Gratuity question

[dougduey]

My thought is if he pulls this before the hunt what rules will he try to change when you arrive? Was the initial price for 2 on 1 guiding? Is the hunt now a 1 on 1 guided hunt if is so the extra expense might be worth it? Why is he bringing 2 extra guides if he was planning on guiding you both by himself, the numbers don`t add up that will be 3 guides in camp?But he should of been plain in his contract I would of thought?

He's bringing 2 extra guides to help pack all the stuff in for spike camp, help glass, and pack out any goats we get. He's full of crap saying he was going to guide us himself. It's a 2x1 hunt. He just said it to justify why he's not honoring the amount he quoted in the email. I'm sure the hunt and everything else will go fine. He just screwed up in his quote and doesn't want to admit it. I own a business and get it when it comes to profit margins, BUT I'm also a man of my word. So, if I mess up a quote (or my staff) for services, and it's in the customer's favor, I eat it. If it's in my favor, then I issue a refund for the amount. It's how I've done business for 25 years and why I have a great reputation in my business community. It's how I feel everyone should conduct business, but I'm more of the exception and not the rule these days. I'm old school, where I feel a handshake is all you should really need

 

[dougduey]

Not really about tips just Something I have always wondered about? If you are on a 5 day hunt, and tag out the first day, does the guide get paid for the remaining 4 days he was booked to guide you? What are guide actually paid for their work from outfitter?? For me as far a tips, the 10% rule of thumb is just a starting point! If the guide is great I might give him 12-15% if we are the last to leave camp & first to return at night I will adjust accordingly!

I really don't know what the guides get paid by the outfitter, so I can't help there
As far as your question about tagging out early goes, it's hunting......you may get lucky on day one or day 5 or get nothing at all. You're paying for the opportunity to get an animal, not the results. Be happy if you tag out early. I've had too many go down to the last day and it's stressful. I've also tagged out on the first day before lunch on a WY combo hunt for mule deer and antelope!!

 

[Cinchy]

No I wasn't complaining about being able to tag out early LOL, I was just curious if the guide got his full pay if you did? I saw a guide comment on this post & was hoping he might weigh in on my question?

 

[Coorcan]

I guide for a couple different outfitters in a couple different states. 10% like mentioned is very appreciated, I try my best every hunt and always go the extra mile to ensure the hunter is enjoying him/herself and hopefully be successful. The 10% is based of the cost of the outfitters guide fee's, not including tag and license fees. Some tip better than others for sure and I do not feel it's always based on the service they received. I do however log how much hunters tipped and on repeat customers I try and only take the decent tippers and pawn the cheapskates off on the other guides.

 

[Coorcan]

No I wasn't complaining about being able to tag out early LOL, I was just curious if the guide got his full pay if you did? I saw a guide comment on this post & was hoping he might weigh in on my question?

It depends on the outfitter. I guide for one guy on lions and get paid for the full 5 days even if the tag is filled the first hour. Same outfitter is by the day on deer and elk though. Something to remember is even if you tag out the first day that guide most likely did a lot of work before you arrived in finding the animal and knowing where he was going to be on your opening morning. I have gotten the shaft on tips on first day tagouts and I do see the hunters side of it but honestly feel jipped because it was partly due to luck but usually a bigger part due to me being good at my job and putting in work for your hunt before you get there to ensure you go home with your trophy. to me it makes more sense to tip better if the guide does a better job and gets you on the animal sooner than later but often the hunter doesn't see I worked hard enough on quick kills to justify a better tip.

 

[J.G.W]

Not really about tips just Something I have always wondered about? If you are on a 5 day hunt, and tag out the first day, does the guide get paid for the remaining 4 days he was booked to guide you? What are guide actually paid for their work from outfitter?? For me as far a tips, the 10% rule of thumb is just a starting point! If the guide is great I might give him 12-15% if we are the last to leave camp & first to return at night I will adjust accordingly!

I guide for an outfitter in Australia hunting mainly red stag and water buffalo. If we have a client tag out on his first day we usually offer him the opportunity to hunt other critters such as dingoes, pigs, wild cattle or go fishing. Or take a second trophy if they are willing to pay a second trophy fee. Some guys decide to leave camp straight after tagging out, if this is the case I'll take a 2x1 client from one of the other guides (their bonus) or if there are no other hunters in camp I'll scout for the next group. Either way if I'm in camp I'm getting paid.
It's not customary to tip in Australia however every American I have guided (and that's a few now) has tipped. Usually around 10% but I have been given some a lot bigger. I have been given gifts from some hunters, scopes, knives, etc. Occasionally a local hunter will tip but it's usually only the guys that have spent time hunting abroad.

