HUNTING GUIDE SCHOOL CURRICULUM
Topics covered in our 4 week curriculum at Western Guide School are:
Registration & Orientation
- Guide professionalism, social skills, work habits, responsibilities
- Using a pack string to guide in the West
- Personal attitude, and working as a team
- Outfitter and guide laws and code of ethics
- Agency rules, laws and regulations; outfitting on private property
- Grizzly bear regulations
- Outfitting business management
- First aid and CPR certifications
Guide Equipment & Skills
- Use of binoculars, spotting scopes, and range finders
- Knives and knife care
- The guide's backpack
- Maps, compasses, and GPS
- Fire starting
- Guiding and field judging for big game animals (elk, deer, antelope,
sheep, moose, and mountain goat)
- Scoring for big game animals (SCI and Boone & Crockett systems)
- Stalking and tracking big game; anatomy & shot placement
- Use of calls and scents
- Skills to guide bow hunters successfully
- Skills to guide firearm hunters successfully
Weapon Knowledge
- Handguns, muzzleloaders, and rifles: hands on shooting, maintenance,
and repair
- Archery equipment: shooting, maintenance, and repair
- Firearm and archery safety
Trophy and Game Care
- Field dressing, skinning & caping
- Halving and quartering of game
- Prevention of meat spoilage and cleanliness
- Care of trophies in the field
Using Camp Equipment
- Tent care and set up for the various methods
- Setting up an actual camp
- Importance of keeping a clean camp
- Crosscut saw use and safety
- Chain saw use and safety
- Miscellaneous camp equipment
- Low impact camping methods
- Proper corral set and use of high lines
Camp Cooking
- Camp hygiene and duties
- Meal planning
- Cooking on a wood stove & oven
- Cooking over an open fire & grill
- Dutch oven cooking
Horsemanship
- Horse glossary
- Care of horses & horse first aid
- Catching, saddling & unsaddling
- Safety when working with saddle horses
- Riding skills
- Saddle and tack repair
- Basic horse training techniques
Packing Horses and Mules
- Equipment familiarization
- Saddling and unsaddling
- Safety when working with pack animals
- Packing equipment and game animals
- Hitches used: diamond, box, barrel, basket, & other slings & hitches
- Mantying loads
- Pulling the pack string
Shoeing
- Basic fundamentals of shoeing
- Tools and safety
- Anatomy of the foot and leg
- Animal restraints
- Hands on shoeing and trimming
Transporting Livestock
- Vehicle and trailer maintenance
- Loading and unloading stock
- Maneuvering of trailers, backing and turning
Western Guide and Outfitting Institute reserves the right to alter
or change the curriculum as needed.
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