Gratuities for guides

Guided Hunts and Gratuities

Guided Hunts and Gratuities

Around Christmas time five or six years ago, I received a letter from an old client, Tom Heller, from Midland, TX.  His letter was just a paragraph or so but with it was a check for $500.  He thanked me and apologized for not giving me a proper tip.  He said his tip more than likely was $50.  He was correct.  He told me it was one of his first guided big game hunts.  It was August 1985, when I guided Tom, the flatlander, as he called himself, up a steep 1500’ mountain face and on to a knife ridge to get above a group of rams.  We dropped down on the backside of them where Tom harvested the largest of the group, a 36 ½ incher.  He was amazed that he was able to accomplish that feat.  I think it’s funny that after all these years, he felt he hadn’t properly tipped me.  I never gave it a second thought as back then many clients only tipped $50 to $100 dollars.  In the early to mid-80’s, a $250 tip was rare.  Hunt prices back then were $3k to $10k.  Prices now go up to $30K so I assume the tips have followed suit.