Guide/outfitter tips?

HorseCreek

HorseCreek

Very Active Member
Messages
2,242
I've never been on a guided or outfitted hunt before. However I leave in a few weeks to hunt bear in Alberta. What's a general rule of thumb for tipping on something like this.
Food and lodging are provided for 5 days. Hunt is over bait so a considerable amount of time has gone into bait and building and or hanging stands.



Traditional >>>------->
 
Quid pro quo. You are paying for a hunt already. Tips should be based on services received beyond the basic hunt. I don't feel obligated to tip just because everybody has their hand out.
 
JUDAS HC!

With your Money just Buy us a Place We can Hunt & We won't have to worry about Tipping!:D

Best of Luck HC!



We laugh, we cry, we love
Go hard when the going's tough
Push back, come push and shove
Knock us down, we'll get back up again and again
We are Members of the Huntin Crowd!
 
Tip based on how they performed. I've been on one guided hunt and it was a joke. Guide had never been in the area, I hunted down low by the freeway while the big money guys hunted above where all the elk were. We used my truck because the guides didn't have a muffler or pipe so fumes were filling up the cab. The hunt was nothing like what I was told it would be. At the end I didn't tip a dang thing and I felt great about it.
 
>Tip based on how they performed.
> I've been on
>one guided hunt and it
>was a joke. Guide
>had never been in the
>area, I hunted down
>low by the freeway while
>the big money guys hunted
>above where all the elk
>were. We used my
>truck because the guides didn't
>have a muffler or pipe
>so fumes were filling up
>the cab. The hunt was
>nothing like what I was
>told it would be.
> At the end
>I didn't tip a dang
>thing and I felt great
>about it.

Damn it booty!

When somebody Lights up You sayin you're not gonna Inhale?

Or did the Buffalo Brief kinda Scare the Guide?:D






We laugh, we cry, we love
Go hard when the going's tough
Push back, come push and shove
Knock us down, we'll get back up again and again
We are Members of the Huntin Crowd!
 
When you sell a service do you get a tip. NO, So why tip just because it a hunt that you already paid once for.It up to the outfitter to get enough money for the hunt to pay the guide if he doesn't he is lowballing the amount it will cost you for total cost of the hunt, We see it all the time in the construction trades with extra work orders put in after a low bid got you the job.
Never received a tip for doing what my contract said I was going to do. I don't like paying twice for something I have already paid for..

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
EASY there GATOR!

I got a 200.00 Tip a week ago!

Kiddin!

Obama finds out about it He'll want His F'N Cut!





We laugh, we cry, we love
Go hard when the going's tough
Push back, come push and shove
Knock us down, we'll get back up again and again
We are Members of the Huntin Crowd!
 
Yeah, I am of the mind set that a tip is a show of gratitude for a job well done. I like to tip and to tip well at the restaurant, as service is usually good and I know the waits don't make baseline. If one tips, or how much, is based on the disposition of the individual tipper. I don't buy into the idea that it is an entitlement. For some, it is all they can do to scrape enough to buy a guided hunt. I don't think they should forgo the hunt because they don't have a few hundred extra to tip...

If you have the money and want to tip, then do so on a ratio based on how you would or have tipped others.
 
Hi Gator, I agree with you. I've worked as a carpenter all my life and I have never gotten a tip for doing my job, and as far as doing the best job that I can do and being helpful that is what we call job security. I think if your using a top notch outfitter paying a premium for their services all of the guides, cooks, etc should be paid well by the outfitter. Although with that being said I have given tips to the guides, etc. before. I mean I'm not a total D$CK! LOL!

Your friend
Joe

"Sometimes you do things wrong for so long you t
think their right" - 2001
"I can't argue with honesty" - 2005
-Joe E Sikora
 
So using the 10-20% rule when these guys hock their houses and kids and save up to go on say, a $20,000 sheep hunt they need to plan on another $2000-4000 for a tip?


[font color="blue"]I don't make the soup,I just stir it.[/font]
 
Thanks for the input. The place is well established and isn't a fly by night outfit. They kill a lot of good bears and the owners are great people.

I'm workin on that one Bessy


Traditional >>>------->
 
>So using the 10-20% rule when
>these guys hock their houses
>and kids and save up
>to go on say, a
>$20,000 sheep hunt they need
>to plan on another $2000-4000
>for a tip?
>
>
>[font color="blue"]I don't make the soup,I
>just stir it.[/font]

If You were the Guide NVB You'd Appreciate that very much!:D








We laugh, we cry, we love
Go hard when the going's tough
Push back, come push and shove
Knock us down, we'll get back up again and again
We are Members of the Huntin Crowd!
 
