License/Permit Needed to Guide
 

I know some of you are guides or do some guiding. I am thinking about doing some guiding next year in my rice field blind in the Bunkie / Whiteville area. I'm definitely not trying to guide full time just trying to offset some costs so I would be guiding maybe 3 or 4 trips per year.

Do you need any special license or permits to guide hunters in Louisiana? I know there are restrictions when guiding involves navigable waterways but this is strictly a rice field.

I am looking into insurance options but if any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks
Robbie aka Big Hutch

No guide license or outfitter license is required by wildlife and fisheries. It does get tricky parish by parish when the taxes come into play. You may have to obtain an occupational license.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks. That's one thing I hadn't thought of. I will ask my CPA how to handle taxes. I will find out about the occupational licenses.

Unfortunately the only license needed is if you take people on public waterways. Then you need a captains license. Other than that, any dummy can call themselves a guide...and many do.

I probably fit the "dummy" category just for thinking about it. It's been a dream of mine since I was a teenager. I think there should be some kind of licensing if nothing else just for safety.

I've actually been "guiding" for years since my partners had little to no waterfowl hunting experience initially and none of them can even call a cab. If I can't go hunting they usually don't go because they have little to no success alone. From that standpoint they are "booking " a hunt with me to make sure they get to harvest some birds.

I am only looking to do a few hunts per year and I looking to be selective on who I guide. I am good with people and I like to make hunting fun.

I know there are lots of jokers out there who "guide" people all the way to the bank just to take their money with no regard for the hunting experience and the opportunity to harvest birds. I have been on some of those hunts with some so called guides. I have also leased some of those blinds from the same kind unscrupulous people. I won't ever do either. My personal reputation is worth more than any money I might make.

Thanks for the information. I am open to any and all advice and suggestions.

Robbie aka Big Hutch

Amen, and too many of them at that!

I think the only qualification necessary is having a ribbon dog.

Unfortunately the government is always going to find a way to steal money from you. Hopefully you dont need to pay for any BS licenses or permits. Good luck man.

you mean there are enough ducks that come down to Louisiana that a man could actually guide for them? I thought ducks didn't reach La anymo






























:grinpimp:

Come on man, 99% of guide dogs are "Rock Dogs".;)

My only advice is to be honest with your clients. If you are a good hunter, then you know what your chances are to kill on any given day. Of course sometimes your surprised with a hunt that is either worse or better than expected. What gets me is when a "guide" flat out lies about what they been killing. They say they been murdering them and when u get there it is painfully obvious that they haven't. Oh, and let the clients shoot, they didn't pay to see how good of a shot you are.

X10

Find another way to offset the cost. Charging to guide puts you in business. Being in business costs money plus puts all responsibility on you if someone was to get hurt. Most General Liability insurance policies are at least $1000 a year for hunting/guiding and that only gets you $1,000,000. And a million does not go far when some pone gets shot.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I'm kinda in the same position Robbie, and worse is that it's my own family.
But I don't have the birds to consider guiding although I'd like to.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

https://a.gfx.ms//video_57.png This is north of washington, the land is owned by a volunteer of herohunts charity. This was taken the 2nd week in jan, after the 1st cold front passed though. They are mostly green heads and some pintail. very few teal tell me what you think.

I wholeheartedly agree with being honest and having integrity. That's important in any situation. Anything else is really a one way trip out of business. I feel that the attitude of "you should have been hunting with me yesterday" has given the honest hard working guides a bad reputation and made it harder for them to operate.

The guide shooting "for" a client has always been puzzling to me. I do understand shooting back up to finish off a cripple or a bird that has been badly hit but didn't go down. That is the real definition of shooting back up. But shooting first is absurd if others are paying you a fee to guide them in my opinion.

I am still investigating the business aspect and how best to handle it.

Thanks for the tips and suggestions. Please keep them coming.

Robbie aka Big Hutch

Guided for 21 years. I always asked the sports (customers) what they wanted. I could not shoot at all, shoot cripples or shoot with them. Most wanted you to shoot with them. Most would give me shells to shoot. As everyone said be honest.

