Guide seminar

As you may remember I was appointed by Governor Baldacci to the task force to on Maine’s Natural Resource Agencies. We met throughout the summer and fall and completed a variety of tasks outside of meetings. At the end of the process there was only one proposal with much support. The proposal put forward by the Natural Resource Network had the support of more than half of the task force members. But because we were operating under consensus rules voting on various proposals was not done.

I was interested to read that a legislative committee has held hearings on whether it is difficult for Maine small businesses to get loans in the current environment. Here is the article in Tuesday’s Portland Press Herald.  

Over the years I have worked alongside a number of other guides and during the last couple of seasons I have hired a few to help with large groups or when Maine Outdoors has multiple trips going. Most of them are great folks to work with and understand that the primary goal is for clients to have a good time while being safe. Some of them do not understand that being a guide is actually work and that being successful takes more than a license from the state.

Sometimes I have a few odd minutes to fill and am always on the lookout for something fun and useful to do with the time. I was sent a link to a lecture on TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) that I found interesting. So I spent some time checking it out and discovered that the talks can be downloaded as Podcasts and loaded onto my iPod. I had to wait for the Yukon to be repaired yesterday and the casts were a perfect way to fill the hour or so that the repair took.

As I wind down the season and year I plan to spend a few days thinking about the future of Maine Outdoors. The first step for me is to gather the information that I will need. I like to see the financial stuff and the thoughts of my customers and of course I have a few thoughts of my own about what works, what does not and which directions to move in over the next season or two. Of course I am already committed to continuing some services by buying a new boat. (Not that I would consider for a minute not striper fishing)

I spend time regularly thinking about the business of being a guide. Not only because that is what I have for a business but as I think about teaching others in my seminars I pretty carefully think thorough what it takes to make it all work. After 22 years at it I have a pretty good idea of what a successful guide looks like, From this perspective it has been very interesting to read the comments on the Plum Creek zoning plan submitted by various environmental groups, which I am doing as part of my role representing the Maine Bowhunters Association.

As I sit on the deck and write this there are an even dozen bluebirds sitting on the power line in front of the house. I assume that they are flocking up getting ready to migrate. More bluebirds than I have ever seen at any one time in one place. Today is a gorgeous autumn day, puffy white clouds and a pleasant northwest breeze. The last week of the summer season was a gradual slowdown from what has been a very busy stretch. I had one day with three trips but others with one or two and a couple of days off on the Labor Day weekend due to last minute cancellations.

I learned this week that the Bangor Savings Bank will be partnering with me in delivering my small business seminars for guides. The relationship is part of the banks commitment to work with the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine at the new SAM conference center in Augusta. I held two seminars at the center last winter and am working on the schedule for coming sessions this fall and next winter.