I base it purely on the effort and experience, not the harvest. 10% is usually my standard unless I felt someone went above and beyond what can be expected. I have harvested trophy class animals on hunts that I thought the guide was a total d!ck and I've tipped 15% on hunts that I did not harvest an animal but the guide worked his ass off and did everything in his power to ensure a successful hunt, it just wasn't in the cards. (Although in my experience it seems that most guides are satisfactory, not exceptional.)
On a side note, our country has gone completely crazy considering this whole tipping thing. I did a Tahr/Chamois hunt in NZ and is was a great experience. Guide/outfitter was upfront about the fact that he did not expect a tip. He charges what he feels is fare and if a hunter agrees with the price then great, it works for both parties. Amen. It was a great hunt and great experience touring around NZ and not having people with their hands out at every turn.
Although a breakfast of bacon and eggs was $17.00 :)
 
LAST EDITED ON Apr-27-15 AT 08:21AM (MST)[p]I've only been on two guided hunts. Both were sheep hunts. I dug into the whole tipping thing and found that the general protocol is 5-10% of the cost of the hunt. That should be split up between the guide, cook, wrangler, etc. Nothing needs to go to the outfitter.
Talking to those that seemed to know, most guides hope for a tip and try to earn one. Like any business, if the service is lousy, then the tip should reflect that.
On the other hand, a guide typically has another line of work besides guiding and they have to leave that work to guide. They often sacrifice months at a time being away from family and friends to take hunters (some of which are great hunters and others are total jerks and tight-wads) on an experience of a lifetime. Their job is physically and mentally demanding. While most are paid OK by the outfitter, I'm guessing the majority count on getting supplemented by tips, just like a waitress or waiter.
Both of my guides were great and over the course of the hunt they became good friends. I even still communicate regularly with one of them.
While I don't have a high paying job, I planned to tip and while I couldn't afford to give as much as I wanted, I gave them what I could. I will continue to do that this coming August when I go on what will probably be my last guided hunt.
That's my take.
 
>LAST EDITED ON Apr-27-15
>AT 08:21?AM (MST)
>
>I've only been on two guided
>hunts. Both were sheep
>hunts. I dug into the
>whole tipping thing and found
>that the general protocol is
>5-10% of the cost of
>the hunt. That should
>be split up between the
>guide, cook, wrangler, etc.
>Nothing needs to go to
>the outfitter.
>Talking to those that seemed to
>know, most guides hope for
>a tip and try to
>earn one. Like any
>business, if the service is
>lousy, then the tip should
>reflect that.
>On the other hand, a guide
>typically has another line of
>work besides guiding and they
>have to leave that work
>to guide. They often
>sacrifice months at a time
>being away from family and
>friends to take hunters (some
>of which are great hunters
>and others are total jerks
>and tight-wads) on an experience
>of a lifetime. Their job
>is physically and mentally demanding.
> While most are paid
>OK by the outfitter, I'm
>guessing the majority count on
>getting supplemented by tips, just
>like a waitress or waiter.
>
>Both of my guides were great
>and over the course of
>the hunt they became good
>friends. I even still
>communicate regularly with one of
>them.
>While I don't have a high
>paying job, I planned to
>tip and while I couldn't
>afford to give as much
>as I wanted, I gave
>them what I could.
>I will continue to do
>that this coming August when
>I go on what will
>probably be my last guided
>hunt.
>That's my take.

Thanks! That's what I was looking for.




Traditional >>>------->
 
Tip your outfitter. If you cant afford a tip, don't go on the hunt. Saying that, I am not an outfitter or someone who can afford one. I do guide flyfishing trips and without the tip, there is no-way I would ever consider guiding. To much expense goes into the trip with all I have to pay for gas, food maintanence, flies materials. Don't be a tight wad. 15% minimum. Also, the tip is what keeps your guide working harder. Trust me on this, if you don't tip, they will always be busy when you call back to book another trip.

On another note, your guides will always poke fun of you behind your back. Some more than others some people not at all. It is a coping mechanism for putting up with stupidity. G
 
>LAST EDITED ON Apr-27-15
>AT 08:21?AM (MST)
>
>I've only been on two guided
>hunts. Both were sheep
>hunts. I dug into the
>whole tipping thing and found
>that the general protocol is
>5-10% of the cost of
>the hunt. That should
>be split up between the
>guide, cook, wrangler, etc.
>Nothing needs to go to
>the outfitter.
>Talking to those that seemed to
>know, most guides hope for
>a tip and try to
>earn one. Like any
>business, if the service is
>lousy, then the tip should
>reflect that.
>On the other hand, a guide
>typically has another line of
>work besides guiding and they
>have to leave that work
>to guide. They often
>sacrifice months at a time
>being away from family and
>friends to take hunters (some
>of which are great hunters
>and others are total jerks
>and tight-wads) on an experience
>of a lifetime. Their job
>is physically and mentally demanding.
> While most are paid
>OK by the outfitter, I'm
>guessing the majority count on
>getting supplemented by tips, just
>like a waitress or waiter.
>
>Both of my guides were great
>and over the course of
>the hunt they became good
>friends. I even still
>communicate regularly with one of
>them.
>While I don't have a high
>paying job, I planned to
>tip and while I couldn't
>afford to give as much
>as I wanted, I gave
>them what I could.
>I will continue to do
>that this coming August when
>I go on what will
>probably be my last guided
>hunt.
>That's my take.

