Several threads in the past on this very subject,
If your going on a guided hunt, and your being guided by the owner of the Company,
Does that fact affect how you tip?
And yes I know, Loaded question with no real right or wrong.
Don’t be so shy,
I did say, no real right or wrong.
I tipped the same the one instance my guide was the owner.
It wouldn’t have an effect on the amount I tip.
I do prefer to book with operations in which the guide is also the owner, and is also whom you book through. I have had better experiences with those smaller operations vs bigger outfitters who hire multiple guides, a booking agent, etc.
Guess I'm the worst because I've never understood why a person should tip or be compelled to tip for an agreed service. If an person wants to than go for it but I don't understand and never will. Tip the dentist? The doctor? Your unity company? How bout your mechanic or the cashier ringing up the groceries? Where does it end.
Do you get tipped for work you do for every client? Why is it in the guided hunting industry are tips looked upon as an mandatory transaction?
Enough of my spew.
Guess I'm the worst because I've never understood why a person should tip or be compelled to tip for an agreed service. If an person wants to than go for it but I don't understand and never will. Tip the dentist? The doctor? Your unity company? How bout your mechanic or the cashier ringing up the groceries? Where does it end.
Do you get tipped for work you do for every client? Why is it in the guided hunting industry are tips looked upon as an mandatory transaction?
Enough of my spew.
I've had clients like you, they are the worst kind. Usually they make themselves known shortly after meeting them, it's their personality and they can't hide it. They mock the concept of tipping because they are cheapskates but want to save face, or try to. Everyone sees through them though and they just look douchey.
Guess I'm the worst because I've never understood why a person should tip or be compelled to tip for an agreed service. If an person wants to than go for it but I don't understand and never will. Tip the dentist? The doctor? Your unity company? How bout your mechanic or the cashier ringing up the groceries? Where does it end.
Do you get tipped for work you do for every client? Why is it in the guided hunting industry are tips looked upon as an mandatory transaction?
Enough of my spew.
I agree.
Starting with the definition of a tip as something extra big in for exceptional service.
Daughter was a waitress in high school.
I was floored by how much money she was making for a few hours work.
Tipping has become a cross between virtue signalling and a braggy, dick measuring contest.
Do you get tipped for work you do for every client?
I do work in the service industry and no I don’t get tipped by every client,
I’d say 95% don’t tip, It’s positively a different mind set.
And then Europeans, Lots of rumors there.
I'll tip a guide that works for an outfitter, if I feel he gave his all.
If my guide is the owner of the outfit with whom I already negotiated a price, I feel no obligation to tip...though I may still do so, depending on my experience.
Guess I'm the worst because I've never understood why a person should tip or be compelled to tip for an agreed service. If an person wants to than go for it but I don't understand and never will. Tip the dentist? The doctor? Your unity company? How bout your mechanic or the cashier ringing up the groceries? Where does it end.
Do you get tipped for work you do for every client? Why is it in the guided hunting industry are tips looked upon as an mandatory transaction?
Enough of my spew.
I agree.
Starting with the definition of a tip as something extra big in for exceptional service.
Daughter was a waitress in high school.
I was floored by how much money she was making for a few hours work.
Tipping has become a cross between virtue signalling and a braggy, dick measuring contest.
I waited tables through schoolso my thinking may be a little different. I look at a tip as just commission pay, person provides service and customer gets to decide what it’s worth and pay directly. Bad service bad pay,good service good pay. Most jobs that get tips have that factored into what the employee it is paying which is greatly reduced than If it wasn’t customary to pay tips.
Some folks shake your hand and say thanks. No big deal.
I put money in your hand and say thanks. You know I mean it because 'money' has a cost!
ya!
GWB
Here’s my take, if I’m forced to hunt with an outfitter I’ll usually tip. But everyone knows that outfitters are crooks and what’s wrong with hunting, just corporate type greed making money off of wildlife that we all own, even if I live across the country. I usually book with the cheapest outfitter I can find because he doesn’t over pay his guides. I make it known upfront that I believe all guides are lazy crooks and I’m getting robbed but I expect a world class hunt. I never tip more than 5% than the hunt price . And that’s where it starts and goes down from there, same as at a restaurant. I mean come on, how hard is it to fill my water and bring my food or find a 400” bull or 200” deer? And let’s face it, we all can out hike, out glass and overallout hunt these phonies. Like I said it starts there and goes down. I expect quite a bit out of my guide. Here’s just some of my criteria
Pickup older than 3 years old-deduction
Not a full size pickup with the biggest cab-deduction
Full time guide- deduction. He should do it for the love of the game not money and should question his life choices
Part time guide-deduction, his heart’s not in it and probably makes enough money at his regular job.
