Debate regarding Outfitter vs Guides
 

QUESTION:
Do you tip the Outfitter/Owner if he/she is the person guiding you on your hunt as opposed to a required tip to a "regular" guide.
Having a debate at our hunting club regarding this question and the consensus is 50/50.
All input would be greatly appreciated.

Happy Hunting!!!!!!

a tip is a gratuity , therefore if you are not gratefull ,do not tip. if you are, tip.how much you do or do not tip is entirely up to you
pretty simple really

Nah, it really is not all that simple. Many if not most guides live on tips, not wages, same as wait staff in a resturant. Not giving a tip to a guide is making them work for free. If they go out and work for you and try their best to get you want you are hunting, even if you do not kill the species you are hunting a tip is required, I do not believe it is optional to hae a person work for your benefit for free. How many times have we goner out and tried our best and failed, not for lack of trying. It happens to guides as well. The amount is optional, many use 15 to 20 pecrent of the cost of the hunt, that is what I use. Giving a guide 10 or 20 bucks after they tried their best for you is a slap in the face. Now if the guide is a laggard and is half hearted about helping you suceed you make it known by the amount of the tip that you were not satisfied, don't confront them and start an agrument, just lowball them on the tip. If they ask why, tell them with the outfitter present. If the outfitter is the guide, which is the question the OP asked, I do not believe a tip is required but you can if you want to, especially if they did a bang up job for you. I have heard all kind of opinions on tipping a guide, one that really ticks me off is the one the pikers use for not tipping the waitstaff at a resturant, and that is,"it is up to the employer to pay the enough money that they don't need tips". That is a subject for debate because there is an up side and a downside to that argument. If the outfitter pays guides a decent salary, you will be paying more for a hunt to the outfitter, same with the waitstaff and the cost of a meal. A good guide or waiter can make or break a hunt. If I wever went on a hunting trip and someone with me would not tip the guide after he did a good job, I would make the tip and never hunt with that individual again.

oldtimer I do not really disagree with you but if guide was poor (and I'M not talking about wether or not you kill an animal, I'M speaking of how hard he tried) he deserves a tip that reflects how you feel. if you feel he was worthless then tip should be zero and never use them again. truth is, anyone who is willing to pay 10 grand for an elk hunt ought to be able to part with a grand or more for a tip. and if you are really, really happy with his service , give the sumbeech the best christmas he ever had.
I , personally,would never go on a guided trip anyhow as I am a cheap bastid and I would rather do it myself or not at all.

:biggrin: I am no 10 grand excursion hunter either, but I have paid in the thousands for a hunt and I have been lucky never to have gotten a drone for a guide.

I'm a outfitter and I do all my own guiding.
Tips are welcome and appreciated but not mandatory. A gratuity is an expression of gratitude. Not a requirement.

If the owner of a camp or lodge is also my guide on the trip, I generally tip him, maybe not the full 15-20% that I would if he were an employee, but if he is respectful and gave a good effort, I don't mind showing a little monetary appreciation.

I am a booking agent here in Colorado and typically you would tip the guide. Now if the guide is also the outfitter, well then it is also typical to tip him as well. I know a lot of people are on a tight budget and I tell them that it isn't required to tip at all, because you have already purchased the hunt, but if you can swing it, it sure is a nice gesture. So I guess to answer your question, YES, tip the guide if you can, even if the guide is also the outfitter, which is the case with a lot of operations out there.


Dennis Hurrell
Colorado Outdoor Adventures
719-232-0085
719-748-5509
[email protected]

Thanks for all your input gentleman, this will make an interesting conversation at our next club meeting.

Happy Hunting