Guide schools

[amp713]

Wondering who has gone through guide schools and how your experience was. Have been looking at a few different ones that pop up online but curious of others out there. Seems like most of them are located in montana and around the same price so trying to find info to help pick one over the others... granted I may be asked to attend a certain one and that's out of my power but if I'm given the choice myself I'd like to be confident in my decision.

Has anyone gone to school in their 30s? Seems like most people go at a young age, I decided against guiding out of high school and have always regretted that decision a tiny bit..... now I'm trying to remedy that

 

[Heath Hansen]

One thing to understand about “guide” schools is they aren’t necessarily teaching you anything about guiding. Most of them teach you how to pack horses and how to get comfortable leading 10+ horses deep into the mountains.

If you want to guide then find a good outfitter that is honest and hard working and volunteer your time for the first season. If you provide value to the outfitter he will likely make you a paid guide the next year.

 

[amp713]

One thing to understand about “guide” schools is they aren’t necessarily teaching you anything about guiding. Most of them teach you how to pack horses and how to get comfortable leading 10+ horses deep into the mountains.

If you want to guide then find a good outfitter that is honest and hard working and volunteer your time for the first season. If you provide value to the outfitter he will likely make you a paid guide the next year.

I have noticed a lot are focused on that. I've hunted in the west for over 10 years and own my own horses so guide school isnt something to replace the experience of hunting or horsemanship itself.... however I've had one outfitter tell me that they require guide school, they want all the basics covered and to be taught in roughly the same way so they dont start from scratch. Another mentioned they prefer it. I was asked about guiding this year but had a baby in August so had to decline but guide school was also brought up then. Seems like if you have finished the schooling it puts some minds at ease.

I'm not trying to go full time guiding, married with 3 kids and a pretty good steady job makes it hard to start over with something like that but I work a 8 days on 6 days off schedule and with my vacation I can take an entire month off easily. After sort of getting an offer this year I thought about the amount of hunting experience you could gain helping guide hunters for a month straight. Plus I'd be getting paid to hunt which is a big change from what I've been doing the last 10+ years.

I'd like to get the experience, try it out, maybe have a chance to fit in a little extra hunting every year and make a few more bucks and maybe just maybe it turns into something long term.

 

[IdahoElk]

Why not get a job with an outfitter for a season to see if you like it before comiting to school? are you skilled with horses? most outfitters I know look for people that are good with horses and know how to hunt.

 

[mntnguide]

Cody and LeRee hensen at Royal Tine are amazing people flat out. If you go the school route, they should be your only choice. That being said, if you have done a lot of western hunting and packed horses etc you should be able to get a job already. I spent 10 years guiding but not anymore.. had to get one of those career things working on powerlines, but hunt for myself now which i never did much of during those 10 years. Yes, you get tons of experience figuring out what works, what to do next time etc hunting all fall. But remember, you aren't hunting for yourself. Guiding is a people industry 100%. You need to want to deal with people you have never met before for a week or more non stop. Some you will like, some you might not. Ive seen great hunters who are terrible guides, and mediocre hunters make great guides. If you can entertain and provide a good experience when the hunting isn't as good, that's more important to an outfitter than how many elk you have killed etc

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[justinspicher]

I say go for it. Yolo and shit.

 

[Ralphie]

I’ve guided part time for 15 or so years. I’d say find an outfitter and try to get a job as wrangler or help in camps something to get your foot in the door. Be honest with them about your goal.

 

[Deadfall]

Guide schools are highly overrated. Find a outfitter in area you want to work. Go higher on. Learn on the job is best way. Guiding is very small part of outfitting business.
As for guide schools....well noone going to learn how to be customer service oriented or how to hunt in a few weeks. Dang sure not thing to learn how to pack, stock, and work ethic in a few weeks.

Forget the school. Hire on too an outfit, work hard pay attention, dont be lazy and you'll do just fine

 

[Wrench]

If you can take a month off and guide to make money, I'd go hunting instead.....you'll make more money.

Unless you want to watch other people screw up chip shots that you set up and huff and puff to get up the hill.

 

[Deadfall]

P.s. if you thinking about this for the money. You be sadly disappointed. Guiding is a way of life. It's all about sacrifice and service to your fellow man.

 

[amp713]

Thanks guys for all the replies, gotta say considering the responses here about the guide school I'm surprised the outfitters I did talk to brought them up.

