If a high end destination for pheasant hunting decided to hire a "resort manager" or a "general manager" to run the operation...where would one look for that kind of talent?

Other lodges, other resorts, hospitality industry...seems too specialized to have broad employee search techniques applied but perhaps that is the way to approach it. I can't imagine that the job requirements at their core are a lot different from one type of resort to the next. Food service, facility maintenance, HR, etc. Some nuances to be sure but at core, seems the same to me. Thoughts from anyone?

Check with Slumlord, he's been Pheasant Hunting with everybody who is anybody.

I'd start looking and posting here;

RANCHWORK.COM LINK

Ed

Maybe I’m wrong but I’d think someone taking that job would need to know a lot about habitat and pheasant rearing methods etc along with the hospitality knowledge. Then again is that a seperate manager hire?

Osky

That person needs to understand people first and foremost. They need to understand the wants and needs of ornery, rich dudes that always get their way. People pay the bills, not the pheasants. I'd look for a previous guide, resort manager, even general contractor that did high end customs, on LinkedIn, indeed, NSSA job bulletin, and definitely call/email targeted individuals currently employed.

I'd think I'd want 2 roles.

One to manage the business, one to manage the habitat/science.

I'd look to hospitality/hotel/resort types for the former, maybe Pheasant's Forever/DNR for the latter. Expensive I know but I'm feeling like top talent for one is unlikely to have top chops in the other at the same time.

Makes sense. An unknown is the rest of the year? What if any is this upper end set up doing for revenue structure other than pheasant hunts? Hard to think operating costs, taxes, base improvements, asset upkeep, year round utilities etc can be supported by a pheasant season. Maybe.
I think there is a lot more to this operation we don’t have info on.

Osky

Thanks for responses so far, keep them coming, this is helping. Habitat management/pheasant biology is pretty well baked in already, not alot of call to change that up. What a GM needs to know about it will come fairly easily. Pheasants delivered every other day, need to source them from several operations in order to minimize risk. This is much more about making sure the guests are given the experience they crave/pay for. Delivering on the promise, I guess is one way to put it.

The fancy "wedding location/banquet" is popular here with raised pheasant/sporting clays clubs as a revenue stream. That and open restaurant/kitchen Thur-Sat nights too.

The more you ask of 1 person to do - the less each area of expertise gets attention. Splitting time between the business and the property means, at best, each gets 50% of that guy's attention which can lead to a lot getting missed and pressure on the other 1/2 of the equation.

Try looking for the manager of a Country Club. They know how to keep rich people happy. Most have knowledge about customer service, the physical plant, working with the superintendent of the golf course...........
They wear a lot of hats.

Lots of overlap with CC management, I agree.

I was at a high-end quail shooting operation (if you consider $2000/day high end) a few weeks ago. There is a guy who manages the kennels/dogs/training/guides/hunting activities, but has nothing to do with food, hospitality, agricultural operations or horses. He does have a home on the property and is on the books as a sub-contractor.

I think I would look for a outgoing dude with a wildlife management background. Someone with a working knowledge of habitat that has common sense and can deal with people.

I have a friend who performs this role for a high end fishing “resort” in eastern ID. She’s an outdoorsy person but no fly fishing expert to be sure. Her skills and background are more from the GM side and in general a person who wants things to go smoothly and for everyone to have an incredible time for the money they spend.

Before this role, she remodeled and was running her own salon/spa/AirBB location which is still hers but she delegated to her employees.

My point is, it’s probably more about the person, their experience, and outlook than anything...you probably already know someone who could do a great job because they’re doing a great job at something else right now.

Look at Harpole’s Heartland Lodge for a business model of how to generate multiple revenue streams, including pheasant hunting but not solely dependent on it.

You may call around to places like this to see if their current owner or manager knows of the type you of manager you are looking for, and who is available

Get the number of every "like" business you can find....sort out the ones with the best reviews.....call and ask to speak to manager.... offer job.

I know someone who checks off all of the boxes and forwarded this thread.

Careful with this. Can cast you and your lodge in a bad light as a poacher.

Coolworks.com used to be a site I used to find specialty jobs like that.

Thanks for the tips and the thoughts, keep them coming

My daughter graduated from college with a degree in Resort management. She worked as a GM for a very high end Glamping resort for about three years and then was head hunted to be the GM of a high end fly fishing resort for three years. She was head hunted to GM a very private guest ranch owned by some famous people, but instead decided to take a different role, she is now a very happy house wife raising my grandkids. She enjoyed her jobs except for some of the clients that she had to deal with. From complaints of the weather, the accommodations were not what they were expecting, the animals smelt bad, and other things which there was no control over. I would recommend you find someone with resort GM experience that is a people person, because that will be their job. Working with employees and guests who are paying big money to be papered.

Spouse's family runs a lodge of sorts for hunting and they hired a golf course guy to manage their place, he lasted about a year or so. He knew people and hospitality but nothing about hunting. Make sure he or she knows hunting too.
He ended up shooting one of his fingers off going after a skunk.



Hunters expect certain things when paying, resort guests are a different kind of guest, get someone who knows hunting .
Make sure you advertise your amenities accurately too, some hunters want 4 star, some do not.

Seems like a lot of info needed yet. To manager a lodge of size I’m sure there’s several people running certain roles already? Is the lodge already developed in what you need or in development stages? Guest night expectations weekly?
Background in this area of expertise is a lot more common than one would think. There’s many people that are in these positions a year or two and are constantly jumping around. Some are great some not so much. Someone well connected to the “hunting” world would only benefit your operation. Country club manager, sounds about the worst candidate to me. Most hunters have a common mind set regardless of the fluff they want.
Hands on managers are a dying breed and also high on the desirability list amongst resorts. A guy with common sense that can fix a problem without having to contract out every time can save money and customer experiences.
Ranchwork website is honestly one of your best bets. Ranchworldads as well but expect lots if under qualified applicants to sort through there.

And you can't learn that from course work in hospitality.