dog1

I guess this is a dumb question, Why is it necessary to tip a guide if you're on a guided hunt? Isn't he/she on a salary?

The reason I ask is that I have been looking into a guided hunt for the past couple of years and have found out that I can't afford what I see. I recently got a brouchure from USO and they state that a normal tip is $300.00 for the guide and $75.00 for the cook.

In a restaurant a waitress/waiter normally works for tips or is partially paid (usually below minimum wage) and the tips make of the rest of their income. So I have always tipped generously.

Do you tip your plumber, auto mechanic, dentist, vet., etc. It appears it's the same deal, guide or plumber, mech. etc. Is this another way for the guide outfits to get another dollar out a hunter?

I'm sure this will start a fire, but I see no justification for the practice.

By the way, if I was going to tip anybody I could see a tip for the cook.

dog1

mathewsarcher

Being a former guide, I can tell you that when I got a tip it was most appreciated. I don't know what a guide makes these days but when I guided in the late 80's I made $50 a day. Try paying the bills on that salary!

ugly dog

i have been a professional hunting and fishing guide for the past four years i guide fly fishing in the summers and i used to guide bird hunters in the fall. I quit guiding hunters this last fall when a hunter i was guiding didn't follow the ruels and took a shot that was too low and hit my dog. i was tired of hitting the ground every time a bird flushed any way. now i just train dogs in the fall

durring my career as a hunting guide i lead over six or seven hundred hunters and most (90+%) tipped. When you are on a guided hunt the person leading the hunt is providing a service for you and your buddies. He/ she is working hard to provide a quality experience that you paid good money for. tipping is the best way for you to show your appreciation for the guides hard work. you tip a waitress for bringing your food,or a bartender for pouring you a cocktail right? well, guides are providing a service just like they are (and i think we guides are working a lot harder for you)

also guides are some what counting on tips as part of their income their work is seasonal and they try to make as much as they can in the short time that they have to make a living. I never asked for a tip, i got stiffed a couple of times but generally the folks that hunt and fish with me have a great time and hopefully learned somthing durring the time they spent with me.

guides for the most part are not an salary and there are no other bennifits ( 401k medical or workmans comp) lotto is my retirement plan.

sorry for making this so long, but i hope it helps and i hope you tell your next guide how much fun you had on your next trip by tipping accordingly

Elkcrazy8

Well put Ugly Dog, Not to mention the long hours that go with it. The medical insurance that is not provided and at times it is much needed. Some guides are working for people also, the big dollar sometimes won't go to the guy who is doing the work. It goes to the person providing the service. When you buy a meal at a resteraunt the money does not go to the waiter or waitress. It goes to the owner to keep the operation going. I beleive that before one goes on a guided hunt that the tip should be figured into the cost before even leaving on your trip. I am not a guide so this is an unbiased opinion. I am lucky enough to live where I can gain intimate knowledge of my area and have harvested elk and deer every year. I do however go back east to visit my father and charter a captain to take me salmon fishing. I always tip well and give extra if we boat a good amount of fish. It makes him fish harder the next time. Remember to tip your pizza guy. He has 30 min. with your pizza before you get it.

nyflyer

Simply put most of the guides I have hunted with in the past, I now consider them my freind and not just my guide. If a few extra dollars is all it cost me to have a good freind for the rest of my life, so be it. It's small potatoes for a lifetime of memories.

cherokee_outfitters

I still guide and the most of the clients tip. But the thing for me is making a new friend, having a good time and seeing a smile on the guys faces. A good hunt and a good fun experience with a new person is well worth the time and effort put in a hunt. My tip is doing my job and seeing the persons face lite up when his having the time of his life. No need to tip this guide, he's in the for the fun. Guides usually don't hire on for money, it doesn't pay that well. They do it cause they love to hunt and help people hunt. If I ever quit guiding professionally I'd have to find some friends who were less experienced and in need of assistance because once it's in your blood you can't just stop.

