CURRICULUM OUTLINE
Our Mission is to offer every student attending the Western Montana School for Guides an
atmosphere and method of learning to produce the best possible results. To accomplish your
goals, we have chosen "hands on" experience, applying the laws, and familiarizing students with
every aspect of the Guide/Outfitter business. As you read the curriculum below, please
note how serious we are about offering you a valid field of work or business opportunity.
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| INTRODUCTION &
REGISTRATION |
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School Standards, Outdoor
Recreation, Industry Opportunities, Qualifications & Skills Required |
| KNOWING THE RULES |
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Federal Land Policies
Relating to Outfitting & Guiding |
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Fish & Game Laws &
Regulations |
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Outfitter/Guide Laws &
Regulations |
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Outfitter/Guide Code of
Ethics |
| OUTFITTER/GUIDE
RESPONSIBILITIES |
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Responsibilities to: |
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Client, Outfitter, Natural
Resources, US Forest Service & BLM Use Regulations, Private Land and Waters, Hunting/Fishing
Laws & Regulations |
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Appearance: |
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Personal, Camp, Lodging,
Equipment, Stock, Land & Waters |
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Conservation: |
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History, Organizations &
Funding, Ethics, Patterns/Practices, Animal Activists, National Forest Service Use and
Regulations, "Leave No Trace" Techniques |
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Outdoor Recreation |
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Hiking, Backpacking, Trail
Rides, Pack Trips, Outdoor Photography and Camping |
| PROFESSIONAL BIG GAME
GUIDING TECHNIQUES |
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Game Animals |
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Individual Habits of
Animals, Locating Game, Spotting and Glassing, Judging Trophies, Best Times to Hunt,
Understanding Game Sign |
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Hunting Methods |
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Field exercise to stalk
and photograph wildlife |
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Still Hunting, Stand
Hunting (Location, Tree Stands, Ground Blinds), Driving, Calling (Elk Bugling, Deer Rattling,
Predators), Stalking,
Tracking (determining the
kind of animal, the size of the animal, age of the track, what the animal is doing, following
and locating) |
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Tracking Wounded Game |
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Identification of Hit
(Blood color, Hair, Actions of Animal) |
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Recovering the Animal |
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How long to wait, How to follow the
trail, Marking and sectioning, Persistence |
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Hunting Ethics |
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Fish & Game Laws, Fair
Chase Rules, Hunter Courtesy, Selective Trophy Hunts |
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Hunter's Safety |
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Modern Firearms & Safe Use |
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Modern Hunting Bows and
Safe Use |
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How to Approach a Downed
Animal |
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Staying Out of Trouble with
Wounded Bears |
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Care of Game |
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Gutting, Skinning, Caping,
Quartering, Handling Meat on the Trail and in Camp, Preventing Spoilage in the Backcountry
during Warm Weather |
| GUIDING |
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Judging the Client |
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Current Physical Condition,
Previous Hunting Experience, Marksmanship, Hunting Goals (trophy or meat hunt), Attitude,
Diplomacy (handling difficult clients), Controlling the Excited Client when Game is Sighted |
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Professional Guide
Equipment |
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Personal, Field, Vehicles,
Tack and Weapons |
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Proper Equipment Care and
Repair |
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Tents, Stoves, Lanterns and
all Other Camp Equipment |
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Trophy and Field Care of
Game |
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Field Trip to Taxidermy
Studio |
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Actual
Caping and Skinning |
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Judging & Scoring Big Game
Trophies |
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Pope & Young Club |
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Boone & Crockett Club |
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Safari Club International |
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Advanced Leadership Skills |
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Attitude, Appearance,
People Skills, Work Ethics and Team Spirit |
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Organization of People and
Equipment |
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Making Fast, Accurate
Decisions |
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Taking Control in Emergency
Situations |
| WILDERNESS SURVIVAL |
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Backcountry Field Trip |
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Packing into the
Backcountry |
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Setting Up and Taking Down
a Big Game Hunting Camp |
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Basic Camp Cooking,
Preparation, Serving, Sanitation and Kitchen Cleanliness |
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Wrangling and Care of Stock
in the Backcountry |
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Applying Federal and State
Land Use Policies |
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Stalking and Hunting of Big
Game (with a camera) |
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Woodsmanship |
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Wilderness and Backcountry
Manners |
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Firearms (large bore rifle
and handguns) |
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Safety and Prevention |
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Actual Field Exercise with
Map and Compass |
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Crosscut Saw, Chainsaw and
Axe Use |
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Scouting |
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Gaining Sense of Direction
and Distance |
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Survival Situations |
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Fire Building, Emergency
Shelters, Rescue & Emergency Procedures, First Aid and CPR Certification, Signal Systems,
Hypothermia, and Dehydration |
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Wilderness Navigation
Methods |
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Using a Compass |
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Using a GPS (Global
Positioning System) |
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Reading Maps (Topos, US
Forest Service, BLM) |
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Day/Night Navigation |
| HORSEMANSHIP |
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Identify Horse Colors:
Palamino, Sirrel, Bay, etc. |
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Saddles & Equipment, Horse
and Mule Behavior, Horse Care & Common Health Problems, Trailer Loading and Transportation,
Repair of Tack/Equipment and Safety |
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Riding |
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Riding Lessons & Trail
Rides |
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Wrangling (catching,
saddling, bridling, and haltering), Matching Horse to Saddle and Rider, Mounting & Dismounting,
Reining, How to Control and Ride a Spirited Horse, Hoof Maintenance, Mountain Riding Techniques,
Holding in Backcountry |
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Care of Horses and Mules |
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Worming, Shots, Grooming,
Trimming, Conditioning, and Proper Feeding |
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Recognition and Treatment
of Common Horse and Mule Ailments |
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Horse and Mule Shoeing |
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Shoeing Tools and
Substitutes, Types of Shoes and Nails, Basic Fundamentals of Horse and Mule Shoeing, Trimming
Feet and What to Look For and Why, Methods of Throwing and Tying Horses and Mules, Actual
Shoeing of Horses and Mules |
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Anatomy |
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Age, Conformation and
Condition |
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Psychology |
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How to outthink a horse or
mule |
| PACKING |
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Equipment and Supplies |
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Pack Saddles and Gear |
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Types and Uses of Pack
Saddles |
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Mantas and Their Uses |
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Pannier Types and Uses |
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Hitches and Knots |
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Packing the Horse or Mule |
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Camp Gear, Hay and Grain,
Game, Weight Distribution and Balance |
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Packstring Knowledge |
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Correct Way to Tie
Together, Procedures for Leading a Packstring, Preventing Accidents, Personal Safety |
| CAMPING |
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Campsite Selection and
Layout |
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Erecting Tents |
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Camp Safety & Hygiene |
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Keeping Horses in the
Wilderness |
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Minimum Impact Techniques |
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Bear Prevention |
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Camp Equipment |
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Different Types and Uses,
Lanterns, Stoves, Tools and Maintenance of Equipment |
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Cook Tent |
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Proper Arrangement, Menus
(Nutrition and Diet), Calculating Proportions and Quantities, Cooking on Camp Fires/Dutch Oven
Cooking and Using Wood Burning Stoves, Safe Food Storage, and Sanitation |
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Camp Management |
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Procedures, Job
Assignments, Schedules, Morals |
| STARTING YOUR OWN
BUSINESS |
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Experience |
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Funding Sources |
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Equipment Needed |
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Land/Waters |
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Employees - Hiring and
Handling Personnel |
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Licenses, Insurance, and
Bonding |
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Marketing and Booking
Clientele |
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Business Structure
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Office Management &
Equipment |
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