huntingstillwildbill

What is the normal gratuity for a guided hunt? 10% 15% 20% ??????????

DoctorDeath

Man THAT is a sore spot with me ! I can not figure out WHY you would be expected to tip a guide OR an outfitter when they charge as much as they do for most hunts and when you payTHAT kind of money you EXPECT good service AND a sucessful hunt. I think if the weather is bad and the guide has to go way out of his way to try to make it happen for you or if you wound an animal and he has to track it all night you might want to tip him fairly BUT to be expected to tip sucks I think.... JMHO

dd

Moose_Maximus

I've had guides/outfitters go out of their way to show me a good hunting experience, and I think it's only fair to show my appreciation in a tangible way. I don't think any of them are exactly getting rich.

I'm especially grateful for a guide who takes the time to help educate me (I'm relatively new to big-game hunting), and that's worth something to me.

Now, to answer your question, I've typically tipped about 20-25% of the base price (but we're talking base prices in the hundreds, not thousands; I'm not rich, either).

Boulder Ridge

We do not allowgratuitys at our Outfitting business. I put that rule into effect because I had heard to manystories about howthe guy that tipped the bestthe previous years allways got the best spots. We make every hunter draw for there stands so there is not favortism at all towards anybody and everbody has the same chance to hunt the bestpreceived stand sites. There are alot of guides out there that will put the biggest tipper at the the best stand site.Like Doc said when you pay yourhard earned money to go on a guided hunt with a outfitter you expect quality service,that does not mean you are buying a dead animal, but you expect
to have the best opportunity possible to harvest a quality animal. And also I don't think that tips should be expected by the guide at all because they are allready getting by the outfitter. Just my 2 cents worth though.

DoctorDeath

HERE HERE B.R. well said ! I am not a tight wad however I think this tipping thing has become "expected" with most hunting services ..and it just burns me up ...when you first talk to a Outfitter he tells you abut how great the hunting is ..how super the service is ...how superb the food is ... how knowlegable the guides are so when you buy the hunt you are buying all this as a package..like I said earlier if for some reason a guide has to do something extraordinary like track a wounded animal for a long way because YOU made a bad shot then maybe a smalltip is in order BUT most guides where I have hunted just drive you out to the bush ..point you towards the stand ..pick you up at dark and if you shoot a buck they help recover it which is covered in the ential cost of the hunt... B.R. you obviously have a first class hunting opperation and I applaude you !

dd

don128

As an outfitter I give everyone the same chance. The best stand in the world is where ever the buck is standing, my experiance places the hunter in a area where the animal lives and uses, but still the buck goes where he wants. In my years of outfitting the happy hunter is the one that the buck decided to go past, and he scored, and felt gracious to tip. But in reality I did nothing different but place him where I would hunt. I have never been tipped by a hunter that didn't score...humm. I feel its up to the hunter," for a present is a present." For the pricing of most outfitters in my area, the chance to harvest a trophy and the stay is worth the price, and if you take a 150+, it takes so much time and cost and effort to grow them thatbecause you took a loss. I am slowly learning about low pricing. lol just a thought... www.grandriveroutfitters.com

longrifle1000

I have only been on two guided hunts, and only tipped once. It was the hog hunt I took last spring, and the guy simply worked his butt off for me. He treated me like a friend, not a customer that he HAD to deal with. And the hunt was very hard, and long. And he did everything in his power for me to get my hog. And for that I was very gracious and appreciative. I tipped him 20% of the hunt cost. Not thatI stopped to figure out a percentage, it just worked that way. I don't feel obligated to tip my guide. He is doing his job, the one I payed for. But, if I feel it is warranted, I will dish out the cash to show my appreciation. Good hunting

one on one

no offense outfitters, but if i paid for a hunt or had someone pay to hunt my lease, the tip better be or will beincluded in the price.

royaltine

I am a guide and have guided for the last 12 years. I average maybe 1200-1500 bucks per month in wages. I hunt my butt off for everyone and certainly don't expect a tip. I don't think clients should tip outfitters, but if the guides do a good job for them, I think they should get tipped. We have bills we have to pay too. We especially should get tipped when babysitting a%$ holes like Dr. Death! He's probably the same guy that walks out of the restaurant after he just stiffed the waitress!

matthewcmill

I think you should tip your outfitter!!! Especially if you take the game you went to hunt for. I have been on a Mexican dove hunt and waterfowl hunts In the duck Capital of the world and quail hunts in south Ga. I think if the outfitter works hard to get you some great shooting action they should get at least 10% just like you do at a nice restaurant. If any of you have been on Mexican dove huntsyou know how hard the dove boys work JUST FOR THAT TIP and how hard the guys retrieving your duck in frezzing tempswork! I bet you would want a tip if you were crawling through brush just to find a dove for the hunter or had your waders full of ice cold water just for a hunter you dont even know!! Sure some might say "well the price is already high" but like I said you tip at a nice restaurant even though the price is $45 for a steak that is 4 ounces!! But this is just my opion and it is what I have heard from somemy 70+ outfitter I represent! Actually some of my outfitters will not even take a client if they are "looking for a deal"!