Ouch! That one stung a little.

I thought my guide liked guiding me last season. Maybe they get good at acting that way. Kinda like what a prostitute has to learn to do.

Take a guys money and then berate him for deciding to hire a guide. Wonder if he was just laughing as I drove away. Do they laugh even harder at a big tipper?

Ok, whatever. I know several people that guided at one point or another and never made close to what you are discribing. Every year there are a couple of outfitters looking for guides and paying 800.00/month plus tips. Simply cruising the net one can see the pay runs around 800.00-1000 month. I guess you just pay way above the norm, but 5K a month is definately not the average wage for a guide. Look, I'm not knocking guides, I'm just telling some of these kids to look real hard at what it really means to be a guide. The idea of guiding in the rockies is real damn appealing, but I know from experience that the Rockies are a tough, unforgiving place to hunt, and the mountain doesn't give a damn how old you are. Being a guide is not fun and games, it's hard work, low pay, crappy hours, and long periods away from home. I love to camp, but after two weeks of crapping in the woods, it gets real old. Having said all that, if a kid fully understands that it is hard work, and they know fully what to expect, then go for it. For me it was the lack of sleep that changed my mind. As a youngster I was sleeping 10-12 hours a day. I realized I simply wouldn't be able to function on 4-6 hours of sleep, I was a realist. Ironically, now that I'm older, I only sleep 6 hours a night anyway, go figure.

I was offered a guide job last summer. The pay was $100 a day plus tips. The outfitter was a friend of mine. He said the tips averaged $50 a day.

To give the kid an answer, do it. Hard work will never hurt you. It may keep you in shape for a long life. Also, there will be a ton of people tell ing you there opinion on what to do and not to do. Have no regrets try it young when you haven't the responsiblities. If nothing else chalk it up to an experience. A dollar bill is not happiness. It would be the same as going in the service low pay, but you have what you truely need to live, not all the stuff you get and have to work really hard to keep. Just remember you are getting advice from somebody sitting in a comfortable swivel chair sitting on there back side. It dark where I am. From dawn to dusk and sometimes later I keep moving, doing my thing. Live everyday as if it's your last!!!! HAVE NO REGRETS!!!!

Well here we go again, one can hardly post on this forum anymore w/o it turning into controversy or a pissing contest. The advice that I gave the kid was to research what it means to be a guide, in fact, I posted that I wasn't trying to discourage him, just pushing him to thoroughly research it. It does neither the prospective guide, or perspective outfitter any good to have hopefuls show up without knowing what it means to be a guide. Wild Work you sound as though everybody sits on their butt, while you are braving the wilds. Great, but that doesn't mean its true, nor does it mean that others advice shouldn't be listened to. I cannot see how it hurts to reasearch any position one is considering.

"$800-$1000 a month", I would be embarrassed to pay one of my guides that wage. Now this is in Canada but a standard range is $100-$200 per day, maybe the market is somewhat different than it is in the states. Most guides up here do it part time and for the most part for their own personal enjoyment.

200 a day is a decent wage for a kid just starting out. Here in Montana, folks would kill each other for 200 a day.In fairness, I don't really know if the guys I've talked to were up the mountain for 30 consective days either. I saw on some of the guide school sites they were quoting 1000 give or take a month.

I would not pay a rookie $200 a day, but a second year guy I would.

If they own a quad, they are paid another $250 a week on top.

There is deff. a difference, between outfitters, some pay less, none will pay less than $100 a day no matter what you know. I pay good, because I want good guides. Try and get a good guide for $100 a day.. not going to happen.

Better the guide = better the experience for the hunter = succesful business....