How to become a hunting guide?

Well the title pretty much ask the question. I have heard a lot of bad feedback from various people who have went to "guide school." I'm a fishing guide in the summers, but hunting has always been my passion from the start. I would like to extend my guiding career in the months of fall for mule deer and elk but not really sure how. To get started in the fishing guide busisness I started sending out tons of resumes and had a lot of job offers and have been up in Alaska for the past 4 years. I was wondering would this be the best procedure to become a hunting guide? Is it really neccessary to go to guide school? What are your thoughts?
Thanks boys,
Grenda
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Jeff
I would guess if you got your license and sent resumes with pics there might be some willing to pick you up. There is an ad on the Wyoming job service board for a hunting guide. Check it out. If I didn't have a family and/or could pay the bills doing it, it would be my career of choice. I envy you for being able to guide for fish.
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Depends all on what type of outfit you want to work for. I work for horse based hunting outfits, and i did go to guide school in order to learn how to pack horses and mules. Royaltine is hands down the best school out there, granted i havent been to another, but i have worked with a number of people that have gone through other schools, and none came out better prepared. Cody and LeRee have ran the school for 16 years, and you wont be setting up their hunting camps, the school is entirely focused on getting students ready to go right to work. If you dont care for horses, that limits the amount of operations who would hire you, but there are plenty of 4x4 places also. The reason outfitters hire out of a guide school, is so they dont have to train you everything from scratch. I would say you would start out at a little better wage coming from a guide school. In terms of your guide license, that cannot be obtained until you are employed by an outfitter, they then license you as a guide under their outfitting license. I have worked in Idaho, Montana, and will guide right outside Yellowstone in Wyoming this fall, and there is no stopping until i get my own outfit someday [-o< hope that helps a bit. if you want to know anything more about going guide school direction check out Cody and LeRee's website, www.royaltine.com, otherwise i can try to answer any other questions you have if i can
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I have guided for several seasons in MT and what it takes is searching for outfitters that need guides. I would imagine the internet is your best search for any state. When I guide and if I get time to guide, I have to send in for my guides license and be approved by the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association before I can guide for a MT outfitter. So google search what state you would like to guide in and then contact those outfitters offering jobs and they will let you know what needs to be done. If your just wanting to be a guide, then I suggest not wasting your time and lots of money on a guide school. It is not necessary. Good Luck

Huntin101
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bigbuck92
If I remember right KillerBee went to guide school? I'm sure he could fill you in on how to do it.
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Depends on the state, In WA a simple bizz license and your ready to go on private property
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sneekeepete
I have contacted many guide outfitter schools trying to find one I would like to use part of my GI bill for. I second the royaltine folks. I want to go for more knowledge and some sharpening of rusty skills of packing horses and mules also. Anywho it depends on where you want to guide. i beleive you should be able to find all the legalities on the Fish and Game websites for different states.
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killerbee
just a quik comment before i go to work( i'll post a more detailed one when i get home)

yes , you can find a job without going to a guide school, AND there are some crummy schools.

BUT you will save yourself a few yrs learning curve, if you went to ROYALTINE guide/outfitter school. check out the link that IDGUIDE07 posted. i'll post more tonight
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