In Massachussets, our research showed the below requirements to become a hunting guide or fishing guide. Before operating as a guide ensure that you contact your states wildlife agency directly to verify all requirements.
*Always ensure that you and your clients have the necessary hunting and fishing licenses for the game you will be pursuing.
Basic requirements for Fishing Guide Jobs in South Dakota:
- No regulations or certifications noted to become a guide.
Other Fishing Guide Requirements that May Be Helpful:
- Driver’s License
- Good communication skills
- Well organized
- Ability to work with diverse groups of clients
- Willingness to teach others effective fishing techniques
- Outdoor survival and first aid skills
- Swimming skills
- Good physical fitness
Basic requirements for Hunting Guide Jobs in South Dakota:
- No regulations or certifications noted to become a guide.
Other Hunting Guide Requirements that May Be Helpful:
- Driver’s License
- Good communication skills
- Well organized
- Ability to work with diverse groups of clients
- Willingness to teach others effective hunting techniques
- Outdoor survival and first aid skills
- Firearm safety skills
- Good physical fitness
State Wildlife Agency Contact:
Agency Name: South Dakota Game Fish and Parks
Website: http://gfp.sd.gov
Phone Number: (508) 389-6300
Email Address: Wildinfo@state.sd.us
Interested in any information you can give as far as developing into a guide.
Hi Nic, the first thing you want to do is check your states requirements for operating as a guide. When I reached out to the South Dakota Fish and Parks Department they said they do not have any additional requirements beyond having your proper hunting/fishing licenses. However, you can doublecheck by emailing them at Wildinfo@state.sd.us.
After that watch this video: http://youtu.be/yRrASYkjdAw. It is a quick 3 minute overview on how to start a guide service.
The next thing you want to do is start marketing your business. I would encourage you start with all of the unpaid advertising methods. The easiest ways to get customers at no cost include Craigslist, Facebook, YouTube, and word of mouth advertising. Start by making a post on your personal facebook page and letting everyone know that you are becoming a guide, what type of game you offer and when trips are available. You will be surprised on how many bookings you could get from friends and family.
I would also encourage you to start tracking your customers from day 1. You need to keep a good database of who booked with you so you can follow up with them and so you can get them to come back next year. Here is a link to a video about a free service called ZOHO that does this very well for guide services: http://youtu.be/1IaaUtGzGEk.
Finally, keep checking our website for more resources and our blog as we are always working on new content to help guides. Let us know if you have any additional questions.