Tipping etiquette

[Marc]

This is where this discussion comes back to outfitted or guided hunts. When I arrange a hunt, I make it clear up front that I want to "do my own thing",... hunting strategies and calling (by myself or in cooperation with others).  When I do that and then go ahead and pay to hunt somewhere, and then the outfitter/guide ends up wanting to make all of the decisions and do all of the calling,....and I am essentially just pulling the trigger at the right moment,....I will only be hunting with that outfitter/guide one time and will not be back.  I don't care if there is a gobbler behind every bush on his property.

Yes, because of my nature I will give them a tip (grudgingly) at the end of it all,...and with a smile on my face,...but I will not be back,...and I will never recommend that outfitter to anybody I know without a disclaimer that "if you like to call and hunt the way you want to, this guy is probably not for you". 

Again, if someone feels differently about it and is good with being the trigger puller, more power to them,...that just ain't for me.

I email every guide or outfitter I go with and expressly outline my expectations.  When I get a reply that confirms my expectations (i.e. hours in the field, calling, number of hunters in a group, etc.), I take that email with me when I go on the trip.  In some cases there are modifications made to my expectations that I do agree to, but there are issues that will and have prevented me from going with certain guides or outfitters (luckily most have been upfront and honest with me).

Not only do I take a copy of the email with me on the trip, I have a copy of it in my back pocket in the field.  When the guide says that he never agreed to such and such, I pull out the email reply with him making that exact statement.

If a guide agrees to let me do all the calling before booking, and then will not put down his call, not only would I not tip, I might take issue paying at all...

If I go with a guide, and we are unsuccessful, but everything was as promised, and the guide worked hard, I am tipping...

[GobbleNut]

Good idea, Marc.  Indeed, the advent of email is a wonderful thing for things such as this. 
"If I go with a guide, and we are unsuccessful, but everything was as promised, and the guide worked hard, I am tipping..."  ....My sentiments exactly...

[ccleroy]

what I expect from a guide/outfitter is for them to have done the homework that I can't do. To know the bird population, roost areas, where they go after fly down, etc.  Give me that intel, then let me do my thing.

Exactly, and that in itself should weigh heavily on the tipping scale. If you've never been a guide it's pretty hard for some to grasp. It's pretty simple, just think how much more time you would spend on a hunt if you didn't know the above mentioned trying to do nothing more than locate turkeys on a tract you've never hunted? Saying that, if the guide failed to put you on birds, give you the best MRI you need then a tip isn't worst discussing. I've never been on a guided hunt, but can definitely see where not getting a tip from a hunter after you've put them on birds can rub you the wrong way. Has anyone here never been on an offshore or inshore fishing trip? Same rules apply, tipping is a common practice and those who don't are frowned upon........

[g8rvet]

Well said GobbleNut.  Exactly how I feel about guides, even more so when duck hunting.  I make a trip to Canada every year and we do our own thing. No guides.  We have made a few contacts that know who owns what property and that speeds the process of us getting up with the landowner when the birds are in a certain spot.  I will never pay for a guided duck hunt.  I do not judge those that do or would, just not my thing.  I have leased property before. 


Same for turkey hunting.  A fully guided hunt would not give me the thrill I am looking for.  That is why we all hunt, for the personal satisfaction, whatever that level is, for each of us.  Would be cheaper to go to the grocery if we wanted food.  My hunting methods would be frowned on by plenty since I do kinda "deer hunt" the birds on one piece of property I hunt.  I don't care though, I enjoy it. We all make our own rules for what the challenge that we want.   

[Happy hooker]

Here in Minnesota land of 10,000 lakes fishing is big biz and a way of life,,lots of guides here and it is always customary to tip,, I don't see why you wouldn't do the same for hunting.

[GobbleNut]

Here in Minnesota land of 10,000 lakes fishing is big biz and a way of life,,lots of guides here and it is always customary to tip,, I don't see why you wouldn't do the same for hunting.

Okay, so when you hire a fishing guide I imagine you plan on holding your own fishing rod and catching the fish yourself.  How would you feel about it if that guide took your rod, did all of the casting and hooking of the fish,....and then handed the rod to you so you could reel it in?  I suspect your attitude about tipping might change a bit under those circumstances,...especially if he did not tell you that was how your fishing trip was going to be. 

Again, when a guide provides what is understood to be expected of him, he most certainly deserves a tip,....and if he goes "above and beyond" then a generous tip is in order.  However, there are those occasional instances where tipping just does not seem to fit the circumstances.   That is what some of us have been referencing here.