Doesn’t have alpha glass-deduction he’s an amateur.
If he has the latest Gen of Alpha glass-deduction, again makes too much money.
Mis-matched camo deduction. Two different patterns probably cost me an animal
If he doesn’t answer every question immediately about all wildlife related subjects or know the scientific name of every plant-deduction.
If he doesn’t carry my water or pack or toilet paper or bags to and from lodge-deduction
If he gets lucky and out walks me-deduction
I’m in it for the experience, the experience of killing a trophy preferably on the first day because a good guide would have been scouting for weeks on his own dime and have a client an animal already picked out. If not-deduction.
If the guide doesn’t set me up perfectly, arrange my rest or provide shooting sticks to make my shot as easy as it be-deduction.
If he gets irritated at me questioning all of his plans, stalks, trophy assessment or my sighs of disapproval-BIG deduction! This is my hunt and we should do what and how I want!
I don’t always tip money. Sometimes I like to tip Chinese made knives especially if has a custom. I expect swag from the outfitter, caps jackets and other stuff with his logo. I like to tip with caps from my business so I can get free advertising. If there’s a piece of equipment that I brought and used but don’t like or it fails I usually give it to the guide. It’s the thought that counts.
That’s just a small look into how I do it.
YMMV
Here’s my take, if I’m forced to hunt with an outfitter I’ll usually tip. But everyone knows that outfitters are crooks and what’s wrong with hunting, just corporate type greed making money off of wildlife that we all own, even if I live across the country. I usually book with the cheapest outfitter I can find because he doesn’t over pay his guides. I make it known upfront that I believe all guides are lazy crooks and I’m getting robbed but I expect a world class hunt. I never tip more than 5% than the hunt price . And that’s where it starts and goes down from there, same as at a restaurant. I mean come on, how hard is it to fill my water and bring my food or find a 400” bull or 200” deer? And let’s face it, we all can out hike, out glass and overallout hunt these phonies. Like I said it starts there and goes down. I expect quite a bit out of my guide. Here’s just some of my criteria
Pickup older than 3 years old-deduction
Not a full size pickup with the biggest cab-deduction
Full time guide- deduction. He should do it for the love of the game not money and should question his life choices
Part time guide-deduction, his heart’s not in it and probably makes enough money at his regular job.
Doesn’t have alpha glass-deduction he’s an amateur.
If he has the latest Gen of Alpha glass-deduction, again makes too much money.
Mis-matched camo deduction. Two different patterns probably cost me an animal
If he doesn’t answer every question immediately about all wildlife related subjects or know the scientific name of every plant-deduction.
If he doesn’t carry my water or pack or toilet paper or bags to and from lodge-deduction
If he gets lucky and out walks me-deduction
I’m in it for the experience, the experience of killing a trophy preferably on the first day because a good guide would have been scouting for weeks on his own dime and have a client an animal already picked out. If not-deduction.
If the guide doesn’t set me up perfectly, arrange my rest or provide shooting sticks to make my shot as easy as it be-deduction.
If he gets irritated at me questioning all of his plans, stalks, trophy assessment or my sighs of disapproval-BIG deduction! This is my hunt and we should do what and how I want!
I don’t always tip money. Sometimes I like to tip Chinese made knives especially if has a custom. I expect swag from the outfitter, caps jackets and other stuff with his logo. I like to tip with caps from my business so I can get free advertising. If there’s a piece of equipment that I brought and used but don’t like or it fails I usually give it to the guide. It’s the thought that counts.
That’s just a small look into how I do it.
YMMV
Now THAT is funny. You were kidding right?
FWIW I tip for extraordinary service from a hunting outfit/guide and have only been disappointed once.
Guess I'm the worst because I've never understood why a person should tip or be compelled to tip for an agreed service. If an person wants to than go for it but I don't understand and never will. Tip the dentist? The doctor? Your unity company? How bout your mechanic or the cashier ringing up the groceries? Where does it end.
Do you get tipped for work you do for every client? Why is it in the guided hunting industry are tips looked upon as an mandatory transaction?
Enough of my spew.
I agree.
Starting with the definition of a tip as something extra big in for exceptional service.
Daughter was a waitress in high school.
I was floored by how much money she was making for a few hours work.
Tipping has become a cross between virtue signalling and a braggy, dick measuring contest.
I waited tables through schoolso my thinking may be a little different. I look at a tip as just commission pay, person provides service and customer gets to decide what it’s worth and pay directly. Bad service bad pay,good service good pay. Most jobs that get tips have that factored into what the employee it is paying which is greatly reduced than If it wasn’t customary to pay tips.
