Tipping Outfitters

[fshafly2]

How muchdo you guys who useoutfitters tip to your guide? Presuming the guide is competent and cares about your success, gives it proper effort and all, does it make any difference in how much you tip whether you harvest game ornot? Do you tip the camp cook too? I am going to Canada to bowhunt moose/caribou - should I tip in Canadian $ or is American $ ok? FYI, the cost of the hunt is $4650 - what would you recommend? Appreciate any guidance, thanks ahead of your responses. A quick forum search on this topic did not bring up anything...

-fsh

[Champlain Islander]

I have been 3 years in a row to Newfoundland and always tip the guides. I got to be pretty good friends with my guide and email back and forth all year. The money they get from the outfitter isn't that much. They are fed well and given lodging but are away from their families for weeks on end. I usually give my guide 15% or so. More if I have extra but never less. My experience has always been great and it is primarily the guide who is responsible. One year my guide and I got my caribou and one of the other guys in camp was having a hard time scoring so the outfitter moved my guide who was the most experienced over to the other client to help him. I was ok with that and actually encouraged it since my tag was filled. The only work was to recover my animal and get it ready for the butcher. The other guide, the outfitter and I all packed out the caribou. I wasn't expected to go but I always go to take part in the fun. Sitting around camp isn't much fun. I tipped the other guide 100 bucks for his help and it was appreciated. The cook is the wife of the outfitter and is fantastic.I always give her between 100 and 200 for the week. She is one of the main draws for the place and everyone goes home heavier than when they came. These people work hard for the clients and I always tip. I hope this helps.

[slowaspossible]

I think you have to tip your guide whether you've been successful or not. Of course, there may be some extraordinary circumstance that would cause you not to but universally it's necessary.
A couple of years ago I tipped my guide after a successful elk hunt in New Mexico and then took all the guides out to dinner back in town for helping to recover the two elk taken by my partner and I.
Last year my guide in Montana helped my partner and I score on two nice bulls. He then spent several more days trying to help us score on mule deer. We each gave him $400 a piece. This may be out of your reach but we thought it fair. He had spent more than 12 hours a day for 11 days with us. This comes out to about $3 per hour per hunter.
Prior to your arrival at camp the guide has spent significant time scouting and preparing for your arrival. He puts you on elk because he's spent the time you couldn't spend doing the scouting. This fact and the work they do while you're in camp is more than enough reason to tip what you can afford.

[huntingson]

I have always heard that 10% of the hunting price is pretty much the norm. Unless they do a really bad job that is sort of the going rate. If they do a good job you can always go more.

[Bob H in NH]

Ask the outfitter he will have suggestions.

Outfitter I used said "what you are comfortable with, but I recommend $0 because I pay my guides good money"

The fixed % theory is just tipping gone wild. the two hunts I have been on for elk, looked that the average tip was $100-$150/person to the guide.

If he puts in a huge effort AND you are comfortable with it and able to, then do more.

[Rangerlab]

Check this out.

http://www.huntthenorth.com/guidetipping.html