IDAHO OUTFITTERS & GUIDES ASSOCIATION Information

The Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association is a non-profit business trade association. It represents the majority of the state's full time licensed outfitters and guides. Members primarily are small, independently owned businesses offering guided hunting, fishing, river running, trail riding, hiking, biking, climbing, skiing, snowmobiling, and guest ranch trips. An outfitter is someone who offers guided trips for compensation. To operate legally in Idaho, outfitters must be licensed with the state Outfitters and Guides Licensing Board. A guide is an outfitter's employee. Guides must be certified in first aid. They must train with a licensed outfitter, and they must be licensed with the state board. Idaho was one of the first states in the West to license and bond outfitters and guides. The state established requirements in 1954, a decade before the Forest Service began similar regulation. Not until the 1980s did Montana, Wyoming and Colorado follow Idaho's example. IOGA members continue to be standard-setters for the industry. They are licensed and bonded and must meet high standards of safety and professionalism. They are committed to serving their clients while also conserving Idaho's land, water, and wildlife.