Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting How much to tip a guide?

I've guided one hunt, elk archery on a large local private ranch. The cost of the hunt was $14000 at the time. The hunter also had to cough up another $1200 or so for the state license, pay for his travel, meat processing, and taxidermy. Once you throw in the fuel and pilot (came to MT in his own plane), he was easily into it over $20K.

I spent 5 days on my own, unpaid in advance scouting, hanging tree stands, etc. He had an unreal action packed hunt with 20+ opportunities at legit trophy 6X6 bull elk and shot a 371P&Y on day 5. He told me he wanted to return and for me to be his guide.. yet only tipped $500. If there were to be a next time, I'd forget about scouting.

I've guided one hunt, elk archery on a large local private ranch. The cost of the hunt was $14000 at the time. The hunter also had to cough up another $1200 or so for the state license, pay for his travel, meat processing, and taxidermy. Once you throw in the fuel and pilot (came to MT in his own plane), he was easily into it over $20K.

I spent 5 days on my own, unpaid in advance scouting, hanging tree stands, etc. He had an unreal action packed hunt with 20+ opportunities at legit trophy 6X6 bull elk and shot a 371P&Y on day 5. He told me he wanted to return and for me to be his guide.. yet only tipped $500. If there were to be a next time, I'd forget about scouting.

As a guide, I always expect to be paid well for HARD work (which includes every day of guiding for me). This is why tipping is important. If the outfitter paid the guide's entire wages, the guide would lose some incentive to work as hard as he possibly can to make the client happy. "Satisfied" would do, rather than "exceptionally pleased". The first good animal that walked along would get shot, rather than holding out for a true specimen.

This is why my experience has been that a guide's income typically is 50/50 split between tip and outfitter daily wage. It's kind of like a salesman that gets salary plus commission. He has some sort of income guarantee, with the potential to earn more by working extra hard. Are you guys also opposed to commission-based employment?

Just curious,

1. How much do you think you should have been tipped?

2. Out of the $14,000 the guy paid for the hunt, how much went to you?

3. Was ALL of the scouting for the benefit of that one client or were others benefited by it as well?

4. Including only the scouting that was done for the sole benefit of that one client, how many days did you devote to getting the guy his elk?

5. Do you or do you not believe that knowing your hunting area well is a requirement for holding yourself out for hire as a guide?

Isn't it ironic that one goes on a high priced (probably overpriced) hunt and then expects to tip more? In my opinion this tipping thing has gotten way out of hand. It used to be you did your job and then got paid what you agreed on. Now you pay bunches of money, get average service and then expect to pay more in tip because the purveyor of the hunt doesn't choose to compensate his/her employees adequately from the hunt proceeds. So;

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

1. I will pay no more in tip than 10% of the cost of the hunt in total tips if the hunt goes as promised. Since the word "T I P S" is derived from the phrase To Insure Prompt Service, just going as promised is setting the bar low enough. If the hunt doesn't go as promised, the tip could be less or zero.

2. If you waste my time or have no regard to my preferences, I'll remove some tip for my trouble.

3. If I don't get the animal I'm after through no major fault of my own like missing a broadside shot at 50 yards, there will be no tip. Yes, I know, that's hunting and it's harsh. It's also tipping.

4. Don't even dream of telling me how much to tip or suggest I give all the tip money to some head honcho for him/her to distribute. I will tip what I deem appropriate and will tip those I believe deserve it. If there is any suggestion on a web site or in the hunt purveyors literature of how much to tip; I ain't going where they're taking me. They can find another sucker.