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

[email protected]

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 ....

My professional license fee has not gone up. I have to renew it next month - thx for the reminder.

Looks like they are finally going to build those projects in Hyder.

Maybe it's not accross the board .... but I see several other occupational licenses are going up also.

Not quite.

Where in the Constitution does it spell out hunting guide requirements?

Actually I think it has to do with discrimination ..

But I've been wrong before ...

I think they are trying to kill 2 birds here. Confiscate more money for the State initially, AND also trying to "purge" the inactive Guides from the system. But, at the same time... It will also make my freshly "re-newed" License more valuable than before! (less of us) With the "Raise" that's sure to come, I might make $10 an hour next season instead of $8! Woohooo!!!

Kodiman,the problem is the next season is spring with those really long days.You won't even make the $8

ha ha. Yep Trapperj you are right!

I'm also one of those guys you describe. 30+ years hunting in Alaska, and Assist on only a couple hunts a year. There are lots of us that do this. I may not re-new next time around. Just not worth it.

I just hope everyone is writing to the state as much as they are here.

Nah, not so much.

If $170 is a deal killer, they are doing you a favor.

Ah, Yes, many of us here do know the cost of gas in the bush - and of other things also. We actually live here.

Them critters ain't YOUR critters! They are OURS (as in belonging to ALL the people of Alaska). Consider it a royalty on a resource - less than oil, only slightly more than mineral (don't get me started on Pebble!). I pay a royalty with my permit app fees (I'm now officially a Geezer with a permanent hunting license) for my personal use/eating animals. You are mining a public resource.

I'm one of those guys that think Outfitters shouldn't consider 2 to 4 month's worth of work an annual salary.(and yeah, outfitting and guiding is bust-azz work)

That said, that cost increase will be passed along to the clients, so where's the beef? Guided clients- especially non-residents, probably provide the state with as much or more revenue than all the non-guided/no outfitter hunters. I doubt either good outfitters or guides will have trouble filling out their dance-cards due to a slight % increase in hunt cost.

Calvin's comment applies directly to myself and yes assistant guides do need a license.

las;
I was replying to aces when I made the comment about gas prices, I would never make that reply to someone from Kotzebue and I'm not sure why you responded to it?
For the record I'm not an outfitter but I do know that it takes alot more than 2-4 months out of the year for them to run their business.

That looks like a pretty nice boat! Do you use it to make your living? I wonder if you'd be writing some letters if the registration for it almost doubled?

most our occ. lic. fees went up 60%, but some doubled.

actually corresponded with Jun via email over it.

asked for and received the budget numbers.

far different than several years ago when asking for same and the woman from Occ licensing told me "that's not public info"

had to set her mind right, that was fun.


trust me, the folks in Juneau think they're doing you a favor and some even think/pretend what they do, insures the public safety! lmao

the reason our licenses went up is for typical stupid azzed stuff, they exempted independent contractors from having to have a shop license, thus getting rid of a big revenue stream, and they made some accounting errors in the past, that we now have to pay for. Hey you didn't think they were gonna take the $$ from the folks that made the mistakes, did you?

ime&o the dept. of Occ licensing is nothing more than a thinly veiled tax. no more, no less

my pard said he was gonna finally let his guide license lapse this year and that's before he was aware of the increase i believe.

I'm going on close to 8-9 years since I renewed mine.

AK biz lic. = tax

city biz lic. = tax, and lmao it's based on your gross revenue

occ lic = tax


it's plain for me to see, that .gov on the FED, state and local level is pretty much a self serving beast.


those that are funded by such, drink the koolaid and feel they deliver a very important service.

Spot on Las.

You obviously missed the point...and yes I know things cost more in the bush, the fact you're surprised by that is telling.

No need to worry about the prices-in a VERY short # of years-there won't be anyone come up to hunt-then you will be up to your ass in bears andmaybe they will eat the regulators

You never heard the term "more money than brains"?

Might thin the herd some, but they'll keep coming.

Just in - no license fee increase for guides this year. License renewal forms should be posted online in a few days: http://commerce.state.ak.us/occ/pgui.htm

The next BGCSB meeting will be: http://commerce.state.ak.us/occ/pgui18.htm If you have suggestions to generate funds (or any other regulations to suggest): http://commerce.state.ak.us/occ/pub/gui4573.pdf

Thanks for the update!