Hunting guide as a career ?

[akcabin]

With guide concession areas, is it even possible to get the opportunity to be able to guide anywhere you want to ?

 

[Beendare]

I owned a guide business and have helped buddies that are guides with their clients.

I almost lost my love for hunting …essentially it was a job- not fun.

Besides that, There is no money in it.

Get in a trade; electrical, welding, something like that and make some money

 

[nam1975]

1. Military. Do your initial stint and get out.
2. Skilled trades. Learn then Open your own small shop and take time off as you want.

 

[Olympics777]

I guided when I was 18, I thought I’d enjoy it. Honestly it sucked, I’d never do it again. The guys who pay to hunt elk here in Idaho from the east coast all seem to think there’s a bull behind every tree and there’s not. The pay isn’t great, I got paid 150 a day, but after taxes it was really like 100 bucks a day, and you work from 2:30 in the morning until 11:30 at night. And you still have to find a different gig the rest of the year. Personally I also think most outfitters are lying thieves. I also did some time in the military and that was enjoyable for me, I’d recommend it. I’m an electrician now and that’s the bees knees, pays good out west and I can take off time whenever I want.

 

[tkhuntsman]

I guided for 18 years full time hunters in the fall, fly fishing in the summer, and snowmobiles in the winter or I worked in ski shops. Lifestyle was a blast, money was not great. Once I got married and had kids it became extremely tough, being away all over the west for 8 months. Definitely cuts into your own hunting and free time. With a family any free time you do have is spent keeping life in order not necessarily doing what you want. I would recommend the coast guard route until you become established in life and set yourself up for success financially. Speak to some outfitters and see if you can get on part time for a few hunts a year, or guide a few fishing trips a week or month on the side to become better aquatinted with the industry. Honestly to be really successful you need to build a solid reputation and a repeat clientele. I worked for 3 different fly shops and 3 different hunting outfitters throughout the year to be able to have enough guide days to make a living. In the end my business was almost 80% repeat and the tips had improved by 200% from what they were when I first started. I could no longer sustain the time away from home and family and ultimately had to move on. I full well intend to return to guiding at least part time once my kids have graduated highschool and started their own lives. Good luck to you whatever you choose.

 

[ArkansasMike]

I’m 21 years old and trying to figure out what I want to do in life, I’m looking into the coast guard but I’m a little bit apprehensive about enlisting with being married soon and potentially being underway on a ship/cutter for over half of the year… but my dream is to guide hunts/ fishing trips… I travel out to Wyoming, sd, and out west in general every year just to hike, explore and hunt predators… I live on the east coast and we have some good deer hunting but it’s not the same world over here. Those of you that guide, how did you get into it? I’m a young guy and I’m getting married soon so I need to get things moving one way or another

Not a guide but always wanted to be! Sounds like a dream job! Good luck.

 

[fisherman983]

Unless your the owner/outiftter you won't make much at all, and you'll probably never have time to do your own hunts.
I considered going to guide school right after high school and glad I didn't. The money sucks, it's a hard life, and in the off season you have to find other work.

I work full time at a paper mill, and the last couple years I've taken a side job as a guide for an outfitter im friends with while I'm on vacation.
It sucks, it's stressful and it's really not worth it. I probably won't be doing it again.
I make $300 a day. So for 5 days, I made $1500. That's before taxes. I used my truck, I paid for gas every day And food. My first year I made less per day. It's not worth the stress to me, to limit my own season to make sure the client is successful while battling public land and the public.

Your best bet, is to goto lineman school, journey out and in 4 years you'll be making $200k + a year. Have plenty of jobs out west where u can work, take off a few months to do your own hunts ans then go back to work.

I regret not doing that 20 years ago. Now I'm too old to start over. I should have listened to my mom.


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[N.ID7803]

Check out forestry. Great career outside! If you are willing to hike and learn you can’t beat the job. Lots of opportunity in the industry.

 

[LFC911]

I think it is pretty cool that you're asking this question at your age. 35 years ago I got married at 20, it was probably best decision of my life. I was a Firefighter in the Army Reserves at the time, college dropout and and just started my first f/t job. I posted on another thread that i think a f/t FF is the best job you could have and be able to take a lot of time off to hunt, most work 10 days per month and have a f/t side hustle on the side. Pay is good to great short of owning your own business. Most FD's around here require FF 1 (one semester and 3 credit hours) and a standardized physical agility test to apply. Good luck in whatever you choose to do and keep us posted.

 

[rhsmith3]

Lots of great advice here. Wish I had this resource about 15 years ago.

I really enjoy guiding and meeting new clients.

Everybody’s scenario and priorities are different, if I could that’s what I’d be doing full time.

Just remember, you could spend lots of time, lots of effort and most your money to become a great hunter and guide… or learn a trade and take time off to actually hunt for yourself….

 

[NorCal Mixed bag]

One word……..don’t.

 

[Zumbro2CO]

I work as a year round hunting and fishing guide right now. Make decent money, hunt more for myself then I did prior to guiding year round. The catch is you have to be willing to travel to follow the seasons. I spend about 6 months in Alaska then the rest of my year is split between Montana and Texas. As for getting into guiding, check out a guide school. Royal Tine is about the best in the industry. As mentioned above Pat with Swan Mountain is a joke. There are ways around the guide school route but it’s an industry where who you know still gets you far. If you’re serious about it feel free to message me and I’d be more then happy to tell you things I wish I woulda known or thoughtful about 10 years ago when I started this guiding thing.

Hey! If you’re willing I’d like to talk to you about this. I just can’t figure out how to PM on this.

