Fishing Guides - Making money on tax dollars?

[WettinLine]

I'm just looking for general banter on how everyone feels about guides making money on taxpayers dollars. For example Spoonbill are stocked by the MDC at roughly $8 a fish, or a trout $?, and someone can charge to assist you in obtaining these species that where put in the water with tax dollars. Can I go to public park, or national forest and cut firewood? Why not, I'll cut the wood and sell it, or burn it for heat, after all its funded with my tax dollars right? The only thing I can say I'm generally ok with is an animal that can repopulate without tax payers help. I'm sure you can argue this either way, but its just seems like there should be catch and release approach with MDC stock species if aided by a paid service. IT'S LIKE POKING A SLEEPING BEAR

[Bird Watcher]

I'll hire a river guide every once in awhile. Mainly because I don't want to clean and cook the fish at the end of the trip. I'm usually too drunk and tired by then to mess with it. We've been using an outstanding guy the last couple years down on the Elk River watershed. PM me if you want his info..

[WettinLine]

Bump! PM sent

[awhuber]

You can cut wood in the National Forest. Thanks for suppling my heating wood! Dont the guides and the guidees pay taxes?

[fishinwrench]

How do you feel about Taxi cab drivers ?

You could say that fishing guides are getting paid only for the ride they provide, or the entertainment, or the rental of gear, since there's no guarantee that anyone will touch a fish.

[Feathers and Fins]

I will try to give the simple answer for the question.

A guide pays for his License ( Guide License ) that’s a tax goes to outdoors

A guide is on the water far more than an average angler and pays Fuel Taxes ( hey those go to roads not lakes you drive on )

A guide pays taxes on all his gear and bait ( goes to the outdoors )

A guide has to repair or buy new gear from clients breaking or losing it ( More outdoor tax money )

How about the Taxes um license his clients (especially out of staters pay) more back to the outdoors

Now the long version is in the tax code of who pays the original tax but then is passed on to the consumer. Look it up on the IRS website. This is just the short version.

Would you like me to go on? If you look at the amount of (TAX money that a guide spends it far surpasses any weekend angler hands down) that tax money pays for those spoonbill and so many other things and let’s not forget those roads you drive on his fuel tax pays to maintain those.

It’s a business they are taxed but unlike many business because of outdoor taxes their taxes go back to the resource, well are suppose to anyway. Oh and lets not forget getting angry clients for one reason or another, or bad weather, fish not biting etc etc etc. Sounds like a glamour's job and fun but in reality its a lot of work. More than most would imagine.

[Flysmallie]

I see no problem with it.

[WettinLine]

Can you guide without a fishing license? NO Guides are assisting in the pursuit of stocked game, can I cast your pole and hand it off without a license? NO This is no different then pushing deer to a poster and not having a deer tag. Mark Twain Forest would be leveled if this where true, I'd log it out, but don't worry your tax dollar would replant it! Its for down and dead wood only, not really the same.

Taxi Cabs- Stink like BO

[Quillback]

There's all kinds of people making money in the fishing business. Guides are just one group. I don't have a problem with it.

[Bird Watcher]

I will say this:

It does seem weird that a hunting guide can't operate on public land in Missouri but a fishing guide can. Seems like it should be the same for both