There are 245 Guide Outfitters in British Columbia at present. Each Guide Outfitter is licensed to guide residents and non-resident hunters in an exclusive guide area with clearly defined and legally described boundaries. The guide areas vary considerably in size and availability of big game species. Guide Outfitters hire about 1100 assistant guides each year, and guide approximately 4,500 hunters in total each year.
The responsibility for issuing guide licences and guide outfitter certificates lies with the Regional Fish and Wildlife Managers in the 8 wildlife management regions in the province.
The Guide Outfitter licence is issued annually and allows the Guide Outfitter to operate a guiding business. Without the licensed Guide Outfitter there can be no business.
A licensed Guide Outfitter may apply to the Regional Manager for a guide outfitter certificate which gives him or her the exclusive guiding privileges in that guide area for a period not exceeding 10 years. The certificate may be renewed any time after the fifth anniversary for a further 10 years. The certificate does not confer any property rights on the holder, and only the rights of the person named on the certificate would be recognized by the province.
Private arrangements to financially invest in or “back” a guide business are not reflected in a guide outfitter certificate, nor are they taken into account when the certificate is granted. Anyone who wishes can enter into a financial agreement with a legitimate guide outfitter, and is not required to disclose this to B.C. Environment. Our dealings are always with the licensed guide outfitter.
Under section 61 of the Wildlife Act, a regional manager has the power to suspend, cancel or refuse to renew a guide outfitter’s licence or certificate. Under section 63 of the Act, if a guide outfitter’s licence is cancelled, his or her privileges in and to a guide outfitters certificate terminate, and the guides outfitter must surrender the certificate to the regional manager. Private investors need to be aware that if this happens, the guide area reverts to the Crown.
The most usual way for guide areas to change hands is through direct purchase of the guiding rights by the prospective buyer from the existing guide. The actual “sale” of the guide area (price and any other terms of the deed of sale) is a private matter between the retiring guide and the intending guide. However, any transfer of the guiding rights in an area must be approved and authorized by the regional fish and wildlife manager.
Occasionally, a newly activated guide area or one that has been forfeited to the Crown may become available. Under the Wildlife Act, in such cases “… the privilege of guiding in that area shall be advertised for sale by the regional manager and sold by tender or by any other prescribed means to a person qualified to hold a guide outfitter licence.” |