I'm interested in personal experience, hard facts, not hypothetical generalities. What size cash tip have you paid this year? I'm trying to get a figure set in my mind that sounds reasonable. I'm coming up with $75/Day for the PH. I figure if I stay all twelve days in the field in Zimbabwe. I'm out $900. If I wrap things up and try to book out early I could be out around $525 for a seven-day hunt. I'm not going to be hauling any trinkets, or give-aways, just cash. (I'm assuming I may pay another $25/Day for camp staff.)

I think two years ago I went a little overboard.

I tend to go by the 10% of the daily rate to the PH as a good rule of thumb, it has always worked for me.....except in Mongolia where every person in camp thought they should get the same as my guide, gotta watch those guys.

Out of curiosity you say that you are on a 12 day hunt but if you wrap things up early and book out you would be hunting 7 days. Do you get the daily rate back if you do not hunt the complete 12 days<, (which would be quite unusua) if not why would you leave something you have already paid for early? This is just me but if I had all the animals I wanted early I would telll the PH lets spend the next five days trying to find a new world record Duiker or something, but I sure as hell wouldnt leave Africa early.

Kensco,

In my mind it depends alot on whether you are hunting DG or PG. Tiping a PH with 30 years experience while on a trophy elephant hunt is a different matter than tipping a young PH on a short plains game hunt.

Mark

Same as always.

quote:

Originally posted by mrlexma:
Same as always.

x2

quote:

Originally posted by silwane:
This is just me but if I had all the animals I wanted early I would telll the PH lets spend the next five days trying to find a new world record Duiker or something, but I sure as hell wouldnt leave Africa early.

x2

I tend to over tip, but on a 10 day 2 Buff hunt (plus some plains game) to Tanz, I tipped the PH the equivalent of slightly more than 10% of the hunt cost, the staff the equivalent of $10 per day a head to be divided as the head guy usually did and $20 a day apiece for the trackers. I also gave the game scout, who was a great old guy, fun to be around and actually did a lot of work, $10 a day. I also gave the skinner a duplicate knife I had, and all the "main guys" a small, cheap (I think I got them for $6 apiece) multitool with light from Cabelas.

EB's experience sounds about right to me. I would have to check my records to get the exact number, but he is close.

TerryR

What do you guys think about tipping the PH if he is the sole PH and also the company owner?

Fifty dollars to the PH and 100 dollars to be divided among the trackers and camp staff.I also left a flashlight and some ammo.I don't think I over tipped but consider it a good tip.

SBT, I do not tip the PH in that case, which is what I will be doing next month. This will be my 5th hunt with Mark and have never tipped him and he always works harder than I can go. He just pushes the H*ll out of me. I do leave a tip for the staff if they have done a good job. I have been in camps where the staff left a bit to be desired and left no tip. In one camp in Namabia (ranch) I was ask by the outfitter to leave no tip as the group before me (a couple of weeks) left large tips and the staff (male)went off on a binge and borrowed the outfitters truck. There is a thing such as over tipping.

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
Fifty dollars to the PH and 100 dollars to be divided among the trackers and camp staff.I also left a flashlight and some ammo.I don't think I over tipped....

I dont think many are going to argue with you that you over tipped. I know tipping is a very personal thing but... $50 to the ph and $100 to be split among the trackers and camp staff....

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
Fifty dollars to the PH and 100 dollars to be divided among the trackers and camp staff.I also left a flashlight and some ammo.I don't think I over tipped but consider it a good tip.

Per day or altogether? Please tell me it was the former.

I was wondering if he meant per day?

God, i hope that was per day and not total amount. if that was the total amount, i would hate to be the next unfortunate hunter in that camp!!

I will be hunting buffalo and Sable. I'm paying for a twelve-day hunt whether I use them or not. If I popped both on day three I would probably stay the week, but try to book flights out then. A question asked elsewhere is who in the Vic Falls area can help arrange flights, or is there a SAA office in Vic Falls?

Watching wild game day after day, or being in Africa just to be in Africa doesn't do it for me, I have other priorities in my life, and I've lived in exotic places the last fifteen years. I love to hunt, but when that hunt is successful, I'm ready to break camp after a few days of fishing or just knocking around.

