Guiding & Making a Living

[Anglo-American]

Hey everyone,
I’m interested to hear of you or anyone you know that has been able to “make a living” out of guiding that a wife and kids would be ok with. Particularly what you do during the off season to help with income. I know several guides, but not very many that sound like it is something they want to sustain as a career. Whether that be not enough income in the off season, or spending too much time away to make the money they need, it seems rare to find someone that has actually made it work. Just looking for any opinions of what you have been happy doing, or what the ideal setup would be.
Thanks

Get a job in construction.
Build up your knowledge and skill.
Start your own business.
Book yourself out for 1 - 4 months s year during season.
Find a good local G.C. to sub contract to if you don't want the effort of dealing with clients and schedule.

Construction industry across the US is doing well and under staffed.
Are you above average intelligence?
Can you turn up on time, 5/6 days a week and work hard?
Hand eye coordination and an eye for detail?
Clean and respectful?

Then there isn't a manual job anywhere you couldn't do, and do well.

Work hard, get after it.

 

[Jeremy11]

I worked as a hunting guide, primarily in NZ, for about 15 years, but also spent the NZ off-season in the US, Canada and/or Australia guiding for others. I was single and loved the lifestyle, travel and (most of) the people I met. Eventually I started up my own small guiding business, but soon after, got married and that put and end to that! It was great while it lasted. I have made life-long friends around the world who I visit or who visit me occasionally, and I wouldn't change a thing. Give it a go to see if it suits your skills and personality. You'll know very quickly whether the lifestyle suits you or not.

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

IMO it doesn’t really sound like you’re interested in being a full time guide. It reads more like you want to spend more time hunting and are looking for a way to justify it by “making money”.

As a guide that doesn’t own the business and isn’t sought after, I’d guess most of them net around a grand a week, they just don’t have much to spend it on, so it stacks up.

When you say 4-5 weeks in the field, you’ll have an even harder time getting hired, and are talking about a small amount of income. If you like putting people on animals, just take your friends and acquaintances.

The way I see it, you’ve got 3 ways to go about it.

#1, Be self-employed, if you’ve got the stomach for it. In many industries, you’ll make more than you are now, and you can build a business to run semi-efficiently when you’re away, though likely not for a month straight. You set your schedule, including vacations.

#2, Start a side business to fund these trips and lost wages like selling firewood or pressure washing. Be the best at your job where they can’t afford to lose you, and negotiate more unpaid time off. A week each from September to December will be easier than a month, and it will be easier on the family.

#3, If you live in an area where day hunts on private land are popular, buy a piece of property and manage it. Charge hunters and guide them. Make a little bit of $.

 

[Salmonchaser]

Well I’ve been guiding in Alaska for the last 20 years, and I have a good pension.
do you know what they call a guide w/o a girl friend? Homeless. I’m just saying!
most guides are young, for all the reasons stated. I’ve a couple of ex’s that thought I shouldn’t be gone all summer. Being gone all summer will cause problems.

 

[Frnkreynolds]

Hey everyone,
I’m interested to hear of you or anyone you know that has been able to “make a living” out of guiding that a wife and kids would be ok with. Particularly what you do during the off season to help with income. I know several guides, but not very many that sound like it is something they want to sustain as a career. Whether that be not enough income in the off season, or spending too much time away to make the money they need, it seems rare to find someone that has actually made it work. Just looking for any opinions of what you have been happy doing, or what the ideal setup would be.
Thanks

I’ve been guiding on and off since 2015. I did this spring bear and I elected not to do fall because I really just don’t feel like leaving my dog again for months. I still miss it every day though. Minus the shit clients.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

The guides we hunted with in NW MT are all commercial plumbers full-time.

I’d be interested in doing some guiding after I retire to stay fit and see the wilderness while helping folks enjoy the hunt.

 

[Avalanche123]

I have been guiding for 14 years. Generally about 2.5mths/year. I also have other work for the remainder f the year. I find guiding very rewarding and its a great way to see a lot of interesting country while providing a service to other hunters. I doubt I would do it year round as it would be too much a good thing.

 

[Comerade]

I also worked as an guide in the 80's and 90's and a little since.
Hunted Grizzly and Black Bear in the Spring, Elk, moose, sheep and goats in the fall.
Working for outfitter's ...it is a skinny living and had a trade to fill in the gaps.
The best job ever, but demanding physically.
The best guides were usually young ranch kids, they could ride, easy to teach how to pack and understood animals.
If you can spot an outlaw Longhorn in the brush you can also spot an elk.
Unless you are an outfitter, best stay single and mobile

 

[JonNBama]

I have an uncle who lives here in Alabama who was a professional guide for about 20 years after he retired from his conventional job. He did extremely well, spending most hunting seasons out west and as far north as Alaska. Then when hunting seasons would wind down he moved into guided fishing. He was usually wide open about 9 or 10 months a year.

 

[Loggerdude]

Some how there’s people who don’t have to work, I see them everywhere maybe they could share with us how that works and then anything is possible
Billy Molls is the man

 

[western406]

I’m a 365 guide. It took me a few years to be able to make it a year round occupation that I could scratch out a living on. Had to build a resume along with a reputation. I always used farming/ranching to fill in the off-season gaps until I got a full rotation of guiding going. If you wanna make it as a guide you have to be willing to travel with the seasons. I split my time between Alaska, Montana and Texas. Big game, fly fishing and upland bird. I have a 5th wheel I drag from Montana to Texas back to Montana every year. Nothing fancy but it’s mine and so is the pickup. I fly to Alaska where the outfitter provides my room and board.
You could do it with a wife and kid but they have to wanna do it with you. Meaning they will have to come with you. If an outfitter likes you they are usually fairly accommodating. I’ve seen significant others working in camps doing various jobs. Wrangler, cook, guide, housekeeping, office help, etc. Its possible but you have to be willing to work hard at it.

 

[Calcoyote]

I would love spending all that time in the back country. The thing that I would struggle with is you have a complete stranger that has a rifle. I have seen guys that consider themselves hunters that seem to know NOTHING about gun safety and have done some reckless things in the woods. I hunt alone most of the time now due to some of the stuff that has happened over the years.

 

[Jon Boy]

Visit Livingston, MT. Id say a quarter of the community is a fishing guide in the summer and hunting guide in the fall.

I have half a dozen good friends that do it and have families. The ones that want it work most every day from may to November and make 80-100k a year. With a lot of that being cash tips. With fish guiding you can choose your schedule so if 7 days a week doesn't work you can block your schedule.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[S-3 ranch]

it’s a young man game for sure, I was usually gone from September through February, then had spring off and fished June , July, august offshore
being gone or rushed during christmas was a PIA

 

[Huntindog45]

the couple guys I know that have made it work are really good at multiple species and disciplines and own their outfitting business so they have multiple guides working for them, they switch gears fast with the seasons and they have other sources of income. All but one of them has been married and divorced. Its a tough gig.