Welcome to the Guides & Outfitters blog. When searching for a comprehensive Web site that dealt with guiding and outfitting, there wasn’t much out there…. So I decided to start a blog that would cover guiding and outfitting, including:
- Hunting
- Fishing
- Boating/Rafting
- Other outdoor recreation
I started research, including calling state agencies responsible for licensing guides and outfitters (hereafter just called “guides.”). There’s not much uniformity out there. Some states, like Alabama and—believe it or not—Utah, currently have no licensing for guides. Alaska only requires licensing for hunting guides, while Washington only requires licensing for fishing guides. In Oregon, if you are making a profit on public land (or water, I suppose), you require a license, but if you are strictly operating on private land, no license is required.
Many states have guide associations; some more than one. Membership seems proportional to the amount of regulation. Utah’s Guides & Outfitters association has only about 40 members, while Wyoming has around 125.
Additionally, I hope to pass on some stories, anecdotes, and legends about guides. And lest I be accused of avoiding the true nature of blogs, I also intend to share a few opinions and personal stories.
Your trackbacks and comments are certainly welcome at this time. Administration of the site may change depending on how popular it gets and how the content evolves. So if you are interested in news and issues concerning guides and outfitters, please bookmark this site and share it with a friend!