I've worked as a guide and licensed outfitter here in CO off and on for over 20 years. Daughter graduates in two years and I want to move up there and guide. No wife, so being gone is no problem. I am just starting to do research so have everything to learn about everything up there. All comments welcome. Phil Shoemaker, Paul H, on the "bear gun" thread, suggested I try to contact you on this subject.

Cobrad, For starters I'd check out Div. of Occupational Licensing and get the list of guides, their web site has every tidbit of info that you will need as far as the requirements and such. Check out the Alaska Professinal Hunters Association (APHA) or find a copy of their magazine the Alaska Professional Hunter-a good way to garner some current info on the guide industry in AK.

I would look for a registered guide who will give you some employee references. Contact them
and ask similar questions that a potential client would ask. Also ask about the collecting of wages and rate. I'm not sure what the starting is right now, but at a minimum I would shoot for $1850 mo. for your packers rate and $125 a day for Assistant rate. The rate could be a little higher, not sure if it's gone up for an upstart though. With your guiding experience I would assume they would start you out a little ($150/d) higher, you will have to pack until the registered signs off for you.

Get yourself a ream of paper and a cheap calling card and mail your resume and call-be relentless and do multiple mailings/calls to the guides your interested in working for.


You might consider getting your Six Pack license from the Coast Guard to maximize your wage earning potential-spring bear, summer fishing and fall hunting. Unless your already well off you might have to streamline your budget as I don't know any wealthy guides-except maybe the career (dentist,doctor,ect.) guy who does it for a write off and his slush fund.

I love guiding as I'm sure you do and cannot imagine life without the challenges and rewards guiding gives me.

All the best-Ron

cobrad, If you have been guiding you already know it is a labor of love and you pay your dues. Grizzly 1 is fairly close on recommendations but after 30 years I have found that if the first question a prospective guide asks is "how much do I get paid" he is looking at the wrong field. Most of my guides have worked for me for twelve to fifteen years and at the end of the season still tell me they can't believe they get paid to do what they do. While clients tell us "you couldn't pay me enough to do this job". Good guides, like good people in any field, can find work. We all keep an eye out for good prospective guides who are first off good with people and love being out of doors. Due to differing terrain and game I always have any new person first work as a packer. They learn my operation, what I want, how my guides and I hunt and how to judge and hunt big bears and moose. I don't offer pay the first year but if they are good we work something out and for good ones the tips outweigh the wages anyway.

Thanks for your replies fellas. Guiding up there doesn't sound a whole lot different than here; long hours, hard work, low pay, and difficult to get into if you try it on your own. 458, my experience with the "how much do I get paid" question was similar to yours, but I wouldn't have a guy working for me that didn't get paid something, nor would I work for nothing. Been around too long and done too much of this type of work, even if it hasn't been in AK, to be worth nothing. The best days of my life were when I lived in a one room cabin without running water or electricty while in the outfitting business.

My buddy moved to Alaska with dreams of being a guide, he hated it. He said all he was, was a human pack mule. Sounds like packing out a moose on your back in a swamp is no fun! I have guided here in Colorado, and it was fun, but seems like it would be a lot harder work in AK.

I had long time three NM guides who hunted with me one year (a tip from one of their satisfied clients) They all said they couldn't believe how hard physically guiding was in Alaska. It's true but for some of us we wouldn't have anything else. The only thing better than a one room cabin without running water is one 100 miles from the nearest road and your nearest neighbor.

The best days of a lot of peoples' lives are living here in Alaska in small cabins, hauling water, no electricity, working seasonally to make ends meet............the reason you don't hear about it more outside is because there are few if any complaints. Things are like they are here and we like it that way.

Joe

458, I believe you on both counts. I'm not put off by physical work. I do a lot of summer backpacking, mountain biking, and winter backcountry skiing. I used a lot of horses outfitting here in CO, but I spent (spend) a lot of time afoot driving game, scouting, and guiding the guys that were in good enough shape to get out and cover some ground. I'm accustomed to work, and prefer to do it in the backcountry. The idea of looking out from a cabin and knowing there is no road, no powerline, no town just a few miles away sounds like... home. Thanks for your insights. Keep 'em coming.

cobrad, Sounds like you already live a pretty good life "outside". I didn't mean to sound cheap or to slight anyone's right to make a living (as no one likes to work for nothing) when I said I don't offer pay the first year but over the years I have heard too many guy's who claim to be the best thing to happen to hunting and have spent too much of my own $$ on airfares finding out they couldn't handle Alaska hunting. Talk is cheap but I have learned that those who are willing to put their money where their mouth is first are the best bet. I have yet to see any of those fail -or go home empty handed. I have a reputation of providing a great hunt and expect my guides to know not only the country but also be able to relably judge big bears and moose. Education in all walks of life is expensive.