Remember when 10% was a good tip?
Hasn't been too long ago. 15, then 20.
Now, some receipts tell you how much the tip is for percents up to
or beyond 25%. I have had folks tell me they tip 15-20 always.
Even bad service. "Maybe they had a bad day!"
WTF?
"They work for tips"
Damn right they should work for tips.
Reluctantly taking my order, not checking, needing to ask for refills
ain't earning tips.
Never leaving me wanting anything, or,
running their butt off trying like heck to keep up is.
And should be rewarded.
Why would a lazy waiter put out any effort if they are getting 15%
doing nothing?
Tipping has become a mockery, especially since Covid.
See the video of the Vegas smoke shop owner stabbing the robber?
They started by taking his tip jar.
A tip jar, in a smoke shop!
For the owner?
If you were going on a guided hunt and when you got there there wasnt enough trucks for everyone so you ended up driving your own truck the whole hunt and the licensed guides went with the other hunters who went with them in their trucks and your “guides couldn’t let you ride with them because they weren’t licensed so you had to follow in your truck and never really got any benefit from the guides other than field dressing your game. Everyone paid the same price for the hunt.
Would you have tipped?
To answer the OP, no. I have done it a number of times.
Good stuff.😂
Here’s my take, if I’m forced to hunt with an outfitter I’ll usually tip. But everyone knows that outfitters are crooks and what’s wrong with hunting, just corporate type greed making money off of wildlife that we all own, even if I live across the country. I usually book with the cheapest outfitter I can find because he doesn’t over pay his guides. I make it known upfront that I believe all guides are lazy crooks and I’m getting robbed but I expect a world class hunt. I never tip more than 5% than the hunt price . And that’s where it starts and goes down from there, same as at a restaurant. I mean come on, how hard is it to fill my water and bring my food or find a 400” bull or 200” deer? And let’s face it, we all can out hike, out glass and overallout hunt these phonies. Like I said it starts there and goes down. I expect quite a bit out of my guide. Here’s just some of my criteria
Pickup older than 3 years old-deduction
Not a full size pickup with the biggest cab-deduction
Full time guide- deduction. He should do it for the love of the game not money and should question his life choices
Part time guide-deduction, his heart’s not in it and probably makes enough money at his regular job.
Doesn’t have alpha glass-deduction he’s an amateur.
If he has the latest Gen of Alpha glass-deduction, again makes too much money.
Mis-matched camo deduction. Two different patterns probably cost me an animal
If he doesn’t answer every question immediately about all wildlife related subjects or know the scientific name of every plant-deduction.
If he doesn’t carry my water or pack or toilet paper or bags to and from lodge-deduction
If he gets lucky and out walks me-deduction
I’m in it for the experience, the experience of killing a trophy preferably on the first day because a good guide would have been scouting for weeks on his own dime and have a client an animal already picked out. If not-deduction.
If the guide doesn’t set me up perfectly, arrange my rest or provide shooting sticks to make my shot as easy as it be-deduction.
If he gets irritated at me questioning all of his plans, stalks, trophy assessment or my sighs of disapproval-BIG deduction! This is my hunt and we should do what and how I want!
I don’t always tip money. Sometimes I like to tip Chinese made knives especially if has a custom. I expect swag from the outfitter, caps jackets and other stuff with his logo. I like to tip with caps from my business so I can get free advertising. If there’s a piece of equipment that I brought and used but don’t like or it fails I usually give it to the guide. It’s the thought that counts.
That’s just a small look into how I do it.
YMMV
Here’s my take, if I’m forced to hunt with an outfitter I’ll usually tip. But everyone knows that outfitters are crooks and what’s wrong with hunting, just corporate type greed making money off of wildlife that we all own, even if I live across the country. I usually book with the cheapest outfitter I can find because he doesn’t over pay his guides. I make it known upfront that I believe all guides are lazy crooks and I’m getting robbed but I expect a world class hunt. I never tip more than 5% than the hunt price . And that’s where it starts and goes down from there, same as at a restaurant. I mean come on, how hard is it to fill my water and bring my food or find a 400” bull or 200” deer? And let’s face it, we all can out hike, out glass and overallout hunt these phonies. Like I said it starts there and goes down. I expect quite a bit out of my guide. Here’s just some of my criteria
Pickup older than 3 years old-deduction
Not a full size pickup with the biggest cab-deduction
Full time guide- deduction. He should do it for the love of the game not money and should question his life choices
Part time guide-deduction, his heart’s not in it and probably makes enough money at his regular job.
