Guiding

[saintsnation77]

I’ve got an opportunity to become a whitetail/turkey guide this coming year. The thing is it will require me to uproot my family and move. The money will be good during hunting season, but just curious on what everyone else does during the off season to keep the lights on and food in the bellies?

Thanks!

 

[Dogone]

Expand your horizons. Learn to fish/ waterfowl hunt and work dogs. All together you could put together a good years work and make more money.

 

[saintsnation77]

Expand your horizons. Learn to fish/ waterfowl hunt and work dogs. All together you could put together a good years work and make more money.

I was actually thinking about fish since it’ll be in the south. Too bad more people aren’t into rabbit hunting! We’ve got a pack of beagles lol.

 

[Swamp Fox]

Are you any good is the question ....

 

[2five7]

Whitetail/Turkey guides must get paid a lot more than Elk/Mule deer guides. I would not consider moving my family out of state for a hunting guide job.

 

[saintsnation77]

Whitetail/Turkey guides must get paid a lot more than Elk/Mule deer guides. I would not consider moving my family out of state for a hunting guide job.

The main reason we are talking about moving is because we’ve always wanted to live there. I don’t think I could be away from my family for 4 months straight. What would be your reasons not to? 100% open to everything good or bad.


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[WeiserBucks]

Any job that makes you question your ability to keep the lights on and family fed is a hard no.

 

[saintsnation77]

Any job that makes you question your ability to keep the lights on and family fed is a hard no.

Yeah, you’ve got a point there.

 

[Minute_of_Antelope]

Any job that makes you question your ability to keep the lights on and family fed is a hard no.

Especially to move for the privilege.

 

[Swamp Fox]

okay ... let's play...

 

[JBrew]

It'd be a rough life trying to make it off of deer and turkey guiding, plus trying to have a job you could take the amount of time off/away needed. There's some folks who make it work though, doing fishing trips and duck hunting as well. Food truck might be an option.

 

[Jimmy]

I know some people make 100-200$ a day with a roadside vegetable stand in the summer if its a busy enough road.

 

[justinspicher]

I know for me, turning a hobby into a profession would ruin the enjoyment of the hobby. I don’t like most people and guiding would make me into a horrible person.

 

[Deadfall]

I have been guiding a looong time.

If money is your driving factor, you won't last.

If life style is high priority guiding is a great one.

I would suggest not guiding all year long. Tge service side of things will burn you out.

In off season I build stuff and mess around in woods by myself.

Great thing about building is the exercise. No need for gym memberships and all that other junk

Most people like the idea of being a guide. Vast majority do not like the daily grind of it.

I would suggest giving it a try fo a season and see if it's all hoped or becomes dreadful. Especially before uprooting family

 

[11boo]

I’m not trying to be a dick, but that seems like a poor way to support a family.
What is your normal job?

 

[Timberline001]

The guides I work with that are successful own their own business and guide in the fall for fun. A lot of guides own a construction type company they can keep tabs on from the field in the fall. Sure you make a little extra but with today’s economy you can’t count on guiding to give your family the best life. Especially just whitetails and turkey since a big part of your earnings are tips. There’s a lot more money in a 5 day $12000 elk hunt than a $1000 3 day turkey hunt.

Another thing to take into consideration is if you’re wanting to support your family you’re going to have to guide full time in the fall. That means not seeing your family at all and no hunting for yourself.

I truly enjoy guiding and the joy of helping people be successful. I take a couple weeks each season to guide for elk, deer, and sometimes spring turkey. The first couple years I gave most of my season to guiding and I started to burn out not being able to hunt for myself.

 

[WCB]

All depends on where you are living. Out west I know a lot of hunting guides that are fishing guides in the summer and make darn good money BUT if you commit to that lifestyle your days are normally long get up real early and get home real late all year long.

When I was guiding I did snow removal and landscaping in the off season....supplemented with some trapping in the winter. Shot one deer in the 5 years I guided and hunted maybe 10 days total.

IMO there is no way guiding Whitetail and Turkey hunts can pay good...Also, how much "guiding" for Whitetails will you do vs. moving sets and dropping/picking guys up at there stands?

 

[LostArra]

Most people like the idea of being a guide. Vast majority do not like the daily grind of it.

Everyone wants to be a gangster until it's time to do gangster shi*.

That's my opinion of large scale vegetable gardening. It sounds good but the reality is a lot of grunt work.

I can't see whitetail guiding as a career move. A side gig? Maybe

 

[Dogone]

Lostarra is right. I am an outfitter and many people say they would sure like to be a guide. They don’t understand that it is a real job. You are not there to hang out and drink beer with the sports. Time off for a kids basketball game isn’t acceptable. The hunting skills are just part/people management is most of the job.

 

[Rich M]

The antelope guide i had last year was a licensed contractor who took a few weeks off here and there to guide.

If you want to make a career out of it - will need to be the outfitter.