cdr4thBn

You've struck on an interesting point.
Does anyone out there know that in parts of the West (as I've been told by outfitters and guides) that some land owners get upwards of $3000 per animal taken on their land.
If you pay the outfitter $5000 and the land owners get $3000 there's a big drop in the gross profit of the hunt. Then add to that the cost of the camp, vehicles, equipment, food, salaries, insurance, marketing, etc.and the per hunter profit leaves little indeed for the guide. As near as I can tell they make around $125-$150 per pay. If they were working the 240 days that full-time employees work, that translates into $36,000 a year. But they're not full-time so they get much less time at work and no benefits.
Many guides work doing seasonal work until its time to guide. They quit the seasonal job so they don't get unemployment from this season work at the gravel pit, grocery store or gas station. I know two guides that made less than $24,000 last year. Its hard to raise a family with three kids on $460 a week. They love the work and guiding is often the best paying job in these rural areas. Good work if you can get it as the expression goes.
Forgive me but the question of tipping a hard working, successful quide was settled a long time ago. Your tip should only reflect what you can comfortably afford and should never put you in any financial difficulty.
Tipping is always personal and no one should should feel pressured into doing something that is detrimental or distasteful to them.

Outdoor

Unfortunatly..tipping has a lot of pressure from what "high rollers" can afford to give. Let's face it a guide gets a $500 dollar tip & it raises his expectations of what may become a regular tip..just human feelings that all.
I can not see Owners adding in tip money to there price. I would think a owner is only concerned about his portion. What about the the guy that books a hunt and the guide is not up to par? You still paid for it, so good or bad he gets the $$.
I understand that being a guide maybe be the best job in the area BUT the bottom line is if they make 25K or 125K a year they knew that before they started so don't cry about it. WE all have done things for the "love" of it and we know that and like it or not thats part of the pay..you love doing what you do.
A better idea >> let the owners give their guides a piece of the business..a percentage of the profits. This would be a win win for everyone..better guides better business. Think a owner would dare share??

Rbou

I think this tiping has gotten outa hand, sure these guides work hard and so do i, I dont work because i love my job its because i have to pay bills keep a roof over my head, and if the job didnt pay enough id have to find another, eventho i dont mind tiping i dont like to feel pressured into it, and it does take me years to save for guided hunts(try to take one every 2 years)so i dont let myself fall into this bs of i feel sorrey for the guide not making enugh money i feel he should be happy with any extra he gets my boss dosent come to me and say hey good job hears an extra 20 most of the time just having someone say they had a great time or a job well done is worth more than money, any one can just give money but did they really appreciate your hard work or just feel they paid for it well my 2cents

srock

I am the owner and the guide. I do hire a few "draggers" on a need basis, but pretty much do everything myself. My wife cooks for the guests. I don't ever expect receiving a tip. When someone does tip me, I am very grateful and consider it a compliment, especially when the hunter that tipped me didn't get a bear. I don't do my job for the money (I used to make a heck of a lot more). I do it for the "quality of lifestyle" and the satisfaction I get when the hunter is successful. The shine in the eye of a happy hunter is enough for me. Even when I'm up to the elbows in bear guts, I tell myself "it's better than that damn factory".

I consider a tip a bonus.

Outdoor

S rock >>> well said. We all know how hard you work but few are willing to admit why they do it..life style vs money. Hope you do well every year. I don't hunt bear but I would book with you right now if I did!

Rbou >> Your boss doesn't give you an extra 20 now & then ?

BobCo196 5

Good thread guys. I have a question for ya though. I'm trying to get things together a little bit now for an upcoming trip. We have an bow elk hunt set for opening week of archery (7 full days of hunting). We have one guide (not the owner) for two hunters. I understand that 10% is ussually the going rate, but I believe that would be for a 1 to 1 ratio guide to hunter. The cost of our hunts are $3500 per person. So what you think that our COMBINED (total for both of us) tip should be assuming we were happy with the guides services.

2 things I don't want to happen.

1. After the guide gets our tips he thinks "Those cheap SOB's."
2. I don't want to go broke.

What do you think?

oldelkhunter

If USO is recommending 300 dollars as a guide tip that is total BS. Makes you wonder what USO is paying guides these days. I don't like their MO as well as their "Licensing" program anyway but that is a different topic. I have only failed to tip a guide from hell only once in many hunts, actually I felt like beating the cr@p out of him the last day of the hunt and that would have been a worthy tip. But with decent hardworking guides I actually work it as a percentage mostly 15 % and also tip the cook separately. Last time I checked none of these guys are millionaires or have 6 figure salaries . Even if they did they helped me out and were there to help me get the most out of a hunt.

Poluke

You tip a waiter 15% of the cost of the meal, one time, one meal. It didn't take the waiter 3 days to get you the meal.

Outfitters are locking up land that us poor schmoes want to hunt on. Some of it public.

Guides do just that - They don't harvest the animal for you. They work for the outfitter. Most have experienced a tipless hunt and don't even look back. They do it out of love of the success. Guides spend the entire hunting season pointing out "shooters" to people who shoot at the shooters. Guides do not get all that time to hunt but when they do they do know the area and if they are successful they gut, cape, bone and drag their own. Most go for the meat few really care about "trophy".

Caping and meat processing are part and parcel to hunting. If you can't gut an animal or skin an animal then all you are is a shooter. I can shoot.

$4000.00 dollars to shoot at a live target is a bit too much especially if its a prairie goat.

I've said enough[:@]

EDIT POINT: I'm sorry I went off, I had a bad experience with

A rancher who hired an outfitter
An outfitter who hired a guide
A guide who was blamed for a rich idiot shooting and missing. (MANY SHOTS).

I have no problems with a rancher getting the best use out of his own property, most work hard to make ends meet. A rancher/outfitter has that right.

I do have a problem with an outfitter who leases hunting privledges on another mans land. Especially if the land is on the way to or on public land and access is by payment to the outfitter.

True an outfitter is just that, the company provides horses, food, shelter and services for hunters whose resources are miles away. That is a good thing for those who do not have the wherewithal to provide those basics for themselves.

Already it is hard for an average schmuck like myself to "draw" a special permit to hunt certain areas for certain game animals. Adding to the difficulty of the draw is limiting access to a certain hunt area by an outfitter who takes it upon himself to "protect the honey hole" from outside influences namely local resident hunters. That really isn't a bad thing but I prefer to deal with the rancher. and One bad experience for me shouldn't be the end of the road for some who opt to be outfitted.

I apologize for the outburst. I will remain DIY fair chase until I die.

rickill

when did it become the norm to tip someone for doing their JOB!
soon for me i hpoe when i install an ac or furn!
that been said i will tip on an individual basis--the guides need a stronger contact with the "owners" hey ---- maybe a guides union ooops swear word!!!