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I will not ever add a gratuity to a hunt, I will not ever talk about tips in front of clients and I would NEVER confront a guy if he chooses not to tip.

The only time I ever discuss tips with a client is when they come to me with a direct question regarding tips for the cooks and their guide. In my answer to them I let them know what most guys do and that a gratuity is not necessary but is appreciated by the cooks and guides but if they choose not to its their prerogative. I hate that conversation because I don't want to make clients feel bad.

It's easier to discuss it on an open forum like we are here

I have yet to meet a rich guide that did not make it from his dentistry practice...

I've enjoyed watching this thread. Although I've never taken a guided hunt, I've taken fishing trips.

I understand the issues with tipping. I have a few friends that are guides or charter boat owners in Alaska.

And here are my thoughts. This is just my own personal opinion.

Just like a waitress at a restaurant may be making minimum wages, a guide usually is not making a lot of money either. The owners and operators are making the majority.

And just as a restaurant is selling a service. They have costs too, that are built into the price of your food. Electricity, pots, pans, uniforms etc.

An outfitters has costs also. Tents, camp stoves, trespass fee's for private land access.

The guide, if he/she has done their work PRIOR to you arriving has also had fee's. Gas to and from scouting trips. Quality glass to spot with, food while scouting, tires etc.

My personal opinion is just like tipping at a restaurant. If I feel that I've received poor service, I may leave a poor tip, due to the above mentioned cost's of scouting etc. I also make sure that I inform the manager of the restaurant.

If I feel that I've received good service, or great service, I leave a tip based on that. And if the service is exceptional, I advise the owner/operator of the charter or guide service.

My tipping is not based on the success of the hunt as weather, animal migration, things that could be considered "Acts of God" and are out of control of the guide. As well as the guide may have lead me to a great location, and I may have "blown" or missed the shot based upon poor skills and not doing my part.

If I feel that the guide has put his heart, his soul, and given me a true 110% effort into making my hunt a success, then I tip based upon that effort.

As for Africa, well... I've wanted to go there for a LONG time. And just as a few have stated, by the time you pay transportation, shipping of any trophies, hotel costs for any travel as a tourist not associated with the hunt, I'm sure that cost's can double or triple from the price of a hunt. Maybe I'll make it there in the next 5-6 years.

Speaking of Africa, I lived in Canada 30+ years ago. I was acquainted with a wealthy gentleman that spent 3-5 months a year hunting the world. Mostly Africa.

He stated that once he had found a quality outfitter that he always treated them fairly with gratuities. This included everyone on staff. He said that after his first or second time, they (the staff) would remember him, and treat him like a king (remembering his kindness and tipping). The would give him many extra things that other hunters may not have received or experienced.

He also had enough wealth that he always had 3-4 custom rifles being built at a time. At the end of each hunting season, he would give a rifle to the guide that he felt gave a true 110%. I'm sure that some of these rifles we worth $40k-$50k.

Anyway, there are not too many of us that can do that, but we can show our appreciation if a quality service was rendered.

JMHO

Jeff

I'm not really calling anybody out but I'm just saying I've been on probably a dozen fishing trips ,goose hunting trips etc. and at least 3/4 of them I felt like I was being campaigned for a tip from the get go. in only two instances did I not tip the guy one was a fishing guide in Key West that started bitching before the boat was untied and the second was on a goose hunt in western Ky where the two guys calling regaled each other about how they degraded their wives the night before. I guess if you count the suppressing of the urge to kick the crap out of them or drive the butt of my shotgun into the bridge of their nose maybe they did get a tip. At any rate for those of you in the industry just note I really don't care what you spent on your property lease or on gas every month , or how much it cost to repair your truck , boat motor etc. you shouldn't make your clients feel like you think they are just there sponging off your benevolence and sacrifice to provide them this opportunity despite them paying you the stated fee which may be what they consider a good amount of money. That's the other side of the tipping question that's all.

I think your experience just shows that guides, like their customers and like waiters, are human and every now and then you get one who's an a$$hole.

So tip them acordingly. It's not rocket science. On my latest trip, the only time the subject of tipping came up was when I asked the outfitter about it. Same with the top-of-the line gear the guide purchased. I was interested in how much it cost.

Maybe if you'd asked the question first your guides wouldnt have felt the need to drop the hints.

While I was raised better than to ever hint at tipping to a client, or even think about doing so, I also have come to rely on at least some folks providing me with a gratuity as a young guide that in turn uses the money I make guiding to pay for school. I've found that because I try to give everybody I have the opportunity to hunt with 110% of my effort and albeit, small, skill set- things usually take care of themselves, and if I don't deserve a tip at the end of the day, that's fine and dandy too.