Doesn’t have alpha glass-deduction he’s an amateur.
If he has the latest Gen of Alpha glass-deduction, again makes too much money.
Mis-matched camo deduction. Two different patterns probably cost me an animal
If he doesn’t answer every question immediately about all wildlife related subjects or know the scientific name of every plant-deduction.
If he doesn’t carry my water or pack or toilet paper or bags to and from lodge-deduction
If he gets lucky and out walks me-deduction
I’m in it for the experience, the experience of killing a trophy preferably on the first day because a good guide would have been scouting for weeks on his own dime and have a client an animal already picked out. If not-deduction.
If the guide doesn’t set me up perfectly, arrange my rest or provide shooting sticks to make my shot as easy as it be-deduction.
If he gets irritated at me questioning all of his plans, stalks, trophy assessment or my sighs of disapproval-BIG deduction! This is my hunt and we should do what and how I want!
I don’t always tip money. Sometimes I like to tip Chinese made knives especially if has a custom. I expect swag from the outfitter, caps jackets and other stuff with his logo. I like to tip with caps from my business so I can get free advertising. If there’s a piece of equipment that I brought and used but don’t like or it fails I usually give it to the guide. It’s the thought that counts.
That’s just a small look into how I do it.
YMMV
That's book material right there. Or at least a magazine article.
Side note - hunted out your way last December in the Jics and Sacramentos. I love that country!
Never been in a position to take a guided hunt but don’t believe it would affect how I tip at the end.
Reminds me of what’s the difference between a Norwegian and a canoe. (The canoe tips.)
I normally tip waitresses/waiters. I had a waitress scream at me because I ate soup my kid didn’t eat and I didn’t order soup. She added the charge for the soup onto the bill. That woman may have been mental, I don’t know. But where it said tip, I wrote: “see back”. On the back I wrote: “Your tip paid for the soup, THANKS!!”
Tipping in the US has certainly gotten out of hand, I'm prompted every time I buy coffee "do you want to add a tip", No!, all she did was fill a cup and ring me up! I much prefer the European standard of a professional wait staff and not tipping. With the tipping model, you mostly get amateurs constantly interrupting you as you're trying to enjoy your meal and conversation. That said, in the service industry where tips are expected, I always do and on the high end if it's someplace I frequent as I want good service. On a guided hunt, if I tip is expected, I just plan it into the budget.
Guess I'm the worst because I've never understood why a person should tip or be compelled to tip for an agreed service. If an person wants to than go for it but I don't understand and never will. Tip the dentist? The doctor? Your unity company? How bout your mechanic or the cashier ringing up the groceries? Where does it end.
Do you get tipped for work you do for every client? Why is it in the guided hunting industry are tips looked upon as an mandatory transaction?
Enough of my spew.
I've had clients like you, they are the worst kind. Usually they make themselves known shortly after meeting them, it's their personality and they can't hide it. They mock the concept of tipping because they are cheapskates but want to save face, or try to. Everyone sees through them though and they just look douchey.
I hate tipping because I have social anxiety issues and just don't like weird dynamic of figuring out the correct tip.
- If the expected tip is certain (say a restaurant) I don't mind.
- I also don't mind where I am told ahead of time that the expected tip for good performance is $xx or xx%.
Guess I'm the worst because I've never understood why a person should tip or be compelled to tip for an agreed service. If an person wants to than go for it but I don't understand and never will. Tip the dentist? The doctor? Your unity company? How bout your mechanic or the cashier ringing up the groceries? Where does it end.
Do you get tipped for work you do for every client? Why is it in the guided hunting industry are tips looked upon as an mandatory transaction?
Enough of my spew.
I've had clients like you, they are the worst kind. Usually they make themselves known shortly after meeting them, it's their personality and they can't hide it. They mock the concept of tipping because they are cheapskates but want to save face, or try to. Everyone sees through them though and they just look douchey.
Well said, I always tip well. I’ve been on a few corporate leases. They had a guide in the stand that gave you the green light when a big buck came up if he was 5 yrs or older. We hunted 3 days, always gave the guy 300 bucks. When I’m gone I do not want to be known as a cheap MFer. If I’d shot a really big buck, I would have given him 500.
If anything i'd tip the owner less than an employee that worked for said owner, same for tipping any waitress/server more than the restaurant owner, employees have fewer avenues available for income.
Ok, now I am curious as to the tip percentage. Say you pay $5k for a 4 day deer hunt. You tag a buck on day 2 or 3; nothing remarkable but you had a good time and were successful.
Are you tipping the guide the “new standard” 20% of that $5k? $1000?