BINGO!
Zeke
 
>When you sell a service do
>you get a tip. NO,
>So why tip just because
>it a hunt that you
>already paid once for.It up
>to the outfitter to get
>enough money for the hunt
>to pay the guide if
>he doesn't he is lowballing
>the amount it will cost
>you for total cost of
>the hunt, We see it
>all the time in the
>construction trades with extra work
>orders put in after a
>low bid got you the
>job.
>Never received a tip for doing
>what my contract said I
>was going to do. I
>don't like paying twice for
>something I have already paid
>for..
>
>"I have found if you go
>the extra mile it's Never
>crowded".
>>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>>the MM green signature club.[font/]


Gator ask yourself one thing. would you work 16 hour days for 125.00? That's what most cooks and wrangler make!!
 
Wait, so, somebody takes a crappy paying job and we as hunters are supposed to feel obligated to pay them more?
Did someone force this person to take that job?
 
Hijack, sorry.

So tipping the guide, I get that. What about tipping an outfitted DIY hunt, do you tip the outfitter? Planning a fly in DIY moose hunt in Alaska.

}}-SLIVER-->
 
>Hijack, sorry.
>
>So tipping the guide, I get
>that. What about tipping an
>outfitted DIY hunt, do you
>tip the outfitter? Planning a
>fly in DIY moose hunt
>in Alaska.
>
>}}-SLIVER-->

Curious on that as well






Traditional >>>------->
 
I've paid for a few float trips for trout on classic waters, to a guide that had access to great wild bird habitat on pheasants, and to a packer who packed me, a pard, and our camping gear, in and out up the high country in Wy. Very limited experience in the way of guided experiences but those i have gone on, i've felt that a tip was warranted and it was given with thanks.

Much of my work is service calls in plumbing. I'd say at least 25% of the people i work for, add in $10 to $50. on a job that takes me half a day or less. Not to say that i don't appreciate and work fairly for all my clients but those clients that tip a bit extra are remembered, much appreciated, and promptly get the very best service that i can provide.

On that high country pack-in, money as extremely tight and he knew that up front so when it came time, i tipped that packer my brand new Helly Hansen 3/4 length HD rain coat in 4xl and a twenty spot. His grin was ear to ear, the coat a bit tight for me anyway.

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
LAST EDITED ON Apr-27-15 AT 04:22PM (MST)[p]It's all about common sense and how the the group did their job. Any set % is BS but 5% is a good guideline. Go up or down from there.

I had a bad experience in the Alaska range from both outfitter and guide. Gave the guide something small because he did know how to cook & wrangle. Trouble was he wasn't a sheep guide. He tried to refuse my small tip. He knew the score.

My next Alaska sheep trip was much different. The Master guide tried to kill me, but gave his all and put me on the trophy ram of a lifetime. When I was able to call my wife and tell her the story, she asked how much money I brought with me.

Before I could answer she said " give him all you got!"
 
I'm a contract carpenter, and a guide! No, I never have received a tip for any of my carpentry work, outside of the occasional Pizza and Soda. Guiding I probably average around 12-13% tip rate, that includes the Jerk offs that don't tip because they missed, (they didn't kill a deer, therefore they don't have to tip x() and the good hunters that have been on dozens of guided hunts and appreciate all the extra scouting time that I put in, (on my own dime of course)!

Hunters that don't tip in our camp are not invited to come back, word gets around, and nobody will guide them!

If you are ever being guided by someone who you think is not putting in enough work to earn a tip, tell your outfitter and get a different guide!!

2a0fcsk.gif
 
I have been a guide/outfitter for 20+ years. Rule of thumb if they do a great job tip them. I large percentage of there income comes from tips which is common in the service industry. Most guides work there ass off to produce a quality hunt and should be compensated for it. Oh and ya I am a GC and have been for 30 years. I have received compensation but never expected it.
 
LAST EDITED ON Apr-27-15 AT 06:36PM (MST)[p]257 said, "Hunters that don't tip in our camp are not invited to come back, word gets around, and nobody will guide them!"

Tony, i get your point but why say something like this? Tip or no, a guy with a 50% deposit check in his hand can book a hunt someplace!

Joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
>I'm a contract carpenter, and a
>guide! No, I never have
>received a tip for any
>of my carpentry work, outside
>of the occasional Pizza and
>Soda. Guiding I probably average
>around 12-13% tip rate, that
>includes the Jerk offs that
>don't tip because they missed,
>(they didn't kill a deer,
>therefore they don't have to
>tip x() and the good
>hunters that have been on
>dozens of guided hunts and
>appreciate all the extra scouting
>time that I put in,
>(on my own dime of
>course)!
>
>Hunters that don't tip in our
>camp are not invited to
>come back, word gets around,
>and nobody will guide them!
>
>
>If you are ever being guided
>by someone who you think
>is not putting in enough
>work to earn a tip,
>tell your outfitter and get
>a different guide!!
>
>
2a0fcsk.gif



Come on Tony!

We won't Tell Obama/Government about your Big Carpentry Tips!

You Must get one Once in a While?







We laugh, we cry, we love
Go hard when the going's tough
Push back, come push and shove
Knock us down, we'll get back up again and again
We are Members of the Huntin Crowd!
 
