.
For those that would rather spend more time in the woods or on the water, we offer those options for your time outside of when you’re in the stand or blind.
So contact us today for more details and to find out what dates we have available so that we can start planning out your adventure.
~Sali and Shan.