Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Guide license fee increase!

I just received a letter from the state of Alaska stating that guide license fees are almost doubling. The public can comment on this until Oct 25th. Maybe if enough of us complain they'll put it off for awhile. Here's the contact info;

Jun Maiquis

jun.maiquisalaska.gov

907-465-2537

Fish guides or big game guides?

I haven't received any letters yet.

Big game guides.

Hear's my letter...

Dear Jun Maiquis,

I hope this letter finds you well.

Is Jun a guys name, or are you a chick? Anyhow, thanks for raising the Guide license fees. I'd suggest quadrupling them for out-of-State guides. When the APHA finally buys enough politicians, and hunting moose also requires a guide, I'd suggest another raise in license fees. Hey, why not make them actually shoot a gun as part of the test! You know, like real Professional Hunters in Africa.

Thanks again... if you run into Lisa in the halls, kick her in the nuts for me.

V/R

Bdub

With a Grizz hunt going for 20,000+ and a Moose about the same, not to mention the price on Goat and Sheep you'll forgive me if I don't shed a tear for a $450 increase.

My business licenses cost me more than that per year....

That's pretty good bdub! Got me laughing!

+1. Funny stuff, BW!

Your probly one of those guys that think outfitters are getting rich? Do you have any idea what a gallon of gas costs in the bush?

"With a Grizz hunt going for 20,000+ and a Moose about the same, not to mention the price on Goat and Sheep you'll forgive me if I don't shed a tear for a $450 increase."

Doesn't matter, the cost will just get passed on to the customer - so now it will be $20,450 for that hunt. Guide has to make a profit, or there's no point.

Could care less if they raise their fees or not, doesn't affect me in the least. You choose to live int he bush so you have to live with the prices you pay, don't like it, move to the big city and pay less.

Whining about the license fee increase is kinda stupid since your just going to pass it onto your clients anyway, not like your having to pay for it.

I'm sure many guides are not the owners of their operation. Most guides make a low wage for what they do, and do it because they love doing it. I bet $450 is almost 2 days wages for the seasonal guides who only have a limited number of days in the field a year. Do assistant guides need a guide license as well? I'm sure they don't make a whole lot. I doubt those guides are going to see a wage increase to offset the rising cost.

BTW, where the heck does somebody charge 20k for a griz hunt? I could see a Penn, Kodiak, or Uni hunt, but griz?

I don't have anything against guides, don't seem to be as many of them as say twenty years back where we call home; tough business I do think.

Year after year, it keeps getting tougher to make it in rural areas; not much economic activity and prices continue to sky rocket. By the same token, I couldn't imagine living in an urban area. I really feel quite comfortable being insulated from the hordes and everything that comes with it. Life is pretty good out here.

I bet you see increases across most of the differant types of commercial licenses not just guides.

The potential effect I see it having is for a registered guide working as an assistant for someone.Thats a couple days wages.The outfitter may pass the increase on to the client but probably wont be as excited about getting that money passed down to the guy doing the work.

I used to make the majority of my income off of guiding.Both fishing and hunting. Some for myself and quite a bit for other guides.Now I do other things for my living but still guide some.

I guess what I'm getting at is me and others like me are going to have to really think about if its worth staying licensed to assistant guide a couple hunts a year.Who do you think will fill that void.Probablly not another guy with 18+ years of guiding and hunting in Alaska.There's going to be a decrease in experianced guides in the field which was already a problem before the increase in fees.

The outfitter will pass the cost on to the client who will pay more to get a less experianced guide.

I can see this affecting the small time operator more than say a bigger named outfit, which is unfortunate because there are some very good guides out there working for themselves. But then again, they will also pass on the fee to their clients. A good guide that has a good reputation will have no problem filling his slots.

Any reason for the increase? Or are they just raising fees because they can?

It is now $450 .... going up to $725 resident and $1450 for the non-resident guide ... this is for Reg & Master Guides and Transporters.

Asst guide from $250 up to $420 .... non-resident = double fees ...

Not just Guide lic increases but all Occupational Licenses across the board.

I smell revenue enhancement.

So all the worrying about the poor assistant guide... eh, no big deal. Not even $200 difference.

I never cared much for the non-resident guide rule anyhow, so that doesn't bother me. I mean, why should a non-resident hunter be required to hire a guide, only to find himself next to a non-resident guide?

Never could quite understand that rule either. It's all about the $$$$.

Actually I believe it's about the United States Constitution ....