Wow.
I've not hunted beyond North America...hope to make Kamchatka, Mongolia and Tajikistan before my knees wear out.
I've lost count after over 40 guided hunts, not as many these days but in the past 20 years...there was one year-elk in 16A NM, elk/mule deer/antelope area 7 WY, Rocky Man Bighorn 552A Imnaha Unit OR, then back for mulies in an Eastern CO near-blizzard, gone from home for a month. The hunts have taken me from whitetails/mulies in Eastern CO/MT/WY, to mulies/elk in the mountains of MT/WY/ID/NM/CO to speed goats in WY/MT/CO/NM, to elk in MT/NM/AZ/WY/ID to sheep in OR/ID/AK/Yukon/British Coulumbia/MX, and moose in AK/Yukon. Add a few multi-day flyfishing trips in OR/ID/WY/MT with some totally awesome guides...I'd actually rather fly fish than hunt...you can pull over on a sandbar and break out a bottle of wine for lunch before the afternoon hatch!!
I agree that 10% for a desert ram hunt-fair chase of course- on a ranch in MX-is a bit much...more recently last December the owner assured me that $3,000 US for the guide, his two sons, the butler, the maid, the chef...was more than they would ever expect.
Now, elsewhere, especially for the better mule deer hunts-over 190" on two hunts, elk over 350", or just a damn fun time chasing speed goats around with a great/friendly guide who knows and shares the history of the area...and then for the sheep guides that push you mentally/physically and have great eyes to help you age/judge the ram...the 10% is just a starting point, in my opinion.
If you really appreciate the effort, if the effort goes above and beyond what you've seen elsewhere, and then if you are really fortunate and bag a B&C trophy, then I've easily given 15-20%, on three occasions higher. It's not about trying to impress someone, it's about showing them how much you appreciate them busting their ass, as you keep up with them...they appreciate that...and the generosity that you show the guide gives an objective/useful amount of how much this special experience meant to the hunter. Farther down he list, it may let the outfitter know that if you want to be a return client, you may get better dates and not have to wait as many years to get back for another hunt.
And finally, I've become great friends as with going to weddings, attending funerals, providing diagnostic/treatment advice across the thousands of miles, for numerous folks (I'm an MD who doesn't put "MD" on anything as it changes how people treat you)...We've visited and stayed overnight at their ranches when my wife and I or my son and I go back out West on our usual self-guided fishing/hiking trips...were invited to hunt upland birds as long as we called ahead of time and stayed out of the way...we are "pen pals" via email with some of the outfitters, their families, and especially one of the fathers who was my first Canadian sheep guide.
Cash is king, it shows appreciation...it is NOT buying friends...but it shows you appreciate the effort, the country, the culture...and yup, the hunt. I just spent two hours on the phone with one of the outfitters' father, just talking and visiting, as we chat about the number of rams and bulls they saw this year, the "uh oh" flipping of one of the bush planes, and the upcoming sheep/moose combo hunt that won't be until 2021. The "tip" is a bridge to a connection that stays open and leads to a broader circle of friends.
Jus sayin..
Best,
DWD
"Heart of the lion for the Masi,
Holy Grail for Sir Gawain,
Running Tide for Masefield,
Antler gleam in the morning for me..."