Fishing Forum

How would a person go about doing a guided service? I have been wanting to do a fishing/hunting guide service. As ive come to find I am very good at locating fish and animals when hunting.. the hunting would be for wolf and coyote. Any ways any info would be great thank you
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a good start would be Idaho fish and games website. almost guarantee they have a section somewhere on it.
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There are a lot of rules and regulations involved with guiding. Before you even consider taking compensation for being a guide make sure you have all your bases covered. I have a friend that had his hunting and fishing privileges revoked for a couple of years for bending the rules. Good luck and I hope everything goes well for you.
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Coast guard six pack, cpr/first aid class, licensed through idaho guides and outfitters association, call IDFG and see if the areas you want to hunt as well as the bodies of waters you want to fish are open to outfitters. Be able to make small talk with anyone as you will have to deal with all different types of people. Have a good clientele base, money or a loan to get your operation up and running.............
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. . . and then there are the insurance premiums unless you go to work for an existing service.
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. . . special-use permits on any federal lands, state/local business/tax licenses, commercial registrations, more insurance . . .

For fishing, work for someone else first, learn the ins and outs, establish some clientele, and then decide whether or not to go it alone.
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Word of mouth! Network, Great people skills, Knowledge, Know your land owners. Have big money. Equipment, Equipment, and ever better Equipment. Big money comes to those that know all of these rules. And, above all. The customer is always right. Good luck. I know when I have gone with outfitters. It was top self! Even, when I didn't get what I wanted. I have had better luck with friends and neighbors. Being the guide and sharing there knowledge.

Idaho
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What if it is a no fee service? As in what if I were to offer my services free of charge?
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Then you're just inviting people to go fishing with you. It's done on here all the time. It's not a "service." It's a shared experience. There's even an "invites" section on the Utah board.

If you advertise, or collect one penny, then you have to go through all the red tape that a guide business has to do.
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If no money changes hands then you are legit. Just don't charge some dudes $250.00 a head in "gas money" to take them hunting or fishing or you'll get popped sooner or later. Guiding is a whole new can of worms that looks and sounds glorious but its a ton of work and the worst part is if you think your gonna be hunting or fishing 5 days a week your wrong...... Your gonna be watching and helping other people hunt or fish.
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Back in the 1960s I made my living as a bird dog trainer. I thought I might suppliment my income by guiding bird hunters. At the time I was the only licensed bird hunting guide in Idaho. I had clients from back east, California and the south. A few were people that I would hunt with by choice. Most were total jackasses. I gave it up after two years. I couldn't suffer through that again.
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The worst thing you can do is turn a hobby that you love into a job.
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Not to put too fine a point on STEELHEADKID's information, but you'd need to be licensed through the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Licensing Board ([url "http://oglb.idaho.gov/"]http://oglb.idaho.gov/[/url]), which is a government entity. The Outfitters and Guides Association is a trade association that promotes O&G activities in Idaho.

+1 on turning a passion into a job. I guided for seven years and do not wish for an eighth.
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