Hunting guide

[moosehunter21]

Interested in getting into guiding, want to know details such as average salary and details of the job! Pm me with info or on here. Thanks!

[Torkdiesel]

What do you want to guide for ?
What area do you want to guide ?

What can you do ?

Can you pack horses, run river boats, cape animals ? How well can you Cape and skin ? Can you just get it off the skull or can you turn ears, split lips, noses, flesh, skin feet on bears and wolves, salt hides ?


Pay is anywhere from $100 day for helpers, $150 for beginners to $225 for experienced guides with a quad. Some likely pay more, some likely pay less. Tips on top of course.

All depends on what you know and where you are.

[moosehunter21]

Am allergic to horses so nothing with them lol but everything else i have some experience with like the caping and all that from dealing with furs from trapping and what not

[Red Bullets]

If you live in a rural area and/or know some prime properties you can hunt and that you know hold animals... find out which outfitters have allotments in that WMU and talk to them. Might be an in.

[Commandant]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

If you live in a rural area and/or know some prime properties you can hunt and that you know hold animals... find out which outfitters have allotments in that WMU and talk to them. Might be an in.

This is what you should not do in my opinion. Stay away from private land for best results and quality of hunts.

Find an outfitter that hunts crown land in Alberta, B.C. or elsewhere. unless you want: charges against you in the future, disliked by most residents, loose your morals,.... you minus well get into politics then. Oh that's right the guy from Peace River did that already.

For example: Outfitter from Whitecourt runs his cougar dogs on private land without permission, then when cat is treed he asks land owner for permission. Some say yes others say no. A resident hunter had his cougar seized because of this. Outfitter Says he is not trespassing as he cannot stop his dogs from going across private land.

And if you are allergic to horse hair you probably would not get along with ungulate hair either.
But like all jobs there are good and bad employers.

[Fowlman]

Have you ever guided for waterfowl??

[Diesel_wiesel]

expect to work harder longest hours you've ever put in
for unrelenting whining ungrateful people,
for little to no pay ,
all at yer own expense (gas, vehicle equipment)
expect to deal with the law on a constant basis
and expect to be shunned by land owners
its really not that glorious of a job in the beginning

[Kurt505]

I have been guiding for nearly 20yrs in the same area for deer and moose, a mix of crown and private land. I have more hunting permission in the area now than ever, but it's been a lot of work. I always have put the law and landowners ahead of my clients wishes, despite the potential of hurt feelings. I have changed the perception of guides and outfitters a lot of the locals had by using respect of the land owners.

If you start guiding try to apprentice under an established guide to help keep the operation moving smoothly. Abiding the law and wishes of land owners might be the hard road to take at first, but if you stick with it, it sure makes your job easy in the end.

I have had my share of needy whiners, but now most of the guys I guide are hand picked repeat customers, who have become friends with a lot of the land owners as well.

I have had many encounters with F&W over the years and it has always been nothing more than a friendly conversation. If you're not doing anything wrong you don't have anything to worry about.

[Red Bullets]

Originally Posted by Commandant

This is what you should not do in my opinion. Stay away from private land for best results and quality of hunts.

Many of the outfitters in Alberta work on private lands. When I guided I did all my guiding on private lands. Had a great relationship with all the landowners and always had a good success for the hunters coming in.

[Torkdiesel]

Originally Posted by Diesel_wiesel

expect to work harder longest hours you've ever put in
for unrelenting whining ungrateful people,
for little to no pay ,
all at yer own expense (gas, vehicle equipment)
expect to deal with the law on a constant basis
and expect to be shunned by land owners
its really not that glorious of a job in the beginning

Where you guiding for Satan or Hitler ? lol

Ya, it's hard work. But it's a ton of fun too

[Redfrog]

High pay , low hours, easy work, rock star lodging....no wait that's the oil patch.

The outfitting business is like any other. Work hard, be honest, show up , don't whine and you'll make a living. Loving the outdoors and having a hunter's heart means you will never be at 'work'. Work is when you hate to get out of bed to do something you hate for someone you don't like.

Some clients are great and some are not so great. The hunts are seldom longer than a couple weeks, my wife has been mad at me for longer than that I think. Can't be sure as I was away guiding. lol

It's a hard working, young man's game or an smart, old man's game.

[Stinky Buffalo]

Originally Posted by Diesel_wiesel

expect to work harder longest hours you've ever put in
for unrelenting whining ungrateful people,
for little to no pay ,
all at yer own expense (gas, vehicle equipment)
expect to deal with the law on a constant basis
and expect to be shunned by land owners
its really not that glorious of a job in the beginning

Reminds me of being on the road with the ol' band...

