How much is a normal tip for your Guide?

[WRO]

I guide a few hunts a year. I don't do it for the money as I could make more money flipping burgers. Typical pay for our guys is 200.00 a day. Factor in that it costs me 200.00 to get to camp and I typically burn another 200.00 in fuel I might make 500.00 for a week of work. (we only get paid when the hunters are in camp) A tip generally make or breaks the trip for me.

We work our asses off. I ran a big camp last year, I was up at 5am every morning and lucky to be in bed by 11pm. It's not easy.

 

[bozeman]

I thought guides were there ‘for the love of it and not $$’. Yeah, right. I have been on numerous boat charters and one guided elk hunt. I asked the outfitter if $XX would be a good tip and he about flipped out. Said- you tip him that, he will take you hunting everyday! I showed up a day early, helped saddle horses, helped a guide take a care package to a drop camp and then helped clear a trail to camp where some trees had fallen. No other guy in camp would lift a finger. I’m not a ‘sit still’ kind of guy. I killed day 1, within an hour of daylight. I do believe he took me there due to attitude and work effort. Tip was the same regardless of success. I don’t buy the ‘if you can afford the hunt, you can afford the tip’ mentality. Be respectful and listen to your guide and I believe that goes a LONG way. Tip what you believe is proper if you were the guide!

Good luck on your hunt!

 

[Forest]

I thought guides were there ‘for the love of it and not $$’. Yeah, right. I have been on numerous boat charters and one guided elk hunt. I asked the outfitter if $XX would be a good tip and he about flipped out. Said- you tip him that, he will take you hunting everyday! I showed up a day early, helped saddle horses, helped a guide take a care package to a drop camp and then helped clear a trail to camp where some trees had fallen. No other guy in camp would lift a finger. I’m not a ‘sit still’ kind of guy. I killed day 1, within an hour of daylight. I do believe he took me there due to attitude and work effort. Tip was the same regardless of success. I don’t buy the ‘if you can afford the hunt, you can afford the tip’ mentality. Be respectful and listen to your guide and I believe that goes a LONG way. Tip what you believe is proper if you were the guide!

Good luck on your hunt!

I think that is a great summary and way to look at it. Although don't do stuff that makes it worse. We took a guy hunting once and we had horses. He was all for helping but had no idea how to deal with a horse lol. Pretty much had to do everything he did over. Not saying that's the case for you at all, but sometimes the helping can actually hurt.

 

[elkguide]

When I was guiding, my wife's question for me was, "You work from 4:30 in the morning till 10:30 at night. You deal with the nicest guys in the world or the biggest jerks to ever walk the earth. You get up before your hunters to build a fire in their stoves, wait for them to eat before you get what's left, saddle their horses and smile the entire time. After 30 days of guiding, the boss gives you $4500, ($150 a day). If you stayed home and worked those hours you'd make $10,000!" She never liked my response to her question of, "What's your point?"

Now yes. I did guide for the love of it but I did still have to support my wife and four children. The tips were very important to me.

So, what to tip?

The effort put forth by the guide should come in to play. To me, on your typical $5 - $6,000 hunt, $500 would be my starting point for a guide that gave you his/her best. And yes, the cook/wrangler and packers also appreciate being recognized for their efforts with a tip.

A good guide is likely guiding for both the love of the hunt and for the money.

 

[Phaseolus]

Monster muleys is now in session.

More like 24HourCampfire I’d say.

 

[DougP]

I agree with this ^^^^. And I'll bring the waitress example back up. You go to a cheap restaurant and the waitress takes your order, fills your water glasses, ensures everything is OK, and brings you your check. She gets 15-20% of let's say a $50 bill. Another waitress does the exact same thing at a much more expensive restaurant, but gets 15-20% of let's say a $200 bill.......for doing the exact same thing, just because the bill was higher which didn't affect diddly squat of how or what they did for the job. In Iceland it's considered an insult to tip wait staff.

There have been packouts where I would have gladly dropped $1000 to have a packer there. So if my guide is busting his butt every day on a hunt, I could easily see $1000-$1500 tip even for a cheap hunt.

Yes, the waitress deserves more, and no, she didn’t do the exact same thing. I didn’t invent any etiquette rules, but I do my best to abide them.


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[5MilesBack]

Yes, the waitress deserves more, and no, she didn’t do the exact same thing.

How would you know, you weren't even there.

 

[DougP]

How would you know, you weren't even there.

In theoretical fantasy land? For better or worse, I’m always there.


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[BrentLaBere]

When I was guiding, my wife's question for me was, "You work from 4:30 in the morning till 10:30 at night. You deal with the nicest guys in the world or the biggest jerks to ever walk the earth. You get up before your hunters to build a fire in their stoves, wait for them to eat before you get what's left, saddle their horses and smile the entire time. After 30 days of guiding, the boss gives you $4500, ($150 a day). If you stayed home and worked those hours you'd make $10,000!" She never liked my response to her question of, "What's your point?"

Now yes. I did guide for the love of it but I did still have to support my wife and four children. The tips were very important to me.

So, what to tip?

