Going on a coastal BB(Black Bear)hunt here in a month and really am not sure what to anticipate for a tip for the guide. Any guidelines anyone can give would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Jeff

$1000.00 is the starting point for a descent hunt. I got $1500 a tip for this BB 10 yrs ago.

My mistake, BB, would be Brown Bear or Black Bear, mine is a black bear hunt. Cost of hunt is $4800, if that helps.

$500.00 for guide. $50 for rest of crew if any would be good.

I went on a Black Bear Hunt in Saskatchewan 2 years ago, the hunt was $3500.00. I tipped my guide $400.00 and gave the cook $100.00.

I have heard that about 10% was the going rate. I suppose if the guide is outstanding you could give more. I shot a 6'9" 20 inch skull bear so I was very happy with my guide. He also had 2 other hunters he was guiding at the same time as me.

If a guide works hard and does his/her job (regardless of kill or not), I tip between $100 and $200 per day hunted, depending on the level of the hunt.

20% of the total hunt.


Steve

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Lefforge:
20% of the total hunt.


Steve

Twenty percent? Yea. Right. Ain't going to happen with me.

What ever happened to quoting a price, doing your job and that being the end of it? This tipping nonsense has gotten way out of hand. The outfitter should be paying the guides a fair wage and if not, the guides shouldn't be working for him.

I would suggest:

1. Ten percent of the hunt cost divided among those who personally contribute to your hunt. This doesn't mean every cook and bottle washer.

2. Nothing if they waste your time.

3. Nothing if the hunt doesn't proceed as promised.

4. Nothing if you don't get a reasonable shot at the animal you're after. Yes, I know, not seeing the animal you're after is hunting; it's also tipping. An exception might be where said animal was known to be in short supply and very elusive and this was told to the hunter ahead of time.

5. Nothing if the guide shoots your animal unless not doing so puts one in danger of losing life or limb.

10% and only if your guide did his/her job well.

10% was the rule of thumb I had heard before when I went to Africa, wound up going a bit more overall since it was a superb trip way beyond expectations. Sounds good, thanks everyone.

WOW 10% I must be spoiled because all my clients have always paid 20% and some even more...but then again it must be the great service I provide

Steve
www.skymountainoutfitters.com

i look at it this way. You tip a waitress 15 to 20 percent for what five minutes of work a guide gives you the whole day and wait's on you hand and foot should be tiped well..

quote:

Originally posted by zkodiak:
i look at it this way. You tip a waitress 15 to 20 percent for what five minutes of work a guide gives you the whole day and wait's on you hand and foot should be tiped well..

So, are you also a guide or an outfitter? If so I understand. If I were a guide I'd also probably recommend a 20% tip.

Not only the entire day - most guides are also on duty to do whatever it takes day or night for as long as the entire hunt takes. Then assist you with your trophy and meat shipping after the hunt is officially over and then sending photos after you get home. It there are any problems with the trophy arriving they will usually assist tracking it down as well.

quote:

Originally posted by zkodiak:
i look at it this way. You tip a waitress 15 to 20 percent for what five minutes of work a guide gives you the whole day and wait's on you hand and foot should be tiped well..

But I've never bought a $10,000+ hamburger. Thus, I don't think that's a very good comparison.

what you can afford, or what you want to give .

Hell with the set bullshit.

If the Guide is also the Outfitter, Business Owner, would you tip him ?

I am always afraid to get into these tipping discussions as they usually end up in a pissing contest but my personal views are that as an outfitter I do not accept tips - unless it is from someone whom I am also guiding in the field. If offered I suggest they pass it to the cook, packer or camp help as they work just as hard to make the hunt successful.

Jeff,

On a black bear hunt I think $75-$100 per day is about right if all went well and $100 for the cook. In the end it is completely upto you.

Mark

quote:

what you can afford, or what you want to give

As a guide myself, anything I get from a client is gravy.

Blazer93 gave the best answer. If guides/outfitters/PH's are in business for the tips, they need to get out.

A tip should be based soley on services received during the hunt.

For free ranging game, guides can not guarantee game movement or the size of the game moving or the clients ability to hit their own ass with both hands.

If the guiode works his ass off putting you on game and the camp staff does everything possible to make your stay comfortable, tip as you see fit, just don't give the guide a God Damn knife, he already has 20 or 30 of those.

Base your tipping on who actually made the stay enjoyable and the amount of effort they put forth doing so.

