Private Lands Wildlife Management Program

Guiding in Alaska

The first requirements for hunting, fishing and tourism guides in Alaska are developing business and marketing plans and researching regulations and licensing requirements.

Guides must be:

• Knowledgeable of area and environment
• Friendly
• Flexible
• Clean
• Patient
• Environmentally oriented
• Safety Oriented for Remote Sites
• Properly licensed
• Have interpretive skills
• Have group facilitation skills
• Be prepared for emergencies
• Be entertaining

Big Game Guides

Alaska has more than 1,700 big game guides.

They include:

1,053 Assistant Guides who must be 18 years old, have two years experience hunting in Alaska, hold a first aid card and have a letter of recommendation.

180 Class-A Assistant Guides who must be 21 years old, have 3 years guiding experience and 10 years Alaska hunting experience or reside in and have 15 years GMU hunting experience. They also need a letter of recommendation.

478 Registered Guides who must be 21 years old, have five years Alaska hunting experience and 3 years Assistant Guide experience, and recommendations from eight big game hunters (two for every 3 years as Assistant or Class-A Assistant). They also must pass two exams or have 25 years experience as Class-A Assistant Guides.

78 Master Guides who must have 3 years experience as Class-A Assistant Guides and 12 to 15 years experience as Alaska Registered Guides. They must have the recommendations of 25 big game hunters and be able to show financial responsibility.

Sportfishing Guides

Sportfishing Guides must have an Alaska Business License, register annually (at no cost) with the Department of Fish and Game, carry validated guide registration and business registration, maintain a saltwater (only) charter logbook, hold a charter sport fishing vessel license and meet other agency requirements.

Tourism Guides

A state/industry certification proposal is currently in the preliminary planning process.

Other Resources

Alaska Small Business Development Center. Phone 1-800-478-7236; e-mail answbl@uaa.alaska.edu

Alaska Minority Business Development Center (operated by TCC) 1-800-770-8251

Alaska Department of Fish & Game 907-267-2369 (Sport Fish Guiding)

Alaska Department of Community & Economic Development 907-465-2543 (Big Game Guiding)