As the Executive Director for the Maine Professional Guides Association I spend my winters going to meetings of one sort or another. This Friday I will be at the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine’s annual Sportsmen’s Congress on two different panels one on deer and one on fishing. I have attended most of the Congresses over the years and always learn something new or useful. This year we have been asked to produce a list of three wishes and three roadblocks.
I have been thinking about my lists since before the holiday break and here is what I have come up with so far. I’m sure that my list will change before Friday but as of today.
My wishes are.
That the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife develop a customer focus. I understand that they manage wildlife for all of the people of Maine; just like I feel a personal obligation to help every kid that wants to fish. I often let kids use my stuff when waiting at the a boat launch or donate a day to a Hooked on Fishing event, but when a paying client shows up that is where my focus goes with no question. Working on fairy shrimp in vernal pools while the deer population crashes or you have no clue how many moose there are in the north woods is simply inexcusable.
Research on the Northern Maine Deer herd, there are simply too many unanswered questions. We are told frequently it is all about the quality of the habitat but the state owns a few deer yards that are not deer hot spots so clearly that is only a part of the problem. We have no research to guide us. Spend some time adjusting priorities and dropping those that they simply cannot support with personnel or funding. Resources are not going to grow for the foreseeable future so it is time to set some priorities.
Real respect and support for the hunting and fishing sector with marketing and business development. That the Fisheries biologists are undertaking the marketing of Maine Native Brook trout is at the same time admirable and frightening.
Roadblocks to the hunting and fishing economy.
There currently is minimal marketing support for our most basic tourism product from state government. Not completely the fault of state government we in the industry have failed to show up to let our voices be heard as to the need for that support. As an industry we have got to stop hiding! It has been easier to pretend that we do not have successful businesses that pay taxes and support families than it has been to stand up and be counted. The latest issue with guides not being eligible to be sub-contractors is due in no small part to our unwillingness to look and act like the small businesses that we are. Keep in mind when new guides are given licenses no one tells them that they need to collect and pay sales taxes on meals that they serve in the field so many simply do not know.
A lack of support for businesses in our sector both in capital and business development.
When I left state government long ago I went through a program to help me re launch my business. I can assure you that I knew far more about running a guiding business than my “trainer” did. I have made a small effort personally to help guides be more successful with a small business seminar not enough to be sure and this problem will require more than one company’s efforts.
Maine Outdoors has been here for twenty five years while many of the convenience stores and other businesses supported with real capital and support are simply gone. My personal favorite was a climbing wall next to the Union dump that got a big loan and lasted less than a year (as you would expect). I was able to secure an SBA loan, the application was three and a half inches thick, the process took three months and the loan was for fourteen thousand dollars. No I am not kidding.
These are my thoughts on the topic on Wednesday morning, what are yours?
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