Bird Hunting Guide question

[Soiler]

Over the last few years I've dove into bird hunting. By that I mean, I tried it with a dozen old Canada's decoys my dad had & was hooked. Learned a lot by the mistakes I made but kept at it. The next year I was up to over 130 Canada's & duck decoys & still climbing (might be a little obsessed). I was laid off for the majority of Oct & all of Nov. The next season & I spent almost every am & evening each week, scouting birds regardless whether I was setting up a hunt for my buddies or not. I was even scouting & hunting the birds during the deer season. Absolutely love it!!
Now I get to my question, What's involved in getting a Guide license to maybe work for an Outfitter? I've seen the Apos insurance deal for Outfitters but can't seem to find anything on Guide's. Just trying to find out what all's involved in making my new obsession into a possible "job", tho can't see it becoming hard to go to work doing that... Lol
Thanks in advance guys....

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by Soiler

Over the last few years I've dove into bird hunting. By that I mean, I tried it with a dozen old Canada's decoys my dad had & was hooked. Learned a lot by the mistakes I made but kept at it. The next year I was up to over 130 Canada's & duck decoys & still climbing (might be a little obsessed). I was laid off for the majority of Oct & all of Nov. The next season & I spent almost every am & evening each week, scouting birds regardless whether I was setting up a hunt for my buddies or not. I was even scouting & hunting the birds during the deer season. Absolutely love it!!
Now I get to my question, What's involved in getting a Guide license to maybe work for an Outfitter? I've seen the Apos insurance deal for Outfitters but can't seem to find anything on Guide's. Just trying to find out what all's involved in making my new obsession into a possible "job", tho can't see it becoming hard to go to work doing that... Lol
Thanks in advance guys....

It's a great way to make a few bucks, but not sure if you would be able to make a living doing it. The money is good but the season short.

Getting your license was easy when I was in the business. All one had to do was accept a position with an outfitter and the outfitter arranged the tests and everything. All I had to do is take the test and sign my name.

I haven't had much to do with the industry in recent years but I still know several outfitters. Unfortunately none of them are bird hunters.

If I were looking to get in to bird guiding or outfitting I'd call a few local bird outfitters to see if they are looking for help, they usually are.

If the rules have changed I'm sure they would be happy to advise you on how to get licensed and who might be hiring even if they are not.

Most know most of the outfitters in the area, and if they are worth working for they will be friends with most of the other outfitters. The ones that work together thrive. The miserable ones don't usually last.

Best of luck, keep you powder dry, K

[waterninja]

PM sent.

[Cowtown guy]

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[drake]

This is what i have learnt as a bird guide.....

I thought i was a good bird hunter when i started....but i wasnt.

guiding isnt easy or glamourous

a good attitude and willingness to help out makes up for other weaknesses

if you cant get a long with clients you are useless to the outfitt

as a rookie guide you are not entitled to an afternoon siesta....go sort shotgun shells rook lol.

some days you're a hero and some days you're a zero. thats the way it goes

earn your tip....if the outfit pools their tips (like most do) you better have brought some value to the trip or you are just another mouth to feed

keep your truck clean but dont expect clients to give a rip about your vehicle

image and reputation is important

the way to a vetran guides heart is with energy drinks and beer (at least this ones...lol)

dont get lost

dont run out of gas

speak in land marks rather than rr and twps

[7 REM MAG]

if you want to be a guide and think your a good bird hunter you should do some test runs. take buddies or randoms off here out hunting, be responsible for everything from where to meet to time line, run the setup, make sure its perfect, then just when you want to get your gun out and get ready to kill some birds you pull your blind back 5 yds behind the rest and run the shoot. a good guide is never happy with how his spread looks, there is always something to tweak, always a blind that needs more brushing.

learn how to take great photos, good isn't good enough. photos sell hunts and therefore pay your wages.

learn how to carry a conversation with people that you likely have very little in common with, and likely don't really want to be talking to at that particular moment in time.

there is always something to be done around camp, whether its cleaning out and organizing decoy trailers, sorting shotgun shells, cleaning birds if your outfitter doesn't have a bird cleaner.

expect your hunters to have zero respect for your personal belongings, including your pick up and your shotgun if theirs jams up

as has been said before being a guide isn't glamorous, nor is it easy. it has the highest highs and the lowest lows, learn how to accept the lows and learn from them. you will get skunked, it happens to the most seasoned bird hunters. you will have bad hunts, however no one wants to be around a guide that has a hissy fit when his shoot doesn't work out.

there are always outfitters looking for guides before and during hunting season, and I'm sure that if you have the passion you say that you could be fairly successful however remember that the guides life dint for everyone. I used to do 6 weeks straight, no days off. be prepared for absolute, complete physical exhaustion. it can be absolute hell, but come august the next year you'll be looking forward to getting out guiding again.

drake has also made some great points

good luck

[nube]

^ Listen to the last 2 posts for sure. 2 great guides right there

[Cowtown guy]

I could wade in here too I suppose.

