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RE: Anyone guide out west?

Deleted for skirting the profanity filter.

RE: Anyone guide out west?

Quote:

ORIGINAL: Zrabfan26

Thank you for the help. I understand it's seasonal work. I have beenlooking into different schools and they're all saying how much demand there is for guides out west but this could be to get students. It doesn't seem like I'd have a chance without having that school under my belt. I wouldn't want to travel all over like you said to fill the year out. I want to be able to see my daughter and girlfriend. I can't believe that this seems like a single guys career like there's not much hope with a family. From what I read and see on tv it appears like something I'd really be into, but not everything is as it appears sometimes.

I don't really think it is much of a career. However, I would focus on getting out west first. Secure a job and get some money rolling in for the family. While your working, spend your weekends in the mountains learning to hunt the local species. After you reachcertain comfort level, approach an outfitter and go to work. Look for an outfitter who is ready to sell his operation, and maybe you can work out a purchase agreement. In 5-7 years you could own your own outfitting business and then you could make a decent living. I'm not saying give up on your dream, just approach it in the correct manner. Montana has chewed up and spit out a lot of people that came here to live the 'simple life'. I hate to see a young man move his family out west for a job that basically pays peanuts. Again, don't give up on finding a ranch job the also guides hunts. Many ranch jobs come with housing attached. Finally, as far as guide school, you are better off offering an outfitter free services during camp set up. Oufitters begin setting up back country camps weeks before the first client is in. You can learn the ropes of packing/horse and tent set up while working for free. This is attractive to many outfitters, and for you,three weeks of donated time by you, saves 4k in guide school fees.

RE: Anyone guide out west?

Mulely is giving some good advice. Guiding is tough work and finding a good outfit is just as tough. Look for an outfitter that guides fishing and hunting, and try to work your way in. Hubbard's Yellowstone Lodge north of Yellowstone might be a good place to get a start. Good Luck to you. You know how to become a millionaire guiding? Start with two million!

RE: Anyone guide out west?

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ORIGINAL: targethogs

Quote:

ORIGINAL: muley699

Quote:

ORIGINAL: Zrabfan26

I was actually interested in going to guide school and work for an outfitter from there. Preferably in
Montana,Wyoming, Colorado, or Idaho. I was wondering with the way the economy was if this business would be any good.

I worked as a guide here in Montana for an outfit I was considering purchasing. I would never recommend moving your family out west for a "guiding career", you will starve. The hunting season is short, and not all outfitters are busy every week of season. If you have a few days between clients, you don't get paid for those days. You can never make enough money guiding to support a family. As far as guide school goes, don't waste your money. Several outfitters I talked to had very poor luck with guide school grads, with most quitting in the first few weeks. If you really want to guide out west, start hitting up outfitters right now, come out and guide, then go back home. Keep in mind, every year a whole bunch of people go to guide school, and discover that guiding is nothing like they envisioned. I loved spike camp guiding, and hated base camp guiding. Frankly, I felt like a hunting prostitute and ran far away from the whole guiding thing. Please do not dream of a guiding career, because you just can't make enough to make a go of it. To guide year round you would have to go all over the country hitting different seasons and different states, leaving your family home alone. If none of what I said desuades you, I can give you the number of an outfitter that is always looking for guides. I hope, however, you reconsider your idea, it would be financial suicide. If it is a dream you can't let go of, maybe consider a ranch hand position for a ranch that does hunts, at least you could work full time year round.

X2 >>>This is advise to consider...

\

X 3 The lifestyle of a guide is for a young single man.

RE: Anyone guide out west?

Boy, Muley has just about hit it on the head....just about. I moved out here to WY 4 years ago with that same dream in mind. But, I moved out here AFTER getting hired as a ranch hand on a place that also did outfitting. But this particular rancher invited me to come out for 2 1/2 months during the busy fall round-ups and see if I really liked it first. He didn't pay me much, but that time was priceless. I did a little guiding that first fall, but a year later quit the ranch and found another outfitter who badly needed help. He took me in as green as I was and taught me the ways he wanted me to guide. No guide school at all(and I seriously considered it b4 my move out here). I think there are a lot of outfitters who would rather take someone without any skills and train them in theirs. Long story short, the original ranch I worked on 4 years ago has just hired me to manage the entire hunting outfit, lodge and all. And I credit that to God, and to the persistence to live out a dream. I love guiding, it's my passion. I'm not rich, and up till now I was a self-employed carpenter in the off-season. The economy here in Wyoming is smoking hot. If you know any kind of trade you'll do great. I don't ever want to die wishing I had done something. Go for it buddy and good luck!

RE: Anyone guide out west?

Woodsnwater, How did you get hired on a ranchbefore you went out? Do you mean your self employed part-time carpentry now or before you moved? I currently am a mason, but wouldn't really look forward to doing that out there,and that'ssayinga contractor would let me take off the whole hunting season to guide. Do you have a family?

RE: Anyone guide out west?

Zrabfan,
I did a whole lotta searching on the internet, on state job sites, coolworks.com, and ranch job sites. But, in the end I just did a search with the keywords "hunting ranch employment" and that is where I found the place I'm working now. I was a self-employed carpenter in WI before I moved out here, and part-time ever since I've been here. I'll tell you a couple things I've learned: Workers are in very short supply here. Unlike the rest of the country the economy is red hot. Even finding housing is a problem. Gas, oil, railroad, coal mining, and wind farming are stealing workers from the rest of the industries. Any contractor of any kind is in short supply. If you're a hard worker, honest and reliable, I'm sure you'd find someone willing to let you off for a month or two in the fall to guide for doing them a good job the rest of the year. Hunting is part of the fiber of most everyone out here, they understand and they need bodies. And to answer your last question, not yet.

RE: Anyone guide out west?

Zrabfan26:
Woodsnwater handed ya some pretty encouraging words above and if your a young man with a dream that just wont stop pounding inside your head and heart,,then iencourage you to follow that dream! You will know if it's right before the end of the 1st year,,,and at that point what have you lost? I just turned 42 last week and buddy,, the wish list for things i (wish) id have done are endless,,,I always put things off ,,waiting until "I could afford it" or"the money was better",,,well neither happened and then i woke up one morning and i was 40 yrs old and stuck in the same job/rut that i have hated for 20 yrs.Dont wait until it's too late,,,pack up that family and make that dream come true,,,no doubt it will take hard work,,,but i have never seen anything worth while come easy. I wish you the best in what ever decision you make and i hope you prosper in that decision!

RE: Anyone guide out west?

I skirted the profanity filter? What the heck does that mean? Shoot...and I don't remember what I wrote. Sorry!!!