Till the second quarter of 2012, there were only 2490 hunting, fishing and trapping establishments in the United States based on the estimations made by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Out of these people, only a few are professional hunters. Though hunting is chosen as a profession by a very few number of people, still there are various methods in which the hunting passion and skills of hunting can be enhanced. This converts hunting into a marketable career. Thinking broadly and considering tangent opportunities helps in building a career in this field as these opportunities make use of hunting and other related skills.
Steps For Becoming Professional Hunter
- STEP 1:
Issuing a proper license is very necessary for hunting in the areas and for the game of one’s choice.
- STEP 2:
Evaluating one’s hunting skills and comparing them with that of local amateurs helps in a better preparation for becoming a good professional hunter. A local game guide can be appointed as a mentor for evaluating hunting skills of an individual.
- STEP 3:
One can enhance his/her hunting skills by practicing shooting on a regular basis. Reading articles based on hunting also helps in this regard. One must also enquire from the conservation field office of the department about the various available education opportunities.
- STEP 4:
In order to improve one’s marksmanship, one must make use of outdoor and indoor facilities and try to practice shooting regularly.
Photo Credit: http://www.proishunting.com/tag/britney-starr/
- STEP 5:
Measurement and improvement in various hunting skills can also be achieved by competing in different amateur shooting contests and championships.
- STEP 6:
Communication skills, both verbal and written, should be practiced on a daily basis. In order to improve in this area, required courses can be taken at any local community college.
- STEP 7:
One must go through the firearms laws after studying one’s own local and state hunting regulations.
Considering One’s Options
- STEP 1:
One may think of creating a business out of hunting. This can be done by registering with the local government or the secretary of one’s own state office. If one plans to use support staff, it is important for him/her to get an employee identification number.
- STEP 2:
Hunting land can be purchased on lease and can be used to enhance the hunting experiences of an individual. This can be achieved with the help of a guide or a mentor. In the United States, the price for having quality hunting time is too high. Professional game warden must be consulted to confirm whether the state needs some special permission for the individual to act as a guide.
- STEP 3:
There can be numerous reasons for deer hunting and hunting of other animals. One of the purposes is to sell animal hides. In order to get an idea of the market prices, one must need to resort to various related sites. Fur Auction in North America etc. are the examples of some of the sites.
- STEP 4:
Hunting experiences like hunting deer with a dog can be recorded in a book or a magazine. For this, one has to find a good publisher for publishing his/her story of hunting. In order to gain contacts of the publishers, increase exposure and enhance the writing skills, one must join the various outdoor writing associations like Outdoor Writers Association of America. For making the search for good publishers easier, one must go through ‘Writers’ Market’ guide. This guide enlists the contact information of all the eminent publishers.
- STEP 5:
One can also create a blog in which he can publish articles based on his various hunting skills and exciting experiences. Marketing the various hunting videotapes and converting them into entertainment and inspirational videos can also serve as an option.
- STEP 6:
One can research on Government sponsored target hunts like different pest reduction programs. In the similar manner, in order to use animals for research, specialists may be paid by the local universities to tranquilize them.
- STEP 7:
Opening a gun shop or a hunter’s supply can also be a good professional option. There are certain specific rules for ammunition sales regulation for firearms. For the proper knowledge of these rules, one must contact the state government.