On Tuesday, February 24th 2026, members of the Williams Lake Community Forest were accompanied by Guide Outfitters of the region to host a Guide Outfitting seminar for Grade 10 to 12 students. This seminar was geared towards allowing high school students the opportunity to learn more about the profession of guide outfitting and what a day in the life of a hunting guide looks like. Students set up a wall tent, learned crucial knots for pack horses, and then used said knots to prepare a pack horse for the trail. WLCF members shared their knowledge of ecosystem management for wildlife species that are critical to guide outfitters businesses in the Cariboo-Chilcotin. Students enjoyed the brisk February afternoon with the natural resources professionals and asked many career related questions around a campfire while roasting marshmallows.
Press Release – Submitted by: Chezacut Ranch & Outfitting
There are not many classrooms where the lesson begins with the smell of Douglas-fir, juniper, wood smoke, and oncoming spring. But that was exactly the setting at the Bysack Road Outdoor Classroom this past February, where ten students spent a bluebird day learning what life in British Columbiaʼs guide outfitting industry really looks like.
Nestled in the forests near Williams Lake, the outdoor classroom sits within the Williams Lake Community Forest, a landscape that feels purpose-built for teaching the next generation of guides, horse packers, hunters, and land stewards. Under sunny skies and crisp winter air, students traded desks and screens for campfires, horse tack, and boot tracks in the snow.
Leading the day were three people who live this work every day. Garret Madley from Tzazati Mountain Outfitters, Chris Leighton from Chezacut Ranch and Outfitting, and Cameron Flinton from the Williams Lake Community Forest brought a mix of real-world experience, practical skills, and stories from years spent working on the land.
The day moved from one lesson to the next, each one grounded in the realities of backcountry life. Students learned how to safely build fires and cook outdoors, how to construct primitive shelters with what the forest provides, and how to handle and pack horses for wilderness travel. They studied animal tracks in the snow and talked about how guides read landscapes, understand animal behaviour, and make ethical decisions in the field.
But beyond the technical skills, some of the most important conversations centered around ethics. What does it mean to hunt responsibly? What does it mean to guide clients through wild places while respecting the animals, the land, and the traditions that come with both? These are the lessons that do not always show up in manuals, but they are often the ones that stay with people the longest.
Programs like this remind you that guide outfitting is about far more than harvesting game or leading trail rides. At its best, it is about stewardship, mentorship, and passing down knowledge that can only really be learned outside, with cold hands, smoky clothes, and good people around you.
This day in the woods was made possible through the support and collaboration of Tzazati Mountain Outfitters, Chezacut Ranch and Outfitting, and the Williams Lake Community Forest, all committed to keeping British Columbiaʼs outfitting traditions strong for the next generation.