Tip all you want but I bet the guide just prays for a successful hunt.
A hunter once gave me a set of rangefinders it alot more than money because it was a personal gift.

LITTLE MAGNUM

The guides are making good points. But, Remember it's your money. Most people saved for a long time and that guided trip could be a once and a lifetime
hunt. I have been on 4 guided hunts and I tipped. I think the 300 bucks is high
for the guide's tip. My rule if everyone busted there butt, and gave max effort.
50-100 for each guide, 50 for the cook. Now remember, you could hunt with two or more guides on a single hunt, so it adds up. I do not cash tip the owner of the outfit even if he/she guided me. I show my thanks,by giving him a nice knife, guncase or sending him a thank you care package in the mail. I would have no problem, not tipping or telling the owner I wasn't happy, if the hunt was a joke. Most guides don't make much money, the few I know make 400.00 a week and some have to use there own truck. So tips do mean allot. The
guides I know well, know there are hunters who can afford to throw money around like water and then there is the rest of us. If your happy with the guide tip, if not don't........Some cook' s work harder then the guides. Don't forget
tipping your business, if some in your hunting camp tips real big, it doesn't mean you have too also......I seen your question asked on many forms
and you get many answers and I enjoy some of them. Hope this helps.
Some people say you should tip a fixed amount 10-20 %, thats bull !.....on 10k sheep or bear hunt who would tip a extra 1k to 2k, but a big shot. On a 500 to 800 dollar hunt, you could end up tipping 250.oo or more ( 30 to 50%), two guides/cook, cooks helper, caper (caping), the guy who rushed the butchering..etc.....You make up your own rules....thease are mine.

Montana Bob

A tip is something given to another for giving something more, something extra.
My last hunt in Wyo for Prarie goats was a 3 day $1400 trip.
My guide went out of his way to find and area that held large goats and worked hard to get a nice wall hanger. We drove all over looking for 2 particular animals we put on several long stocks and we eventually harvested.
He recieved $300 from me as a tip as well as another $300 from my buddy.
We had 2 trophy Goats in 1 day. Both just missed book.(See the wide racked goat at SNS outfitters Web site out of Wyo my buddy looks like Opie in the picture)
I have another hunt booked for this year. When I arrive I expect the guide to have done his homework scouting. I expect him to be in shape as I will be and expect him to go above and beyond for me to get me a chance at an animal that I paid the outfitter for.
Successfull or not if he/she works hard to give me a chance then I will tip.
This subject has been going through my mind the last few week's as I just sent out 50%($4000) for this years multi animal hunt.
This is a bunch of Bling Bling for me and if you would like a tip, I expect you to go all out for me.
My opinion

mathewsarcher

Montana Bob,

Funny you should post to this topic cause I used to guide right above Painted Rocks lake. I still know a few folks in Darby.

dog1

Little Magnum,

I agree with you and most, a tip is a way to show your thanks for a good job. I just thought it was pretty forward and assumptive for the folks from USO to say that their guides get $300.00 tip.

I would venture a guess that most hunters across the country are like me and a hunt costing $2500.00 would be a considerable amount to come up with, then adding tips of $300.00 would put a hunt of a lifetime out of reach with all the other expenses added on.

I finally got to go to Co. on a tresspass hunt for mule deer this past year and after all cost, and that was a one way drive of 1800 miles, the overall cost was around $2500.00. I'm not real sure how I feel about guided hunts at this point, seems to me that somebody else is doing the hunting and the other person is just a shooter even though he/she has to walk just as far. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking it, I've never done it and to be honest, I probably would if I could afford it. I'm trying to go back to Co. this year with my son and son in law to hunt elk, from what I've been told our chances are slim but I want to try it. If could hire a guide I wouldn't mind tiping him/her for a good job, I just thought the $300 was ridiculous. I think a tip is earned, not demanded as in the USO broucher. As a matter of fact I believe the cheapest hunt they offered was for $3400.00 for deer or antelope and up from there.

Maybe one day I'll get to find out.

Thanks to all for the input.

dog1