Tanner

I took the Dalai Lama on a hunt once..... Long shooter the Lama..... LONG.

At the end of the week he tried to stiff me..... so I was like: "Hey.... Lama.... How bout a little somethin'.... you know, for the effort?"

He said: "Ther'll be no tip..... but on your death bed you'll have total consciousness."

So I got that goin' for me...... better than 10-15% IMO....

Tanner, I agree with your post 100%. Most hunters understand how it works, and don't need reminders or hints that guides depend on tips. But some don't and every guide has stories about busting their ass and being stiffed.

I guess the flip side is, every outfitter has stories about guides who "didn't work out."

I can understand where bangeye is coming from, and the not-so-subtle hints could be annoying especially from a guide who doesn't deserve a big tip.

But I can also understand why some guides feel the need to "educate" their hunters. If I was a guide and got stiffed a few times, that might make me more free with advice and hints. Lots of guys would never do that, but some would. And some hunters probably need to hear it.

Having somebody constantly hint at being tipped would certainly detract from the experience for me, and would make me quite a bit less likely to actually tip them... In my opinion it would make sense for the outfitter to mention something to the client about tipping if they care to do so.

I also understand not all hunts and/or guides are the same... Somebody that sits with somebody in a deer stand as a "guide" and your guide from last August warrant a bit different reward I think, as far as pure effort and sweat equity go....

Tanner

Tanner,

I doubt you care about my opinion but that is a great post.

Also, your post to the new backpack hunter asking for advice was also a great post and was very helpful.

I appreciate a great post with insight and no stick

No doubt. It's not hard to recognize effort, and make that distinction.

LMFAO!

Now that I am starting my own guiding business, I expect zero tips as I am the owner/operator and reaping the reward. I am going to have a "No Tip" policy for myself. If they want to tip my wife, that's fine as she is doing a ton of work cooking, cleaning, and working logistics. When I worked for someone else, tips were very important, as it was the only reason I could afford to guide.

Calvin,

Have you and yours considered rolling the estimated tips into your base pricing and making a firm "no tip" policy?

I've found most people that are going on vacation really like to see a true "total package" price. I would think seeing "no tips, no exceptions" would make a lot of people feel relieved and they'd be happy to pay the perceived extra price.

I think a lot of people simply do not know how to tip. And they're afraid to ask.



Dave

I've only been on a few guided hunts, but some of them I actually felt like a hinderance if I tried to help skin or do whatever else. I hope I didn't leave them the impression that I was one of "those" hunters. These have all been overseas hunts though, where trackers and skinners were paid to do all of that work. If I did a guided moose hunt or something like that here in America I am sure I wouldn't be interfering with anything if I tried to help out.

To the OP, I normally go with the standard ~10% tip, assuming everything went well. Every guided hunt I have been on did go well, I suspect at least partly because I didn't expect to be waited on all the time and I was always willing to go home empty-handed.

I will say though, I do not guide anymore for a reason. It seemed like I was just babysitting a bunch of grown dudes. I didn't care that they didn't help with chores...after all it was their vacation and they were paying for it, but the constant negative attitude/not willing to hike/always bitching about things really turned me off of guiding. Not all clients were that way obviously, but many were.

I would never behave that way. As long as I leave w/ an elk like Ted's or a mule deer like Drummond has as an avatar, I'm gonna be satisfied - guranteed no bitchin....



David

Let's say you do a guided hunt that costs close to $20,000. Cush lodging, large trophies, non-stop action, say a trophy bull elk hunt on a well managed ranch. You know your guide is working hard, pleasant to be around, spent 5 days unpaid scouting for you, is only making $200/day as a guide. But even though you're a billionaire, you've got about 20 grand into this already, not counting your jet fuel, paying for your pilot, and another employee to come with. It's expensive. What do you tip your guide if you're skunked? What do you tip if you spend 5 full days hunting and connect on a b&c bull on the last day?

Curious..

I'm glad you asked that question. I found myself in that exact situation just last year, and wasn't sure what to do. I'll be very interested in the answers.

Not sure if this answers GH's question or not, but it is a good one.

First year I went to Sonora, MX was in 2006, and to make a long story short, connected on a giant 214" gross B&C typical the first hour of the first morning's hunt.

The next year I went back to the same ranch, hunted 6 days and shot a 165" buck due to mistake of both guides. They were the first to admit it. Sometimes things happen so I wasn't upset about it.

I tipped everyone who helped in camp, guides, etc the same amount on both trips, which was more than "normal".