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Assistant hunting guides

Last updated on March 25, 2025

An assistant hunting guide is a qualified and eligible person who guides on behalf of a licensed guide outfitter.

Eligibility

In order to be an assistant hunting guide, a person must:

  • Be 18 years of age or older
  • Have passed the approved assistant hunting guide exam and have a permanent identification number. Assistant Guide Exam information can be found on the Guide Outfitter Association of BC website
  • Not have outstanding fines owed to government under the Ministry's legislation. Guide outfitters may check for outstanding fines by querying the Ministry of Environment - Environmental Violation Database

Outage notice: Environmental Violation Database is currently unavailable due to system maintenance. Service is expected to resume in mid-April, 2025. In the meantime, if you require assistance determining if an individual has applicable fines outstanding, please email Licence.Action@gov.bc.ca with your full name and Fish and Wildlife ID (FWID), as well as the full name of the individual in question.

Guide outfitters who are considering hiring an assistant guide from outside of Canada are encouraged to contact Citizen and Immigration Canada to learn more about the options and process for hiring temporary foreign workers.

Authorizing an assistant guide

Section 48 of the Wildlife Act requires that a qualified person hired as an assistant guide must be issued a written authorization, in the prescribed manner and form and with the prescribed content by the employing guide outfitter.

Requirements as to the manner, form and content of the assistant guide authorization have been prescribed under section 1.17 of the Wildlife Act Commercial Activities Regulation (the 'regulation'). The requirements are as follows:

  • The authorization is to be written;
  • The authorization is to be legible; and
  • The authorization is to contain the following information:
    • The name, birth date and permanent address of the assistant guide;
    • The permanent identification number of the assistant guide;
    • The name of the guide outfitter;
    • The number of the guide outfitter's licence;
    • The date the written authorization is issued;
    • The date the term of the guide outfitter's licence ends;
    • The statement: '(name of assistant guide) has been hired as an assistant guide.';
    • Any restrictions on the assistant guide when guiding for game on behalf of the guide outfitter contained in the contract between the guide outfitter and the assistant guide, such as restrictions relating to season, areas or species; and
    • A signed statement by the guide outfitter that, to the best of the guide outfitter's knowledge, the information contained in the written authorization is true, accurate and complete.

A guide outfitter may elect to use the Wildlife Act Assistant Guide Authorization form (PDF, 146KB) or prepare their own authorization. The only statutory requirement is that the authorization must satisfy the requirements in section 1.17 of the regulation. This document contains reference to previous ministers or ministries responsible for wildlife at the time of publication. Periodic transfer of authority for natural resource management may not be reflected in this document.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the assistant guide authorization form or the requirements under section 1.17 of the regulation, please contact FrontCounter BC at 1-877-855-3222 (Canada) or ++1-778-372-0729 (From outside of North America).