How much to tip your hunting guide?

[Super tag]

My opinion is that it depends on the effort, the preparation your guide puts in before your hunt, and how hard he works. I had a guide that did it all, worked his ass off, knew the areas, and put in 100% effort to find me the biggest bull, i was super happy with the hunt and the results, I gave him $4K and was glad to, he earned every penny, really good guy too, most enjoyable hunt of my life.

 

[ReddingArcher]

I am curious, cause I have never seen this come up in these threads, but what if your guide is the outfitter? If you talk to the outfitter/guide prior to the hunt about tipping, how awkward is that!

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I have a guided hunt coming up. If the total cost of the hunt is 13k for 2 people, assuming we have a great time, what would a good tip be? 1300?

 

[voltage]

I have a guided hunt coming up. If the total cost of the hunt is 13k for 2 people, assuming we have a great time, what would a good tip be? 1300?

I think that would be more than enough.

A few things to consider… If you would have booked the hunt for $12,000 total, would that decrease the value of the guide? Additionally, in my opinion, the guide isn’t doing double the work with 2 clients. I like the $100/day approach, and maybe take that to $150/day since there are two of you.

One thing to remember… with all of the above being said, you won’t regret tipping too much if you had a great time (and killed).

 

[WTNUT]

A lot of talk about $5000 elk hunts here.
Where exactly is this happening???

No kidding because they are often far more than that now days depending on the state.


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[WTNUT]

I am purely asking out of ignorance here. Roughly, what percentage of the price for say a $5000 elk hunt is actually being paid to the guide in a large outfitter operation?

I never know where to draw the line on tipping, it's so engrained in American society but where does it end? Construction is technically a service. We're not tipping those fellas. If you're dropping thousands of dollars on something, why isn't the total cost already priced in?

Part of my job is helping extremely wealthy individuals get into and out of spacecraft. That's a service! Should those guys be paying me 10% of their $40 million ticket? I want my compensation!

To answer your question Fowl Play, I can speak to two very good friends who are very large outfitters. They outfit for elk, desert sheep, mule deer, antelope and some other things but those are the three main species. One guy pays his guides $300 per day for the entire season - which is very rare as I understand it. What I mean by that is if the guide has a 14 day elk hunt to guide and they tag out the first day he gets paid $300 per day for the entire hunt. I am told most outfitters would only pay for the day he guided.

The other outfitter only pays the guides $100 a day.

I will note that the first outfitter has some guides that are full time employees that work year round and are on a pretty darn good salary for out west.


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[Fowl Play]

To answer your question Fowl Play, I can speak to two very good friends who are very large outfitters. They outfit for elk, desert sheep, mule deer, antelope and some other things but those are the three main species. One guy pays his guides $300 per day for the entire season - which is very rare as I understand it. What I mean by that is if the guide has a 14 day elk hunt to guide and they tag out the first day he gets paid $300 per day for the entire hunt. I am told most outfitters would only pay for the day he guided.

The other outfitter only pays the guides $100 a day.

I will note that the first outfitter has some guides that are full time employees that work year round and are on a pretty darn good salary for out west.


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First outfitter sounds like a stand up guy. And probably treats his employees fairly. Wish I could find out if an outfitter was pulling shit like not paying a guide for the entire hunt duration. Even if done on first day, etc. like you describe. Would never book with them again. Stuff like that is what’s wrong with the service industry and why tipping has become a way for employers to pass down the risks of operating a business onto the employees.

 

[EdP]

Stuff like that is what’s wrong with the service industry and why tipping has become a way for employers to pass down the risks of operating a business onto the employees.

I see it as a management strategy when the boss can't adequately monitor an employee's performance but the employee's performance is essential to the success of the business. A guide working to earn a good tip is good for both the guide and the outfitter. Would you book again with an outfitter who had lousy guides? I have an entirely different take on the current trend in asking for tips for routine work.

 

[Fowl Play]

I see it as a management strategy when the boss can't adequately monitor an employee's performance but the employee's performance is essential to the success of the business. A guide working to earn a good tip is good for both the guide and the outfitter. Would you book again with an outfitter who had lousy guides? I have an entirely different take on the current trend in asking for tips for routine work.

If the guide is already making a living wage and tips are just a nice thing for over and above service. Then I agree with you. Once it becomes expected, in every situation, even for standard work (because the person is counting on it as part of their income), it gets weird. I say that’s a shitty management strategy that is predatory on your employees.

 

[smithmtva]

How is anything besides the cost of the hunt mandatory?

This happened on a hog hunt in GA, They had it in the fine print that we did not look at very careful . Said it was for all of the people we did not see that kept it going. All the different places we have gone we never ran into anything like that but it is something we ask now.

 

[Mojave]

I have a guided hunt coming up. If the total cost of the hunt is 13k for 2 people, assuming we have a great time, what would a good tip be? 1300?

Sounds really fair, if they don't jerk you around.

 

[Mojave]

To answer your question Fowl Play, I can speak to two very good friends who are very large outfitters. They outfit for elk, desert sheep, mule deer, antelope and some other things but those are the three main species. One guy pays his guides $300 per day for the entire season - which is very rare as I understand it. What I mean by that is if the guide has a 14 day elk hunt to guide and they tag out the first day he gets paid $300 per day for the entire hunt. I am told most outfitters would only pay for the day he guided.

The other outfitter only pays the guides $100 a day.

I will note that the first outfitter has some guides that are full time employees that work year round and are on a pretty darn good salary for out west.


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Nice.

Public land draw guided elk hunts in New Mexico and Arizona are typically $5000-6500 without horses and another $1500-3500 or more for horse hunts in wilderness areas for a 5-7 day hunt.

So $1500-2100 for a guide is good wages over 5-7 days.

$100 a day is a hard draw.

 

[displacedtexan]

Sounds really fair, if they don't jerk you around.

Shouldn't the guide just get a real career instead of expecting to get tips for providing a service?

 

[Mojave]

Yes but then he couldn't guide our fat asses up the mountain!

Shouldn't the guide just get a real career instead of expecting to get tips for providing a service?

 

[Jon Boy]

I have half a dozen friends that make ~100k a year guiding fishermen and hunters. If that's not a real career I don't know what is

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[cuerro viejo]

Most really good Outfitters have options and lots of repeat customers. Guides dont forget their best and worst clients.

How bad you want to come back?

Guide-I usually do 1200-1500 for a pack out hunt if I “would” come back. 2000+ if I’m planning on coming back

If there is a cook in camp $200 per 5 days, same with packer

 

[cuerro viejo]

I am curious, cause I have never seen this come up in these threads, but what if your guide is the outfitter? If you talk to the outfitter/guide prior to the hunt about tipping, how awkward is that!

same guide tip. I’ve never tipped an outfitter unless he/she was my guide

 

[Freestone]

What is in the job description of a hunting guide? Serious question.


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[Mojave]

Guide-I usually do 1200-1500 for a pack out hunt if I “would” come back. 2000+ if I’m planning on coming back

What price point are the hunts at?

 

[cuerro viejo]

What price point are the hunts at?

8-17k elk and all hound hunts