You will be very tired for the first 3 weeks of the season. You will run on 4ish hours of sleep for those first weeks.

Be prepared to be up before the clients. Eat after they have. And shower after they have if there is any hot water left after all the morning/mid day work is done.

Be prepared to eat very late, likely having supper finished well past 10 pm and then get outside and get back to work getting the trailers ready for the morning hunt again.

Be prepared to get them to the trucks for the rollout time.

Be prepared to have bad stuff happen. It will and it is your responsibility to ensure that even though things don't go as planned, you are still upbeat and quick with a kind word or quip to bring the mood up for the clients.

You need to be part gunsmith, part comedian, part butler/chauffer, part care giver, part best friend and part whipping boy.

You need to know that sorting shells sucks rocks. And clients will never put shells back in the boxes.

Your truck will get miled out quickly. It will get dirty. Clients will get in the truck with waders full of duck crap from the bottom of the slough and not think twice.

You need to be a solid team player. It is easier for 3 guys to get 2 trailers and rigs ready than 2. This allows all of you to get 10 more minutes of sleep that night.

Things will go sideways. You may as well realize that now. The monster shoot you found the day before will eventually vanish in the wind. Who knows why. You need to be able to roll with that stuff and adapt.

If you think the spread is good, you aren't looking from the right angle.

You will love it! You will hate it! You will want to kill every bird for your clients when they are jacked and missing birds backflapping at 20 yards. You will never want to see a goose decoy again until the next big hunt.

Drake and 7 have it covered pretty well. I am starting to regurgitate some of their stuff here so I'll tap out.

[Cowtown guy]

Originally Posted by drake

This is what i have learnt as a bird guide.....

I thought i was a good bird hunter when i started....but i wasnt.

guiding isnt easy or glamourous

a good attitude and willingness to help out makes up for other weaknesses

if you cant get a long with clients you are useless to the outfitt

as a rookie guide you are not entitled to an afternoon siesta....go sort shotgun shells rook lol.

some days you're a hero and some days you're a zero. thats the way it goes

earn your tip....if the outfit pools their tips (like most do) you better have brought some value to the trip or you are just another mouth to feed

keep your truck clean but dont expect clients to give a rip about your vehicle

image and reputation is important

the way to a vetran guides heart is with energy drinks and beer (at least this ones...lol)

dont get lost

dont run out of gas

speak in land marks rather than rr and twps

I concur with what you and 7 posted. As for energy drinks, I think I went thru 3 dozen 5 hour energies last time I guided.

[densa44]

Some excellent advice here. This is not easy money.

The pros are too polite to mention it but some of the clients are very hard to take. There is nothing that you can do about it, it comes with the territory.

We need more people willing to do this work and I may be a customer!

[Cowtown guy]

Originally Posted by densa44

Some excellent advice here. This is not easy money.

The pros are too polite to mention it but some of the clients are very hard to take. There is nothing that you can do about it, it comes with the territory.

We need more people willing to do this work and I may be a customer!

Add to my post that having some, or a lot, of tact is required. Lol

[nube]

Geez I am starting to think I am an arse guys!!! I must have worked you all silly it seems lol

[Cowtown guy]

Nope. You're there doing this with us. That is why I came back more than once. You take more crap at that camp than we do.

For that I am sure the other guys will agree with me when I say thanks for being the filter on a lot of stuff.

[drake]

Originally Posted by nube

Geez I am starting to think I am an arse guys!!! I must have worked you all silly it seems lol

Pure slave driver.....lol.

Thanks for not firing me 10 years ago....you probably should have a couple times.lol


Black and yellow!

BW

[pointer]

Originally Posted by nube

Geez I am starting to think I am an arse guys!!! I must have worked you all silly it seems lol

We will see how big of an arse you are this fall

[name]

Watch hired to hunt on wild TV, new show, shows you exactly what the waterfowl guiding gig is all about