 

[turkeyfever]

Don't forget that their are other people in camp that do a lot to make your hunt successful. I had a wrangler one year that I tipped more than the guide.

 

[ruger300]

When I'm guiding for archery moose, I'm there until all the hunters go home whether my 2 hunters tag out or not. I'm paid for the whole hunt. When things go good and my 2 assigned hunters tag out, I'll either be scouting, helping, or take another hunter from another guide to spread things out.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

When we went to Africa with Trophy Game Safaris, Tino the owner, had a tip sheet with guide lines of how much to tip each person that was involved in our stay. He did not want any tip for himself or his wife who did all the cooking. He told us that some clients tip nothing and some tip heavily. Kind of sounded like the wealthy folks tended to tip less than those of us that are just getting by. We tipped all of the staff the full amount that was in the recommendation, and I also gave our tracker some gifts that I thought he could use. Even though he did not have to track any of our animals. He was a great guy to be around and he worked his but off long hours every day.

Steve

 

[2Rope]

I guided for about 20 years and 10% was always a great tip. A few didn't tip and a few tipped a lot, it seems that the guy who worked for a living and saved for his hunt gave more than the wealthy hunters. If your guide busts his tail for you and treats you well, let him know. If not, let the outfitter know!

 

[Pdvdh]

I don't hire guides. Too complicated.
But it is indeed necessary for many hunts today. So if you've been well served and treated, a tip would be a sincere expression of gratitude.

 

[jaybo]

My son and I went on a guided elk hunt in Colorado. It was a 2x1 hunt and I made a kill but my son did not. When the elk was harvested, I helped my guide skin and quarter the elk. He was very appreciative and I said, "I can't sit here and let you try and do this by yourself! It's hard enough with the two of us." He said, "You'd be surprised at how many do." At the end of the hunt I tipped our guide $1200 for the two of us figuring on $600 each. It came out to 15.5%. I gave the cook $60 if I remember correctly. There was some controversy with another hunter in camp, who was a regular hunter, that is a long story that I'd rather not get into. I asked him how much he tipped since he was a regular and he said he gave them $100 and the cook $20. I was shocked! These guides got up before us and ate. They then got us up and while we ate they saddled the horses and planned the hunt for the day. They guided us all day and when we got back to camp they took care of the horses while we ate. Not until all of their work was done did they eat. Our guide worked his butt off each day for us and did his best to put us on elk. The other hunter which created the controversy and was a lousy tipper I learned was told to never return. We will be returning in 2020 for an archery elk hunt with the same outfitter. Our guide is still there and we have kept in touch with him. I'm sure he'll be glad to see us and will do his best to make it a successful hunt.

 

[GA Sheephunter]

I just got back from a hunt in Canada and killed a dall sheep and a caribou. I talked to hunters who left camp the week before I did who killed the exact same thing, and he said the outfitter told him $2,000 USD was a great tip for the guide. I talked to another hunter in camp at the same time I was there, who was also going for a dall and a caribou, and he said the outfitter told him a good tip is $100/day. Having heard all of that, and after feeling like my guide gave 110% at all times, I tipped my guide $3,000 USD. I discretely handed him a roll of 100s at dinner after we got back to base camp and told him this is for you, thank you. He came up to me later after he had counted and asked if I was sure, said that it was alot of money.....could he give me some back to tip the supercub pilot. I told him No, that is for you....how much should I give the supercub pilot. He said $200 would be nice....so I gave the pilot $300. I asked him if I should tip anyone else, the kitchen, etc....he said no, just the pilot.

Horseback hunters might have a wrangler, moose hunters might also have a packer.

I hope to hunt with my same guide one day, but if not.....I wanted him to feel valued and wanted to send a message. He had made my dreams come true.

 

[wyosteve]

About 20 yrs. ago I guided archery elk hunters for an outfitter friend. We'd be up by 4:30 a.m. and most nights to bed around 10:00. I figured, based on the hours guiding and cost of gas to get to the trailhead, I was 'making' less than $3 per hour! To top it off, I guided one fellow to a nice 305 bull and he had forgotten film for his camera so I gave him an extra roll from my pack. Not only did he not tip, but he never even paid me for the roll of film. Didn't take me long to decide guiding wasn't worth my time.