For me I will absolutely tip $500, (10-15%) without issue, but not a grand.
Not when when I likely already have $8k+ invested in the hunt between the licensing and tag, guide, and travel expenses. Hell, that’s doing it on the cheap these days! I agree that a tip is earned as part of services rendered and that one should be given but I am more in the 10% category when it comes to guided hunts.
I know a man who owns an auto detailing business, and is also an elected state representative to our state legislature. I've known him and his family for many years, and have used his detailing business on a number of occasions. Not only is he the owner, but he is the one who also does the work. All my life I've heard that you are only obligated to tip the employees and not the owner, so I never paid the guy anymore than he charged. I figure that when the owner sets a price for his service, he has already figured in his line of profit, so tipping is not required.
Anyway, to finish my story, it got to the point that this guy would not return my phone calls when I was trying to schedule my vehicle with him. So, I asked around and was told that unless you tipped him good, he didn't want to clean your car up. Also, unless you contributed to his political campaign, he wouldn't return calls to people asking for his help............something that I also know first hand is true.
My point in posting this is that while I tip in restaurants, and believe that I tip well, I don't really buy into the whole tipping thing. I'd much rather a business set a price for their services, and that includes restaurants also, and give me the opportunity to either use them, or shop elsewhere. I've never been on a guided hunt, so I'm not qualified to comment. However, if I did, I'd much prefer an upfront price that including everything, and let the owner pay any guide enough so that they would not need a tip to make a decent wage.
I tip my guide but never the outfitter. He/she was paid in advance.
It's no secret that guides live off tips, and the customary amount is not a secret either. If you can't or won't give the guide a decent tip (when it's deserved) then don't book a guided hunt.
I don’t know why y’all don’t tip the outfitter, every outfitter I’ve ever worked for has a golden horseshoe up his a$$ for luck, and usually has the best spots even if he has to bump a guide out! Thats’s gotta be worth something!!
I have always tipped based on guides, cooks, wranglers, etc., etc. performance. I don't go by any standard but my own. If the guy has a good attitude, works hard and is good company and generally not miserable the whole hunt, he gets a big tip. If he is lazy and miserable, he doesn't. Gratuities are performance based.
I've used several outfitters multiple times. If you are a generous tipper, you will find that you will get the best guides, the best equipment and the best locations on your return trips. That is no accident and generous tipping can work out to be a small investment on future hunts.
I have one outfitter that I use that is the owner/guide. I always leave him something, but not the same kind of money I leave for guides that aren't owner/operators.
Good discussion. I haven't gone on many guided hunts but on one of them, the guide was the outfitter/owner on a Dall Sheep hunt. At the time I didn't think really clearly through the issues but I was very happy with my experience so I tipped him and I tipped the packer as well. I will repeat that I was very happy with the service/hunt so I gladly tipped him.
I can see it both ways, but on this particular hunt I also felt the overall price of the hunt was very fair so that helped my mood as well
I've done less tipping since I quit the alcohol....
I'm going on a hunt next month and the written expectation is a 10 % (of the hunt cost) "tip". The "tip" is to be paid unless there is something wrong with the service, in which case the owner wants to know what was wrong. The so called "tip" is not really a tip in my book, but an expected part of the contract price, though perhaps unenforceable at law. Another hunt, the cooks implied that they hardly got paid anything and relied on the tips. Always wanting to know whether I liked the food they cooked (as if you can just say it was average!) and hanging around until they got their "tip". These are not inexpensive hunts, so I just consider the owner's are skimping on wages so the hunter helps pay their wages, via a so-called "tip".
The outfitters I’ve used don’t like it when I ask them: Isn’t Tipping a city in China?
My barber owns his own place. He sets his own price. I’ve always wondered why if his service was worth more than he priced it at, why he doesn’t just raise his price?
I’ve never been on a guided hunt. But my business partner and I did a DIY elk hunt (as most my hunts are as I’m not a wealthy man). A friend of my partner from the Corps put him in touch with a friend of his in the area who sometimes guides for an outfitter. He gave us a map, showed us some good glassing points, elk patterns he observed previous seasons, and even came up the mountain with us to show us an old mineshaft we could camp out of.
To top it off, the man drove six hours to meet us there! While we weren’t rich guys, we do own a custom knife business and make good blades if we don’t say so ourselves. We made him a custom 3V knife with a full-tang, guard, with a sheath that we would have sold for around $350-400. We also gave him a bottle of good bourbon worth $100. He was grateful and said coming was doing a solid for a friend and getting a chance to come see his friends in the area.
you should go to Africa where everyone expects a tip even the guy that rakes the leaves even those that you had no contact with
Guess I'm the worst because I've never understood why a person should tip or be compelled to tip for an agreed service. If an person wants to than go for it but I don't understand and never will. Tip the dentist? The doctor? Your unity company? How bout your mechanic or the cashier ringing up the groceries? Where does it end.
