How lucky can a guy get?!

MountainSqwabler · Mar 30, 2022

I have been going towards my bachelor's degree for the last year, and out of the blue I get an offer to be a hunting guide here in Colorado. I apparently won the lottery with my wife because she told me "do whatever you think will make you the happiest".

To add too it, I didn't take the job, mainly because we aren't staying In Colorado forever, and the degree and field I'm in school for will allow us to do a ton more as far as life goes, but man....thanking the big man above that this woman would be so open to me becoming a mountain rat!

tailchasers · Mar 30, 2022

"How lucky can a guy get?!"

Draw that hybrid tag!! Then we'll talk luck!!

Bwht4x4 · Mar 30, 2022

MountainSqwabler said:
I have been going towards my bachelor's degree for the last year, and out of the blue I get an offer to be a hunting guide here in Colorado. I apparently won the lottery with my wife because she told me "do whatever you think will make you the happiest".

To add too it, I didn't take the job, mainly because we aren't staying In Colorado forever, and the degree and field I'm in school for will allow us to do a ton more as far as life goes, but man....thanking the big man above that this woman would be so open to me becoming a mountain rat!

I guided for 12 years while in college here in CA. It was a year-round operation since we were guiding for wild pigs and I guided somewhere around 20 to 30 weekends a year. I enjoyed most weekends, but on those certain weekends when the hunting was tough or the clients were horrible, I hated it. I found it to be super stressful when guys were paying a fair amount of money for a hunt and also taking time away from their families, and we didn't see squat!!! The worst for me was guiding deer hunters....wayyy too stressful. In the end the guiding paid for a vast amount of my college and I ended up with a BS and MS in Ecology/Biology and very little student loan debt. At 50 y/o I now restrict my guiding to special occasions with special clients.

You're smart to stick with the degree. In the end you'll likely make way more money from your education/degree then you would have with guiding.

MountainSqwabler · Mar 30, 2022

Bwht4x4 said:
I guided for 12 years while in college here in CA. It was a year-round operation since we were guiding for wild pigs and I guided somewhere around 20 to 30 weekends a year. I enjoyed most weekends, but on those certain weekends when the hunting was tough or the clients were horrible, I hated it. I found it to be super stressful when guys were paying a fair amount of money for a hunt and also taking time away from their families, and we didn't see squat!!! The worst for me was guiding deer hunters....wayyy too stressful. In the end the guiding paid for a vast amount of my college and I ended up with a BS and MS in Ecology/Biology and very little student loan debt. At 50 y/o I now restrict my guiding to special occasions with special clients.

You're smart to stick with the degree. In the end you'll likely make way more money from your education/degree then you would have with guiding.

That's ultimately why I went the route I did, I knew that with guiding I would be making alot less.

And the clients can't be any worse than @tailchasers ??

diablo · Mar 30, 2022

I think you made the right choice

JPickett · Mar 30, 2022

Guiding has always sounded like the worst possible job I could think of doing. Drag a fat slob up a hill who has no idea what he’s doing, still try and tee him up, watch him completely screw the pooch and then have to try and get his fat ass on something else. Or even worse they do kill the damn thing and think there super hunters while you do all the work.

Not for me. There’s like two people in this world I can stand hunting with and that happens about once every 5 years. God bless you guys that can put up with that chit and still keep a passion for hunting. Never been guided myself either and never will

ReinerDude · Mar 30, 2022

I’m wondering if you are really lucky or if she was giving you some kind of test or tricking you maybe? ?

MountainSqwabler · Mar 30, 2022

ReinerDude said:
I’m wondering if you are really lucky or if she was giving you some kind of test or tricking you maybe? ?

Ohhh she could have been!!! She can be a tricky little sht!

one_dryboot · Mar 30, 2022

I quit guiding when my own hunts were no longer enjoyable and just felt like a job.

tailchasers · Mar 30, 2022

MountainSqwabler said:
And the clients can't be any worse than

@tailchasers ??

God forbid the "client" out perform the "guide". Which in this instance it's already been shown repeatedly. Statements like that should cost you a 6 pack.

MountainSqwabler · Mar 30, 2022

tailchasers said:
God forbid the "client" out perform the "guide". Which in this instance it's already been shown repeatedly. Statements like that should cost you a 6 pack.

You owe me a 6 pack for just dealing with ya.

SS! · Mar 30, 2022

One word: SANCHO

MountainSqwabler · Mar 30, 2022

diablo said:
I think you made the right choice

I agree. I think at first I would have loved it, but it would have turned a hobby into work, thus ruining it lime others stated.

Wapitiwilly · Mar 31, 2022

When your hobby becomes a job. You know longer have a hobby. Been there done that!

BrowningRage · Apr 2, 2022

"do whatever you think will make you the happiest".

I think you made the right choice my friend, and by 'right choice', I mean her choice... You are becoming a wise husband.

Phantom Hunter · Apr 8, 2022

I think you owe a big word of thanks to the little lady. Be sure she knows how much you appreciate her giving you the freedom to take the guide job or not! I agree you made the right decision for several reasons!

bugleb · Apr 12, 2022

I had a summer job at a fish hatchery in high school. I had no interest in going fishing for years after.

Old Cowboy · Apr 12, 2022

Get your education and someday those guides could be working for you.

Beendare · Apr 12, 2022

The problem with guiding is you can’t always pick your clients.I sometimes help guide clients for a buddy that is good about interviewing his clients. I dumped my hog hunting guide biz in CA 30 yrs ago when a client almost shot my partner in the head- it just wasn’t worth it.

You did good with that woman though.