Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Tipping on a guided elk hunt

On a guided hunt what is general consensus on who all and how much ?

We have a tiered method of tipping in our group. If the guide is really good and tries hard, but we don't get one, we tip 10% of the cost of the outfitter. If we get one, we add $100 and if we get a double, we tip an additional $200. Additionally, we tip the packer $100 per animal and the cook $50. If the guide is not really good and doesn't try that hard, we still give a minimum of $300. I hope this helps.

I alway tip my hat as I walk on by.

That's about right...most people forget about tipping the cook

10% plus one of my handmade knives.

Suppose it’s a husband and wife operation. The wife is the cook . Does she get tipped ?
What if the owner is also one of the guides ?

Guide is a guide and a cook is a cook. If they treat us right, we do the same.

Godogs57, I'll bet your guides fight over getting you as a hunter. Great gift.

Don’t know that I could tip a guide that doesn’t try very hard $300.

Why wouldn't she? Remember that cook was up way before you getting breakfast ready so you don't hit the wall a mile from camp.

Yes, it's was very hard. But, we like the outfitter and wanted to keep coming back. We only had to do it once. Additionally, we had two groups and the other group had a great guide and tipped him accordingly. I guess they all got the message because the guide no longer works there.

I guide a lot of elk hunts every fall. 10% is industry standard for a guy that does his job. I've gotten way less, and I've gotten way more on occasion. No guide I've ever met would consider a 10% tip to be less than satisfactory. If you really like your guide, and your thinking about returning and requesting him again, consider a little extra, think if it as a reservation deposit for next time.

Wether you get your animal or not is rarely up to the guide. Generally speaking, the weak link is the client, followed by various other factors that no one has any control over. Now if the outfitter over sold the hunt, then hash that out with him, but don't take it out on your guide.

If you have a guide that you feel like is not putting forth a good effort, have a discussion with the outfitter. No outfitter wants to lose you as a customer, or have guides around that don't pull their weight.

I like tipping well organized, proficient, attentive staff, which is normally the case.

And I like doing it generously.

But I do not like having to tip.

Just because someone (barely) does his job I do not think he/she deserves a tip.

And I never tip the owner of the company but rather make him a good present. For example, now that I am going on a Snow Sheep hunt to Kamchatka, the outfitter will be picking me up in Moscow, what I will do will upgrade his 11 hour flight ticket to Petropavlosk to business class.

I’ve always heard 10% is usual and customary. I’ve also heard that you never give a knife as a tip, which I understand. I don’t give a knife instead of money....it’s just a gift on top of the full tip. Everyone who has ever received one has been grateful, writing or calling back with compliments about how it performed, etc.

10% is customary - sad but true since it can rack up some big $$$ on some hunts!

You shouldn't tie an animal to the tip, necessarily. The guide can put in on position, but somethings are out of his control, like weather. Other things like your shooting which he then may have to deal with. for example, I went on a deer/antelope hunt last year. We told the guide shooting from just outside the truck wasn't fun to us, we wanted to do some spot/stalk (second trip with this outfitter and first trip we shot one or two right from the side of the truck). Guide nicely accomondated us on that and we had a blast. We took 6 animals (had doe antelope tags)

On my doe, we got to 265 yards which would be my longest shot. We talked it over and decided good conditions and I would take it. Bullet was off by about 6 inches and rather than entering at the shoulder, it hit the front let at shoulder height. Blood was pouring down, but she was trying to run with the herd. Guide did a GREAT job re-locating her and we trailed them over 90 minutes and got me into position twice for a follow up. First was 300 which I wasn't pshyced about but as he pointed out "you already have a bullet in her, have to try", by the time I got setup she was out of site and off we went again following her. Got to 125 and put her down. He was a man on a mission getting me back on that antelope and luckily I was in shape to keep up and make the final shot. He earned a bit higher tip for that effort.

$100 per day.

10% - 12% of the cost of the hunt.....ALWAYS tip the cook too as he /she is the one that kept your bellies full!!

I tipped my guide about 15% of the total cost of the hunt. He did an excellent job in very difficult terrain and weather. I gave the outfitter roughly 5-6x that in services updating some tech stuff because he was a good dude and needed the help. I was also in a position to do that at the time and may not be again, so I can't say that it will happen that way again.


Okie John

For the group I hunt with:

Minimum 10% to the guide, if he tries hard, and the amount given to him will have no reflection on my success or failure as a hunter - meaning if he did his job, I owe him whether or not I got my part done.

I tip the wrangler, and the camp cook, and I've tipped more than one guide that helped pack out after a successful hunt.

Sometimes, the guide and the wrangler are the owner operator, and the camp cook is always one of the owner/operators - still tip them just the same.

I've had one year that I did not fully tip the guide, and I explained those reasons to the owners before I did it.

We've built a good relationship over the years, and we have a good reputation in camp, and with other entities within the hunting community - or, at least I think we do - we get invited back.

It's not just guides and outfitters that have a reputation to worry about, if you use the services enough, (or just once poorly) you will be known by your reputation as well.

I've never been on a guided elk or guided horseback hunt, but the few guided hunts I have gone on has seen me tip my main guide about 10% if he is good and treats me well.
I hate to sound cheap, but unless the cook and/or skinners, game keepers, etc. (I guess wranglers would fall into this category) really impress me, I usually don't tip them.

I have before, but they really have to stand out from their peers. I tipped the cook during my Spain hunt in January this year 100 Euro because he was absolutely awesome, and deserved it.

One thing I have noticed, is that while everyone loves $, the guides would rather have a mediocre tip and a hunter that is easy to work with, hunts hard and doesn't complain about everything, than deal with a $hitty hunter and get a big tip at the end. I think they appreciate everyday hunters who save for years for a hunt, and give a mediocre tip than ultra rich guys who are a pain in the ass to deal with. At least I did back in my guiding days.

Make sure they know to not eat yellow snow, that's a great tip for people who spend time in the outdoors.