Do you get tipped for work you do for every client? Why is it in the guided hunting industry are tips looked upon as an mandatory transaction?
Enough of my spew.
WTF? Their work is seasonal and tipping goes a long way to get through the year you tight fuqk... Geezzz.
It's no secret that guides live off tips, and the customary amount is not a secret either. If you can't or won't give the guide a decent tip (when it's deserved) then don't book a guided hunt.
I've heard this stated before by others....
Agree or not....
Tipping is a subject that shouldn't be.
Prices should be set and paid.
Employers should then pay their employees and the employee shouldn't have to worry if they receive a tip or not.
But then there are other views...none I will lose sleep over for either side
One of the problems with the "tipping culture" is the uncomfortable situation you're put in when the person expects a tip and they've only given a mediocre service. Not giving a tip creates hostility in a camp when you leave, and you're not going to be welcome back at that camp should you wish to hunt there again. I just came back from a hunt and was obliged to give the $1000 tip to a guide (an employee) that was inexperienced, had trouble spotting the game and was too slow in determining whether we could do better than the animal I shot. I still feel bad in giving that much tip to someone who really didn't deserve it, yet the outfitter (the guy who owned the business) was very good to me in every other way.
I can understand tipping for service above and beyond. But the concept of the tip being a certain
% of the final bill makes zero sense to me. Why should a waitress receive a higher amount just because I ordered a beer or soda?
If a guide “lives” off tips then they need to revise their fee structure.
Tipping is getting out of hand. And the worse it gets the less inclined I am to tip.
Tuesday I stopped at a bakery to buy some cookies and they were not inexpensive ($4 each and worth it). Picked out 4 and while the young lady hit the cash register she asked me if I would like to tip.
What did she do above and beyond? Nothing.
Politely told her she should be happy I was there to spend my money in the first place.
I had started this thread back then just before I was to depart out on a big game hunt,
During the travel to and fro on that I hunt i wondered about this tipping subject,
When I parked at the airport a shuttle bus driver picked me up from long term parking and took me/us to the terminal, How many of you have tipped the shuttle driver?
Then all the attendants at the airline counter, tip?
Then on the plane the stewardess’s and the pilots, You tip them?
By the end of the hunt there were likely another half dozen people who assisted me in some form or another,
Who tips the lady who makes the breakfasts at the hotels? I’ve never seen a single person tip that ‘cook’ at any motel, ever…..
Why?
You’re expected to tip at a restaurant but in my entire life I’ve never seen a single person tip at fast food joints, what’s the diff here?
Interesting how certain people/trades expect tips. And other people/trades don’t.
Also curious on the over/under line on “assumed” hourly wage that determines tip or no tip.
I had started this thread back then just before I was to depart out on a big game hunt,
During the travel to and fro on that I hunt i wondered about this tipping subject,
When I parked at the airport a shuttle bus driver picked me up from long term parking and took me/us to the terminal, How many of you have tipped the shuttle driver?
Then all the attendants at the airline counter, tip?
Then on the plane the stewardess’s and the pilots, You tip them?
By the end of the hunt there were likely another half dozen people who assisted me in some form or another,
Who tips the lady who makes the breakfasts at the hotels? I’ve never seen a single person tip that ‘cook’ at any motel, ever…..
Why?
You’re expected to tip at a restaurant but in my entire life I’ve never seen a single person tip at fast food joints, what’s the diff here?
Interesting how certain people/trades expect tips. And other people/trades don’t.
Also curious on the over/under line on “assumed” hourly wage that determines tip or no tip.
Well, fess up. How did you handle it? Oh yea, how was the hunt?
I just went on. $17K moose and caribou hunt in Foundland, the owners son was one of my guides. I shot a 30" moose and Boone and Crockett caribou. I gave both guides $750 and the cook $200 for a total of $1700.
I’ll post a story on the hunt here in the near future when I have a little more spare time,
Then regarding the tipping matter, I basically fell into the same mindset most have, tip the guide yet ignore a dozen others who performed services for me,, Hell I even tipped the other guide in camp since he made breakfast once or twice and then did the dishes, Wasn’t a huge tip, but it was a tip.
