Hey everyone. I am ready for the bear hunt this spring in NB. I'm taking my bow on a guided hunt over bait. Does anyone have suggestions on how much to tip the guide??
How2, if you have not been welcomed to the "fire", welcome now.
No help on hunting the bear, nor tipping.
Enjoy the trip, and the entire experience, man, and boy, I've been enjoying Canada since 1949.
I'll say go for the sport, make friends, and learn from the different culture. Just be yourself, and respect all.
I have a friends who guide for bear in NB. The consensus is they understand every client has different means and they appreciate any tip. I'd say base it on effort put into giving you a great experience. Liquor, tobacco and any other gifts that are cheaper on your side of the medicine line will almost always be appreciated. Contact your outfitter.
In case you haven't been told two things are almost guaranteed with spring bears in NB, blackflies and mosquitoes. A thermacell and mesh bug jacket would be good to bring along.
Enjoy your hunt and who are you going with?
I've hunted for bears in NB many times. I typically spend time with hunters who have traveled in from virtually all over the U.S. and are hunting the same week as my buddies and I.
This question comes up all the time. Most hunters seem to just want to tip in an appropriate way. They don't want to short-change the guide or over-tip. Assuming that your guide does as good a job as you expected, a 10% tip is fairly common.
It's not unusual to tip a bit more if you are lucky enough to take a particularly nice bear, or to tip less when services don't meet your expectations.
FWIW - Last spring I hunted in a new camp in NB. There were several hunters in camp including a rather wealthy guy who has hunted all over. He had already taken several great bears. Browns, grizzlies and even 2 polar bears were in his game room. When the tipping issue came up, he said he never tips the "outfitter". He had the owner/outfitter take him out everyday. He shot a nice blackbear but left at the end of the week without tipping.
I did not even see a bear on that trip but my guide (not the owner) did what I expected each day and received a customary 10% tip. My buddies and I also pool some cash and leave a tip for the cook. She was most appreciative.
That's my experience. I'd be interested to know how others feel about this subject.
I usually tip 10% or so. In outfits where there is an owner (outfitter) and guides who take you out, bait, dress, skin etc. Often there is a cook. I usually spread the money around. NB bear is pretty cheap so the total tipped might go over the 10% if there were a few people involved particularly on a NB bear hunt that's often quite economical.
Rather than base my tip on my success, I try to look at how much prep they have done, how conscientious of the job they do and their attitude. A couple days of bad weather and you can have a hunt without a kill, but it doesn't alleviate the amount of work these folks do.
That's a nice part of the province through there. You're gonna love the down home people you meet here.