Becoming an Outfitter
 

Hey, I was wondering if you had to have a license to be a fishing or hunting guide, or had to hunt or fish in one place? What all do you have to do?
Thanks.

Pretty sure that depends on your state. Call the game and fish, NRD, game and parks, whatever your specific state calls the agency responsible for managing hunting regs.

I think most of the time you would start out working with an outfitter doing the grunt work, feeding horses, cleaning camp, getting horses ready in the morning, cooking etc before you could move on up the chain in an outfitters business. You would have to have a LOT of land to hunt.

I was actually thinking of doing just that the other day.

Business license, operating insurance, preferably lawyer on retainer, marketing/advertising go to market strategy, land to hunt upon (lease agreements secured with appropriate indemnities assigned), partnerships with lodging and dining vendors, reference information regarding licences, tags, and regulations, etc etc.

Don't focus on the operation of the business, the management of the business is the greatest critical component.

Land ownership will probably be a big part of it... depending where you are, there could be restrictions as far as guiding hunts on public land. I know in SD you cannot act as a guide on public land.

A guide and an outfitter are two completely different entities, although an outfitter can do some guiding. What Nomercy448 mentioned would apply more to an outfitter than a guide.

Not 100% true. If you're operating a business, as a pro-guide, you will still have to have the appropriate licenses, insurances, liability protection/legal representation, etc.

No, a guide may not need to make arrangements for lodging and meals, but the rest of the business is the same as far as the state and Uncle Sam are concerned.