LAST EDITED ON Apr-27-15 AT 07:00PM (MST)[p]"Wait, so, somebody takes a crappy paying job and we as hunters are supposed to feel obligated to pay them more?
Did someone force this person to take that job?"

^Guys like you must be absolutely REVERED by the staff at the restaurants you frequent ;)

I've been big game guiding for longer than I care to remember...one recent year represented a good example of what separates the men from the d!cks

7878img_3655.jpg


High dollar Taos Res Auction ram, 185 6/8...hunter whined and cried, and thought he couldn't make to the sheep because of the "brutal" conditions, but meanwhile bragged that he'd inherited the largest elevator contracting business in NYC and made $60 million a year...finally killed ram...I'd been following the big dude for 3 years waiting for him to be in a place where we could put a hunter in place to kill him. Goofy guy tipped us guides like the chump he is,
a few hundred bucks; don't think he gave ANYthing to the hosting Indians who helped directly...packed up his stuff and chartered an early flight home.
Pictured is myself and Taos Hunt Coordinator Michael Martinez, the guy that made this hunt possible...he didn't get a damn cent from the New York yank

6146img_4850.jpg


Later in the year. Raffle tag holder Jeff Demaske killed this ram with me in a different unit. Absolute pleasure to hunt with, tough as nails, could shoot like the dickens...would hunt with him again ANY day. A self made man of far lesser means than the elevator guy, he tipped 12 TIMES the amount that the yanker did. His ram ended up being the largest killed in the state that year...the yanks was second, less than an inch behind. It wasn't by design, but the better man received his proper spoils.

Now, there are a LOT of crap guides out there, and wouldn't pay em much heed if you've not done your homework and get yourself stuck with one. But for those that go above and beyond, regardless of the outcome, treat them the best that is within your means...as has been said above, I've never guided a shabby tipper twice, and NEVER will :)

Good Luck

**edited for the damned squirrely photo upload on here
 
>LAST EDITED ON Apr-27-15
>AT 06:36?PM (MST)
>
>257 said, "Hunters that don't tip
>in our camp are not
>invited to come back, word
>gets around, and nobody will
>guide them!"
>
>Tony, i get your point but
>why say something like this?
>Tip or no, a guy
>with a 50% deposit check
>in his hand can book
>a hunt someplace!
>
>Joey
>
>
>"It's all about knowing what your
>firearms practical limitations are and
>combining that with your own
>personal limitations!"

Joey, yes a guy with money in hand can book a hunt somewhere, but if he shafts a guide in our camp, it won't be with us!

2a0fcsk.gif
 
Fair enough Tony, i wouldn't blame you one bit!

joey


"It's all about knowing what your firearms practical limitations are and combining that with your own personal limitations!"
 
So Tony?

While working in the Carpentry Business?

Say You have a Repeat Customer?

If He didn't Tip you the First time You worked for them?

Do You tell them to Get Screwed the Next/2nd time they Call you?








We laugh, we cry, we love
Go hard when the going's tough
Push back, come push and shove
Knock us down, we'll get back up again and again
We are Members of the Huntin Crowd!
 
Great western I know the guy real well in year second pic I could tell u stories about him for a couple days. He is a helluva guy to hang out with and has the means to tip well.
 
LAST EDITED ON Apr-27-15 AT 10:09PM (MST)[p]

For sure D, Jeff's awesome, we're pretty good friends...yes he has got some means; point was that they're not near the shabby yank's.

I don't care if I got a guy worth nothin' booked...if he expressed a hearty appreciation after the hunt, that's good enough for me...had plenty like em, and have never have found any reason to hold them accountable for "lacking class", even if they weren't rich in finances

But I aint into snobs of ANY "class" that can't appreciate the hard work I put in, and the results I produce

Zero interest, no thanks...though its always nice to know about some cheap character ahead of time no? Saves me the hassle :)

edit**---class is immaterial, it is held in an individual's character and personality...per topic: tips, of whatever "worth", are a mere reflection of such...
 
Been awhile since I've bumped into him but I saw he has a utah raffle moose tag this fall, are ya workin with him on that hunt?
 
Heh, righto Buzz...and how does going that route end up working out for the nonresident wilderness hunter in your home state?
 
LAST EDITED ON Apr-28-15 AT 10:57AM (MST)[p]Works out well for those that know a resident...real well actually.

Any resident possessing a valid big or trophy game animal license shall apply for and receive a free resident guide license prior to guiding any nonresident in designated wilderness areas. A resident guide license may be obtained at no charge from Cheyenne Headquarters, Regional Offices and district game wardens.
 
>So Tony?
>
>While working in the Carpentry Business?
>
>
>Say You have a Repeat Customer?
>
>
>If He didn't Tip you the
>First time You worked for
>them?
>
>Do You tell them to Get
>Screwed the Next/2nd time they
>Call you?
>
>
>
> We
>laugh, we cry, we love
>
> Go hard when the going's
>tough
> Push back, come push and
>shove
> Knock us down, we'll get
>back up again and again
>
>We are Members of the Huntin
>Crowd!

I guess you missed the part where I said I've never gotten a tip for my carpentry bid work? R.I.F.