The effort put forth by the guide should come in to play. To me, on your typical $5 - $6,000 hunt, $500 would be my starting point for a guide that gave you his/her best. And yes, the cook/wrangler and packers also appreciate being recognized for their efforts with a tip.

A good guide is likely guiding for both the love of the hunt and for the money.

Ive only been on guided fly fishing (for a half day) and I agree with the effort put forth is how the tip should be factored in. I bit my lip when tipping my fishing guide. He was arrogant, lazy and down right not fun to fish with. Looking back on it I shouldn't have tipped him. heck, I had a nice fish on and he thought it was a good idea to grab the tippet to pull the fish to the net...... Im sure as heck not tipping him 20% just because.

 

[Rmdykeman]

I’ve done a lot of guiding from AK to AZ, both as a guide and owner/operator. I’ve always done well in tips as I work my ass of and can get along with just about anyone. The best tip and most fun I’ve ever had on a hunt was with a guy in AK hunting moose, bear and wolf. It went like this...

Client on the first day.
“Hi, nice to meet ya, here’s 100$, keep this in your pocket at all times. We’re gonna play a game”
Me “ok.....”
“ that was a nice spot on that bear, here’s 200$”
“You didn’t spot sh*t today, give me 150$”
“That was a nice little trick with the mountain house, here’s 300”
“Would’ve been nice if you whipped my ass, give m 200$”
“Awesome wolf man!! Here’s 1000$!!”


So on and so forth, I came out way on top but it was an absolute blast hunting with that guy. When I go guided I will absolutely do the same thing, so much fun. Added a little fun into the long, grinding days of hunting.

 

[Shepherd]

I've been on 8 guided hunts and overall have been very impressed with all but one of my guides. That said, I've been very careful when researching the outfitter in order to theoretically avoid poor outfits.

The one guide that I would rate poor was a first year guide and, giving him the benefit of the doubt, was learning the ropes - at times through trial and error. He had a rough week and it showed. As you know guiding is a very tough business. Like many of you said, the hours are long, sleep is fleeting and it can be physically and mentally challenging/draining. Its a tough job meant for a tough person. I've got a lot of respect for professional hunting guides - in my experience they are 'salt of the earth' type people. And many of them are real characters who are entertaining to be around.

That said, I use 10% as a starting point for the tip - most of the time its higher than that due to the above reasons.

 

[Double Creek]

$500 as a starting point and a minimum if a decent amount of effort was given... Up to probably $1,000 or so.. Talking typical $5k type hunt.

 

[robie]

Interesting timing on this article: What is proper etiquette for tipping an elk guide? | Elk Network

Some of the comments are comical.

From reading through this post and the RMEF article I'm seeing $500 for a $5000 5 day hunt come up several times and the salary for a guide being $100-$150 a day.

For the guides on here are you happy at the end of a week if that is your tip: $500 on an average hunt? You bust your butt you get $750? If you hang the moon $1k?

Reading some of the comments amazes me the way people treat others. I'm not hiring a servant for the week. I'm paying for someones knowledge of the area and the elk movement thus far this year. Guides talking about the hunters not lifting a finger is just sad.

I know some don't like a my $100 a day mindset, I don't mean if I tag out on day 1 he gets less either. 7 day hunt = $700, 5 day hunt = $500. It won't happen this year but I'm looking at a guide only AZ jan deer hunt. Cost is $2500 for a 5 day hunt and my thought would be to to tip $500. In my mind I'm tipping for the knowledge and experience, the bed and the meal is the difference between the guided vs outfitted price of the hunt.

 

[dr.mooseknuckles]

I have never been on a big game guided hunt, but on too many to count duck hunts in Arkansas and Louisiana. I like the 10-20% area, and like most have said, all about work ethic and getting you near game. The guide that I've gone with the most in Arkansas gets 20% every time regardless of success. He busts his ass to get you in birds, especially in poor conditions, etc.

He's told me about putting groups on the birds and seeing tons of birds, tons of shot opportunities, with low numbers killed and having the client tip like they didn't see a duck. Incidentally, those guy's don't get top scheduling priority for the next season. The hunter/client has to do their part too.

 

[AKBorn]

Ok this thread already baffles me. A good tip is 15 to 20% of the hunt. Can't afford to tip correctly, don't go. If you tip a waitress 15 to 20 percent at a meal, you should feel like an idiot tipping your guide less than that, regardless of what the dollar figure is. Figure it out. A waitress spends a total of what maybe 10 to 15 minutes with you over an hour dinner? A guide spends over 12 hours a day with you, in some cases more. So why would you tip them less. I think the "well 10% of 6k is 600" is a crock of crap. If you can afford a 6k hunt, you can afford to pony up a good tip for your guide. You guys have one thing right. Guides depend on tips for bulk of their income. If they only make 600 bucks every 10 day hunt, that's him eating peas and carrots all winter until next year. This is a service industry. Tip them like they deserve to be tipped. And if you can't afford to tip them well (if their service meets your expectations) don't go.

