Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska A good Guide to Apprentice for?

lol. master to 50

If ya gotta huge charter boat he's got ya covered.

As you’ve already seen you will get a variety of responses and opinions here, but as someone who has done it for long enough to chime in and has exchanged many “normal” aspects of modern day living and a typical career to make it all happen I would absolutely encourage you to pursue it if it seems intriguing. It has certainly been worth it to me thus far.
It is true that parts of it are romanticized a bit, and much of the work is unglamorous and hard work that no one will ever see or recognize you for doing. Much of the work is done well before the client ever arrives in state and well after they leave. The job will test you physically but more than anything mentally. You are indeed hunting but what you are really doing is an extended and unrelenting exercise in customer service. Some of the toughest and capable men in the mountains I’ve ever known never quite grasped that concept and their guiding careers were quite short.
Having said that the things I’ve seen and places I’ve been because of the job have been amazing, and the satisfaction of helping people experience Alaska is hard to describe. I’ve had more days than I can count where I’ve been staring across an alpine valley at a band of rams through glass or sweating my nuts off getting thrashed by willows and alders trying to lead a pack horse loaded down with flopping moose quarters and much in between, and thought, damn, grinning, I can’t believe this is my job, ha! Maybe it doesn’t appeal to everyone.
I can also say the people I am closest to in life, other than family, are people I’ve met through this occupation. There’s quite a bond that can form in the field. Anyways, I could ramble on, but point is I’ve really gotten a lot out of it, it’s been great.
I understand what you mean about being reluctant to get used or taken advantage of. Im sure it can happen. All I can say there is just communicate up front on what your intentions and end goals are, and I’d think most legitimate outfitters and master guides will totally understand and try to help you within reason. They were all there once too. On the flip side of that, don’t get too big for your britches too fast, lol….understand that there is a bit of a rite of passage as working a season or whatever as a packer. It’s not just to be mean! You really do need to learn, not just in general regarding hunting/judging so on, but how to interact with clients, how to travel safely in the country you’re in, etc etc etc.
Hope this makes sense ! And if there’s anything I can do to help please reach out!

-Ben

That is a pretty good offer right there.

Ben, please call if you need a job 😁
Very good response.

Thanks Phil!
By the way I’m still up for bringin you a cup of coffee one morning in trade for you letting me fondle some of your Mausers, haha!!

Am pretty particular about my coffee, but sounds like something we could arrange.
I get to Palmer a lot as it’s close to Wolf Lake and my daughter lives up on Lazy Mtn

Sled dog guy, I sent a PM with my sons phone as he wants to talk with you about this season

Thank you.