 

[Dogone]

I am an outfitter. Most guides don’t last more than one season. They do not understand that it is a real job. Not just goin huntin. You are paid to do the work and use your brain, not just go along like they were a buddy. You are there to serve them and could learn a lot from a good waitress. It is 80 % personality and 20 % hunting skills.
I paid them a lot of money, as much or more than good jobs. High wages did nothing to improve their skills or work ethic. Can’t remember how many people said they’d “sure like to that for a season”

 

[Steve300xcw]

I am an outfitter. Most guides don’t last more than one season. They do not understand that it is a real job. Not just goin huntin. You are paid to do the work and use your brain, not just go along like they were a buddy. You are there to serve them and could learn a lot from a good waitress. It is 80 0/0 personality and 20 0/0 hunting skills.
I paid them a lot of money, as much or more than good jobs. High wages did nothing to improve their skills or work ethic. Can’t remember how many people said they’d “sure like to that for a season”

 

[North River]

The great bison herds are gone. Ivory hunting is pretty risky nowadays. The red deer hunting is more of an industry than an adventure….. How else can a man make a living hunting?!? Sure you don’t pull the trigger, but it’s your hunt as much as the clients’. It’s a partnership and you’re still out there hunting.

Those that rag on guiding are either jealous that they don’t have what it takes, or good liars - we can’t have everyone living the high life. Someone has to make all those computers and other things work….. I quit guiding and tried a job once. Couldn’t get back to the wilderness fast enough!

Plus you have the most important thing it takes to live the lifestyle - a good partner with a career! Know what you call a guide without a steady woman? Homeless.

You’re young. Write outfitters in Alaska, Africa, Down Under, and the West. Someone will say ‘yea come on out we’ll put ya to work’. It’s not like it’s a 4 year commitment. If you don’t like it at least you know.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

My brothers tried it, did not go well. They made little to no money, one of them was seriously injured, they had one guy shoot himself and had to haul him out 10 miles dead and many other stories. Move to Seattle and make $22 an hour at McDonalds, you'll be better off.

 

[el_jefe_pescado]

Do you like people?


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[fshaw]

A lot of good advice above. I did a career in the Navy as a Fast Attack Submariner and have been a hunting, fishing and whitewater guide for the past 25 years after retiring from the Navy. It is hard to support a family guiding full time. I always had a full time job and guided part time, or full time in the summers as a high school teacher. Any job can burn you out, guiding is no different, but at 68 I’m still guiding and would miss it if I didn’t. I’ll be guiding snowshoe hare hunters this weekend.

The coast guard is a good outfit and has bases in some very cool places, but time away from home can can be hard on a marriage. I was lucky and kept my marriage through my military career, probably less than 1/2 do. During one Navy job I had been away so much that one time when I got home I came in the house and went to hug my wife. My 4 year old daughter started to cry and got between us because she didn’t recognize me. You should have an honest discussion with your fiancé/wife about your plans and time away from each other, they sign up too. That said, everything I have in life I credit to my military service and the man it formed me into. It’s a great way to get a trade and start a professional career. I have great memories and friends from that time in my life.

I guide in the Adirondacks of NY, not out west, but would be willing to talk with you if you’d like. PM me if you want and I’d be willing to give you my phone number if you’d want it. Good luck with whatever decisions you make. Don’t be afraid to chase your dreams, life is short and you don’t want to end up an old man full of regrets.

Frank Shaw

 

[MallardSX2]

I considered opening a bowfishing guide service a little over 15 years ago.

I took about 25 or 30 different people (that I hardly knew) out bowfishing just to see if I would be able to handle it. I quickly realized that I wasn’t going to be able to handle it. It felt like white knuckle babysitting the entire time. It truly is amazing how stupid and helpless the average person is.

I’m pretty intolerant of blatant stupidity or helplessness so I decided that I’m just not the guy for it.

We still bowfish a lot and enjoy it. I’m glad I never put that flame out by trying to make money off of it.

 

[jpmulk]

Guess what the old guys told me when I was your age getting married and obsessed with hunting - they said look at something that can be a career, and you’ll have plenty of time and money for toys and hunting.

I know a half dozen linemen and none of them make under $150k with all the overtime and benefits - it’s a lot of work.

Commercial electricians make good money - it’s a lot of work.

Pipe fitters make good money - it’s a lot of work.

Welders can make good money - it’s a lot of work.

I won’t recommend any of the trades if it’s not union and they can’t keep their guys busy.

Military is a great move - it will suck at times, but make the most of it and get as much training out of it as you can.

That’s the good news.

The bad news is it’s not easy being 20 - whoever is telling young guys to follow their dreams because happiness is dependent on doing a hobby you love, even if it’s for peanuts, is full of crap. I hope you have some hustle - find a way to move out west and get a career - it will be a lot of work, but it all takes a lot of effort.

Life gets harder the longer you avoid a career. It’s a lot of work being broke, so don’t think the easy path is actually easy - no matter what your path, it will be nonstop work so choose a direction with a future. That direction won’t come out of the help wanted classified section or postings at the unemployment office.

The really bad news is you need to get a productive life figured out, or life will come at you quick. Being young and in love lasts for about 5 years and then every person in a relationship begins to notice more what is happening in their friends lives - being emotionally and financially stable looks better all the time if someone doesn‘t have that. By year 7 if all you want to do is be gone and spend money on hunting, she might get tired of driving old cars and find a better deal somewhere else. Kids won’t change how long a relationship lasts. People change a lot in their 20’s - neither of you will be the same as you are now. Staying happily married is a lot of work, being broke makes it harder, being gone makes it harder.

That’s exactly what I needed to hear at your age.

I also know most 20 year olds could care less what old guys tell ‘em.

40 years from now you’ll be able to respond to a young guy just about to get married who loves to hunt and tell him what you learned.

Best post on this thread so far