The
first requirements for hunting, fishing and tourism guides in
Alaska are developing business and marketing plans and
researching regulations and licensing requirements.
Guides must be:
-
Knowledgeable of area and environment
-
Friendly
-
Flexible
-
Clean
-
Patient
-
Environmentally oriented
-
Safety Oriented for Remote Sites
-
Properly licensed
-
Have interpretive skills
-
Have group facilitation skills
-
Be
prepared for emergencies
-
Be
entertaining
Big
Game Guides
Alaska
has more than 1,700 big game guides.
They include:
1,053 Assistant Guides who must be 18 years old, have two years
experience hunting in Alaska, hold a first aid card and have a
letter of recommendation.
180 Class-A Assistant Guides who must be 21 years old, have 3
years guiding experience and 10 years Alaska hunting experience
or reside in and have 15 years GMU hunting experience. They also
need a letter of recommendation.
478 Registered Guides who must be 21 years old, have five years
Alaska hunting experience and 3 years Assistant Guide
experience, and recommendations from eight big game hunters (two
for every 3 years as Assistant or Class-A Assistant). They also
must pass two exams or have 25 years experience as Class-A
Assistant Guides.
78 Master Guides who must have 3 years experience as Class-A
Assistant Guides and 12 to 15 years experience as Alaska
Registered Guides. They must have the recommendations of 25 big
game hunters and be able to show financial responsibility.
Sportfishing Guides
Sportfishing Guides must have an Alaska Business License,
register annually (at no cost) with the Department of Fish and
Game, carry validated guide registration and business
registration, maintain a saltwater (only) charter logbook, hold
a charter sport fishing vessel license and meet other agency
requirements.
Tourism Guides
A
state/industry certification proposal is currently in the
preliminary planning process.
Other
Resources
Alaska
Small Business Development Center. Phone 1-800-478-7236; e-mail
answbl@uaa.alaska.edu
Alaska Minority Business Development Center (operated by TCC)
1-800-770-8251
Alaska Department of Fish & Game
907-267-2369 (Sport Fish Guiding)
Alaska Department of Community & Economic
Development
907-465-2543
(Big Game Guiding)
