Originally Posted by dlmac (Post 4190941)

Call Mark Werner at Kamaloops, BC. He is the past president of the Guide Association for the Western providences. He has bought worked and sold several concessions. He has always been successful. He will guide you in the right direction, but he is also a very busy man.

Originally Posted by BTM (Post 4191724)

ALWAYS answer EVERY question a potential client asks. This never fails: I send an e-mail asking five SHORT questions (i.e., "When does the season start?" or "Do I need to bring my own sleeping pad"). The outfitter responds (sort-of) to questions 1, 3, and 5, so I re-send asking questions 2 and 4, and he responds to only question 4. This ALWAYS happens. Drives me nuts!

(Lest you think I'm some sort of "grazer" who asks a billion questions and never books, the aforementioned problem usually happens AFTER I've already booked and I'm just trying to iron out logistics.)

Also, if you're going to have your daughter or wife answer the phone, make sure they know what they're talking about (or make sure they have YOU call the client back).

As others have said, be a straight shooter. No BS.

Keep track of client requests and HONOR them. If you say you'll provide a sleeping pad, a non-smoking guide, beds without a tailboard (News Flash: Some hunters are over 6'), a non-psycho horse, decaf, etc., make sure you follow through.

Originally Posted by super_hunt54 (Post 4191745)

BTM, just a small hint here, 99% of ALL horses that are breathing are freaking PSYCHO! Or they are the walking dead.

Munna07, Most have given you pretty much all that can be given on a site. I've used many outfitters in my years of hunting though I am fairly self sufficient. I just find it a little easier as well as safer to use someone familiar to the land if it is somewhere I have never been. What I look for in a guide/outfitter are three things:

1) First and foremost is SAFE! I really hate being in the woods with an unsafe individual.

2) Knowledgeable. Knows his equipment as well as the game that is being hunted.

3) Honesty! Don't try to BS me. If you don't know about something then be honest and say you haven't learned about whatever it is. Don't attempt to "con" your way through it. You may end up with a client such as myself that has seen pretty much all of it and will call you out on the "con" and you will not only lose that client but several more when he makes a few phone calls or hit's a few sites such as this. If I were to call a "New" outfitter/guide such as yourself and I asked you something that you didn't really have much knowledge about and were honest with me, it might very well be that I could help you learn it and I would also be mentally giving you "cudo" points for your honesty. Lots of old farts like me out there that appreciate an honest person more than much of anything else.

I wish you well in your endeavors.

Originally Posted by super_hunt54 (Post 4191745)

BTM, just a small hint here, 99% of ALL horses that are breathing are freaking PSYCHO! Or they are the walking dead.

Munna07, Most have given you pretty much all that can be given on a site. I've used many outfitters in my years of hunting though I am fairly self sufficient. I just find it a little easier as well as safer to use someone familiar to the land if it is somewhere I have never been. What I look for in a guide/outfitter are three things:

1) First and foremost is SAFE! I really hate being in the woods with an unsafe individual.

2) Knowledgeable. Knows his equipment as well as the game that is being hunted.

3) Honesty! Don't try to BS me. If you don't know about something then be honest and say you haven't learned about whatever it is. Don't attempt to "con" your way through it. You may end up with a client such as myself that has seen pretty much all of it and will call you out on the "con" and you will not only lose that client but several more when he makes a few phone calls or hit's a few sites such as this. If I were to call a "New" outfitter/guide such as yourself and I asked you something that you didn't really have much knowledge about and were honest with me, it might very well be that I could help you learn it and I would also be mentally giving you "cudo" points for your honesty. Lots of old farts like me out there that appreciate an honest person more than much of anything else.

I wish you well in your endeavors.