24 May 2007
Finding The Right Guide or Outfitter - part 2 - Beginning Your Search
Posted by Darrell under: Guides - Tips, Ideas, & Info .
Ok, so you are looking for a guide and you’ve already done the first and most important part: defined your own needs (part 1 of this series).
So, we’ll assume that you know what you are looking for – and you’ve defined it and put it down on paper. Its now time to start looking for a guide. A good place to start is by talking to friends and family members. Have they booked a hunt with someone that they were happy with and that would also fit your needs? If so, you MIGHT already be getting close. You don’t however want to rely solely on their experience. Again, their needs might not be the same as yours.
What, though, if you’ve struck out talking to friends and family? You might try to talk to some of the guys hanging out at the local gun, fishing, and archery shops. Sometimes, these guys have lots of helpful information. Sometimes, they are completely full of it. Regardless, and even if they give you some bad suggestions for a guide, you should be able to weed those bad guides out by asking the right questions.
After exploring the word of mouth options, it is time to turn to the Internet for potential guides. Unfortunately, this can be a daunting and intimidating search. There might be dozens or hundreds or more results from your initial search. Narrow it down by searching specifically for the type of game you are looking for and the area. For example you might search for “Colorado Licensed Elk Guide” or “Guided Alaska Black Bear Hunt”, etc.
You can quickly skim through the search results looking for the answers to your questions discussed in part 1 of this post. When you find something on a guides site that doesn’t mesh with your needs, move on. If I think the guide might work at some time in the future, I put the site in a folder in my favorites. I keep the folders pretty specific so I can quickly find what I’m looking for. Remember to listen to your gut. If your gut tells you to move on and keep looking – keep looking!
In part 3, we will discuss questions to ask a potential outfitter/guide.
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