Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting proper tipping

I do not totally disagree with this assessment, but just because you can afford a hunt, does not make you an elitist. Some people save their whole lives, for one guided hunt. I have been on one, because I happened to have the money at that point.

You have paid your money and your guide is most likely paid a wage no matter what. That being said, if there is a tip involved, most will go the extra step to earn it. If they don't earn a tip, then don't give them one.

The only guided hunt that I ever went on, was a moose hunt in Newfoundland. I had a glorious time and my guide was great. I gave him a good tip, because he damn sure deserved it.

What did he do to “earn” it, the hunters job ?

You weren’t hunting, you were on an excursion

"What a fool I am!" said the fox furiously. "These grapes are sour and not fit for eating. Why would I want them anyway?"
With that, the fox walked away.

The moral maybe one of the Supremacist. There ain’t much out of my reach and I retired at 39 years old. The reality is I can hunt and gather for myself. I could obtain the grapes as a snack because my thirst is always quenched in the first place.

All of my hunting and fishing needs have always been satisfied by the Grace of God, not with the help of others nor hunting in a high fenced petting zoo.

If you need a crew to hunt or fish and you aren’t the leader, you are on excursion

I don't agree with your logic at all. But I've guided deer and turkey hunters, and owned a charter boat. Using one's knowledge is well worth paying for in most cases.

If you tried that logic at the poker table or in a gambling establishment you’d be shot, kicked out, or in the case of Martha Stewart thrown in jail.

Its cheating, not hunting !

Pathetic!

I learned a long time ago it's hard to beat a man at his game. And no matter how dumb you think someone is you can always learn something from them. Pathetic !

Lets add Equipment(tents, vehicles,animals and other items plus permits) and employees to that .


In answer to the OP I would tip the guide, wrangler and cook without even thinking of it unless it was a pretty sour hunt. 10% minimum and most likely 15%.

Set up hunts to say Alaska or Africa, on your own, and report back. Long journey
to either place. Oh, and you have to do this at age 75 or so.

You mean set up excursions?

You are the elitist, Johnny.

I guided archery elk hunters a few years for an outfitter friend. Never expected a tip, but the worst was a lawyer from Virginia. Got him a nice 5x5, scored 300 range. Not only did I not get a tip, but the SOB forgot film for his camera (yeah, back in those days) so I gave him a roll from my pack and he never even paid me for that. Still have the bad taste in my mouth from that one.

Sounds like a tough hunt on his part. Think he tells stories about his trophy?
Lol

I could be

Not everyone can afford what they'd like to. We did a lot of Mtn goat hunts, a once in a lifetime hunt for most. The goat in the avatar was shot by a guy who had lost his business and was 2 mos. late on his house payment. He offered me $150, not a big tip by any means but all he had. I gave it back with no regrets, someone was already paying me to ride their horse through beautiful country.

Another client gave me a generous tip and later gave me a Kabar knife he inherited from his Dad. I haven't a clue where the money went but I'll always have that knife.

To the elitist who live on that moral high ground of perfection, and who evidently have access to areas that hold game and the years to learn the public access points where the targeted species exist, perfect health and the skills to locate those animals, bravo.

There are others of us who have labored work-a-day for 50 years, never having the time to scout those distant lands, procure the rights to the areas to hunt and have the ability or equipment to get an animal out of the rough stuff if good fortune were to smile...

Some of us always wanted the elk, sheep or nilgai but were not situated so that a DIY hunt was possible time or access wise, other things such as family and responsibility being more important. I guess you would deny that "excursion" to live in our minds as valuable. So would the person who always wanted to run close to the wind in a 60 footer who chartered out for a day to have that thrill, tacking to stay the course, tasting the salt spray and the heel of the ship be denied? They were not the master maybe, but if they took the wheel and knew when to call "Prepare to come about" and could read the wind, swells and trim the sheets they were By God sailing.

I saved my pennies for my two elk hunts and tipped my outfitter and especially my guides well, took the lady cook a case of good wine the second trip and tipped her well too. It may not rate as hunt for you, but it lives in my mind as a cross off a bucket list item after crawling up a vertical cow face in Montana after my guide spotted a bunch laying up mid day, we planned a stalk to a spot opposite to them, got set up and waited for them to get up to feed and I made that 400 yard shot across the hollar and dropped him where he stood.

I call that a hunt and you the termination of an alimentary canal for trying to lesson its value to me.

This thread was not about the relative value of gruntism, but rather about the percentage of remuneration for services rendered. I suggest you start your own thread about how week and pathetic those of us who do not measure up to your metrics are. Do we have a Richard Cranium Forum?

10-15% sounds reasonable.