Tipping a guide...Not to be confused with cow tipping!

[Doublewide]

I'll be going on a guided hunt this fall and I'm interested in what is considered the standard percentage to tip a guide for a his services taking into account he performed his duties at a reasonable level. Also, if your guide is the outfitter would that percentage remain the same considering he is already making the profit on your hunt. I fully understand that if the guide is outstanding that the sky is the limit when compensating him for his services, I'm just looking for a fair starting off point..

 

[Doublewide]

Another thought. Should it even be a percentage? If you spend $5k for a hunt vs. $10k why would a guide get double the amount just because it's a more expensive hunt. So maybe the tip should start at a minimum dollar amount and increase from there..

 

[Brian662]

I used to do some waterfowl guiding back in the day and on a $150 or $200 hunt guys would tip generally $20 to $50. If you scaled that for a big game guide fee on a percentage, it would be outrageous. On a big game hunt, if I were a happy and successful customer I'd probably be be in the 10-15% range. JMO

 

[Telemark]

It ma y be an unpopular opinion, but tipping is insane. You paid the guy, he did his job. Why doesn't the transaction end there?

 

[SwampCat]

This wont help much, but I went along with my son on a hunt to africa. We had a govt supplied game scout that accompanied on every hunt to keep the poachers and renegades off of you. He carried an AK47. He did nothing but walk along behind. He didnt help with tracking, processing game, loading game, didnt communicate with anyone - it was like he wasnt even there. At the end of the hunt, all the help lined up for their tip and my son tipped him about a 1/3 of what he tipped the other help. He told the professional hunter he didnt think it was right the game scout showed up to get his tip carrying an AK47

I havent done much guided hunting - but quite a bit of charter fishing. I am one of these who tip more based on work expended than came caught or killed. We were on a charter in Cabo. The boat we were on had a daily rate of $1500 - but if you we to the hot spot, it was twice as far as they normally fish and required the customer to pay $900 more for fuel. Hours on the boat were the same 8 hours, but four hours of that was riding, where as a normal trip was 30 to 60 minute ride one way. We did tear the fish up. When we got back, I tipped 15% based upon the regular boat fee of $1500. The mates got upset - saying they deserved more because the total charter cost was $2400. I said no, I am not tipping you for the fuel I bought. The mates were only average to begin with and the sat on their butts for three hours while we were going and coming. Kind of was a scene at the dock

The best mate I ever had I tipped 25%. The capt was a douche bag, the mate was fantastic. I caught the one fish I was after and me and capt had a discussion about tipping while we were on the boat that day. I actually got the discussion started about tipping. He said normal tip was 15% but since I caught my fish, he would expect a higher tip - maybe 20%. I said no, I tip on the effort the mate and capt put out. If a mate works his ass off and we dont catch any, he still deserves a good tip. In fact, most mates work a lot harder on the days they dont bite. The mate agreed with me. When I left, I gave them a 25% tip - most I have ever given because the mate was the best I have ever seen - not because I caught my fish

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Tip the neighbors for the game the asshat outfitter is taking so he can profit while everyone else pics up his pieces. lol I will shut up but I’m not a fan.

With that said I believe it to be a case by case basis. If you are on an Alaskan moose hunt and the guide is living in the bush with you and carrying loads of meat he’s probably worth more than the guide taking you to a deerstand and picking you up. I had a buddy go on a brown bear hunt In Alaska and they stayed in a tent for 10 days glassing and that guide earned his tip for sure. My neighbor who drives a guy to a bait pile and picks him up probably deserves $25

 

[Telemark]

Outfitting should be 100% illegal.

I agree. I don't mind guiding, but the idea that someone can lease up land and then sublease it to hunters doesn't seem ethical in a country like the US. Hunting and fishing should be between the sportsman and the wildlife managers. It's a public resource being divided among the public. When you start to make hunting more about money than skill, you end up with a system like much of Europe has: Pay to Play. It's more about showing off than acquiring food or connecting to nature.

 

[Brian662]

Certainly it's all relative to effort and experience. Also, if you have an employee of the owner who busts his ass to make sure you're successful and enjoy your hunt, that's worth more to me than if you're double paying the owner by giving him more tips.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I agree. I don't mind guiding, but the idea that someone can lease up land and then sublease it to hunters doesn't seem ethical in a country like the US. Hunting and fishing should be between the sportsman and the wildlife managers. It's a public resource being divided among the public. When you start to make hunting more about money than skill, you end up with a system like much of Europe has: Pay to Play. It's more about showing off than acquiring food or connecting to nature.

I deleted that part only cause there’s some nuance to that statement. But if it was all or nothing, I’d choose nothing when it came to outfitting. I appreciate places like Idaho that make waterfowl outfitting On public ground illegal

 

[Turkey Creek]

Its different when talking about tipping as a way to compensate an employee like a waitress/waitor who is making less than minimum wage per hour as tips are considered to be part of their salary. Where as someone who has the cost of their employee's salary built into the price you pay up front. I tip on a case by case basis, you have to earn it to get tipped by me. Nothing pisses me off faster in this day and age when someone gives you a key pad that already has the amount you should tip as the 1st thing you see or that it asks if you want to tip the person who's only job is to take your money. When they have done absolutely nothing other than take you money! I would guess the "15% rule" was started by business owners and the government to know how much to tax the employee getting the tip. 15% really means nothing in terms of the "quality" of the service provided.

 

[Telemark]

I deleted that part only cause there’s some nuance to that statement. But if it was all or nothing, I’d choose nothing when it came to outfitting. I appreciate places like Idaho that make waterfowl outfitting On public ground illegal

I don't mind guiding on public property. I just don't want any guide/outfitter/etc. to try to assert exclusive or unreasonable control over public land. If someone wants to get into duck hunting and is willing to pay someone to show him where to hunt and how to set up decoys, that's fine by me. But if any of them start to harass other hunters, they should be fined and banned from guiding and hunting for a period of time.