I sometimes think hunters get carried away with tips. Last year there was a cameraman in camp shooting video for a promo DVD (which I was to get a copy and 15 mo later none) and he wanted to be an appy so he was helping around camp. For the 10 days I tipped him $25 for the ten days and he was very happy. The guy before me tipped him $20 for his 10 days. Oh yea the prof photographer he was working for was paying him $20 per month and the outfitter was paying him room and board. Also he was a young white lad just out of high school.

This time of year, there is often un-used quota that can be picked up, no problem. I've picked up quota for and shot six elephants this way. Also hunted lion and leopard on left over quota, but was unsuccessful. Usually the cost of hunting the left over quota is just the trophy fee if you are successful. No reason to go home too early, try to find a plan b if you shoot the buff and sable early is my suggestion.

If you have or can borrow a sat phone, you can call your regular travel agent to change flights. If not, a trip to the counter should work. Last I changed there was a roughly $200 or so cost for the change, paid at the counter. I've only made the change to stay longer though.

JPK

I don't make the money you guys make so I can't tip that much.If I did I would tip more.

I want to make sure that I understand this. If you guys are going to Tanzania for 21 days with a daily rate cost of $70,000, you are leaving a $7,000 tip?

I left $3,500 on my last trip. I guess I am cheap if that is the standard.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
I left $3,500 on my last trip. I guess I am cheap if that is the standard.

$3,500

I think that's a lot of coin even for a $70K hunt. You're more generous than I am. I leave for Zambia next week for 10 days and I budgeted $1K max for tips maybe less depending on how it goes.

You go on a 70000 dollar hunt and feel that you should tip? I think I'll become a camp cook or tracker maybe then I can afford hunt buff more often.

quote:

Originally posted by adrook:
I budgeted $1K max for tips maybe less depending on how it goes.

I also budget $1,000 for tips, but as you said it depends on the service not really if I get all the animals I want. Face it, it is hunting and one can not certify that you will get your animals but if they put forth the effort to get me a shot at the animals and the camp is well run then I tip well.

I also budgeted $1,000 for a 7 day elephant/buffalo but nearly doubled that.

The crew absolutely knocked themselves out for me. Camp staff, cook, trackers, skinner, and PH.



It is a pleasure doing business with folks who exceed your expectations.

When I left my PH said the staff really liked me, and wondered when I was coming back!

I guess I over-tipped, but I was the only hunter in camp.

Andy

IMHO, assuming that one knows the proper tip amounts for good service (and all of us should), there is no such thing as over-tipping.

If one who knows what he is doing leaves more than the usual amount as a tip, it is a sign of his appreciation for superlative service.

quote:

Originally posted by SBT:
What do you guys think about tipping the PH if he is the sole PH and also the company owner?

Scott, This depends on the situation, and in particular if they own the rights to their concession(s). Some really do depend on tips (USD's). For example, I hunted with Peter Chipman and Buzz Charlton, both of whom I tip. Whereas others who own their company and/or agency I have not, given their situation. It depends...but if hunting Zim chances are the PH really could use the bucks.

Kensco, to answer your question, $100/day for the PH (for the amount of days I was scheduled to hunt IF I was ever to cut it short, or as provided if the PH left to hunt other clients). The trackers (and driver if used) fare quite well typically. If I am pretty-sure the money will be used "wisely", it is easy to overdo just a little bit.

quote:

Originally posted by mrlexma:
IMHO, assuming that one knows the proper tip amounts for good service (and all of us should), there is no such thing as over-tipping.

If one who knows what he is doing leaves more than the usual amount as a tip, it is a sign of his appreciation for superlative service.

Mrlexma,

Some day I hope we meet up. Beers on me. I find that I agree with your thinking and logic much of the time. And here on this point too.

JPK

quote:

Originally posted by Bill C:

quote:

Originally posted by SBT:
What do you guys think about tipping the PH if he is the sole PH and also the company owner?

Scott, This depends on the situation, and in particular if they own the rights to their concession(s). Some really do depend on tips (USD's). For example, I hunted with Peter Chipman and Buzz Charlton, both of whom I tip. Whereas others who own their company and/or agency I have not, given their situation. It depends...but if hunting Zim chances are the PH really could use the bucks.

Kensco, to answer your question, $100/day for the PH (for the amount of days I was scheduled to hunt IF I was ever to cut it short, or as provided if the PH left to hunt other clients). The trackers (and driver if used) fare quite well typically. If I am pretty-sure the money will be used "wisely", it is easy to overdo just a little bit.

You too Bill.

