About Licensed Outfitters and how we verify

Licensed Outfitters lists outfitters and guides that appear in state licensing records, so you can check a license before you book. Every profile links to the state source so you can confirm the license yourself, except that Arizona has no public license search, so Arizona licenses are confirmed with AZGFD. We don't review, rank or endorse outfitters.

Colorado (853 outfitters)

• Source: Professional and Occupational Licenses in Colorado, the state's open-data API (dataset 7s5z-vewr), outfitter licenses only. Licenses are recorded by the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA).
• Only active licenses: we show licenses with status Active or Active - With Conditions, one entry per license number. Expired, revoked, surrendered and cancelled licenses are left out.
• Non-hunting filter: the Colorado record doesn't say what activities a license covers. Before loading, we removed 74 active licenses that list no operating units and whose business names point to fishing, rafting or similar trips. Some outfitters that list units may still offer non-hunting trips, so check with the outfitter.
• Operating units are the game management units listed on the license record. A listed unit doesn't confirm hunt availability, land access or species.
• Verify: each Colorado profile links to its record in the Colorado DORA license lookup.
• License data verified: Oct 23, 2026.

Wyoming (291 outfitters)

• Source: the 2026 outfitter directory published by the Wyoming State Board of Outfitters and Professional Guides.
• Who's listed: every outfitter in that directory, one entry per license number. All are listed as hunting outfitters.
• Verify: Wyoming has no per-outfitter record pages, so each Wyoming profile gives the license number and links to the Wyoming state outfitter search.
• License data verified: Oct 23, 2026.

New York (830 guides)

• Source: Guides Currently Licensed in New York State on data.ny.gov (dataset q9d5-zxbn), published by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The dataset was last updated Oct 1, 2026.
• Who's listed: guides whose license lists the Hunting activity, with an expiration date that hadn't passed when we pulled the data, one entry per badge number. New York licenses individual guides, so most entries are a person's name; where the record gives a business name, we show it.
• What the record includes: name, city, state, county of residence, phone, badge number and expiration date. It doesn't list species or where a guide hunts. We show the county only for New York residents (100 guides have no county shown).
• Verify: New York has no per-guide record pages, so each profile gives the badge number and links to the DEC Licensed Guides list on data.ny.gov.
• License data verified: Oct 26, 2026.

Oregon (197 outfitter guides)

• Source: outfitter guide registrations from the Oregon State Marine Board, read from its public roster data layer, which feeds the OSMB outfitter guide roster. The layer was last edited Sep 25, 2026.
• Who's listed: registrations with status Active or Active In Renewal whose registered activities include hunting, one entry per registration number.
• What the record includes: name, business name, registration number, status, the OSMB areas registered, and the phone, email and website the registrant gave. It has no city or mailing address and doesn't list species. We leave out website entries that aren't a web address and phone numbers that don't have 10 digits.
• Verify: Oregon has no per-guide record pages, so each profile gives the registration number and links to the OSMB outfitter guide roster.
• License data verified: Oct 26, 2026.

Alaska (415 licensed guide-outfitters)

• Source: Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing (DCBPL), Big Game Commercial Services Board: Professional License Download and Guide Use Area Download. State list dated Oct 26, 2026.
• Who's listed: Registered and Master Guide-Outfitter licenses, status Active (395) or Probation (20).
• Verify: each profile links to the Alaska DCBPL professional license search.
• License data verified: Oct 26, 2026.

Arizona (860 licensed hunting guides)

• Source: Arizona Game and Fish Department, list provided via public records request, as of March 19, 2026. State list dated Mar 19, 2026.
• Who's listed: 952 rows on the AZGFD list; 88 fishing-only guides, 2 duplicates and 1 test record removed (861).
• Arizona has no public guide directory. This list came from the Arizona Game and Fish Department through a public records request; we show the name, city and state, and guide type only. AZGFD's guide page explains the license but has no public search, so contact AZGFD to confirm a guide's license.
• Verify: each profile links to the AZGFD guide license page.
• License data verified: Oct 26, 2026.