One that really made me wonder, the bush pilot that flew two of us into camp, One pilot flew us in, another pilot flew us out, The fee per person was 2600 bucks RT, so at even 10% I was ‘obligated’ to hand over 260 bucks in tips to him? he had two flights that day with 8 hunters, so over 1000/2000 that day in tips? Uh-huh.
Truth be told no-one tipped that pilot that I was aware of that day,
Which is why I asked above, what’s the over /under on assumed wages that determines tip or no tip?
I just went on. $17K moose and caribou hunt in Foundland, the owners son was one of my guides. I shot a 30" moose and Boone and Crockett caribou. I gave both guides $750 and the cook $200 for a total of $1700.
You mean that instead of registering your objections to the current funding process, you just got out your wallet and coughed up the customary cash 😳 ???? Good on you. Several Canadian families would certainly agree!
I wonder whether 10% of the cost of a Stone sheep hunt would be expected as a tip to the guide?
The tipping expectation is totally out of hand, and it's not limited to guided hunts. Who determined who gets tipped? The waitress always gets big tips because we'll have a few (overpriced) cocktails with our dinner. The mailman gets tipped at Christmas because, ah-ah- I don't know why. The guy who brings the fast food gets tipped even though I get charged for delivery. But a dozen other service providers don't get tipped because it's not customary????????????
I do a guided whitetail hunt every year. The "guides" aren't guiding anything and merely drive you to your stand and pick you up. There are often not enough "drivers" to get all the hunters out in a timely fashion so you may get in stupid early and get picked up stupid late because they have to run relays. They don't field dress the deer, it's subed out. But ....... they expect big tips based on what you paid for the entire hunt, including your meal plan which they aren't involved with.
I've noticed that the "guides" that like to talk about clients that leave big tips and donate binoculars or custom knives (in addition to the tip) usually don't do anything to earn it. I usually tip 10% whether the service was good or not because I feel obligated to. This year I noticed that the outfitter is recommending a 15-20% tip for the same ho-hum service that is usually provided.
To answer the original question regarding an outfitter who guides you personally:
I hunted in a Canadian bear camp where I met a very wealthy guy that killed many bears, including brown bears, polar bear and a ton of blackies. With a little reluctance he showed me pictures of his trophies and game room on hid phone. This guy was a serious hunter who hunted all over. When the issue of tipping was brought up, he said that he always provided a good tip but on this trip it was the outfitter that was guiding him. He said that it's not proper to tip the guy who you just paid for the entire hunt. He was one of two guys who did not tip on that hunt. The other guy said that he got what he paid for and saw no reason to voluntarily pay more.
I wonder whether 10% of the cost of a Stone sheep hunt would be expected as a tip to the guide?
If you can afford a stone sheep hunt-----Pretty sure the tip won't break the bank.
I wonder whether 10% of the cost of a Stone sheep hunt would be expected as a tip to the guide?
If you can afford a stone sheep hunt-----Pretty sure the tip won't break the bank.
$5500 to $8000 tip?
I wonder whether 10% of the cost of a Stone sheep hunt would be expected as a tip to the guide?
If you can afford a stone sheep hunt-----Pretty sure the tip won't break the bank.
$5500 to $8000 tip?
Good question. Is there a top end on what’s expected? Any guides or outfitters here to chime in?
I wonder whether 10% of the cost of a Stone sheep hunt would be expected as a tip to the guide?
IMO that 10% should be applied to the daily rate charged for the hunt X the number of days of the booked hunt excluding the "trophy fee", so no.
Aren't a lot of these hunts just a fixed price for perhaps 8-10 days, rather than a rate per day plus a trophy fee?
Aren't a lot of these hunts just a fixed price for perhaps 8-10 days, rather than a rate per day plus a trophy fee?
In North America, yes. Africa can be different.
Well then that makes it simple. Go on a Barbary sheep hunt in Africa rather than a Stone sheep hunt to reduce the mandatory amount of "tip".
Aren't a lot of these hunts just a fixed price for perhaps 8-10 days, rather than a rate per day plus a trophy fee?
There's a lot of data out there to sort this regardless of where the hunt is. I noticed that Stone Mountain Safaris, since bought when I hunted with them in 2008 and under new ownership, has dropped what the daily rate is. It's criminal in my view. I will not pay a tip on anything more than what the guide, cooks, wranglers, trackers, skinners. etc., have done for me. Tip on the work performed seems pretty simple.
