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GUIDE SEASON is a compelling Western drama that chronicles four months in the life of Terry Woodrow, a proud and hard-working hunting guide in southwestern Montana who is trying to keep up with his changing world. Terry, a weather-toughened man in his late thirties, is at a crossroads - his marriage is in trouble, his nine-year-old son has growing pains, and every year the birds get tougher to find. As the landscape changes from verdant spring to snow-blown winter, Terry faces changing social attitudes that threaten to render his work immoral and land-use conditions that could make his work obsolete.
As September draws to a close, Terry prepares for another season afield. But this year is different; old clients are canceling their bookings, productive hunting grounds are being locked up by new landowners, and Terry's wife, Maryann, has decided to move out for a while. Terry struggles with his mixed feelings about taking hunters out for money: the job he once loved is becoming increasingly distasteful. The magic of Terry's vista-filled world still exists, but it is getting harder to find as even Montana becomes less wild. He is dismayed by some of the hunters he guides, rich urbanites who are only interested in killing as many birds as possible, never stopping to appreciate the beauty of the surroundings or the acumen of Terry's well-trained dogs.
Just when things seem hopeless, Terry drives north to take his son Byron out for the boy's first antelope hunt. The hunt takes on extra significance - because money is tight, it represents the family's best chance to have meat on their table. Along for the hunt is Terry's best friend Tom. The hunt goes well, and Terry shoots an antelope, which he guts while his son watches, fascinated and horrified at the same time. The experience of being outdoors in the vast spaces of Montana transforms Terry and lifts his sprits -as it always has. Once at home, Terry, an experienced game cook, makes sure that none of the animal meat goes to waste.
Terry and Maryann's marriage of ten years has suffered because of his struggles to maintain and understand his place in the world. Terry wants Maryann to come home, but she is not yet ready. When they are both invited for a Thanksgiving dinner at the house of one of Terry's clients, they manage to keep up a good front with the other guests and to flirt with each other.
After a gorgeous winter day of hunting with an old friend, Terry realizes that he needs to make some changes. On Christmas Eve, Maryann and Byron surprise Terry by coming to his house. Perhaps the new year will provide them all with a fresh start. Lying on the frozen ice on a clear New Year's day, Terry feels at peace with himself, his life and the wilderness that he loves.
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