First thing you will need is a place to guide. You are going to need either, (A), a big chunk of private property. Or (B), be a public land guide. While its legal, it is kind of frowned upon. If you do either, you will need to spend a ton of boot leather finding game ahead of time to put your client on. If a client draws a muzzleload hunt on a wma, you got to go scout it before hand to find a place to put them. It can be done, but takes years of experience. My buddy Chuck does it, but he has also been stomping the woods of Florida for 40 years
the opposite of this: "I've had limited experience, but I hope to take my first official game animal before the year's out"
don't put the chicken before the egg
The reason I ask is cause recently someone told me, after hearing how much time I spend outdoors, that I might want to consider becoming a guide someday. I currently live on ten acres (it's part of a former tomato farm) with about 100 acres of woods on three sides. I haven't killed anything yet because the landowner hasn't specified whether hunting was allowed, but I'm going to check with him soon.
First thing you will need is a place to guide. You are going to need either, (A), a big chunk of private property. Or (B), be a public land guide. While its legal, it is kind of frowned upon. If you do either, you will need to spend a ton of boot leather finding game ahead of time to put your client on. If a client draws a muzzleload hunt on a wma, you got to go scout it before hand to find a place to put them. It can be done, but takes years of experience. My buddy Chuck does it, but he has also been stomping the woods of Florida for 40 years
X2! I would say "alot of time in the woods" and a good stash of money as well! Land and land access as well as FL hunting experience are probably the biggest hurdles IMHO. Insurance and Licensing as well. Unless you are independently wealthy and don't have to work, have your own private 100 plus acres of property and already have a client list developing, I'd say you are dreaming. Not to be a downer, but that's realistic.
Once again... EXPERIENCE.
learn not to find hogs on a wma or deer on a wma. Then think about it. If you cant even show your clients that you can AT LEAST show them where the gam walked through last night or in the morning, people will want their money back. Guiding is not just "guiding them through the woods" its guiding then mentally towards learning to be an independent hunter" .
