Tipping a hunting guide

[Where's Bruce?]

If the guide is the owner of the outfit then what??? You have paid a full price for the hunt and is it expected you will up that as a tip? I always did but there was always a question...

Makes no difference. Your gratuity is based on performance, not position. If the guide knows the regions, is an excellent caller, is using all the right resources (game cams for example) and is honestly doing his best to get you into a shot opportunity...that's as good as it can get. Whether or not you take/make the shot is on you. Now obviously if the guide doesn't know what he's doing and isn't familiar with the region and lacking in other way then the tip drops to reflect that. For me, a guide is more than a "service person"...he (or she) is your hunting partner. If you can look back and say you enjoyed the hunt and the company you kept, that's worthy of a healthy gratuity. And to those who think "expecting a tip means you think you're entitled to it"...it's often hard-earned.

 

[BrokenArrow]

I was asking in reference to his actions as a guide that he explicitly lists out........have you added anything of substance to this thread or like most of society, can’t have a discussion with someone who questions your philosophy without personal degradation?

Hey Boze and Gomer,
You guys are funny. I actually see both points.

So...
I will say this, as my experience level increased along with my awareness of the world around me (industry norms and natural world laws), my tips increased. Not drastically, but increased/better over time. Take that as direct evidence.
- I will also say I don’t expect a tip, but based on our current system, try to earn a tip. Very different than entitled bastardized expectations. I loathe a new guide who expects tips immediately and I believe you have to earn your spot in the hierarchy. Just like in an elk harem. Who knows when I’m gonna get pushed off my rock? Shit hurts nowadays.

- The other thing I can say is that every year I work the comprehensive total tips average out to be about the same, depending on days in the field. They have average better every year slightly. So, some folks tip more and some tip less as a full season rolls out. The question is if you feel the guide has earned a tip, do you want to be the generous guy or not. I guess that’s what this thread is debating?
- I accept tips with little to no judgement. I can’t as a person gauge what the client might have going on in their life. I cannot control those variables, so why stress about it? Do your best and the good things will come?
- Did you also know that when a guide, camp jack, cook, or packer gets no tip, we all chip in to even out the gratuity amongst all team members. I’m not sure if all outfits do this, but a lot of camps do. That disperses what there is more evenly, because the staff knows how much the others have contributed. If a camp jacks sucks, he will hear about it though.

Just to let you know, I’ve seen guides get escorted off mountain at gunpoint by the owner. I’ve seen drunk guides lose their marbles cause they can’t hack it. I’ve seen new guys quit cause it’s just not like reading “Into the Wild”. Every season their is a slough off. It’s just who’s gonna bail? There are guides who don’t deserve a tip and I can’t hold that against anyone.

So, unless the system changes, I believe this is what we are stuck with. I hope some Of this insight helps with your next hunt.

 

[D16er]

I have never gone on a guided hunt but I found the information useful if I ever do! Thanks!

 

[kiddogy]

So I'm on the guides side and already said I tipped even asshole guides but do you really think with that Billy's bobs price increase of $700 that outfitter would share a dime of it with the guide. Not a chance

how do you know?????? there are some employers that don't treat their help like crap. if yours ain't one of them , you might think on switching jobs instead of living bitter.

 

[journeyman713]

Does anyone here consider a multiplier to the tip, based on number of days?

For example, if 10% equals $700 ,but the hunt was 7 days - that's $100 per day tip.

If the hunt had early success and was only 2 days - that's $350 per day tip.

The 7 day guy seems low to me, but...
Is the early success guy a good tipper???

 

[Britt-dog]

I know a guy who goes on a lot of guided hunts, and uses a $100.00 a day system. 100 a day is the baseline, do a great job and get more per day appropriately, do a poor job get less. It also evens things out for short hunts vs long hunts and multiple guides. Wranglers and cooks are also daily at a lower amount. Seems to work for him. I have been to outfits he recommends and they all seem to like him, great referrals.

 

[Shraggs]

To the OP, let humanity be your calculator...

Right or wrong, our system in the US for service is tip based. Not going to change unless our government is transformed...

Me and a friend did one guided elk, now we’re diy. Like has been told here, outfitter lied about the hunt and the guide struggled. He got lost twice, and focused in the wrong areas. Had I not recalled Aron S writing go high or go home, I never would have suggested we go high in this 80 degree heat and at least saw elk...

Thing is —- he worked his ass off trying. I mean he worked. Carrying extras, made a bridge over water, etc etc. he was also a preacher and not wealthy, nor are we. He was allowed to preach on Sunday, one of our hunting days and we drove to his church and attended his mass. Good man. Invited to call if I ever just wanted to hunt.

We tipped him 20%. Each. We did not get an opportunity for elk.

I’m really glad some of you guides chimed in. The description of a typical day, or pre scouting and being away for not just a week from family but a season was good to hear. Tho I knew it is a hard job.

I don’t think anything posted here is wrong. If you’re a diy then you know how hard it is. If your paying then a huge work load has been lifted just in food and sleep weight.

Thing is, I heard from guides here, that a glimmer of hope for extra earnings encouraged them to work harder for their clients.

So the system works, most of the time so would recognize it as described here.

Now, I think I should call him and bag this diy...

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Noone, it's just the number of posts you read about guides 'losing money' while they guide and how tipping is a reflection on the client (mentioned above). The whole tipping mentality is ridiculous...........I paid the outfitter for a hunting trip or fishing trip, they should pay their employees..............

I agree. It’s ridiculous to pass off paying the employees to the customer.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Does anyone here consider a multiplier to the tip, based on number of days?