[Farmboy27]

A big thanks to everyone who weighted in here!  Tons of food for thought. I guess I'll have to wait and see how it goes. And, as they say, the waiting is the hardest part! 

[wvmntnhick]

what I expect from a guide/outfitter is for them to have done the homework that I can't do. To know the bird population, roost areas, where they go after fly down, etc.  Give me that intel, then let me do my thing.

Exactly, and that in itself should weigh heavily on the tipping scale. If you've never been a guide it's pretty hard for some to grasp. It's pretty simple, just think how much more time you would spend on a hunt if you didn't know the above mentioned trying to do nothing more than locate turkeys on a tract you've never hunted? Saying that, if the guide failed to put you on birds, give you the best MRI you need then a tip isn't worst discussing. I've never been on a guided hunt, but can definitely see where not getting a tip from a hunter after you've put them on birds can rub you the wrong way. Has anyone here never been on an offshore or inshore fishing trip? Same rules apply, tipping is a common practice and those who don't are frowned upon........

Took an inshore trip several years ago. Guy got there several hours later than he said for us to show up at the marina. Decided we'd be better off fishing inshore instead of deep. Trolled us around for 2 hours and then told us that if we wanted the other half of the day we'd have to pay him right then because the second half of the day was about to begin. We'd lost several hours because of his own personal issues, he'd cut our trip in half, we didn't get to go deep sea like was already discussed and expected. As a group, we decided to pass on the second half of the day. Got back to the marina, paid the man half of what the original cost was as he stood there and said, "this is it?" I told him he's lucky to be getting that. The trip was cut short by hours and he had his own agenda in mind, not ours. There was no tip. When an inshore half day trip was supposed to be a 6 hour trip and our total fishing time was less than two hours (3 hours and 15 minutes total counting time in and out of the inlet), I'm not paying for the full trip. Half the work, half the pay. It was a bad experience and kind of soured me on the whole thing really. Haven't tried another trip since.

Btw, we caught 23 fish total on that trip. All were small blues and Spanish mackerel. I caught 13 blues and 17 Spanish mackerel from shore in less time than that later that evening. Maybe the guy I took with me should've tipped me. 

[Marc]

Here in Minnesota land of 10,000 lakes fishing is big biz and a way of life, lots of guides here and it is always customary to tip, I don't see why you wouldn't do the same for hunting.

Okay, so when you hire a fishing guide I imagine you plan on holding your own fishing rod and catching the fish yourself.  How would you feel about it if that guide took your rod, did all of the casting and hooking of the fish,....and then handed the rod to you so you could reel it in? 

A lot of deep sea guides do just that...  In grad school, several of us got a "6-pack" to take us out for game fish...  We told the guides that we would handle the rods and all they had to do was gaff fish and tie lines...

Initial hook-ups, the guides all tried to hand us rods with fish on them, and we "angrily" told them no...  Later in the day, the captain spotted a large marlin actively feeding, and the crew desperately was trying to hook it up for us...  We insisted that we had no interest in "reeling that fish in."  The captain continued to scream at his crew to get that fish on the line though (we called the captain "Thor").

Finally, I took out my knife, and informed the crew that if they hooked up, I was cutting the line...  None of us wanted to spend a couple hundred dollars so one person could spend several hours fighting that fish...  In the end, the captain got us into plenty of fish, and we had no complaints.

Overall, I believe that fishing guides are better.  They are doing it all year long.  I used to take a couple of guided fly-fishing trips per year, and out of all the guides, there was only one guide that was not a better fisherman (or more knowledgeable) than I was...  Not only have they been able to put us on fish, they knew exactly where to cast and what flies to use...  Most have helped us with technical issues such as casting and mending...

Hunting guides however...  I have seen a good majority of hunting guides who lack skill or basic knowledge...  Many times they have access to desirable property, but I have been disappointed as to the knowledge base of many hunting guides (especially as compared to fishing guides)...  At least with waterfowl and upland hunting.

[Muzzy61]

Never been on a turkey hunt with an outfitter. Have been on bow hunt with outfitter a couple of times. The outfitter also acted as guild. The first time I offered tip and he wouldn't take it. Knowing he loved to Turkey hunt I took him a SS long box personalized as a tip the next year. Not only was he delighted but a couple months latter he called me and invited me to come next spring and hunt with him for a week free of charge. Some time tipping can benefit you as well as the person receiving the tip.