 

[Telemark]

Its different when talking about tipping as a way to compensate an employee like a waitress/waitor who is making less than minimum wage per hour as tips are considered to be part of their salary. Where as someone who has the cost of their employee's salary built into the price you pay up front. I tip on a case by case basis, you have to earn it to get tipped by me. Nothing pisses me off faster in this day and age when someone gives you a key pad that already has the amount you should tip as the 1st thing you see or that it asks if you want to tip the person who's only job is to take your money. When they have done absolutely nothing other than take you money! I would guess the "15% rule" was started by business owners and the government to know how much to tax the employee getting the tip. 15% really means nothing in terms of the "quality" of the service provided.

The service staff should be paid minimum wage. Tipping should be phased out as a norm and only done when service is absolutely above and beyond. If a tip is more or less mandatory, then it's no longer a tip, it's a service fee.

Now I feel like I'm starting to derail the poor guy's thread, so that's the last I'll say about it in this thread.

 

[roymunson]

I spent 10 days in the back country with a dude who worked hard to get me on a moose. And when we got it, he worked his tail off helping me get the moose out of the swamp.

If you don't wanna tip, just go on public land yourself and figure it out. I paid him about 10% for his effort, expertise, and general know how on a subject/experience I wasn't equipped to do myself. That was worth a lot to me.

If you can't afford the tip, that's fine. Do a DIY and be ok with not punching the tag. But I learned a ton, had a good time, and what he brought to the equation was something I either couldn't, or wasn't willing to risk that I couldn't provide.

Saying outfitting should be outlawed is asinine. Telling someone what they can't do on private land is ridiculous. I'd never get to do a lot of the things I've done if that was the case. I didn't grow up in a hunting family so I didn't know where to start. The learning curve was expensive, but well worth it.

 

[Tree Spud]

I'll be going on a guided hunt this fall and I'm interested in what is considered the standard percentage to tip a guide for a his services taking into account he performed his duties at a reasonable level. Also, if your guide is the outfitter would that percentage remain the same considering he is already making the profit on your hunt. I fully understand that if the guide is outstanding that the sky is the limit when compensating him for his services, I'm just looking for a fair starting off point..

There is a difference between a guide and the outfitter who owns the business. The outfitter could be the guide also. Guides, who do not own the business, are typically paid something from you hunt fee. They are really working for the tips though. A good guide is worth a lot of money on a guided hunt.

I'll assume this is a big game hunt, something like Moose, Bear, Elk, or Whitetail. Things I would look at...
- How knowledgeable are they in the animal and area you are hunting?
- What level of pre-season scouting is done?
- How much work is involved in setting up camp if you are staying in the field? How many days in the field?
- How much work is involved with setting up hunting stand locations? Do they move them to where they have located game?
- Are they driving you out to a box blind with a pile of corn out front, or are you actually stalking and chasing game?
- How much work is involved in recovery & processing of the animal?
- Did they put you in front of agreed upon target size game with reasonable shot opportunities?
- How was the food?

Some business' are set-up so that tipping drives the people who serve you to be exceptional at the job and make sure you have a great experience. I typically tip the guide, the outfitter, and camp cook. % tip can vary depending on the cost of the hunt, but a range or 10-15% is a good start.

 

[Telemark]

Telling someone what they can't do on private land is ridiculous.

The government already tells us what we can and can't do on private land. Especially when it comes to hunting.

 

[roymunson]

There is a difference between a guide and the outfitter who owns the business.

I think a lot of folks don't determine the difference here.

The outfitter is who you book thru, they do the logistics of getting you in and out of camp, assign a guide, etc...

Then the guide does the grunt work. The Guides are the workers. They work for tips.
I don't generally tip the outfitter. They get paid to set me up with the opportunity to chase game. The guide gets me in front of the animals.

 

[roymunson]

The government already tells us what we can and can't do on private land. Especially when it comes to hunting.

You know what I meant. telling me who I can't lease my ground to, etc is silly and very Big Brother. If they're harassing etc, that's fine.

I could make the argument that you should banish guiding on public ground as the public owns it and to earn an income from someone else's land without there consent is distastful. JMO

 

[Tree Spud]

I think a lot of folks don't determine the difference here.

The outfitter is who you book thru, they do the logistics of getting you in and out of camp, assign a guide, etc...

Then the guide does the grunt work. The Guides are the workers. They work for tips.
I don't generally tip the outfitter. They get paid to set me up with the opportunity to chase game. The guide gets me in front of the animals.

Agreed, but sometimes in a small outfitter, the outfitter himself is actually the one with the most knowledge of the animals you are chasing and are directly involved with directing the guides or guiding you themselves.

Every outfitting business is different and you have to make the call on who to tip based on your experience.

 

[Telemark]

You know what I meant. telling me who I can't lease my ground to, etc is silly and very Big Brother. If they're harassing etc, that's fine.

I could make the argument that you should banish guiding on public ground as the public owns it and to earn an income from someone else's land without there consent is distastful. JMO

I don't mind leasing. It's the subleasing that bugs me. It gives too much power to people with a lot of money. Imagine if someone did that with housing. If Blackrock came in and leased up all the rentals and then drove up prices. Secondary markets are very dangerous, as they allow the primary markets to be heavily manipulated.

I understand and respect your opinion regarding guiding on public land. However, I disagree.

 

[Telemark]

The outfitter is who you book thru, they do the logistics of getting you in and out of camp, assign a guide, etc...

Then the guide does the grunt work. The Guides are the workers. They work for tips.

That's a good point. I was looking at it from the lens of "outfitters" in Ohio.