You're assuming that the guides do guiding for their only profession and income, and in MANY cases that is just not true. Lots of guides have a full time job, and take a few weeks off during hunting season to make some extra coin, spend some time in the woods, and hunt animals they love to hunt. Try not to compare apples to oranges. Telling other people what they can and cannot afford seems like a stretch for anyone to do.

 

[SW hunter]

I think 15% is a good target and adjust accordingly from there. Ive been on a cheap 3 day hunt and 15% didnt seem right for the work and time put in. 25% seemed more appropriate. I have also been on fishing trips in terrible weather and there was no way giving this guy 15% seemed right either. That instance I was comfortable and warm the whole time and this guy was incredibly cold and busy.

Another thing to consider is the fuel costs. If you are on a vehicle based hunt and burned through 3 tanks of diesel fuel I think you should set money aside for that just like hunting with buddies where you would switch off paying for a tank. Set that aside dont think well my 10% or 15% covers that. Pick your tip number then add your 80$ tank of fuel or $30 in quad gas onto that.

I think if youre remembered as a good tipper or a non-PITA client you are more likely to be texted or emailed by a guide and kept in the loop on hunts that may be sleepers. I appreciate that. Let me know there is a two point hunt in an area and its producing big animals and I should consider giving it a shot.

 

[AKBorn]

OK – this is gonna be fairly lengthy, apologies in advance. Just trying to help the OP figure out what he feels most comfortable with…

As background, I went on 4-5 guided hunts in Alaska before I threw up my hands and said I can do this better on my own. So now I go on DIY moose and caribou hunts, taking 1 partner with me each year for safety reasons (we typically fly in about 100 miles off the road system). I realize that elk hunts may be different, so am trying to be general in my recommendations…

The OP said that he is going on a guided elk hunt, through an Outfitter, that may or may not have cooks in camp. In that case, I would NOT tip the Outfitter – the Outfitter should be setting a hunt price that allows him to realize a fair profit, without need of your tip. In addition, if he is a reputable outfitter, he will have a backlog of waiting customers, and will do pretty well for himself. If he is NOT a good outfitter, why would you tip him anyway? An organized outfitter should run a good, organized operation, with a minimum of last-minute changes or unexpected events occurring.

If you have a cook in camp, and the food is good, I would tip him/her at the end of the week (others here have suggested the appropriate amounts for the cooks). If the food isn’t good, I would not tip them (except perhaps sending them an Outdoor Cookbook for Christmas).

As for your guide – casually ask them questions during the hunt, to ascertain the following:
- How long have they been guiding? (I saw bear hunters put out $15K for an Alaskan Bear Hunt, and get stuck with an Assistant Guide on their first solo guiding effort)
- How familiar are they with the area that you’re hunting?
- Have they scouted the area that you’re hunting, or taken hunters there earlier in the season?
- Are they REALLY knowledgeable concerning the game regulations? This doesn’t preclude you from knowing them also, but they certainly should know them inside and out (I had guides in Alaska who were not familiar with the Transfer of Possession regs concerning transport of game meat out of the field)
- Do they work hard and try to keep their and your spirits up, regardless of how the hunt is going?
- Do they guide full-time, or are they taking a break from work to get a chance to enjoy the mountains?

Based on the guides response to these questions (spaced out over time, not asked all at once) and on your observation of his/her efforts during the hunt, you can decide what level of tip feels right for you.

 

[Azone]

It's all effort based in my opinion. If the guy kills himself to try to punch your tag and he is great person who is nothing but kind and tries to instill as much knowledge as he knows about the area and animals into your brain in the 5 to 7 days he is guiding you TIP HIM GOOD. Especially if you plan on returning to that outfitter the following year. This is all regardless of whether you kill some thing or not. Try to tip him cash also. Gear that is given as a gift would always be a kind gesture, but it does not pay for the groceries, the kids sports equipment and the new washer and dryer the wifey so desperately needs.
Tips come down to effort in my opinion. I'm not gifting my money to someone unless they have earned it plain and simple.
Some of the worst meals I have ever had still resulted in that waitress getting a nice tip because she was hustling and doing all that she could to make it right. While some of the best meals have resulted in 0 to pocket change because said waitress was too busy on her cellphone or laughing it up with co workers instead of doing their job.
Your tipping because of excellent service not because its expected.
If the keyboard ninjas want to rip me up for my opinion then have at it boys.

 

[HookUp]

As some one who has worked guiding fishing trips I find tipping to be largely hit and miss. I have had guys smoke $500 cigars and tip $20 and other people who don't come from money hand over $300-$500 tips for a $900 fishing charter. If I hired a big game guide I would tip at 10-20%

 

[craig Holland]

I'm with the people saying it's akward and beilive it should be built into the price. I do not go on guided hunts just due to the price. I put in for limited entry hunts as I don't live out west and not scared to work. Mule deer guides are over 5k and elk over over that as well. I can hunt every other or every 3rd year for not too much additional money from licenses. Reason not every year I live in Ohio so Time is also an issue. Tip I would assume would be 15 percent apprprate if you go on guided. Someone makes a ton of money on these hunts. It's on the outfiter to pay according. Capitalistic market, if you don't like the pay or job , you can leave or persue other things.