Guide tip on a elk hunt

Rburns28

FNG
Joined
Jan 16, 2024
Messages
19
Headed to New Mexico this fall on an elk hunt. What's a good rule of thumb on tipping the guide on the hunt?
 

Divide93

FNG
Joined
Jan 2, 2024
Messages
58
It all varies and won't divulge too much yet, but one of my favorite hunts as a guide,(many years ago) was a Nebraska farm kid. I put him in a saddle and I went bird dogging around a knob for him. Pushed the ugliest 4 point rag horn you ever saw into the kid! He nailed it and was the happiest human being I had ever seen! Tipped me $400 for that one!
 

dtrkyman

WKR
Joined
Oct 2, 2014
Messages
3,241
Coming from a guide, tip based on his skill, attitude and general knowledge of the elk and area.

Like it or not we need the tip money and depend on it, kind of a shitty deal but it is the culture.

I have been tipped like shit for a great hunt and tipped crazy amounts for mediocre hunts, I just roll with the punches.

Had a guy once tell me he had 1k in his pocket if I put him on a big deer($2500 hunt), I told em if you hunt hard all 5 days you should get your chance. He paid up!
 

Usi05

WKR
Joined
Jan 7, 2019
Messages
1,466
Location
Michigan
Did 12% on my moose hunt in Maine. Guide was fantastic and worked his ass off.

Edit to say he was pretty happy. I couldn’t believe some of the stories he shared about getting flat out nothing after working his tail off.




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keller

WKR
Joined
Oct 30, 2017
Messages
677
Location
wi
Lots of numbers and theories out their. I don't understand the whole tipping thing? Where do you start and where do you stop? Do you tip your grocery store cashier, auto mechanic, airline pilot,waitress,plumber,bartender?? They are all in the customer service industry
 

Sadler

WKR
Joined
Dec 17, 2016
Messages
1,484
Location
Washington
I try to tip well whenever tipping is the norm. I used to not be like that but then I realized that if a tip is standard practice then their hourly rate justifies it.

Tipping is getting out of hand though. I bought something online not long ago and at checkout it asked if I wanted to leave their team a tip. That’s a bit ridiculous
 

Divide93

FNG
Joined
Jan 2, 2024
Messages
58
I do not know what guides make these days. Back I was working in the backcountry we made 45/day for packing and 65 a day for guiding. Tips of any kind were a blessing!
 

sneaky

"DADDY"
Joined
Feb 1, 2014
Messages
10,119
Location
ID
Lots of numbers and theories out their. I don't understand the whole tipping thing? Where do you start and where do you stop? Do you tip your grocery store cashier, auto mechanic, airline pilot,waitress,plumber,bartender?? They are all in the customer service industry
Did you seriously ask about waitresses and bartenders? How big of a cheapskate are you that you think it's wrong to tip waitresses and bartenders?

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alecvg

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 3, 2012
Messages
271
Location
MT
I figure 10% is the norm, baseline, unless the guide sucks. If you can float it, I always recommend bringing cash to go above and beyond that if the guys is great. In my time guiding, I have received anything from $100-30% tip. The only guided hunt I have been on was fantastic, I tipped my guide well over the 10%.

Love it or hate it, tipping is here to stay in the outfitting business. Guys rely on it. I still guide parttime in the fall, and as much as I love it, the only way I swing it with my growing family at home is because of the tips.
 

BigLou

FNG
Joined
Mar 18, 2022
Messages
90
I will vary a tip dramatically based on effort and preparedness of the outfitter. Tipping is a personal thing, but the guideline I use for a "good" tip is 10% of the cost of the hunt or $200 per day. This will usually get me in the right ballpark.
 

Weldor

WKR
Joined
Apr 20, 2022
Messages
1,941
Location
z
Same here, start at 10%, My guide just told me last year the 10% or whatever should be based on the cost of the animal, not total cost of the hunt. I've been tipping for over a decade of hunting with them the total cost of the week plus wrangler, cook etc. There are times I wonder about all this tipping? It is a job for them and they get paid. Not to be a butthead but adding the tipping cost to a hunt gets expensive. Guides, cooks, wranglers are usually outstanding , but that should be the norm not the exception.
 

bluekiss

FNG
Joined
Feb 7, 2023
Messages
12
Make sure to stay on your feet all day every day. If crowded the elk aren't going to be where you can sit and glass for them. Push through dark thick timber keeping your nose eyes and ears alert.
 

ElkJunky

FNG
Joined
Jan 1, 2024
Messages
47
I’ve been on a few guided hunts and have always ran 10% of the hunt cost. From my experience that’s pretty standard. I always like to make sure to mention that some of that tip gets shared with the chef if they are cooking meals as that is a Lot of work too. If you are ever unsure about how to handle, just go to the boss of the outfit and ask how to best handle the tipping.
 

jchamwv

FNG
Joined
Dec 29, 2023
Messages
82
Location
West Virginia
I've only been on 1 guided hunt and I tipped my guide 10% of the outfitters cost. I tipped the camp cook $100 and did not tip the wrangler as we never used any of the stock that was in camp. This was a 5 day hunt not counting the day to or from camp.
 
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