Mini Wilderness Guide School

Class Dates

The Mini Guide School is designed for those who want to learn the skills and techniques of professional guides and outfitters, but who aren’t working with horses and mules.  The mini guide school addresses many of the topics in the guide school except those relating to stock. This is a great course for those who want to improve their outdoor skills as well as learning new ones. Topics covered in the Mini Guide School are listed below.

IMPORTANT ENROLLMENT INSTRUCTIONS
Please download the enrollment application. Print it out, complete the application, and mail it to the Bridger Institute mailing address. Also please include a check made out for a deposit of 50% of the course tuition payable to Bridger Institute with this enrollment form. I understand the remaining balance is to be paid no less than 30 days prior to the course starting date.

Bridger Institute
P.O. Box 1991
Whitefish, MT 59937

HUNTING BIG GAME section will focus on twelve North American big game species including: moose, elk, caribou, bison, white tail deer, mule deer, pronghorn, big horn sheep, mountain goat, cougar, wolf and bear. In addition to species specific information, we will also detail twelve major big game hunting techniques and how and when to apply them. They include: spot & stalk (camouflage & stalking techniques), spot & shoot (long range hunting techniques), still hunting (on land and by river raft) animal tracking, game calling, elevated stands, baiting bears, driving, blinds & decoys, hunting with dogs, ride & shoot (hunting from horseback and hunting dangerous game. Other topics addressed will include scouting and game care.

HUNTING WITH FIREARMS  will focus on handguns and rifles, firearm safety, scopes and sights, reloading ammunition, shooting positions and techniques. Students will learn the basics of reloading for handguns and rifles. Students will have opportunities to practice mastering shooting techniques from standing, kneeling, sitting and prone positions.

BOW HUNTING  section will address techniques and equipment for primitive archery, traditional archery and modern archery. Students will have hands on experience with primitive bows, long bows, recurve bows, compound bows and crossbows. Students will have the opportunity practice shooting at land targets, aerial targets, moving targets, bow fishing and shooting from elevated stands. Each student will also make a variety of arrows and bow strings.

FLY FISHING  section will focus on different methods of fishing including: fly fishing, spin reel fishing and survival fishing.  This class, like all of our classes, is very hands-on and will address topics such as: fishing equipment, fish species & behavior, fishing rules & regulations, fishing lakes, rivers & streams, and processing & preserving fish, Students will learn to tie several different flies and test their effectiveness in our local streams and rivers.

TRAPPING  class will focus on the history of trapping, rules & regulations for trapping, benefits of trapping, furbearer identification, habits/habitat and trapping techniques for each furbearer species. Trapping equipment, land sets, water sets and elevated sets, will also be addressed. This unit will be conducted by members of the Montana Fur Harvesters association who have many years experience trapping in many different states.