For example, if 10% equals $700 ,but the hunt was 7 days - that's $100 per day tip.

If the hunt had early success and was only 2 days - that's $350 per day tip.

The 7 day guy seems low to me, but...
Is the early success guy a good tipper???

Twice I have filled my tag within 36 hours of arrival and both times i tipped the same as i would if I had been there a week longer. If you are successful and happy with your outcome I see no reason to short the guide. I tip him well and if possible, go celebrate in style.

 

[AKBorn]

Reading over on the moose forum that multiple guys had issues with meat spoilage on guided hunts, including one where plastic bags were used on the meat. How much should those guides have been tipped??? (I am teasing the always-tip crowd...)

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Reading over on the moose forum that multiple guys had issues with meat spoilage on guided hunts, including one where plastic bags were used on the meat. How much should those guides have been tipped??? (I am teasing the always-tip crowd...)

Sounds like gross negligence to me unless the plastic bags were used to cool the meat off in a stream. I hope most hunters and guides know better.

 

[BackcountryBloodline]

Yes cash is king. That said I've spoken with my share of local guides over the years and almost every one of them had a story about "the best/most cherished piece of gear that they own" that was given to them as a tip by a client years ago and served them without fail ever since whether it be a high end knife, jacket, binos/spotter etc. Never once heard a story about the big spender that left them $1500+ although it certainly happens. Can see it going both ways but there are plenty of guides operating with outdated technology and good gear can certainly be king on the mountains as well...in addition to a bit of cash of course.

 

[Doc Holliday]

.... Never once heard a story about the big spender that left them $1500+ although it certainly happens...

I tipped my guide $3K after a 12 day backpack hunt in the NWT. I had brought that cash up there/budgeted for that, as I had a sheep, caribou, and a moose tag. My wife was along as a non-hunter, so I factored that into it as well. Not a day passed when I was not impressed by the effort my guide gave in all things. We got a ram on day 5, and after taking a bull caribou on day 11, with the snowstorms we endured throughout our trip, we did not want to risk getting stuck out in the field and missing our flights back home to our jobs. So instead of going after a moose, we hung out at base camp for the last day and a half, cutting meat, eating cookies, and enjoying being in the NWT. Even though we didn't get a moose, I gave him all $3K. Bottom line is this: he had made my dreams come true. We had the trip of a lifetime, and I enjoyed giving him that money as much as he did receiving it, I can promise you that.

 

[MattB]

Noone, it's just the number of posts you read about guides 'losing money' while they guide and how tipping is a reflection on the client (mentioned above). The whole tipping mentality is ridiculous...........I paid the outfitter for a hunting trip or fishing trip, they should pay their employees..............

Or you can recalibrate based on how the world works in practice and not in theory.

 

[BackcountryBloodline]

I tipped my guide $3K after a 12 day backpack hunt in the NWT. I had brought that cash up there/budgeted for that, as I had a sheep, caribou, and a moose tag. My wife was along as a non-hunter, so I factored that into it as well. Not a day passed when I was not impressed by the effort my guide gave in all things. We got a ram on day 5, and after taking a bull caribou on day 11, with the snowstorms we endured throughout our trip, we did not want to risk getting stuck out in the field and missing our flights back home to our jobs. So instead of going after a moose, we hung out at base camp for the last day and a half, cutting meat, eating cookies, and enjoying being in the NWT. Even though we didn't get a moose, I gave him all $3K. Bottom line is this: he had made my dreams come true. We had the trip of a lifetime, and I enjoyed giving him that money as much as he did receiving it, I can promise you that.

A $3000usd tip to most Canadian guides is an incredibly generous gift that goes above and beyond any expectations and I'm sure he was very grateful. We all know how fast money comes and goes though vs how long high quality gear can last, was just saying in my experience that's always what's stood out the most for the guides I know when it comes to tips.

 

[MattB]

I agree. It’s ridiculous to pass off paying the employees to the customer.

Uh, where do you think the outfitter gets the money to pay the guide if not from the client? All tipping does is provides the client, who is directly or indirectly paying 100% of the guide's wages, some ability to tie compensation to the guide's effort. This is to the customer's benefit.

I struggle to see why tipping within the service industry is considered a negative by anyone, unless folks who don't work in the service industry simply can't get their brains past the fact that they do not get tips and therefore no one else should either.

 

[fatlander]

Uh, where do you think the outfitter gets the money to pay the guide if not from the client? All tipping does is provides the client, who is directly or indirectly paying 100% of the guide's wages, some ability to tie compensation to the guide's effort. This is to the customer's benefit.

I struggle to see why tipping within the service industry is considered a negative by anyone, unless folks who don't work in the service industry simply can't get their brains past the fact that they do not get tips and therefore no one else should either.

Do you tip the UPS guy?


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[MattB]

Do you tip the UPS guy?


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He is not in the service/hospitality industry nor is his in a class of jobs that has its compensation structure based on tips, so he would neither expect nor would he being adversely impacted by not receiving a tip.

 

[JG358]

He is not in the service/hospitality industry nor is his in a class of jobs that has its compensation structure based on tips, so he would neither expect nor would he being adversely impacted by not receiving a tip.

I worked as a temp for them one holiday season and was quite surprised by the gifts/tips the driver got. While I've never even thought about tipping a UPS driver, plenty of people do.

Never been on a guided hunt but I always thought tipping everyone on staff at camp was just part of the norm.

 

[fatlander]

He is not in the service/hospitality industry nor is his in a class of jobs that has its compensation structure based on tips, so he would neither expect nor would he being adversely impacted by not receiving a tip.

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