Let's put it this way... You go to a new restaurant in town, have a great meal, and get great service from your waiter/waitress. They never miss a drink refill, get your Wife that side of Ranch she wants, etc. You decide to leave a big fat $0.00 tip, but the food and service was so great, you decide to go back the next day. Are you going to expect the same great service from the same server? Maybe Gator or Mbogo should explain to them that it's their own fault for taking a low paying job!

2a0fcsk.gif
 
I don't think people understand what I was referring to in my last comment. I was specifically addressing brdhunter's comment:

"Gator ask yourself one thing. would you work 16 hour days for 125.00? That's what most cooks and wrangler make!!"

Well, no in fact, I would not. AND, if those individuals refused to as well, and demanded to be paid a fare wage the outfitter would have to pay it. Would he eat it? Absolutely not. The hunt price would go up accordingly, which is just fine by me. I feel that everyone should be paid a livable, acceptable to them, wage. Let the hunt price fall where it may. At least everyone knows the exact cost going in and there is not the unclear question as to how much someone should tip.
I don't know about everyone else but I was raised that it would be extremely rude to ask someone, "hey Joe, how much money do you make?" Especially after knowing them for a week or less. So the hunter is left trying to decipher what he makes an hour/day/week and trying to make a judgement as to what is appropriate and how much he needs to add? What should a wrangler make an hour? $5? $10? $15? $20? I have no freaking idea! But I bet he does. He knows exactly what he needs to make things work for his family. So if he earned that amount and the outfitter blended it in to the cost of the hunt that would be perfect. Same goes for other individuals involved in the hunt, cooks, guides etc.
This murkiness is incredibly frustrating.
I have heard people say that you tip 15% of the total price of the hunt, spread out between everyone. Well, how much does the guide get out of that?
Some say you tip the guide 10% and the other staff 2% or 5% etc.
Everyone has a different opinion and if you just followed a guy who inherited millions of dollars and left a fat tip and you are a guy who has worked his way up from nothing and every dollar counts and you give what you can and the guide looks at you like you are the scum of the earth? I hate it.
If you travel much you know that we as Americans have totally screwed this up. Other countries do not go to the extent that we do.
I do find it humorous that multiple people took my comments about horse wranglers and applied it restaurant wait staff.
But I did find a great Japanese place this weekend that has posted a "no tipping" policy in their establishment. Food was great and the prices were higher. Loved it.
 
LAST EDITED ON Apr-28-15 AT 01:01PM (MST)[p]I would like to add to the original question.

Let's say you go on a hunt and the first place is terrible, no game due to weather, migration, predators, whatever. You hunt for several days but there is just nothing there. The outfitter says he is going to move you. But, to a different camp with different guides/staff.
So, you now have to tip the guides, helpers, cooks in the original camp, as well as the new people who you are going to hunt with?
How much? Full tips to both camps? Half tips at each place?
I've had that happen twice.
Both sets of guides got what I considered a full tip, as they never stopped trying. The rest of the staff at the first camp, not so much.
What happens if a guy gets placed in this situation and simply can't afford to tip twice? Now he's an #####?
 
I've been on very few guided hunts and only those because they where required by law (sheep hunts) so I don't have the experience that others might.

Some of you guys want the guides to make a fair wage and you'll pay their price? BS. You cheap bastages want the guide to make a poor wage and you don't want to tip so you can have a cheap hunt! ya...that's it! Don't try to defend your position since we can all see through it.

I like the tipping concept. If I have a great hunt I'll tip what I can. If I have a poor hunt the tip will be way less.

Remember this: the kill or trophy size is a very small part of the enjoyment of a hunt so the tip shouldn't be tied to "did I get the biggest critter in camp?" syndrome.

The tip IS optional. You can be a wanker and never pay one. That's you choice .... and now we know why your only friends are on the internet.

Zeke
 
If I charged my contractors more, so I could pay my employees more, we'd all be down at the soup line before long. That's just not how the world works.
 
Haha, naturally Buzz...a bit around the point but fair enough.

I'm starting to remember your apparent general disdain toward outfitters and guides, and the air of condescension you seem to have toward those who utilize their services. Indeed, nevermind that outfitter use is required in many places, disregard that not everyone who hunts possesses your superlative, eh, woodsmanship :)

Back to topic, thanks for clarifying Mbogo... I don't have a hard answer, its really up to interpretation. There is also no real way to generalize the pay scale structure in the outfitting profession. Some guys pay their staff slave wages and treat them like dirt, others take care of their people and treat them like family.

To me, a guide shouldn't have to rely on tips to make what he's worth, and a client shouldn't tip based on what he thinks the guide's wages are...its simply a courtesy, entirely optional.
 
greatwestern,

you said, "I'm starting to remember your apparent general disdain toward outfitters and guides."

Not really. Just not fond of the crap legislation that is passed at the hand of the various state outfitters and guides associations. Things like RFW, tag set-asides, wilderness guide laws, guide requirements for certain species, tiered license fee structures, things like that.

I'm a fan of letting hunters decide if they want to hire an outfitter or not VS. the various schemes that assure outfitters clients via laws and regulations that are nothing but welfare.

