yellow, I' m sure there are many " variances" and tips vary by what you' re after and where its is you are hunting. I had a successful elk hunt in NM (Gila/Apache Forest Area on the NM/AZ line) in 98 and it was my first guided hunt. I followed the suggestions of one of a friends with us who has traveled the world. He recommended $10 a day per cook (if I remember correctly there were 2 cooks in addition to the outfitters wife, Mick & Jen Chapel of Quemado, NM). $50 a day for my guide (we had each paid an extra $1k for a one on one guide vs two hunters per guide otherwise, so he wasnt going to get tips from two hunters) and that was regardless of success or not. There were no horses/cowboys involved so I cant help ya there.

I dont honestly remember what I was prepared to pay the guide for a trophy kill, but luckily we killed a 367" bull that won the pot at the end of the week (I didnt kill until the last morning of a 5 day hunt). I cant remember the exact amount but it was over $1k and typically the pot was split between the hunter and his guide (we had the same guide all week unless we requested another one, I stayed with mine and GLAD I did!) I was MORE than happy to give my guide the entire pot and a couple hundred more. I believe he took home around $1400-$1500 for a hard weeks hunt and a monster bull. He was tickled but not nearly as much as I was with such an awesome muzzleloader trophy.

I didnt tip the outfitter as my buddy said he was the one who got most of the money for the hunt. I suppose an extra $500-$1000 wouldnt hurt, but he saw us tipping all his employees on the final night and welcomed us back anytime for another hunt, something he didnt do to all hunters in camp I might add. So I felt comfortable he was happy.

My guide was young and had only been doing so for 2 years. But he was from a family of well known guides in and around the Reserve, NM area and he told me about his well known and experienced brother Carlos Delao who has guided many hunters to bulls in the 390-400inch plus range. The folks who pay for those kinds of bulls are serious and know that they dont come easily or cheaply. My guide Michael told me that his brother was at the point that typically he would earn at LEAST $15k-$20k per bull for a week hunt. That is some SERIOUS tipping. One hunter who was a repeat customer of his and was from ID, drove in one season in a brand new Z-71 Ext Cab pickup. They killed a 400" + bull and the hunter pitched the keys to Carlos and then flew home. That might sound like borderline lunacy, but when you start talking about " Gila Monsters" in NM and " White Mtn Monsters" in AZ, huge bulls makes many mens minds cloudy and their pocketbooks lighter.

Really the same goes for ANY worldclass trophy of any type. Badmouth the system it all you want, but topend trophies are comodities that are known about well before season by the more experienced guides/outifitters in the business. Its there livelyhood and customers happiness that depend on knowing such things. You can bet that if there is a B&C buck in the area you are hunting, your outfitter/guide already know about it in someway. They also typically have such animals " reserved" for their choicest customers. Politics aside, ask yourself if a couple extra grand on an already expensive trip is worth going home with a " trophy" or going home with a " trophy of a lifetime" . Guides/outfitters are no different than anyother humans, money talks and they aint in it for their health.

lol, I aint sayin give em your truck, but dont scrimp em either!!!
RA