LITTLE MAGNUM

Dog1......don't down play guided hunts. My last guided hunt, a spot and stalk
trophy whitetail hunt in Wy (1999), was the beyond a dream hunt. I saw so many 130 class whitetails, that it was mind blowing, one evening, I watched 8 diffeent bucks, hooking trees from a hill top all at the same time. Saw more rack bucks, then I would see in 10 years of hunting in my state. If it wasn't for the guide saying, we can do better...I would of killed one of those 130 class bucks right of the bat....In My state 3inch spikes get dropped, real quick. I ended up with a 150 class 5x5, that makes me smile everytime I look at it. That hunt was 2500 plus trophy fee of 500 for any deer over 140 class...One of the reasons the guide was working real hard to get me the best buck.
The 2500.00 doesn't sound bad, because it included the cattle ranch tresspass fee of 1400.00 That ranch allowed only 2 trophy hunters per year. Now I hunt
out of state public land that has big whitetails on it, shot a nice 8pt this year, my buddie shot a huge 142 class 8 pt, this year and we went 3 for 5 all 8pts on public land.... USO outfitters is a top notch outfit, from what I have seen. A co-worker with deep pockets has been on 3 hunts over the last 4 years, had been on other guided hunts and says USO is tops .....He has them put in for the long shot draws and it he gets drawn he goes. Out of my price range for now. He looks at it saying I would rather spend a little more and hunt on prime property, then have to go twice with someone else....He has had good luck with them But, you know how it goes more then likely someone somewhere didn't
with USO

BTM

Compare the cost differential between a 1x1 hunt and a 2x1 hunt and you can easily figure out what guides make per day. Divide that into 18 hours/day, and you see guides don't pull in a very high wage!

When I'm deciding to book a hunt, I figure in 10-15% for tip. If I can't handle the full price of that, then I don't book. Unless the guide is a jerk or lazy (which hasn't happened often), he gets the tip I planned on from the start.

Wolf killer

If a $300 dollar tip for your guide is going to break the bank? Then you need to save more money before you plan a guided hunt.
If the hunting is bad then do not tip at all. Guides depend on there tips to help keep the lights turned on at home.

skeeter 7MM

Like a waiter/waitress a guide depends on the tips to make a decent living. Contrary to popular belief guides are not paid great money, the outfitters makes the meat on the booked price not the guide. Like was said a good general rule is 10% of the price of the hunt and I think this may be where USO came up with the 300 buck number. Also don't tip based on harvest but based on the work/effort put forth by your guide. Most guides want/hope/pray that their hunters are successful but it is beyond their control some of the time, so look at his effort, work and measure the time had on the experience not the take home.

I think it is better to be up front on tipping then have clients not be prepared, getting stiffed after working your tail off for weeks(Yes weeks, as it is more involved than just taking you out, it takes scouting, preperation just like your own hunts but for more than one hunter) is not very fun. When I guided some of my biggest tips were from those who went home without an animal, b/c they knew I had to work even harder to try and put them onto game. Guides are measured on success and return bookings, so the last thing they want is a unhappy client as this may result in a total loss of income, as such most will work their butts of to make you successful thus the tip is a reward to the efforts made. Of course if you feel he/she didn't put forth the effort then tell them how you feel and why no or a meager tip was given, also let the outfitter know. As a guide I made many friends and that is how I viewed my job, taking a pal out hunting of course you want him to have a great time, enjoy the company, come back and ultimately be successful.

James B

Having been a guide for hunters and fisherman and also a customer of both, I can say that as a few people above have said, If the quide goes the extra mile to make your hunting or fishing trip a great memory then a tip is in order. Not any certain amount, that has to be up to you and how much you can afford to tip. If I am short of money the tip will be small but later on I try to send a little more or purchase a nice gift for the quide. As a guide I could tell who the better off guys were and appreciated a small token from the working guy even more than a good tip from the rich guy. Anyway I charged enough to make what I needed to make and never really expected any tips.

Bldhound

If the guide busts their butts for you, to ensure that you have a hunt of a lifetime........................You bet TIP them. It depends on how much you can afford, how hard they worked for you & how much you appreciated their help. These people don't have 401's, medical/dental/vision & profit sharing plans....................they do it for the love of the outdoors & the reward of seeing peoples success in the field. Sowhen you plan your finances for a hunt of a lifetime or dream hunt put a little extra a side for the Guide & Cook.

nubo

I tend to agree 3000.00 just isn't chump change espeacially if your paying it in U.S. dollars that makes your trip Approx 5000.00 and then some money for souveniers and then the tip for cook and for guide .Now all you've accomplished here is to convince another hunter he can't afford your trip.
I agree that the guides deserve a tip and the cook's as well but I see no reason why you can't include it in the trip cost . This for sure would only be a trip of a life time that I doubt that I will ever be able to afford .

nubo

Outdoor

Hey Dog1 ,
These trips are expensive no question. You need to "figure in" a tip just like you "figure in" the license. Guides are working very hard...think about it >> a good outfit (the owner) with bad guides equalls no business. Owners are making big bucks..sit down do the math.
But I will say this..and this goes for any profession. Everyone knows what they are getting themselves into when they take the job...Doesn't matter if your a lawyer or a guide. So there should be no crying about how hard you work and how little you make.

cdr4thBn

Hunting season is only a few weeks long in most States so its a part-time job...... or is it?
A guide, if he wants to keep working, had better put his hunters on whatever critter they're hunting or he won't be working for the outfitter for long. All before the season starts they're out in the fields and forests, up one mountain and down trying to locate game. During the season they finish up with a hunter or group and then spend their "free" time locating more animals.
I just returned from a hunt in NM where the guides not only put me on a bunch of animals, they included me in some of the after work activities. I was hunting alone and they went out of their way to make me feel welcome and comfortable.
Oh yeah, my guide and three others helped haul two large elk out of a nearly impossible location and then down the mountain to a truck. You bet your butt they got a tip and drinks and dinner!

dog1

Outdoor,

I appreciate yours' and the others' reply. But I go back to my original question, do these same people or guides tip their plumber, carpenter, auto mechanic, Dr. , lawyer, etc.
I doubt it!

It looks like what's happening here has already happened in the big game hunting arena in other parts of the country. Because some have the money and are able to give big tips, it has become an expected habit. Like here in the southeast, deer hunting, and I hunt them, has made it just about impossisble for hunters to get on land that was once open because of leases, out of state hunters with the money, etc.

Looks like we have almost come full circle, the Lords of the land can and the little man is left out, i.e. money is the problem.

Some have said they made good friends by guiding, but I wonder at the end of the hunt how many of those told the hunter, " Heck no, no way, you've just become a friend of mine so keep your money." I also agree, anybody paying for a guided hunt should go ahead and plan the tip in his money if he plans on tipping, that's a no brainer. I feel that for the guide or owner of a guide service to expect it, it is pretty much assumptive attitude.

Let me pose another question. "Why wouldn't any reasonable person running a business just fiqure this tip into the total cost of the hunt and give the hunter booking the hunt a flat price and be done with it?" This would take it out of the equation and the guide and/or outfit owner could deal with the guides tip. Sounds like this tiping business has got out of hand.

I'm not knocking the guides work and ability, I'm sure he works' ten times harder than the owner, and the owner should be the one to reward him. Here again, we're not all loaded with money, but we want to hunt just as bad as though that do have it, probably more. Anybody that dosen't think $3400.00 plus a tip isn't a lot of money for the average person, either has a slop jar full under every bed or is dumb as a box of rocks.

dog1