"and the air of condescension you seem to have toward those who utilize their services."

Not really again...cant blame anyone for wanting to increase their odds via being forced to use a guide. I dont think laws should be passed that increase draw odds for those wanting to hunt with a guide over those that dont. (see above).

"Indeed, nevermind that outfitter use is required in many places"

Already addressed that, outfitters shouldnt be required.

"disregard that not everyone who hunts possesses your superlative, eh, woodsmanship"

True story.
 
An outfitter should pay their guides, cooks and wranglers what they are worth. Those that don't will never be a first class operation.

Tips should be earned and not given just because someone did their job.

Isn't that what a tip is all about?
 
I agree you should pay guides, cooks, wranglers etc what there worth. If you want good help pay them!!! Doesn't change the fact of tipping based on quality of service.
Just sayin?
 
Buzz said:

"Not really. Just not fond of the crap legislation that is passed at the hand of the various state outfitters and guides associations. Things like RFW, tag set-asides, wilderness guide laws, guide requirements for certain species, tiered license fee structures, things like that.

I'm a fan of letting hunters decide if they want to hire an outfitter or not VS. the various schemes that assure outfitters clients via laws and regulations that are nothing but welfare."

Couldn't of said it better myself!
 
Question for Tony257 and Greatwestern (and any other guides on here) as you guys are guides and therefore I value your opinions.

Say you guided a hunter on a $5,000 hunt and he tipped you 10% or $500. Would you guys consider that a good tip or would he be on the "do not guide on future hunts ##### list"? It seems to me that a 15-20% tip is kinda of replacing the old standard 10% to be considered a "good" tip...

Thanks,

Horniac
 
>Question for Tony257 and Greatwestern (and
>any other guides on here)
>as you guys are guides
>and therefore I value your
>opinions.
>
>Say you guided a hunter on
>a $5,000 hunt and he
>tipped you 10% or $500.
>Would you guys consider that
>a good tip or would
>he be on the "do
>not guide on future hunts
>##### list"? It seems to
>me that a 15-20% tip
>is kinda of replacing the
>old standard 10% to be
>considered a "good" tip...
>
>Thanks,
>
>Horniac

10% is a good tip, no doubt. Anything more is really awesome, and generally only happens with repeat customers that know how hard we work for them. The only guys that get put in the black book are $0.00 guys.
2a0fcsk.gif
 
Being a guide, there are a lot more factors than a percentage of hunt cost to be considered a good tip. It has a lot more to do with the type of client and type of hunt. If you're the hunter that thinks you're better than everyone around you and that the guide should do everything but wipe your a$$ then you better be leaving a generous tip. If you're the hunter that's a good ol' boy, bust your own to help in every way possible and are enjoyable to have in camp, then a smaller tip can work.

I had a bear client in Canada that was a school etcher from Montana. This was the guys dream hunt, first and likely only ever guided hunt. He had saved years to go on this hunt. He showed up with a great attitude, did everything he could to help, and ended up with a great bear. At the end of the hunt he left me the $20 fishing pole he brought to camp and a genuine handshake of appreciation.

The following week I had two guys from New York. Very wealthy, and the better than anybody attitude. They both harvested record book bears the first afternoon. I busted my butt to make it happen and waited on them hand and foot. They both were a real pain to have around. They booked an early flight out because it was more about putting another mount on the wall rather than the experience of the hunt. I don't recall what I got for a tip because what sticks out in my memory in the type of guys they were. Percentage wise I'm sure it was much better than the $20 fishing pole.

I would much rather take that school teacher again and get the small tip, because I know he genuinely appreciated everything about the hunt and that was what he had means to tip.
 
LAST EDITED ON Apr-29-15 AT 05:17PM (MST)[p]Haha Buzz, the "true story" part of your post gave me a sardonic chuckle, but the rest of it I absolutely agree with, and have said the same many times on here. My state exemplifies one of the worst instances out there of such "welfare".

Back to topic, seems as though there's a bit of a NY d!ckhead theme apparent here no :)
 
Okay,some of you cheapskates, don't even bother reading this.

So I'm booked for a Dall sheep and Caribou hunt in 2017 with a very reputable outfitter in NWT. I can afford to pay the outfitter 25K for the hunt, so should I expect to tip $2,500? $1,200- $1,500 to the guide and split up the rest to other camp staff?

I've hunted with a outfitter (semi-guided) and used a transport service on hunts, but this is completely guided from top to bottom.

NVMDF
 
I guided more than a few deer/lion hunts in the past and never really put a lot of thought into the tip deal. I was happy to get them when I did but never bothered me when it was less than the guy before or not at all. It did feel good to use the tips from one year and bought a browning citari..... every time a rooster crumbles over a nice point from my wirehair all the hard work was worth it. But I would never blacklist a guy for not tipping, if he was a dickhead it would be different. I feel the price of the hunt is just that the price of the hunt all else is gravy, and I certainly did not work extra hard to get a better tip, my brother and I gave a 110% because we were paid to give our best by them paying for the hunt. On another point waitress's and such WILL get a better tip if they give 110% for me and my party. WHY??? because they are not doing it because they love to wait on people...they are trying to provide for there family's....a guide SHOULD do it because they LOVE to hunt. BIG difference.