I'm off to The Gras Ranch this coming March. The trip alone is stretching my resources. Simply put, I can't afford to leave $1000.00 as a tip yet I do want to hunt Africa.

Hopefully, the PH and other staff will accept me for what I am, a hunter with a strong desire to hunt PG with their help. I didn't realize being 'flush' was part of the requirements. I will show up ready, willing, able and in great physical condition.

Bobby B.

quote:

Originally posted by JPK:

quote:

Originally posted by mrlexma:
IMHO, assuming that one knows the proper tip amounts for good service (and all of us should), there is no such thing as over-tipping.

If one who knows what he is doing leaves more than the usual amount as a tip, it is a sign of his appreciation for superlative service.

Mrlexma,

Some day I hope we meet up. Beers on me. I find that I agree with your thinking and logic much of the time. And here on this point too.

JPK

We may have to fight over the check for those beers. But the tip will be yours.

I tipped 100.00 for the Ph per day that was hunted. 200/cook for the week for execptional food and service; 125 for the dear and wonderful tracker (hunted 6 days) and various smaller amounts for other staff. It was an exceptional and successful hunt for sable, tsessebe, bushbuck, nyala, and giraffe. Baboon and warthog were not achieved. A hunting report is coming soon.

4 years back, I asked the PH we hunted with how much he would recommend as tip for his camp staff.

We were a party of 8, hunting for 21 days.

He suggested something around $3,600.

This works out at less than $22 per day per person in our party.

$125 US per day is almost more than a PH gets paid in Zim.
Good on you mate.

I get the picture. At $100 a day for the PH, I'm in range.

JPK, That is an interesting thought about unused quota. This could be my last tip to Africa. Unused quota would be interesting, particularly for a big cat.

The tipping subject is a mine field. I've under-tipped and over-tipped in the past. The one that really got my butt red though was a Dall Sheep hunt years ago. Two very nice guys, brothers, were on the hunt. The one worked for a a rich Texan. The other was just lucky and got rich-guys place when he couldn't make the hunt. It was a fine hunt, and at the end the brothers were throwing tip money around like big-dogs. The going rate at the time was around $350 to $400. The rest of us tipped around $500. The brothers were above $1,000. The difference of course was that the brothers were all-in for a total of about $3.47 each since rich-guy paid for the hunt. Those guys got a sheep hunt for $1,003.47, and the rest of us paid over $10,000 + tip. The result, our guides walked around with long faces the last day, and the two guides with the brothers were doing cart-wheels through camp. It put a bad-taste to a very good hunt.

I must apologize for an error in my previous post. I tipped $100.00 to PH per hunt day and the hunt was upperscale PG---sable, nyala, etc.
I did edit the post to reflect the error.

The $100.00 per day or 10% of daily rate to the PH is that appropriate for a 10 day buff/pg hunt?

quote:

Originally posted by mrlexma:

quote:

Originally posted by JPK:

quote:

Originally posted by mrlexma:
IMHO, assuming that one knows the proper tip amounts for good service (and all of us should), there is no such thing as over-tipping.

If one who knows what he is doing leaves more than the usual amount as a tip, it is a sign of his appreciation for superlative service.

Mrlexma,

Some day I hope we meet up. Beers on me. I find that I agree with your thinking and logic much of the time. And here on this point too.

JPK

We may have to fight over the check for those beers. But the tip will be yours.

Kensco,

I recall that I have also hunted and shot two buff that were the result of left over quota.

JPK

In my trip to RSA, I went on two hunts. The first was the situation where the PH was also the outfitter. We did tip. We did shoot some animals on his land at full price. The tracker/skinner tips worked out to be $15/day. Rest of the staff was about $15/day split amongst them. The cook, also the outfitter's girlfriend, got about $35/day. All based on the outfitter's guidance.

The second hunt we just had the PH. We were going to tip him $100 or so per day, but gave him some binoculars instead. He was using some old Steiner 8x30 and the rubber was wearing off. He had liked a pair of 8.5x42 Swarovski ELs we had (MSRP $1400 or so) and we gave him those. Although the binos were more than we had estimated tipping, he will get a lot more use out of them than we will. We also gave him the option of cash instead. The camp staff and tracker tips were about the same amount as above.

By the way, does the PH get reimbursed for fuel from the outfitter?

On my trip to Zim last month, I tipped the PH $100/day.

The trackers each received $150/week.
The cook, camp staff, skinner all split $200/week.

The latter two tips were suggested amounts from the PH.