Hunting is an adventure that is best when you can optimize your time and efforts so that you truly enjoy the experience. Hiring a professional guide or outfitter will allow you to do just that. Here are some things that you should consider when looking for a qualified guide.

1. RECOMMENDATIONS. Knowing someone who has used a guide or outfitter is one of the best ways to find that adventure of a lifetime. It nice if you’re not the test subject and your confidence will be high when you show up to hunt. Ask for references too. Most guides will give you a list of names to call or you can view some of the online reviews.

2. ONLINE SEARCH: When you don’t have a personal testimonial or recommendation from a friend you will be left to your own finding that guide. There are several places you can begin your search for a qualified professional guide service. I would recommend looking into several resources. The first, if you’re looking for a hunt in Maine, would be the Maine Professional Guides Association (MPGA) www.maineguides.org, Maine guides were first registered by the State of Maine in 1897. One of the only states that required rigorous testing to guide clients. The MPGA stives to enhance the standards of guiding. They are professionals dedicated to quality and ethical outdoor experiences.

The second site if you’re looking to hire a guide outside of New England would a service called Mallard Bay www.mallardbay.com they have a growing community of top-notch guides and outfitters across North America.

Keep in mind that all search engines like google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, etc. are going to list guides and outfitters according to algorithms which scan how many hits they are receiving or how much they are paying to advertise.

Algorithms and online search results don’t necessarily indicate the quality of service.

3. QUESTIONS. Here are some of the questions you might want to ask a potential guide or outfitter:

a. Accommodations / Lodging – Where will you be staying?
b. Meals – Are all meals provided?
c. Transportation – Provided during the hunt? Airport pickup?
d. Guide to Client Ratio – How many hunters per guide?
e. Hunting Areas – Where will be we be hunting? Public, Private or Leased Lands?
f. Packing List – What do I need to bring? Clothing, equipment, firearms, coolers, etc.
g. Success Rate – What is the average success rate?