How to start an argument online:
1. Express an opinion
2. Wait
 
>I guided more than a few
>deer/lion hunts in the past
>and never really put a
>lot of thought into the
>tip deal. I was happy
>to get them when I
>did but never bothered me
>when it was less than
>the guy before or not
>at all. It did feel
>good to use the tips
>from one year and bought
>a browning citari..... every time
>a rooster crumbles over a
>nice point from my wirehair
>all the hard work was
>worth it. But I would
>never blacklist a guy for
>not tipping, if he was
>a dickhead it would be
>different. I feel the price
>of the hunt is just
>that the price of the
>hunt all else is gravy,
>and I certainly did not
>work extra hard to get
>a better tip, my brother
>and I gave a 110%
>because we were paid to
>give our best by them
>paying for the hunt. On
>another point waitress's and such
>WILL get a better tip
>if they give 110% for
>me and my party. WHY???
>because they are not doing
>it because they love to
>wait on people...they are trying
>to provide for there family's....a
>guide SHOULD do it because
>they LOVE to hunt. BIG
>difference.
>
>How to start an argument online:
>
>1. Express an opinion
>2. Wait

Couldn't disagree more

Guiding these days involves a lot of the same stuff that a waitress does, including helping to prepare and serve meals to the hunters, and cleaning up afterwards. You can't tell me someone should do their job for less money, just because they enjoy it.

2a0fcsk.gif
 
Couldn't disagree more

Guiding these days involves a lot of the same stuff that a waitress does, including helping to prepare and serve meals to the hunters, and cleaning up afterwards. You can't tell me someone should do their job for less money, just because they enjoy it.


how is it less money? your being PAID to guide not to work for a tip like a stripper.... if it comes great but why count on it and be pissed if they don't tip enough and blacklist them with your buddies? its like the beggar on the street corner who gives you a weird look when you don't put enough in his can.

I understand your wants and needs as a guide, I guess mine are different, which is Ok we are all individuals that's what makes life interesting
 
Gator ask yourself one thing. would you work 16 hour days for 125.00? That's what most cooks and wrangler make!!"

Yes I have, I'm in construction and sometime you bid a job and it just don't get done and you get to eat $hit now and then AND you will be happy as hell that you made the $125 and not lose it.
I guide alot of bird hunters when I was young, Never looked for a tip, My family farms and ranched when I was younger(most of them still do) yes we put in long days some times for very little money, BUT we wasn't looking for someone take money from his pocket and hand it over to us for DOING the job we said we would, I guess it comes down if you do a handshake and give a man your word, You shouldn't be wanting a handout later on down the road for the work you agreed to do. Keep looking at those restaurants they not asking for 10% anymore they will put on that ticket asking for 15% or more now and it doesn't matter what the service was like.
So that 25K hunt isn't really a 25K it alot closer to 30K with the tips, Just maybe more of that 25K should be trickling down to those guides, horse wranglers,cooks and bellhops instead of them standing in line at the end of the hunt asking more from the hunter that Has already paid for the hunt, so instead of asking him to kick in more MAYBE they should be asking the guy who go the 25K in the beginning.
But your right I'm not a big fan of paying twice for the same job that was agreed too.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]
 
Treedagain

I was in your shoes when I was younger, I have a lot of respect for what you said.

I loved to hunt and guide, most of the time getting someone on their first antelope or muley. A tip was the icing on the cake. The best one being an expensive folding blade knife!
The guy that wasn't welcomed back, tipped good but made the hunt miserable for all.

+1 to both you and Gator
 
NVMDF,
I am not a guide but as I stated earlier, I was fortunate to go on a NWT sheep hunt. I actually won the hunt at a banquet or I couldn't have afforded it. Even though the hunt didn't cost me near it's value, I went prepared to give a decent tip. After it was over, I was wishing I had brought more, because of the great experience I had.

What I am saying is, take what you can and then divide it up according to the service...much like a waitress, etc.
You will never be sorry you took too much!

Generosity is a rare virtue, and it seldom sees the light of day on this forum!
 
Went on a guided Elk hunt two years ago for 7 days. On the third day the guide left me to go pick up someone's elses Elk. No worries. Hunted by myself. On the forth day I harvested my Elk. I didn't tip. I figured with 3 days left of a 7 day hunt was tip enough. It came around 700 dollars a day times 3.
 
I have been on several guided hunts and usually tip around 10%. But that's total for everyone. A $500 tip may be distributed to $100 for the cook, $50 for the wrangler and $350 for the guide.
I have even given tips to less than competent guides just because I thought it was expected of me.

I have seen a lot of people not tip anything. That is usually when the hunter thinks they have been lied to and scammed by the outfitter. I can see both sides of that issue. If the guide puts forth the effort I give a tip. But if a guide chooses to work for a cheat and doesn't get a tip they don't have anyone to blame but themselves.

Giving tips based as a percentage probably isn't a fair way to give tips. Although that's the way we do it in this country. I don't see any justification to give one waiter 10% of a $30 check and another 10% of a $100 check when they provided the same service. Sometimes in Africa tips are recommended to be so much per day and don't have anything to do with the cost of the hunt.

