How to choose a hunting or fishing guide

Start with what you actually want

Before comparing guides, be honest about the trip you have in mind. A black bear hunt over bait in spring, a moose hunt in the fall, a weekend of walleye fishing and a fly-in brook trout trip are very different experiences, with different costs, physical demands and levels of comfort.

Write down the species, the time of year you can travel, your budget, how many people are coming and how much roughing it you are willing to do. With that short list in hand, it becomes much easier to see which guides are a real match and which ones are simply nearby.

Experience and local knowledge

The best guides know a specific territory and a specific species very well. Ask how long they have been guiding in that area, and for that animal or fish in particular. Someone who has run walleye trips on the same lakes for years will know where the fish move as the season changes.

Look at how the guide describes the trip. A clear, specific description of the territory, the methods used and a typical day is usually a good sign. Vague promises and guaranteed results are not. Wild animals and fish do not keep appointments, and an honest guide will tell you so.

Licences and permits: the guide's and yours

Rules for guides and outfitters vary by province. Depending on where you go, a guide may need a guiding licence or certification, and an outfitter may need a provincial permit to operate on its territory. Some provinces also require non-residents to hunt certain species with a licensed outfitter or guide.

Do not assume. Ask the guide which licences and permits they hold, and check with the province's wildlife ministry if you have any doubt. Remember that your own hunting or fishing licence, and for hunters your hunter education and firearm certificates, are your responsibility. A good guide will explain what you need and point you to the official source.

What's included, and what isn't

Two offers at a similar price can include very different things. Read the description closely and ask for a written list. Common items are guiding days, lodging, meals, boats and motors, transport on the territory, and sometimes bait, decoys or blinds.

Items that are often extra include licences, transport to the meeting point, float planes, tackle, rental gear, taxes, meat processing, trophy preparation and tips. Knowing this in advance avoids awkward surprises at the end of the stay.

Group size, lodging and handling your harvest

Ask how many hunters or anglers each guide takes out at once. One guide per one or two clients means more attention and more teaching, which matters a lot on a first trip. Larger groups can be cheaper and more social, but you will be more on your own.

Ask about the lodging too: a rustic camp without electricity, a cottage with a kitchen or a full-service lodge with meals. Finally, ask what happens to the meat or the fish. Who dresses and cools the animal, is there a freezer, can the guide recommend a butcher, and how do you transport everything home within the rules?

Cancellation, deposits and references

Most guides ask for a deposit to hold your dates. Ask how much, when the balance is due, and what happens if you cancel, if the guide cancels, or if weather or a forest fire closure stops the trip. Get these terms in writing, by email at the very least.

Ask for references from past clients and actually call or write to one or two. Online reviews can help, but a direct conversation with someone who went last season tells you much more about the guide's attitude, safety and honesty.

Questions to ask before you book

A short phone call answers more than a dozen emails. With GuideHunter, you can see guides on a map, filter by hunting or fishing and by species, and get a guide's phone, email and website so you can ask these questions directly.

• How long have you guided here, and for this species?
• Which licences or permits do you hold, and which ones do I need?
• What exactly is included in the price, and what is extra?
• How many clients per guide, and what is the lodging like?
• What does a typical day look like, and how physical is it?
• How are the meat or the fish handled and stored?
• What are your deposit and cancellation terms?
• Can I speak with one or two past clients?