Not sure how much to tip your hunting guide? Keep these guidelines in mind.
Tipping is a societal norm that has changed many times over the years. Everyone has their own views regarding how much the perfect tip is for a satisfactory service. This includes hunting trips where you’re expected to pay a guide fee and a tip on top of that. It’s little wonder hunters get confused about tipping having shelled out hundreds or thousands for the hunt itself already. Luckily, there are still some hard-and-fast rules to keep in mind when tipping your hunting guide.
In a recent survey by Waterfowlchoke.com, hunters who say they “always tip” hunting guides have gone up three percentage points since 2020. The poll also found that big game hunters are more likely to tip. While there will never be a tipping agreement across all hunting categories, here’s some guidance to bear in mind.
1) Your Tip Can Be a Big Part of a Hunting Guides Income
A guide’s income consists of guide fees that are charged to hunters to cover the hunt. Over a season, these guide fees help to pay for costs accrued to make the hunts happen. Take waterfowl hunting for example where costs to lease land, pump water, and provide the equipment necessary to have successful hunts must be offset by paying customers.
Hunting guides also account for tips to help supplement guide fees. Going into a hunting season, guides will often set a budget based on receiving tips to help them make a living. When you account for helpers and other personnel, who may only be making the current federal minimum wage of tipped employees, income from tips becomes even more crucial.
2) General Etiquette and Guidelines for Tipping
The general rule of thumb for tipping hunting guides is to leave 10% of the cost of the hunt for a service you consider “average” and 15 to 20% if the serviced received was above average. If the hunt was exceptional or service was out of this world, feel free to leave more.
“Hunting guides put in a lot of work, even before the clients show up, so it’s important to remember when tipping to take in the whole picture. Scouting can be time consuming, and some days game animals just don’t cooperate. If a guide has done all they can to put clients in a good spot, they should be tipped well,” recommends WaterfowlChoke.
3) Where Do the Tips Go?
An outfitter may have many guides working under them that don’t receive any portion of the guide fee, or at best, a small amount. It’s common practice for staff that are guiding hunts to share tips, including guides, helpers, game cleaners, and bird boys. These tipping pools are customary across the US, Canada, and South America.
4) Hunting Group Tipping Standards
Group tipping is another aspect to be aware of when deciding how much to tip a hunting guide.
Large groups of hunters pose extra challenges for guides and many times should be rewarded for accommodating larger than normal parties. This applies to groups of 6 or more and the base tipping percentage should start higher and increase from there.
If you’re hunting with a large group, it’s customary to decide on a collective tip if possible.
5) Calculating Tips Easily
The general rule of thumb is to take the guide fee of the hunt and multiply a percentage to it to determine the tip amount. For instance, if the hunt costs $250, you would leave a $25 tip for average service.
If you want to be even more generous, just multiply the guide fee by 15 or 20%. On the flip side, if service was bad, you could send a message by giving a tip less than 10%.
“Guide fees can get expensive, and it may seem that tips are covered, but they usually are not. Before agreeing to a hunt, always factor in a 10% tip at the very least. Many people are depending on it to help make ends meet,” says Waterfowlchoke.
Bottom Line: Tipping After a Hunt Is Expected
Remember, tipping is considered a standard of almost every service-related industry. Hunting guides, their helpers, and game cleaning staff are included unless specifically told otherwise.
The general rule of thumb for tipping hunting guides is to leave 10% of the cost of the hunt for a service you consider “average” and 15 to 20% if the serviced received was above average. If the hunt was exceptional or service was out of this world, feel free to leave more.
If you decide to book a hunt, factor in the cost of giving a tip before hand so that you’re not left surprised or angry that you have to pay it. It’s expected.
Read More: See this guide for the best chokes for deer hunting!
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