Tips?
Contributors to this thread:Elk
From: live2hunt88
18-Feb-20
I'm planning my first guided elk hunt next fall.. I've never done any kind of guided hunt before.
Curious as to what you guys typically plan on spending on tips for the cooks and guide?
From: Jaquomo
18-Feb-20
A watermelon farmer gave me a watermelon for a tip one time...
From: Medicinemann
18-Feb-20
Liv2hunt88 - this question comes up frequently.....you can research previous threads for input. A lot of it depends on your personal situation, and the cost of the hunt....finances, etc.....but for me, it really boils down to this....did I have a great time? Did the guide put forth a strong effort? On a pretty expensive hunt, a 5% tip is still a lot of money....on a less expensive hunt, 10% might be more in order.
Jaq…..was he a pretty seedy character?
From: drycreek
18-Feb-20
Yellow meat or red ? I like yellow better, so I would have guided more gooder for one of those.....
From: Elkslaya
18-Feb-20
Never did a guided hunt. I would think 15-20 % would be about right. Those guides don’t get paid as much as some might think by the outfitters. Guides come and go.
From: jdee
18-Feb-20
It’s up to you but ..... A great elk hunt and a great guide $500 a great cook that put out really good meals day and night $150 . Based on a 5 or 6 day elk hunt.
From: Whocares
19-Feb-20
I think I like that Elkslaya guy!
From: Grey Ghost
19-Feb-20
Here we go, again....
Matt
From: live2hunt88
19-Feb-20
The search function was not working on my phone which is why I asked for some advice. Didnt mean to offend so many people, you dont have to respond if you dont like the topic.. it's rather simple
From: Bou'bound
19-Feb-20
great question. anything less than 15% is insulting and at least that should be considered an expectation of the hunter regardless of service levels
From: Ok_sooners4828
19-Feb-20
Live2hunt88
You'll come to realize here that there are some people who are glad to help.. a majority of them just like to give shitty responses and could care less to offer any reasonable advice.. respect isnt too common around here.
I'll shoot you a PM.
From: live2hunt88
19-Feb-20
Thanks for the advice Bou', and for popping those threads up. I tried several times the last few days to get the search function to work and my phone wouldnt load it.
From: Bou'bound
19-Feb-20
There are others out there but they bare often locked and not able to be brought up since these often end in a lot of rancor and name calling.
From: Brotsky
19-Feb-20
Bou, funny how guilty consciences do that to guys :-)
From: Mule Power
19-Feb-20
I’ll be glad to give you my two cents but first a couple questions because some guides work harder and longer than others.
Public land or private? If public pack in... using horses or from a lodge or hotel and no livestock?
From: midwest
19-Feb-20
midwest's Link
Go to google, type in "guide tipping bowsite".
This link is the top return.
From: live2hunt88
19-Feb-20
Mule Power,
it is private land and they use 4wheelers/atvs, then hike from there and we will be staying in a lodge
From: live2hunt88
19-Feb-20
Thanks Midwest!
From: newfi1946moose
19-Feb-20
Agree with Bou'.....Guides cannot control weather or migrations. I plan on tipping the guide well whether the hunt turns out successful or not. That said, the outfitters I have used were good and I had a long-term relationship with the particular guide(s).
From: Mule Power
19-Feb-20
A guide on private land using 4 wheelers that sleeps in a lodge is barely a guide. He’s a bellboy or a caddy. $200
From: Ucsdryder
19-Feb-20
I’d never thought about this topic. Great question. Curious to hear what people have to say!
From: RK
19-Feb-20
Livetohunt88
Go back and read medicinmann thread on this thread and then go read the past threads that were pulled up. I think you will have enough info after that to make a good decision for you on this matter.
Good luck on your hunt and post the results here!!
From: LBshooter
19-Feb-20
First of all, can guys stop telling someone that a topic has been discussed before and to search it, don't respond if it takes time away from your time on the site. As for a tip, there is no rule and it is up to the individual plain and simple. I assume your guide is not Cody? lol If your guide busts his ass for you and tries to get you your elk then tip at the upper end of what you can afford, then the tip goes down from there depending on effort. Just out of curiosity, what do you guys think an outfitter makes after all expenses from a elk hunt that cost 7500?
From: KHNC
19-Feb-20
I think 10% is plenty. Elk hunts run 4k to 10k these days. If the guides dont make enough money, then dont be a guide! I no longer do outfitted hunts, however, tipping more than 400-500 bucks is crazy in my opinion. You are paying the outfitter to take care of all of this stuff for you, not to add an additional 1500-2000 on top of the cost. I didnt go on those hunts to line the guides AND the outfitters pockets. You shouldnt have to be concerned with whether or not the guide will work hard for you based on how much you are tipping. They arent waiters at a restaurant. Outfitters need to step up and pay their damn help.
From: Jaquomo
19-Feb-20
So variable that there is really no "rule". Does a guide on a $30,000 hunt work any harder than a guide on a $6000 hunt? If both guys bust their butts, is one worth 5x the other?
From: JTreeman
19-Feb-20
For a lodge based truck/quad type hunt I generally try to be in the $100/day range, can be give or take based on effort, but that is kinda my starting point. If it is the same but sitting in a stand I would be less. If a bunch of effort on the guides part (lots of packing/extra long days/skipped meals/etc) then I go heavier. So assuming 5-6 day hunt I would start in the $500 range. Right or wrong...
—Jim
From: LBshooter
19-Feb-20
Well what really gets me when looking at some outfitted hunts is there trophy fees. Now, if an outfitter has a high fence ranch,and raises the animal your going to kill I could see him charging for that particular animal based on size etc... But, how does an outfitter get away with charging a trophy fee on an animal that is free roaming on public land? I think i saw a griz hunt for 27 k and a trophy fee of 13k, sounds a little ridiculous to me. I guess if people will pay it the outfitter will gladly accept it.
From: SD BuckBuster
19-Feb-20
All depends on the work they put into it.
Should a lazy guide still get a tip??? That's a real question..
From: wilbur
19-Feb-20
Wrangler and cooks get $100.00 each. Guide gets $400.00-$500.00 depending on how you liked him/her.
From: Jaquomo
19-Feb-20
Answering my own question above, he may not work any harder than the $30,000 guide, but the $30,000 guide has something the $6,000 guide does not, with possibly a different skill set.
As a different example, does a technology salesman who makes $300K a year work any harder than a siding salesman who makes $70K?
From: Dpat
19-Feb-20
My one and only outfitted hunt was with a father and son outfitter in Colorado it was guided/semi guided. Great ranch lots of elk and mule deer the cook they had was great. The guiding not so much the son in his 30's was always the last one to get out of bed and the last one ready to go hunt. The second morning of us leaving the cabin with it being light enough to see several hundred yards caused us to have a conversation about him being less than motivated. I had as much success hunting when by myself as hunting with them. Needless to say they didn't get a 10% tip I gave him a $200 tip and felt I was being overly kind. I did tip the cook $250 felt he worked harder than my "Guide" The fact that my guide was the co-owner also made me think why tip him, felt like I was paying twice. Right or wrong that's what I did and I did have a good over all hunt. I own a service business and I believe its my responsibility to pay my employees a fair wage and not "hope" my customers tip them so they have decent wage for the work they do.
From: Tradmike
19-Feb-20
From: Tradmike
19-Feb-20
We usually tip a cook about 10.00 per day, a little higher if the food was exceptional. Guide about 10% cost of the hunt if he did a good job.
