MWGO Guides
As part of our mission we strive toward the highest ethical and educational standards.  We are committed to exceeding our clients' expectations and the state's guide licensing expectations.

We are professionals in outdoor skills, camp lore, and managing our clients' outdoor experience.  As a member in good standing a guide pledges to maintain the following Code of Ethics:

• Respect the land and the landowners
• Provide the safest possible trips for our guests, with quality equipment and instruction
• Obey all fishing, hunting, and camping laws and regulations
• Serve as a role model; assist / help authorities, sportswoman, or sportsman in need
• Strive to maintain guiding skills and standards which are above those required by the state
• Provide educational experiences about the Northwoods and current conservation issues

This commitment involves educating others about the natural resources in Maine, stewardship of those resources, and conservation of those resources for future generations.

Our best efforts to meet these commitments require our wilderness guide community to share information, knowledge, and talents that will help us all live the good guide life by example.

Registered Maine Guide (State Requirements)
The State of Maine's Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has been licensing guides for over 100 years. To be licensed as a Maine Guide, an applicant must successfully pass a written test and oral examination.  In the process they must prove proficiency in the classification in which they are testing.

 Each Maine Guide must possess at the time of application certification in Standard First Aid.  The state does not require current first aid or CPR certification for license renewal which is every three years.

Guides are licensed under the following specialized classifications:

• Recreation - Canoeing, Camping, hiking, dog sledding, snowshoeing, skiing, ATVing, snowmobiling, mountain climbing, mountain biking
• Whitewater - Rafting on specific rivers
• Fishing - freshwater lake and river, fly or spincast
• Hunting - For any game species by bow, crossbow, rifle, shotgun or blackpowder
• Sea Kayaking - All Maine coastal waters
• Tidewater Fishing - Coastal and inland tidal waters, sports fishing by fly or spin cast
• Master Guide (before 2003) - A guide who held/holds hunting, fishing and recreation classifications
• Master Guide (after 2003) - A guide who has been licensed continuously for a ten year period and that they have a minimum of 5 years experience in the specialized classification.  During the 5-year period at least 80 hours of time each year must be spent in the act of direct guiding

     Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

• Becoming A Maine Guide