Connecticut (60 registered hunting guides)

• Source: Connecticut DEEP registered guides list (PDF dated Jul 23, 2025), hunting and hunting-and-fishing guides. State list dated Jul 23, 2025.
• Who's listed: 61 Hunting or Both rows, one duplicate removed (60).
• Older list: the state list we use is dated Jul 23, 2025 and may not reflect current status.
• Verify: each profile links to the CT DEEP guide services page.
• License data verified: Oct 26, 2026.

Idaho (113 licensed outfitters)

• Source: Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL), Board of Outfitters and Guides: active Outfitter License bulk export, limited to outfitters on the OGLB Outfitters By Hunt list (deer and elk). State list dated Oct 26, 2026.
• Who's listed: Active Outfitter licenses that appear on the OGLB deer/elk Outfitters By Hunt list (114 licenses; one licensee with two licenses is shown once).
• Verify: each profile links to the Look up on the DOPL portal.
• License data verified: Oct 26, 2026.

Illinois (178 permitted outfitters)

• Source: Illinois DNR outfitter permit lists (deer/wild turkey and waterfowl PDFs, dated Oct 1, 2026). State list dated Oct 1, 2026.
• Who's listed: 196 permits (156 deer/wild turkey, 40 waterfowl) merged to 178 outfitters; 930 guides listed under their outfitter.
• Verify: each profile links to the Illinois DNR outfitter information page.
• License data verified: Oct 26, 2026.

Kentucky (89 licensed hunting outfitters)

• Source: Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Commercial Guide information (PDF, revised Aug 13, 2026), hunting section. State list dated Aug 13, 2026.
• Who's listed: All 89 entries in the hunting section.
• Verify: each profile links to the KDFWR commercial guide list (PDF).
• License data verified: Oct 26, 2026.

Michigan (569 commercial guides on state land)

• Source: Michigan DNR list of commercial hunting guides on state land (opt-in list).
• Who's listed: All 569 guides on the published list.
• The DNR list includes only guides who chose to have their information published, and it has no addresses.
• Verify: each profile links to the Michigan DNR list of commercial hunting guides.
• License data verified: Oct 26, 2026.

Minnesota (130 bear hunting guides)

• Source: Minnesota DNR bear hunting guides page (updated Apr 17, 2025). State list dated Apr 17, 2025.
• Who's listed: All 130 bear guides on the page.
• Older list: the state list we use is dated Apr 17, 2025 and may not reflect current status.
• Verify: each profile links to the Minnesota DNR bear hunting guides list.
• License data verified: Oct 26, 2026.

Nevada (98 licensed master guides)

• Source: Nevada Department of Wildlife, 2026 Licensed Master Guides list (PDF, dated Jun 25, 2026). State list dated Jun 25, 2026.
• Who's listed: All 98 master guides on the 2026 list (hunting).
• Some names and cities are cut off in the NDOW PDF; they are shown exactly as printed.
• Verify: each profile links to the NDOW 2026 Licensed Master Guides list (PDF).
• License data verified: Oct 26, 2026.

New Hampshire (61 licensed hunting guides)

• Source: New Hampshire Fish and Game, licensed hunting guides page (updated Oct 2, 2026). State list dated Oct 2, 2026.
• Who's listed: All 61 guides on the page.
• Verify: each profile links to the NH Fish and Game licensed hunting guides list.
• License data verified: Oct 26, 2026.

New Mexico (305 registered outfitters)

• Source: New Mexico Department of Wildlife, guide and outfitter information page; Active Outfitter List updated Oct 2, 2026. State list dated Oct 2, 2026.
• Who's listed: All 305 outfitters on the Oct 2, 2026 list. The list has no license numbers; contact details are not republished here.
• Verify: each profile links to the NMDOW guide and outfitter information page.
• License data verified: Oct 26, 2026.

Draw deadlines

Dates on the draw calendar come from each state wildlife agency, and every row links to its official source. Last verified Oct 26, 2026.

Before you book

A license or registration only means the outfitter or guide appears in state records. Confirm the current status with the state, using our guide on how to check if an outfitter is licensed.

Photo and map credits

Every photo and map on the site is credited on the photo and map credits page, with its source and license.

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