Guide
How to tip your hunting guide
What's standard, when to tip, who else to tip in camp, and how to handle a bad hunt or no harvest.
The short answer
Standard tip on a fully guided hunt is 10-15% of the base hunt price. On a $7,000 hunt, that's $700-$1,050. Drop camps and DIY hunts: $50-$200 per hunter to the camp manager and packers.
Who gets tipped
Your primary guide gets the lion's share. If there's a separate cook or camp manager, $50-$150 to each is standard. If wranglers handled the horses, $50-$100 is appreciated. Hand the tips out individually rather than dropping a lump sum on the outfitter — guides remember who actually thanked them.
When to tip
End of the hunt, in cash, in person. Don't wait until you get home. Don't add it to the booking deposit. Cash means it's untaxed at the table — guides rely on tips, and giving them digital tips creates paperwork they don't want.
Tipping a bad hunt
If your guide hunted hard, scouted for you, made smart calls, and the bulls just didn't cooperate — tip the same as if you'd killed. The variable is effort, not outcome. Honest guides with effort and integrity deserve the standard tip on the worst weeks.
If your guide phoned it in, slept in the truck, or treated you poorly — tip below standard or not at all, and tell the outfitter why. They want to know.
How to bring cash
Hit your bank before you fly out. Bring it in $20s and $50s — easier to split between guides, packers, cooks, and wranglers. Stash it in your duffel or your truck, not your daypack where you might lose it.