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Though I've never been on a guided hunt, I did read an article about
this subject once. The article suggested tipping the guide, cook,
skinner, butcher and who ever else is involved in your hunt. If it is
a guided big game hunt, say out west, all these people are up before
you and after you getting things ready/cleaned up. The article also
suggested that you offer to help out with some of the chores around
camp, like dishes, cooking firewood, etc. Although none of these are
required they will be appreciated by the guide and others, thus making
them want to work that little extra to get you your game.
Other things the article suggested was make sure you are prepared, both
physically and equipment wise. Nothing will bother the guide more than
having to lend you something he told you to bring in the first place.
All this leads to a better guide/client relationship and he will be
more likely to take you again. If you were a pain in the a** then he
may be "all booked up" when you want to hunt again.
Again, this is from memory from an article, I forget what the tip rate
was, but the author wanted to convey that it is only a part of what
can make a guide want to work harder for you.
--Bob
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| Being a guide myself in Maine I strongly urge anyone to tip
a guide if he puts his time and work in for the hunter, sometimes
we may work very hard to get the hunter an animal and after he
scores it's very rewarding to receive a small tip to top things
off, this builds a very good relationship between us both, I'd say
a reasonable tip would be a $100 and a very good tip is around
$250. It's all up to the hunter and how good of a trip he had.
this doesn't mean you guy's have to tip a guide at all
RICK
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| My experience has been in bird hunting, not big game, so you may
not feel what I have to say is relevant.
I agree that all those who service you ( camp and domestic staff)
should be tipped, especially if service is good or superior. Ask
the
manager what he/she thinks is fair. Often they'll add on a percentage,
so the tipping is taken out of your hands.
I've gotten domestic staff upset, both in this country and Canada,
when I tried to help out with chores. Again, I suggest talking
with the manager about this. Frankly, when I go on vacation I don't
want to chop wood; that's too much like home!
Remember also where you are. Several years ago, in Canada, I tipped
the breakfast cook $10 US for a weeks work. She literally started
to cry, and thanked me profusely. I attribute this to others not
tipping, but it still shows the scale of living we are lucky enough
to have in this country.
Now, about guides. In Canada we use the same guide every year;
we probably wouldn't go back if we knew we weren't going to get
him. So we tip him about $100 US, per person per week (remember
there is a 25-30% exchange premium). But we've
also sent him a hunting vest one year, for example, and usually
we get him a box of cigars from the duty free when we cross the
border. Because we're fond of all the guides, we usually pop for
a case of beer that goes in the fridge in the guide's shack.
Remember that we are running our own dogs. If the guide was
supplying/handling his own dogs, I'd tip more. In South Carolina
our outfitter charged us extra for guide/dogs but we had a super
guide. I think we tipped him about $120/p/week. He told us that
he once had a man tip him $100 for 2 hours hunt. They must have
rich folks in SC. (But then I just heard of an exclusive quail
planatation in Georgia which runs $6,000 per week/person. Whew!)
I've also had guides essentially ask me for a tip. On the average
they weren't very good. I couldn't get over their nerve!
The biggest thing is to realize that these people are making their
living this way. Rely on their expertise, and their good judgement,
esp. if you are a foreigner. Remeber that the people deserve your
respect.
I dislike places that have a pricetag
on everything (yes, I've seen them) and prefer a quiet bill at the
end.
Just to add a note of controversy, what do people think of the practice
of some outfitters to charge IN FULL 2 or 3 months before the hunt?
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