Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Outfitter/Guide Gratuity

My son and I, along with two of my buddies, are headed to West Texas in the near future for a free range Aoudad hunt. I am curious what you all would tip on a hunt like this? It’s a 3 1/2 day hunt with us staying at camp for 4 nights. From my understanding the outfitter and his son will be our guides as well for the duration of the hunt … no other guides involved that I’m aware of. I know everything can depend on overall experience of the entire hunt but I am just curious what you all would think as being typical? Also, is an Aoudad hunt tipped any differently as say an elk or moose hunt? It’s not necessarily a meat hunt or full blown backcountry hunt. I’ve been back n forth in my head on this and want to get it figured out before we go.

Appreciate anyone’s thought!

$4-500

10% of the hunt price.

Much would depend on services for me. Quality of meals, quarters, transportation, as well as commitment and effort put into the hunt.

Did they bust ass or just take one around for a ride?

I’d say $400-$500 for each of you is sufficient. That’s $1,600-$2,000 total for 4 hunters.

I'm licensed to guide in two states and have guided a lot of hunters and fishermen over the years. A couple of things to think about regarding guides and tips: your guides day is typically at least a couple hours than what you see unless you're camping with them, and guides in my area end up with a day pay rate per hour pretty close to minimum wage unless they get tipped. Do you tip your waitress 10% of your meal bill? Who do you think works harder for you over the course of your experience, your waitress or your guide? Lastly, to base your guide's tip on food quality and transportation isn't fair treatment of your guide unless he's the business owner as well as the guide. Those things are outside your guide's control.

If your guide works hard for you, not produces fish or game, works hard, tip them as well as you'd like to be paid for the work they just did. Most guides that I know would be pleased with a $100/day tip which puts it right in line with Bristecd and Rolly's recommendations. For most hunters/fishermen that doesn't add that much to the overall cost of a trip. If you want to do an inexpensive trip, do a "do it yourself" trip.

This spring I guided two fishermen that were the teen aged sons of the father who booked the trip. They came to fly fish for trout late in the trout season after the water had warmed beyond the point where the trout fishing was good. I took them to multiple locations for two days putting miles on my truck and burning my gas at nearly $4.00 per gallon. They both left with skills they didn't have when they arrived and both caught fish both days. On top of that their parents asked for a recommendation for a location where they could take the boy's sister to fish while the boys were being guided. I gave them a location that was easily road accessible and had been recently been stocked. At the end of those two days my tip was $0.00 and that's not an isolated instance.

In closing, don't be a cheap prick. If your guide had a button in their pocket to turn on the bite or make the game present themselves you can bet that the guide would push that button, it makes the guide's day easier. Don't base your tip on that. Your guide (typically) works hard for you and often is limited by factors like weather and hunter physical ability. If you're tipping your waitresses 10% of the meal bill you need to reread the first sentence of this paragraph.

One guide's opinion.

Ask your outfitter before you go.

I asked and the guide said x amount per day plus gas

On my aoudad hunts, I've given the guide $500 and the cook $150 for the same length hunt as you'll be doing. For a couple years I guided archery elk hunters for an outfitter friend and without tips, my 'wage' came to about $3 per hour!

10-15% depending on effort and expertise. $100 - $150 for the cook

What if the guide is the owner of the company?

We’ll my late Brother who guided Wyoming and Idaho about fifteen years called tipping the outfitter “ double dipping “ but good careful caper if it’s a special mount is worth every penny.

Ricky