[Ranger CS]

If you want to be a guide for the money, there are better choices. If you like adventure, being uncomfortable at times, dealing with tough weather, being in the great outdoors, dealing with all types of people and testing what your made of, there is no better way to do it. It is a great way for a young man to experience nature and gain valuable outdoor and hunting skills. I guided with horses, boats and on foot. There are plenty of opportunities for men like you who can not be around horses, so don't let that discourage you. Try to find a good outfitter who will treat you fairly and be open and prepared to learn. It will provide you with some of the greatest experiences in your life.

[moosehunter21]

Originally Posted by Ranger CS

If you want to be a guide for the money, there are better choices. If you like adventure, being uncomfortable at times, dealing with tough weather, being in the great outdoors, dealing with all types of people and testing what your made of, there is no better way to do it. It is a great way for a young man to experience nature and gain valuable outdoor and hunting skills. I guided with horses, boats and on foot. There are plenty of opportunities for men like you who can not be around horses, so don't let that discourage you. Try to find a good outfitter who will treat you fairly and be open and prepared to learn. It will provide you with some of the greatest experiences in your life.

Thanks Ranger! Yeah i want to spend lots of time in the outdoors its what I love! Would love to guide moose somewhere its my passion!

[Ranger CS]

Originally Posted by moosehunter21

Thanks Ranger! Yeah i want to spend lots of time in the outdoors its what I love! Would love to guide moose somewhere its my passion!

If hunting moose is your passion I suggest you get a list of the outfitters in the Yukon and NWT. Many of these guys outfit lots of moose hunts each year. The season generally begins Early August and ends sometime in early Oct before freeze up. If I were you I would start contacting them now as they will already be lining up their guides for the upcoming season. Guiding in the north will eliminate the hassle some have referred to when hunting on private land. For the most part the northern outfitters hunt on public land in their own designated areas. If you contact each of the Territorial Governments they should have a list of licensed outfitters currently hunting up their.

[BCBoy98]

I'm in the same boat as you, except I've wrangled for 1 season for an outfit in northern BC. I realized I do not like working with horses, and now I'm looking for work with outfitters that don't use em!
Experienced guides can make around $200-$250 a day depending where you're at, what kind of hunts you're selling, and who you're working for. Days are long, most days there are things to be done from first light in the morning till dark, sometimes longer. Although hunting is obviously important, there is a lot more to the job than just finding critters and killin' em. Are you good with people? Can you make them feel at home for the 10-14 day hunt? Can you cook? Cape out critters, turn lips,ears etc? Lots of firewood cuttin, trail cuttin, and **** house diggin' involved at some outfits.
Sure it's a physically and sometimes mentally demanding gig, but it's alllll worth it when you're sitting on the mountain glassing sheep/goat/moose/elk/etc and you have no idea what day of the week it is, while everyone back home is stuck in traffic on their way to the office.

[moosehunter21]

Originally Posted by BCBoy98

I'm in the same boat as you, except I've wrangled for 1 season for an outfit in northern BC. I realized I do not like working with horses, and now I'm looking for work with outfitters that don't use em!
Experienced guides can make around $200-$250 a day depending where you're at, what kind of hunts you're selling, and who you're working for. Days are long, most days there are things to be done from first light in the morning till dark, sometimes longer. Although hunting is obviously important, there is a lot more to the job than just finding critters and killin' em. Are you good with people? Can you make them feel at home for the 10-14 day hunt? Can you cook? Cape out critters, turn lips,ears etc? Lots of firewood cuttin, trail cuttin, and **** house diggin' involved at some outfits.
Sure it's a physically and sometimes mentally demanding gig, but it's alllll worth it when you're sitting on the mountain glassing sheep/goat/moose/elk/etc and you have no idea what day of the week it is, while everyone back home is stuck in traffic on their way to the office.

Yeah all those things you listed is what I love to do! Making a career of hunting and guiding is what Id love to do!

[JD848]

Originally Posted by moosehunter21

Yeah all those things you listed is what I love to do! Making a career of hunting and guiding is what Id love to do!

IF you really love to do it ,go and do it and only you will know what your made of or get tuff trying.i love it like crazy,if I won the lotto I would guide no guff,if it's in your blood you will know or already think you know,plus find another source of income,camps sell,new staff,the dollar goes bad in there country.The first year I guided 4 months just for beer money,then you get older and you have a family,cars,houses and you name it ,so have a back up plan,but by then if your tuff enough to guide and are good at it, you will be good at every thing you try,most guys could never hack it or say they don't want to be some bell boy,the true story is most want there 8 hours aday and live pay day to pay day till they retire and then wished they would have went and guided.

Go have fun and know matter how hard it gets always remember it could be worst and all of a sudden it is ,but your ready for anything,bring it on.How do you think folks made it when they first arrived 200 years ago,the strong ones made it and the others turn back,never turn back.My bro is 58 and has been in the bush for for 43 years 6 days to 7 a week,has money can buy what ever he wants,no way fires his truck at 2 am and he's in the bush for 4 am,skids wood in bc till 4 pm then goes home and loves it,the bush is a great place to be.it's about loving where you are and when you really love it noting is hard.