[quote=NMpistolero]Here’s my take, if I’m forced to hunt with an outfitter I’ll usually tip. But everyone knows that outfitters are crooks and what’s wrong with hunting, just corporate type greed making money off of wildlife that we all own, even if I live across the country. I usually book with the cheapest outfitter I can find because he doesn’t over pay his guides. I make it known upfront that I believe all guides are lazy crooks and I’m getting robbed but I expect a world class hunt. I never tip more than 5% than the hunt price . And that’s where it starts and goes down from there, same as at a restaurant. I mean come on, how hard is it to fill my water and bring my food or find a 400” bull or 200” deer? And let’s face it, we all can out hike, out glass and overallout hunt these phonies. Like I said it starts there and goes down. I expect quite a bit out of my guide. Here’s just some of my criteria
Pickup older than 3 years old-deduction
Not a full size pickup with the biggest cab-deduction
Full time guide- deduction. He should do it for the love of the game not money and should question his life choices
Part time guide-deduction, his heart’s not in it and probably makes enough money at his regular job.
Doesn’t have alpha glass-deduction he’s an amateur.
If he has the latest Gen of Alpha glass-deduction, again makes too much money.
Mis-matched camo deduction. Two different patterns probably cost me an animal
If he doesn’t answer every question immediately about all wildlife related subjects or know the scientific name of every plant-deduction.
If he doesn’t carry my water or pack or toilet paper or bags to and from lodge-deduction
If he gets lucky and out walks me-deduction
I’m in it for the experience, the experience of killing a trophy preferably on the first day because a good guide would have been scouting for weeks on his own dime and have a client an animal already picked out. If not-deduction.
If the guide doesn’t set me up perfectly, arrange my rest or provide shooting sticks to make my shot as easy as it be-deduction.
If he gets irritated at me questioning all of his plans, stalks, trophy assessment or my sighs of disapproval-BIG deduction! This is my hunt and we should do what and how I want!
I don’t always tip money. Sometimes I like to tip Chinese made knives especially if has a custom. I expect swag from the outfitter, caps jackets and other stuff with his logo. I like to tip with caps from my business so I can get free advertising. If there’s a piece of equipment that I brought and used but don’t like or it fails I usually give it to the guide. It’s the thought that counts.
That’s just a small look into how I do it.
YMMV[/quote
Awesome stuff!
I’m a good tipper and I ain’t stingy but I damn sure won’t be told that I have to tip or that the tip should be a minimum of 15%+ or any other requirement regarding my option to tip or not. If you expect me to tip you then I expect you to earn the extra money that you seem to think you deserve. My brother and I were talking about this very thing earlier today. He had to hire a safe cracking company to come change the combinations and service 2 bank “safes” (vaults). They changed the 2 individual combinations for each safe which took them about 5 minutes total and handed my brother their iPad which showed him the “receipt” that would be emailed to him…the total bill to change 4 combinations was $1800!!!!! My brother said to the guys that he was told (by their boss) that it was a 2 hour job, NOT an $1800 5 minute deal. He said that now that the combinations have been changed the doors need to be balanced and both safes need to be lubricated. My brother is the most generous and fair man alive but he ain’t no sucker. He told me that for $1800 those guys are going to earn it and since the quote was based upon 2 hours he was going to get what he was promised so he had those guys actually work…which they didn’t appreciate. The iPad with his electronic receipt was handed to him so that he could decide what to tip but the “suggested” amount was prominently displayed in large font center of the screen….20%!!!…..20% was what they expected for doing their job 😫🖕. My brother was incredulous at this point and beyond disgusted, they thought they were going to charge $1800 for a “2hr” job that in reality took 5 minutes total and on top of that THEY expected a $360 tip for their 5 minutes! My brother said “hold the fu.ck on here”. He asked them if they were professionals and they said absolutely they are. He told them that they get paid as professionals because they are qualified tradesmen that ARE professionals in their field so their expectation of a 20% tip is not only unprofessional but it’s laughable. He was planning on giving each guy a $50 bill when they were done because that’s the kind of guy my brother is. My brother said that afterwards he was so disgusted with those guys and their whorehouse attitude that he wished he didn’t give them anything because those 2 douche bags were really put out that they only got $50 each for a tip.
In North America, and in those destinations/camps with a large number of North American hunters, tipping has gone completely out of hand, and puts rest-of-the-world hunters in a very embarrasing situation all the time.
Such tipping practices are well embedded in your culture and in no other's.
We see it as something discretional, and do not consider eligible the endless number of people that interact with you during the whole trip.
Basically we see it oriented to show one's appreciation to whoever went the extra mile with you. We pay it, because we don't want to start an argument or see any upset faces to a certain point. But we see it as funny way from outfitters or other employers to transfer part of their labour costs to their customers and would feel better if they paid them fair salaries, include these in the total price of the hunt, and leave tips for what they are.