(30 Day Hands-on Training Curriculum)

1) Ethics and Attitude:

• professionalism
• social skills
• work habits, communication, working as a team
• personal attitude and appearance

2) Horsemanship

• proper placement of pads and saddles on stock
• fitting the saddle to each animal, both pack and riding
• saddling and unsaddling
• adjustment and repair of all tack
• handling, proper way of working around animals
• grooming, health care, basic vet. skills
• riding skills, importance of balancing of clients saddle instruction for mounting and dismounting for client, horse handling keeping your client balanced in the saddle, being on top of things
• basic horse training techniques

3) Packing: (Sawbuck & Decker, equal time allotted for each styles)

• diamond hitches, single, double, soft sided panniers and boxes
• cargoing packs, mantying loads from duffle, to hay & feed to all other oddities that would go into hunting camp
• slinging loads, basket hitch, barrel roll, box hitch, crows foot, top packing
• meat packing (simulated), top packing antlers, safety when loading animals with wild game
• packing riding saddles, packing game on riding saddles, whole and quarters
• pulling a string ( short, long, daylight & dark ) ropes, knots and splicing

4) Transporting livestock

• vehicle and trailer maintenance
• loading and unloading of stock
• maneuvering of trailers and stock-trucks, backing and turning

5) Shoeing

• tools
• animal restraints
• anatomy of foot and leg
• hands on shoeing and trimming

6) Use of crosscut saw and ax

• safety
• sharpening
• falling, limbing and bucking

7) Use of chain saw

• safety
• sharpening
• falling, limbing and bucking
• basic maintenance, gas oil mixture

8) Weapon knowledge (Rifle, Archery & Handguns)

• ballistics
• archery, maintenance and repair
• overall safety and handling
• hands on shooting

9) Guiding skills

• glassing of game, general habits, game sign
• stalking techniques
• big game anatomy
• shot placement
• blood trailing, tracking
• scoring of trophies
• bugling, and cow calls
• fly fishing, spin rod fishing *(This Training is Optional)*
• map and compass work
• fire starting, location and use of pitch wood
• day pack and what the guide needs to carry

10) Game care

• field dressing
• skinning
• caping
• halving and quartering of game
• cleanliness and prevention of meat spoilage

11) Setting camps

• erecting tents and flys
• proper setup and tear down
• camp location
• proper setup of corrals, and high lines
• importance of a clean camp, and keeping it clean
• keeping camp in good working order, repairs, maintenance & safety including gas lanterns
• low-impact camping

12) Camp cooking (offered by select schools)

• camp hygiene and duties
• meal planning
• cooking with wood/gas stoves and ovens
• cooking over open fire and grill
• Dutch oven cooking

13) Regulations

• understanding Forest Service regulations
• knowledge of all Fish and Game laws
• importance of good relationships with Forest Service and Fish & Game

14) Red Cross First Aid & CPR Class