It’s that time of year again where you have drawn your tag and booked a hunt. You have been ironing out all the final details with the outfitter and preparing for your hunt, making sure you ask all the questions before it starts. It is always a good thing to know what to expect up front before you arrive at your destination so there aren’t any unexpected circ*mstances. However, one thing that often gets overlooked or even forgotten about, and something we take a lot of calls about, is how much you should tip your guide.
Tipping your guide is usually an additional cost on top of the cost of the hunt. Some outfitters build a tip into the total amount, but it is not very common. As a general rule in the industry, it is most common to tip a guide 10%-15% of the hunt value. To put it simply, if you book a hunt for $5,000, an adequate tip would be $500. There may be circ*mstances where you feel like your guide deserves more or less, depending on the effort they gave. I believe tips should never be based on whether you harvest an animal or not, it should be on the overall performance of your guide. Most guides strive to work hard because your success is their success.
Typically, guides do not make a high day wage and put in a lot of extra work behind the scenes, relying on tips as a healthy portion of their income. Outfitters also have a lot of overhead expenses, such as permitting, insurance, food, and upkeep on gear, vehicles, and livestock. All of these added together take a large chunk out of the income from their hunts, which only allows outfitters to pay guides $100-$200 a day, depending on experience. This makes a tip a nice bonus. If you have multiple guides throughout the hunt and are unsure of how to split the tip, the outfitter can usually help with that decision process. Remember that unless your guide is also the cook, it is a good idea to tip the cook as well.
Keep in mind that guides usually have all the gear they need and do not need a knife, headlamps, or other items as their tip, unless you are offering them those items on top of cash. Just like you, they are the working class and are providing for their own families. The best way to go about it is to budget a tip into the cost of the hunt before you head out on your next adventure.
FAQs
As a general rule in the industry, it is most common to tip a guide 10%-15% of the hunt value. To put it simply, if you book a hunt for $5,000, an adequate tip would be $500. There may be circ*mstances where you feel like your guide deserves more or less, depending on the effort they gave.
How much do you tip camp cook per day? ›
A modernized guideline is that the minimum 10 percent rule applies to everyone you'll be tipping at camp. In that case, the same $2500 tip, would be split between the camp cook, wrangler, skinner and guide – say $1250 to the guide, $450 to the cook/housekeeper, $400 skinner, $400 wrangler as an example.
How much do you tip a New Zealand hunting guide? ›
The usual Gratuities run around 10% of the total hunt value with it being split 2/3 to the guide and 1/3 to the lodge staff. This is an indication of what is typical only and gratuities are totally at the discretion of the hunter and/or guest.
How much do you tip a camping guide? ›
The average tip amount for an outdoor or backcountry guide is between 10% and 20% of the tour cost per person. For example, if the tour price was $1,000 per person, then the acceptable tip should be between $100 and $200 per person depending on the level of service provided by the guide.
What is the standard tip for a hunting guide? ›
Some outfitters build a tip into the total amount, but it is not very common. As a general rule in the industry, it is most common to tip a guide 10%-15% of the hunt value. To put it simply, if you book a hunt for $5,000, an adequate tip would be $500.
How much do you tip a guide in Patagonia? ›
We suggest a range of US$6 to US$12 per day depending on the level of satisfaction. Trip members usually tip the trip guide. Typically, individual trip members tip the trip guide $6 to $15 per day, depending on the level of satisfaction. In restaurants, tip normally is not included and a 10% will be expected.
Should you tip your guide? ›
Generally, it's appropriate to tip your private guide $10-$15 per day and another $5-$10 for drivers. For large group tours, you'd tip half of that.
How much do you tip African hunting guides? ›
Tipping is discretionary, but a general guideline is as follows:
- PH - $50-$100 / Day for Plains Game.
- Tracker - $100-$200 total depending on the length of the hunt.
- Skinner - $100 Total.
- Cook - $10-$20 / Day.
- Remainder of Camp Staff -$100-$200 Total to be split.
Kitchen staff may or may not get tips, depending on your chosen tip-out structure. With tip pooling, BOH staff receive tips, so kitchen staff gets included. With percentage-based tips out, kitchen staff could also get included, making a small percentage of what the servers receive, most likely under 10%.
How much do you tip for sleepaway camp? ›
Camp allows tipping and it is voluntary. Tips are pooled and split amongst all staff including those behind the scenes. Recommended amount is $20-40 per counselor per week. 5 counselors per bunk.
It is customary to present the tip to the chef at the end of their services as a gesture of appreciation. Point 2: During the Meal Service: While it is not necessary to tip during the meal service, some individuals prefer to show their gratitude by offering a gratuity midway through the event.
How much should I tip a personal chef? ›
As a rule of thumb, a 10% tip is a good place to start. If the chef is working alongside a server, you may want to increase your tip to 20% or at least 15%, encouraging your private chef to share the gratuity.