There is a big disparity in what hunting guides make. I've had a Wyoming wilderness guide making $80 per day work 16 hours every day. I've had guides contract with the outfitter for $1,000 for a five day hunt with the understanding that he gets to leave whenever his hunter kills. So the hunter kills the first morning gets a $500 tip and goes home with $1,500 for a half day of work.
This is the exception but happens more times than you would think. This isn't a good situation for the hunter because it gives the guide an incentive to try to get the hunter to shoot the first animal they see.

But I agree tipping is getting out of hand. Everyone is expecting a tip whether they have provided good service or not. Cruise ships used to be known for their good service and now the tips are written in to the check. I sat for an hour on the deck of a cruise ship waiting for someone to bring me a drink. No one ever came and when I went to the bar to get it myself the tip was written in for the service I never got. A lot of restaurants in tourist areas are now writing in the tips and it's usually 15% to 18%, it's just a scam.
 
Here is my experience and take on tipping guides. Its a long story.

I have been a total of 2 guided hunts, both with the same outfitter and the same guide. The first was for moose and I enjoyed every minute of that hunt. I got along great with my guide. We hunted hard for 9 days; we saw bulls every day, had a great time and I left enjoying the experience. I did not take a moose, but that was my choice. On multiple occasions I had nice bulls, mid 50?, well within shooting range but I choose to pass on the shots as none of these bulls were what I had come to Alaska for. On the last day, rather than have the outfitter come pick me up in the plane we choose to walk back to base camp. 7 miles over tundra, in hopes of finding a caribou to hunt. We did, but once again, I passed on the bulls as they were nothing special. In the end I loved the hunt. I tipped my guide 15% on what was a damn expensive hunt and left with plans to come back some day.

Three years later I made the trip back. This time for 16 days to hunt for sheep, grizzly and moose if time allowed. Same outfitter and same guide. This was a much different experience. My guide was, in my opinion, too passive and inclined to wait on the sheep rather than make an aggressive play. Since he had 16 years of sheep experience and I had none, for the first few days I deferred to him. After the third day of waiting one particular ram out only to watch him walk up and over a mountain, I voiced my concern. My guide told me that he thought that ram was a book ram and he was willing to wait all 16 days for that one ram if that's what it took to kill him. I told him that I did really care if the ram was made B&C or not, but that rather I wanted to take a nice ram and a grizzly and hopefully a moose. He said he did care about B&C score and so did the outfitter. We spent the remainder of the trip struggling to find another legal ram. We saw several bears, mostly females, and one pair of 2.5 ? 3.5 year old boars. Near the end of the hunt, while watching these two bears in the scope for the 4th day in a row, I started to gather my pack and rifle. He asked what I was doing and I told him I was going to let the air out of one of those bears. He just chuckled and said they were too small and not what the outfitter would want us to take. I told him I was fine with the bigger one. He refused to go with me, and due to the guide requirement, I was forced to sit and watch these bears once again from a mile away.

On several occasions I suggested to my guide that we should switch to moose since we were not finding legal rams and the constant rain was better suited to moose than sheep. He told me that moose hunting would be out of the question since all the moose camps had other moose hunters in them. I asked what the plan had been if I had already taken a ram and grizzly and still had time on my hunt. He said that, in his 16 years of guiding this hunt that had never taken place so they did not have a plan for that situation. There were several other minor problems I had with my guide that together with his disregard for what I wanted out of my hunt made it into a miserable experience. In the end I never chambered a round during this hunt. That was disappointing for sure but the lack of it being my hunt, instead of my guides hunt, was far more disappointing.

When I left I tipped my guide nothing. I can honestly say I had never had such disappointing hunting experience in my life. I felt the guide brushed off what I wanted on this hunt and was more concerned about making it what he wanted. He was far more concerned with making the outfitter happy than he was with making it an enjoyable experience for me. I will say that the guide worked his tail off. There is not a lazy bone in his body and we hunted like hungry dogs for 16 days straight. He was a machine and I respect him for that. But in my eyes that was to be expected. A guide that works hard is to be expected. The tip is for that intangible part of the hunt that makes it truly enjoyable. Because I brought these concerns to him and he disregarded them at every turn is why I gave him nothing extra.

A few months later while the outfitter and I were talking about a different subject, he brought up my lack of tip and how it had crushed the guide. He said that he felt so bad for him that he gave him a tip himself. This started a long chain of discussions and a good bit of yelling from both of us. In the end the outfitter apologized for what his guide had done and for a few things he had done as well. He committed to speaking to this guide and discussing my observations with him. He also mentioned that over the last couple of years he had been noticing some of the same things just not on as big of a scale. Most hunters with this guide had taken animals and he felt that had smoothed over a lot of the ruffled feathers other may have had. I can see how it might. In the end I gained some respect for the outfitter because he was able to look at my lack of tip from my perspective. The lack of a tip does not always mean that the hunter is cheap. It could also reflect a flaw in the operation that needs to be addressed by the outfitter. Anyway, this is my experience and perspective on tipping.
 

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