HUNTERS, ANGLERS & GUIDES – SHARE YOUR STORY

GOABC is always looking for stories that capture the excitement, challenge and meaning of guided hunting and freshwater fishing in British Columbia.

If you have hunted or fished with a GOABC member – or are a GOABC member with a story to tell – we would like to hear from you. Stories may be told from the perspective of a hunter, angler, guide, or outfitter.

You do not need a finished manuscript to get started. You can submit a completed or partial draft, send bullet points or voice notes, answer questions by email, or propose a story told primarily through photographs.

Email editor@goabc.org with I HAVE A STORY in the subject line. Name the GOABC member guide or outfitter and tell us, in one or two sentences, what made the experience memorable.

STORY SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Stories should adhere to the following basic formatting requirements:

Stories must feature a hunting or freshwater angling experience with someone who was a GOABC member at the time of the experience and remains a member when the story is printed.
Story ideas are assessed based on the strength of the experience, its suitability for Mountain Hunter™ and the available photographs.
If you have a completed or partial draft, submit it to editor@goabc.org in Microsoft Word format. If you are not a writer, contact us anyway – we can work from an interview, voice notes, bullet points, or answers by email.
There is no minimum or maximum word count. Approximately 2,000–3,000 words works well for a traditional feature.
Contributors must be willing to cooperate with editing, fact-checking and the required photo-permission and release process.

PHOTO RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

PHOTO RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Great photography is an important part of every Mountain Hunter™ story. We also need to know that we have the right to publish every photograph we receive.

All photographs must be rights-cleared before publication.

When submitting photographs, contributors will be asked to identify who took them and who owns the copyright. If you own the photographs yourself, you can provide Mountain Hunter™ with publication permission as part of your submission.

If someone else took or owns a photograph, we may need written permission directly from that photographer or copyright owner before we can publish it.

Please also let us know if:

someone prominently shown in a photograph has asked that it not be published;
permission to publish may be uncertain;
a prominently featured person is a minor; or
there is any other restriction we should know about.

Mountain Hunter™ uses submitted photographs only for the magazine, its print and digital distribution and archives, and reasonable promotion of the published issue. Submission does not grant GOABC general permission to use the photographs for unrelated organizational purposes.

Photographs for which the necessary publication rights cannot be confirmed will not be published.

TIPS FOR TELLING YOUR HUNTING OR ANGLING STORY

Introduce the GOABC member guide or outfitter, destination and sought species early in the story.
A compelling story does more than describe the itinerary or outcome. Explain why the experience mattered to you. How long had you dreamed about it? How did you connect with the guide or outfitter? What was the landscape or water like? What challenges, surprises or memorable moments occurred?
Include the people who made the experience special. Specific conversations, decisions and shared moments often provide the heart of the story.
Proofread your story for clarity, but do not worry too much about grammar or sentence structure – we can help with that.
Try to write in the past tense and give the story a creative working title. The title may change during editing.
Be prepared to provide several original, full-resolution photographs showing the complete experience – not only the final success image. Useful photographs may include scenery, water or terrain, guides, hunting or fishing companions, camp or accommodations, transportation, preparation, weather, and memorable moments along the way.
Upload original files directly from the camera or phone. Do not submit screenshots, images downloaded from social media or photographs compressed by email or messaging apps. We can provide a Dropbox folder for uploading the original files.

The 2023 Story Contest – Enter to Win

Have you been on an unforgettable guided hunting adventure and want to win some extra cash?

Each outfitter featured in the winning stories will receive three complimentary ads in Mountain Hunter magazine – full page, half-page, or quarter-page, according to story placement.

First Prize: $1,500 USD
Second Prize: $1,000 USD
Third Prize: $750 USD

Good luck to all entrants!

Submit your story by December 31, 2023!

The Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia (GOABC) is accepting stories of memorable hunting experiences with GOABC members. At the end of the year, all stories submitted will be reviewed and the top three will receive cash prizes (USD).

Tips on How to Write your Hunting Story

Recognize your guide, hunting destination, and sought species in the first few paragraphs of your story.
A great hunting story not only describes the animals and itinerary, but expresses the significance of the hunt to you. How long had you been dreaming of this hunt? How did you first connect with your outfitter? What was the scenery like? What challenges did you encounter? How did you feel? These details will add to the richness and familiarity of your story for your readers.
Proofread your story for clarity, but do not worry too much about the proper grammar or sentence structure—we will take care of that for you.
Try to keep the story in past tense and title it creatively. Titles and photos provide the first impression for your readers, and you want to draw them in immediately.
Be sure to include high-quality photos (the bigger the better) with your submission. iPhone photos? Android? Great! Send them at full resolution.
Stories should be 2500-3000 words in length and written in Microsoft Word. We prefer to receive them by email, but they can also be sent by mail or courier on a memory stick.

SHARE YOUR STORY WITH US