I dont know the exact word for it, personable? Likeable? Relief society president? Regardless of the right word multiple people tell me I'm good with people and I love hunting and have some background with horses which seems to be the combination they want. That's kind of what put the slight guiding offer on my plate to begin with from what I could tell.

I'm not trying to get into it to "make" money, but with my family growing my funds keep dwindling so it's getting harder and harder to come up with the coin for hunts out of state. I love going on hunts with people, I try to take someone new or help someone new every year because it extends my time in the mountains. After getting the small offer I realized that it could solve a few things.... being able to go hunt more while not stressing our already tight financial situation.

I keep mentioning the "slight offer" and what it really came down to was being asked if I'd entertain an offer to go help guide even with the new baby. I told him I couldn't this year but next year I'd listen to any offer he had and he said we would talk next spring. Then there was a comment about getting the guide license and maybe even guide school so we needed to plan early.. that is what set off the whole thing.

I'm a person who cant shut my brain off ever and it is always running crazy scenarios. This is one I've been thinking on for 2 months endlessly. I decided to bounce it off all of you here and I'm really glad I did because there has been a lot of response that said sort of what I expected to hear. Start at the bottom, work your way up. That had been the plan in high school many years ago before other offers landed in my lap.

I have a handful of friends who used to guide, each one said they wouldn't do it again.... I think a small part of me just has a pull to try it that I keep wanting fulfil.

 

[Deadfall]

Sounds like you should definitely go do it. It is a strain on family life though.

 

[CorbLand]

I dont know the exact word for it, personable? Likeable? Relief society president?

Only in Utah. HAHAHA

 

[mnhoundman]

I'd say if you don't try it, you'll never know! Like said already YOLO!!!
Im in my mid 30's now and always think back when i was going to go to the guide school and never did, now I regret not givin it a whirl.

 

[JimCraig]

I know this is a little bit late for a response, but to answer your question, I went to a guide school in Montana at age 31, married with our first child on the way. So I have been in a similar position. I can tell you my opinions and what my experience was like.

Man, I just wrote like a 5 page essay and wasn't even finished so I erased it. Quick opinion, I think guide schools are a rip-off. Unfortunately most states require guide school or a certain amount of hours working under an outfitter as a packer or wrangler in order to be a licensed guide. That's why the whole guide school business model exists. I didn't learn anything but horsemanship and packing. And if you ask me, that has nothing to do with actually hunting and guiding. Despite what all the stock animal based outfitters say, no it is not at all necessary. Its also important to note that most guide schools are operating outfitters, and many of those outfitters sit on the state board that regulates guiding and outfitting.

I am a sample of 1, but at the time I was eager to give it a try, so I did. That's just the way I am. Despite the waste of time guide school was, I did get a guiding, not packing or wrangling job, right away. Before I go on too long again, if you want to give me a call, I'd be happy to talk to you about it. That way I can just lay out my experiences, good or bad, in a way that can't be misinterpreted as talking you out of it. So yeah, if you want to give me a call, PM me and I'll get you my phone number.

Good luck!

 

[Nick Muche]

Screw the school and get your name out there showing interest in guiding. I'd head to Alaska personally, you could be a packer for a season/year and then get your assistance guide license once you learn a thing or two. Oh, and the hunting is pretty awesome too...

 

[amp713]

Screw the school and get your name out there showing interest in guiding. I'd head to Alaska personally, you could be a packer for a season/year and then get your assistance guide license once you learn a thing or two. Oh, and the hunting is pretty awesome too...

Haha I tell Tyler freel all the time that I was headed north before I met my wife and that tied me down to here and wont be changing until my step son is 18. We won't take him where his dad cant come see him at any given time or day....

BUT IF I COULD......... I'd be in alaska for damn sure

 

[Nick Muche]

I didn't mean to move to AK.. Many guides just come up for the season and then head home after it's over.

 

[amp713]

I didn't mean to move to AK.. Many guides just come up for the season and then head home after it's over.

True.... I wanna move up though pretty damn bad haha

 

[WCB]

I didn't go to guide school and got a job. I was camp cook for archery season ans asked to guide for rifle season. Then every year after I guided all season. Somehow get your name out there or contact outfitters in an area you would like to guide in and ask if they are hiring.

I find it odd your former guide buddies said they wouldn't do it again. Maybe it is the type of guiding or who they worked for but I would do it again tomorrow. Granted I never got to hunt for myself but I had a blast.