How much do you tip guides or landowners?

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Rembrandt

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Curious as to how much do people tip their hunting guides, landowners, ranchers, etc?

Have heard of African hunters leaving binos, scopes, and even rifles as a thank you for a good hunt. Here in the States money or offering farm/ranch labor in exchange happens.

What have you offered to someone in appreciation of a good hunt?
 
If someone allows me to hunt their land for a season, it usually some meat or a ham and a bottle of booze around Christmas.
 
It really depends on a lot of factors. For landowners- I've given a $100 bill, or some packaged meat and homemade sausage, gift certificates so they could take the familly to a nice steakhouse, delivered and installed a new gate once, etc... I feel they deserve something, even if they first refuse it.
For guides/outfitters- a tip depends on the level of service. above and beyond what is expected? I can be pretty generous. less than that and I don't feel obligated. I've had experiences hunting and fishing in many states that run the gamut of outstanding to horrible.
 
The guide? well your probably already payinga fee so a tip of 50 or so a successfull kill and field dress.

just a landowner who lets you access his property ?

some processed meat and a nice thank you note and bottle of his favorite at christmas time as mentioned before so he will remember you next season.
 
same thing you'd do if anyone lets you borrow a piece of equipment.... treat it better than if it were yours, be sure it's clean and full of gas when you return it.

Offering a small sum of $$$ is insulting to me. I did you a favor, pal... you owe me a favor. I'm not an equipment supply or a guide service.

Just stop by sometime during the off season and see if you can mow their yard, take your boys with you....there's no better lesson for youngens to learn than the value of hospitality and returning favors.
 
Probably the most I've tipped a rancher was $100, guides around $50. Never figured out a way to do a percentage like you would for a meal. Hard to know sometimes if you are insulting or being too generous.
 
same thing you'd do if anyone lets you borrow a piece of equipment.... treat it better than if it were yours, be sure it's clean and full of gas when you return it.

Offering a small sum of $$$ is insulting to me. I did you a favor, pal... you owe me a favor. I'm not an equipment supply or a guide service.

Just stop by sometime during the off season and see if you can mow their yard, take your boys with you....there's no better lesson for youngens to learn than the value of hospitality and returning favors.

Good rule to live by.
 
I shoot rabbits, Jack rabbits on desert farms (alfalfa, hay, lettuce) the owners are more than happy to let me take care of delicious pests. The only thing they've ever asked is that I take care of any coyotes I see, and take any animal remains off site. I have no problem doing that, (especially since no-one should eat rabbit guts on their lettuce)

If you are hunting something non-pest-like then offer a land owner a portion of the animal you get. I hunted on a friend's land in Utah and offered him the best meet from the deer as a thank you, he thanked me and only accepted it if we joined him for dinner (where his wife cooked it) I'm willing to share up to 50% of my kill for the opportunity to hunt on good land.

Tipping a guide, well that depends on what the trip was like. I personally would tip a guide very well if I had a good time and he did his job well.
 
Retired gent who owns some land I hunt and fish on:

A couple of high end rib-eye steaks from a gourmet place in town, 2 potatoes already cleaned and wrapped in tinfoil, and a six pack of beer.
 
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Should have added that if I hunt private land I ask the owner what he wants in return for permission to use his property. If he wants money or meat or help with chores, etc. I try to find out first and then give him more than he asked. If he wants a portion of the kill, he gets the best, if he wants money I'd throw in a tip (yet to have someone ask for money) If he wants chores I do extra. I had one guy ask for some electrical engineering work in exchange to hunt on his land. Too bad I didn't even see an animal once the season opened up. But he still got a good set of plans.
 
I've always "paid" in the manner of: helping/offering to help landowners when they need help (I used to hay, feed, brand/drive cattle/pull calves, and repair equipment in exchange for land access when I lived in Montana); sharing processed fish & game if they enjoy such (Columbia River salmon are always a well-received "thank you"); and for the past several years, thinning coyotes for those who have had problems losing pets, working dogs, & livestock has opened a lot of gates for me out here. Inviting landowners/kids along on a goose or coyote hunt has established some great access opportunities, also. Bottom line: I try to "show" them how much I appreciate the opportunity as opposed to merely "telling" them. Haven't ever used a guide, so don't know how to answer that part.
 
I too believe it is a faux pas to change money among gentlemen when not mutually agreed upon prior to hunt, I would be insulted if a friend of mine offered me money for my services as a friend.

I'm with the meat and the bottle crowd.

Now tipping a guide in a foreign country would be different, that would depend entirely on the situation and the results of the hunt. A Canadian or Alaskan guide that took four grand from me to shoot a bear would be unlikely to get any tip after the hunt. I suspect the western people could possibly get offended by any tip I could offer so perhaps it is best not to attempt.
 
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