Can't see pic


"Go ahead, share your opinion! I won't cry"

This is true. I let people know ahead of time what my expectations are when looking at weather forecast and scouting. Some people don't have the option to hunt during the week when the better days might be. But I let them know ahead of time what I expect. With that said you also have to be careful. Some times everything might be perfect weather wise but the birds have something else on their mind. Quite a few people on here have hunted with me and can tell you I sit back and judge the first couple shots before I pick up my gun. At the end of the day you want your customers to go home with birds and a good pic so if I have to knock down a few birds for them so be it.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good points about the guide shooting and scouting reports. Keep them coming. At this point I am all ears.

Robbie aka Big Hutch

I guided in college. Sucked. Didn't enjoy hunting as much. Was a job and not a sport. Lots of pressure to produce. Keep that in mind.

The pressure is one reason I am thinking about guiding. No one I hunt with can call ducks or geese. If I don't go then they don't get to shoot so in effect I am guiding them. Some days I felt obligated to go with them because I knew if I didn't go they would be wasting their time.

I don't know if the pressure to perform would be different or at a different level with friends rather than clients. Whether it is guys paying for a daily hunt or partners paying their portion of an expensive yearly lease they both still expect to shoot birds.

But if it feels like a job then I'm with you. The good thing is that I only want to guide a few times a year.

Thanks.
Robbie aka Big Hutch

Sounds like you need new hunting partners.

^^^^^ this^^^^^^


"Go ahead, share your opinion! I won't cry"

Maybe so but they are good guys and always pay their money on time. I don't know which one is more important ... :) ... They just can't operate a call.

Robbie aka Big Hutch

Then teach them how.

Hunting is not ALL about calling..

I am trying to teach them how. They are guys in their 50s that I introduced to the sport. I've got one that is now able to do a few clucks on a speck call and knows how to blow a whistle.

Sorry if I suggested that hunting is all about calling. Hunting is definitely more than calling. Being where the birds want to be would be first on my list; camo/no movement second; then calling/decoys. Since we hunt blinds leased from someone else we seldom have the luxury of being on the "x". Since that is the case calling becomes more important. They do ok during teal season and on teal during regular season. But when it comes to specks especially and big ducks that's where good calling really helps and bad calling really hurts. Some days I fit in both categories ... :)

Please know that I am in no way going to abandon my partners. All of my partners have demanding work schedules and there are periods of the season where I know they won't be hunting. That's when I am going to schedule a few hunts in my second blind to help with costs.


Thanks
Robbie aka Big Hutch

Heartily second this.

Haven't you seen the videos man? I've seen refuge feeds make ducks drop their landing gear in the Fezzos parking lot.

One of the reasons I kill more ducks now than I used too is because of the people I hunt with. Of course I've gained skills and knowledge of the years also. I still enjoy taking inexperienced hunters out, but I know to temper my expectations on those hunts. If you want to shoot limits or close to limits consistently, you need good hunters....or just a bang up lease....and those are tough to find.

Guiding
 

Robbie,

In my opinion you have what it takes to be an excellent guide. Knowledge of the sport & birds, integrity and honesty. I will be more than pleased to be one of your clients. Looking forward to the upcoming season!!!

Robbie, I have to second what Gerenemo says. If you've got the itch, scratch it. I've been very fortunate to have had good friends and contacts which have allowed me to experience both sides, as the guide as well as the sport and both can be equally enjoyable or frustrating. But I do know, as it sounds like you do, that putting guys on a good hunt and seeing the smiles on their faces when they've truly enjoyed the outing is pretty gratifying. Many folks don't have the opportunity to participate in those types of hunts - they just don't have the access or the contacts. Picking your customers and dates of your outings will help reduce some of the pressure folks talk about. Give it a try, if you don't, you'll always wish you had.

Thanks Gerenemo and Scooper for the encouragement. I have decided to schedule a few hunts this year. I plan on being selective on my bookings and my focus will be quality hunts versus quantity. I want anyone who hunts with me to have a safe hunt where memories are made.

Robbie aka Big Hutch

You gonna split the proceeds with your blindmates?:grinpimp:

I will be the only person in the blinds I will guide from. Anything else wouldn't be fair to my partners.

Robbie aka Big Hutch