OPS provides legal security against threats that outfitters, guides, and hunters experience in the industry in order to protect businesses, reputations and livelihoods. We offer ultimate peace of mind to those venturing out into the field.
OPS is there for you when your business, reputation and livelihood are threatened. We protect outfitters, guides, and hunters from legal liabilities associated with the hunting industry by ensuring you are able to provide yourself with a competent legal defense should the need arise. We want our members to venture into the field with the peace of mind knowing they belong to an organization that has their backs if anything goes wrong.
As an avid guide and a hunter, I have witnessed several scenarios where friends and other members of the industry have fallen prey to prosecution due to laws and situations that were out of their control. As a result, these individuals lost their livelihoods and were subject to a long and drawn-out legal battle that many were unable to sustain financially. I recognized the dire need for an organization that could offer peace of mind to outfitters, guides, and hunters alike and decided to put my skillset as a guide and attorney to use for the members of our industry.
In 2014, unknown to me, I personally guided an individual who was wanted on three felony warrants while he was in camp. This trip challenged me nearly beyond my ability and was almost a complete disaster putting my legal career and my Outfitter's business in jeopardy. This guy tried everything from bribing me with cash to allow him to shoot a second Brown Bear to hunting same-day airborne. After this trip I nearly lost my entire passion for guiding. During this time, a friend's outfitting business was infiltrated by an undercover agent and he has since been put out of business over paperwork issues that were virtually unavoidable. At this this point I became determined to put my legal skills to work for what I loved.
Click the “Membership” tab at the top of the page and choose Renew.
To view the membership prices, click "Enroll" at the top right of the page, or click here.
Once you have established membership, you can login to our website and purchase additional hunter verifications for $50/each.
No.
Once logged in, you can view your order history under the “Account” tab. If you are a Guide Plan member, your membership starts with 2 hunter verifications. If you are an Outfitter Plan member, your membership starts with 5 hunter verifications.
Any custom services beyond the comprehensive hunter verification are available for an additional fee, which would include follow-up referrals, asset checks, etc.
We encourage members to share hunter verification results with each other. For Outfitter members, the OPS Blacklist is included in your membership!
Our turn around time is usually two days, but depending on the level of verification can take up to one week.
Hunter verifications are fully comprehensive and are conducted by a member of our team with FBI experience in setting up fake identities. These verifications are not simple online criminal background checks.
Your hunters will never know they have been checked unless you choose to disclose this information.
Yes! We review your hunt contracts via email and we make suggestions for you. We can draft these changes or even provide you with a contract that we know has been proven in the industry. Each liability waiver has to be as detailed as possible to have any chance of standing up in court.
Ryder Law Firm will provide an arbitration clause which will be included in all member contracts. This clause will establish jurisdiction and mandate arbitration in the event of a dispute.
*Note: Not all States or Provinces are yet recognizing these contract clauses. We recommend using them though as these protections need to be established in all jurisdictions.
The Guide and Outfitter Protection Plan is the most revolutionary service available to the guiding and outfitting industry today. Under this service, OPS offers a member benefit to assist in criminal defense fees for unintentional game violations during the course of their business. With this membership, you will be assured that if one of your guides find themselves in a bind with a game violation they will have the money available to fund a proper and solid defense. We have a network of the most experienced attorneys in North America in the field of Game Violation representation. Further, we allow our members to use their own attorneys so long as they are approved by OPS.
We are in the process of expanding this service worldwide through relationships with attorneys throughout Western and Eastern Europe, Russia, Central Asia, South and East Central Africa, Australia and New Zealand. This service is available to outfitters, guides, and hunters. It is time that the ethical members of our industry stand united against misinterpretations and the overzealous prosecution of game laws.
We encourage all Outfitter Members to provide a discount for hunters that are members. Please mention to your guide or outfitter that you are a member to inquire as to their discount.
OPS has developed a way for hunters to separate themselves from the bad actors and hold themselves to a higher standard. The hunting industry is increasingly at risk by individuals that are giving hunting a wholly undeserved reputation. OPS has developed a way for hunters to separate themselves from these individuals. As an OPS Verified Hunter, you will have the credentials needed to approach any guide in the industry and prove you are a responsible and legitimate hunter.
Let your outfitter know you're OPS Verified, or they can check the OPS Members Directory for all the active members.
We offer assistance in choosing and paying for criminal defense representation for unintentional game violations during the course of hunting. If you find yourself in a bind with an unintentional game violation, rest assured that you will have the money available to fund a proper and solid defense. We have a network of the most experienced attorneys in the field of representation for game violations in North America. We are allowing our members to use their own attorney, so long as they are approved by OPS. We are in the process of expanding this service worldwide through relationships with attorneys throughout Western and Eastern Europe, Russia, Central Asia, South and East Central Africa, Australia & New Zealand.
We want our members to venture into the field with the peace of mind knowing they belong to an organization that has their backs if anything goes wrong.
Become OPS Verified Now
