Monte was born and raised in Wyoming and has lived in Wyoming all of his life. He attended school in Burns Wyoming, a town with a population of approximately 200 people.
After leaving home in 1973 Monte started guiding for an outfitter in Dubois Wyoming where he was always busy doing summer trips and taking hunters in the fall. Along with guiding, his diverse background includes working as an instrument technician in a sour gas plant, being a ranch foreman for several years on a 100,000 acre ranch, and owning his own outfitting business since 1998.
Monte has been a board member, president, and chairman on several boards including chairman of the Wyoming State Board of Outfitters and Professional Guides, a board member of the Wyoming Outfitters and Guides Association, and president of the Cody Country Outfitters and Guides Association. Licensed as a sales agent for Horst Real Estate he is especially knowledgeable in ranch and recreational properties.