HOW TO Succeed as a Hunting or Fishing Guide For The Long-Term

[@milo555100]

I have a friend that moved out to Wyoming to guide. He is of similar overall energy as you Cliff. Through talking with him and listening to you I think I have a firm handle on all the many moving parts and the immense coordination efforts. It seems the drive to make money, while maintaining the love of outdoors; along with pleasing the customer is an insurmountable balancing act for some. I think you have to be a certain type of person to deal with the stresses. Obviously you have and are making it succeed. Curious… what is your favorite and least favorite aspect of running an outfitting business. What keeps you coming back and what tends to make you feel like moving on. Thank you for the content Sir. Grateful.

[@CliffGray]

The people - that is my favorite and least favorite component of the business. I'll do some more videos on this in the future. thanks man

[@cuttheknot4781]

Excellent on all fronts. You are a very responsible and thoughtful man.

[@CliffGray]

thank you!

[@vincethewoodlander]

Great advice!. My brother guided for 15 years but also logged, painted, and drywalled. Every other outfitter I ever talked to at one time or still owned an excavation company, construction business, logging operation, or ran cattle. '08 hurt outfitting and wildlife agencies both. I bet many of the outfitters were happy to have other skills until about 2011.

[@CliffGray]

Thanks! and yeah man, those downturns take a lot of folks out of such a volatile business like guiding/outfitting

[@NHBackcountryGuide]

In my mid-20's, I guided moose and bear hunters for a well-known outfitter in New Hampshire but had a primary career the rest of the year. I ended up sticking with that primary career but I learned a lot about what guiding is and what guiding isn't, and wouldn't trade the experience for anything. The reality is that you're guiding people, not animals. It's great if you're clients are good, but bad clients can tarnish a season. It took a few years for me to fully appreciate that guiding wasn't complete aligned with my interests. I would be a much better hunter today if I stuck with guiding, but I'm not sure I'd have developed into a great guide, capable of managing a lot of different client personalities. I'd say the advice in the video is pretty spot on.

[@CliffGray]

thanks man! thanks for sharing your story, lots of good points.

[@cordellwest8171]

Your videos taught me a lot and motivated me to get into hunting

[@CliffGray]

Good to hear!

[@04lucasromero]

As a fly fishing guide of 10 years. I can completely agree with you.

[@CliffGray]

Thanks Lucas! 👍

[@jamesmooney5348]

Great advice Cliff. I'd like to learn packing with horses.

[@CliffGray]

👍

[@Dad-Daughters-Dog-Deer]

Great advice. Appreciate all you shared.

[@CliffGray]

👍👍👍

[@adamboone6864]

According to the Hunters education course material. Only 8% of the total population are hunters. Makes one think of those 8% marked as hunters, how many are willing and/or able to drop that money on a guided hunt. A guides job is to reduce or alleviate as many obstacles and variables. Trust me, there are a lot of variables that go into a guided hunt not to mention a successful guided hunt (schedule,family,money, and general preparedness, game,pressure,weather,etc

[@CliffGray]

It’s interesting because I’ve never actually seen stats on the % of hunters that ever go on a guided hunt. I’m guessing it’s less than half.

[@leemartin9579]

Thanks Cliff you really do have the best advice on the subject in my opinion! I am a business owner now, but one day want to start a guiding business on top of my home remodeling and roofing business. Would you recommend just getting to know these outfitters and offering help? I have connections to many outfitters through family, and really just want to see how the insides of the business works.

[@CliffGray]

Yes, go work for one for a few weeks. That will give you an idea of what you are getting in to.

[@troywesterbur706]

Every guide I know works another job during the offseason. Either construction or something similar. My uncle was a fly fishing river guide and what it did was pay for his fly fishing habit. Drift boats gear you name it. A guy I work with guides elk hunting and he does building automation g to he rest of the time. I have never guided I have had the opportunity but never wanted my fun to turn into a job. As for social media none of the best hunters I know have much if any social media presence.

[@MiddleOutdoorsman]

Yeah I thought about guiding.... for about 10 seconds or so I really thought the logistics involved. Then the thought left my head.

[@CliffGray]

bwhahahaha, i hear ya

[@justhunt1070]

Im so much more motivated now

[@alfaq654]

I have this idea of guiding as a side hustle and targeting the specific niche of new hunters who want to pursue upland game but don't know where to start. The differentiating feature of the businesses would be that, in addition to a guided hunt, clients would also get a detailed lesson in how to pursue game on their own. It's a bad way to get repeat business, but my only goal is to supplement my existing income and mentor new hunters. Tell me all the reasons why this is a bad idea.

[@johnmorgado8676]

Are hunting schools worth it if your not experienced or you better of being a packer instead and Awesome video thanks for making this

[@D2chukhna]

How do you end up with $1,000,000 in the guiding business? Start with $2,000,000.

[@CliffGray]

bwhahaha, that's about true

[@justhunt1070]

Im ready to rock and roll i have rifle shotgun and 4x4 whos hiring ?

[@smrtgrip]

I'm really trying to like this channel because I liked Cliff on Rogan and I love this type of content but holy, the constant edits are really off putting. Like, can't you put together a single cogent thought or sentence without 6-8 jumpy cuts? Ugh.

[@CliffGray]

Hey Ryan, appreciate the feedback. I get it man. I’m working on some ideas to improve this. I tape these in one go, for instance this video was 1.5hrs of me talking. It was edited to 20mins, hence the constant cutting to get things shortened to a reasonable length. It’s a work in progress but will improve.

[@smrtgrip]

@@CliffGray Thanks for the reply but I thought Rogan told you not to read the comments! 😜 Just a thought…what if you went through your 1.5 hour stream of consciousness, edited it down just as you do, voice to text transcribe it as a kinda script and then just do a few takes reading it through? Extra couple steps but you could maybe shorten your editing process as you’d just be using it as a readable script not a finished edit. Anyway man, dig your stuff.

[@CliffGray]

@@smrtgrip haha… I read too many comments man. Glad I read this one though. I’m going to try what you describe. Thanks

[@milo555100]

Ive not been off put by the editing. I tend to appreciate lots of info packed into a small time frame. I like this style. Keeps me locked in. Different strokes for different folks.

[@smrtgrip]

@@milo555100 Well I’m not unsubbing and will continue to watch and have become even more of a fan that Cliff not only responded to my critique but did so in such a mature and welcoming way.

[@StrateOutdoors]

oh ok baby face

[@CliffGray]

bwahahaha