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:

As a guide myself, anything I get from a client is gravy.
If guides/outfitters/PH's are in business for the tips, they need to get out.

tip as you see fit, just don't give the guide a God Damn knife, he already has 20 or 30 of those.
.

I too have drawers full of knives but I look at it as a tip is a tip and a gift is a gift and I am grateful that the hunter had a good time.

quote:

I am always afraid to get into these tipping discussions as they usually end up in a pissing contest but my personal views are that as an outfitter I do not accept tips - unless it is from someone whom I am also guiding in the field. If offered I suggest they pass it to the cook, packer or camp help as they work just as hard to make the hunt successful.

Once again, Phil shows why he's a class act. Personally, that ethic always make me want to tip MORE because you know they'd have done the exact same job with no tip, and therefore it really is a gratuity and heart felt thank you rather than an expected but unlisted fee. The client gets to walk away feeling he's been generous and done well vs having been fleeced, even if it costs me more. I think most folks don't mind rewarding hard work but resent feeling being taken advantage of. That resentment is far more costly than the dollars extracted in the long run.

Bob

no im not a guide. Military i have friend's that are up here and i agree it depend's on there attuitude and the job well done. But i hear alot of guy's giving about 3 to 5% and they go on a 20000 dollar bear hunt. then go to dinner and give a great tip. I base mine on how the service is and the same on the waiter. I understand some dont have the money to give alot and they understand and none is expected but if you can give a waiter 20 buck's for a tip a 100 a day for a guide is not that much.

$20 to a waiter =$20

20% on a $25k hunt = $5000.00

Difference = $4980.00

Not chump change to many hunters. Don't give me the old saw "If you can't afford the tip, stay out of the kitchen." Some guys save for a lifetime. If it is expected, LIST IT up front. Just be honest.

Bob

To my mind, the tip percentage should decrease as the cost of the hunt increases. I might very well tip 20% on a $2000 5 day black bear hunt, 10% on a 7 day $6000 elk hunt, and 6% on a 14 day $20,000 safari. $400 for the first guy, $600 for the second and $1200 for the third...the longer more costly hunt warrants a bigger tip but not in percentage terms. I am just never going to tip 20% on a $20,000 hunt. The logic is the same in restaurants. If a meal for two costs $200, I don't tip 20%...I might tip 10% or a bit more if service was exceptional. Conversely, if I eat an $8 breakfast at Dennys, I overtip at 30% because breakfast waitresses run their asses off and the tabs are low enough that most people tip jack-sh!t.

If I'm in a restaurant and the owner serves me there's no tip they make their money already. Same way I'd not tip the outfitter but would the camp staff and guide.

the chef

This maybe a little off subject, but the best tips I have ever gotten were the ones from folks that you could tell really had budgeted for the hunt and it was a once evry ten years or more or maybe a once in a life time experience for them.

Guided hunts are expensive and guides and outfitters normally have their expenses and such figured pretty close, so they have an idea how much they are going to be making.

It is the folks that I have guided that have never been on a guided hunt and may possibly never go on another.

Those folks from my experience are the most appreciative and usually have theirselves budgeted pretty tight so they can't leave a big tip.

Conversely, I have guided folks that could afford a tip, gave them the same level of service and they did not leave anything.

I never expect a tip, so any I get are gravy but the service I give is the same across the board for my clients.

I might be wrong in doing so, but I have advised folks that talked about wanting to get into guiding for the tips they could make, to not even get into the business.

Crazyhorse,

I dont think you could have said it better!!!!

Let me ask about a point made earlier, that is, when you share a guide with 2 or 3 other folks.

Based on some above comments, tipping of 10 or 20% by each hunter can result in an enormous payout to a guide of perhaps 40 to 80% of one man's hunt cost (20% X 4 = 80%).

My personal view is that if I share a guide with other folks, maybe all us hunters should combine to provide one reasonable tip, not 3 or 4 times what an individual might give if it were a one on one hunt.

I have hunted bear with two very good guides. They put in great effort; I was successful on 3 hunts, not successful on the other. I tipped them , but also followed up with a written letter of recommendation for them to use(as they chose) to pass on to other prospective hunters looking for info about the guide-outfitter. I have told them not to be shy about giving out my home ph# as well. I have posted their info on hunting sites when it seemed appropriate. I figure that this is a part of my "tip".....to help their business continue to grow. Something to consider. Hope this helps/ Chaz