What is a hunting guide waiver?
A guided hunt puts paying clients, loaded firearms, rough country and wild animals together, often far from help. Outfitters need to know every hunter is licensed, tagged and legally allowed to carry their firearm or bow, and that they'll follow the guide's word in the field.
This template records the hunt, dates, area, method and how you travel (on foot, by truck and off-road vehicle, horseback or boat), plus your outfitter licence where you have one. The hunter lists their licence and tags and any hunter education certificate, and says whether they bring their own firearm or bow. The form puts the guide in charge, sets out standard firearm and tree-stand safety rules, bans alcohol and drugs, and commits the hunter to hunting laws and ethical shots. It records health and fitness limits, lists the real risks plainly, releases the outfitter and landowners to the extent the law allows, and sets out your policy when no animal is taken.
- Best for
- Outfitters, hunting guides, lodges and ranches offering guided hunts
- Signed by
- The hunter and the outfitter
- Methods
- Rifle, shotgun, muzzleloader, bow or crossbow
- Length
- 3 pages, initialled by the hunter
When to use a hunting guide waiver
- Guided big game hunts for elk, deer or moose
- Waterfowl hunts from boats or blinds
- Bow hunts from tree stands
- Upland bird hunts on a private ranch
- Horseback backcountry hunts
What you fill in
15 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: hunter, outfitter.
1 The hunt
- Outfitter or guide service*
- Outfitter or guide licence number
- Hunt*
- Dates*
- Hunting area*
- Method* rifle · shotgun · muzzleloader · bow or crossbow · rifle or bow
- Transport during the hunt* walking only · trucks and off-road vehicles, and walking · horseback, trucks and walking · boats, and walking
2 The hunter
- Hunter's full name*
- Hunting licence and tags*
- Hunter education or firearm safety certificate
- Firearm or bow* The hunter will bring their own firearm or bow and is responsible for its lawful transport and safe condition. · The hunter will use a firearm or bow supplied by the outfitter, where the law allows.
- Health conditions, fitness limits and medicines
- Emergency contact (name and phone)*
3 Terms
- Refunds if no animal is taken* The Outfitter does not guarantee that any animal will be seen or taken, and fees are not refunded because of it. · The Outfitter does not guarantee that any animal will be taken. If the hunter does not get a fair opportunity at the species hunted, the Outfitter will offer a discounted return hunt, as set out in the booking terms.
- Governing law*
4 Who signs
- Hunter signature and date, initials on every page · The hunter, who must be 18 or older. This form is not set up for a parent signing for a young hunter.
- Outfitter signature and date, job title, initials on every page · The outfitter, guide service or lodge running the hunt.
What the hunting guide waiver covers
- Licences and certifications
- The guide's instructions
- Firearm and bow safety
- Hunting laws and ethics
- Health and fitness
- Risks
- Assumption of risk and release
- Success, emergencies and general terms
Using the hunting guide waiver, step by step
1 Describe the hunt
Your outfitter name fills in. Add the hunt, dates, area, method, transport and your licence number.
2 Set your terms
Choose your policy when no animal is taken, and set the governing law.
3 Hunter fills in
The hunter adds licences and tags, any safety certificate, whether they're bringing their own firearm or bow, health limits and an emergency contact, then initials and signs.
4 Check and countersign
Check licences and tags against the form at camp, countersign, and keep the waiver in your FileIt vault.
Tips before you send it
- Check the hunter's licences and tags yourself on arrival. A wrong tag puts the whole hunt at risk.
- Remind clients travelling from another state or country to check the firearm transport and import rules.
- Carry a satellite communicator and first aid kit, and know the evacuation plan for each area.
- Outfitter licensing, landowner liability rules and waiver enforceability vary by place. Check what applies where you guide.
Sign it online in minutes
- Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
- Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. FileIt builds the PDF with every signature, date and initials box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
- Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in your vault and emailed to everyone.
Hunting guide waiver: frequently asked questions
Does it check the hunter's licences?
The hunter lists their licence and tags and confirms they hold everything the law requires. You should still check them in person.
Does it cover bow hunting?
Yes. Choose bow or crossbow, or rifle or bow. Tree-stand safety rules are included.
What if the hunter doesn't get an animal?
You choose: no guarantee and no refund, or a discounted return hunt if there was no fair opportunity, as your booking terms say.
Are landowners covered?
Yes. The release extends to the landowners whose land is hunted, to the extent the law allows.