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A Registered Maine Guide is an outdoor professional who leads recreational trips in Maine's fields, forests, waters, or ice. Maine is distinct in that the state mandates individuals to be licensed and permitted to accept any compensation for their services. People can obtain their Maine guide license in various areas, including recreation (hiking, biking, camping, paddle sports, and whitewater rafting), sea kayaking, hunting, fishing, and tide-water fishing. Registered Maine Guides can work for guide companies or outfitters that lead trips and provide services, or they can run their own guiding business. Some guides can operate year-round depending on their license category, while others only guide seasonally when activities align with the weather.
Responsibilities
Registered Maine Guides often exceed the basic requirements of ensuring their lead group doesn’t get lost or injured. They are responsible for creating an experience for guests during trips, encompassing the specific activities as well as planning, logistics, navigation, transportation, equipment, cooking, cleaning, and first aid. They also keep an eye on weather conditions and other hazards, feeling confident taking groups to remote areas that may lack cell reception. Positions at outfitters typically require guides to co-lead trips with other guides and collaborate with logistic coordinators to plan experiences for groups. Business management, financial oversight, accounting, and marketing are additional responsibilities for those who operate their own guiding service.
Requirements
To guide trips in Maine, an individual must pass an exam administered by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. The application process may take 6 months or longer to complete and consists of a written and Oral exam (including map/compass/GPS navigation, incidents, first aid, scenarios, laws, identification, equipment, skills, general knowledge, weather, and more).
Suggested Certifications:
High School Diploma/GED
Wilderness First Responder and CPR/AED or higher
Climate Connections
Registered Maine Guides venture into the great outdoors, sharing fun recreational activities with others and crafting meaningful outdoor experiences. These trips often demonstrate to guests the significance of caring for our environment and how to engage positively with the world around them.
