Tipping Guide

[Ridge Runner]

I reckon you handled it well; in my case, I knew tips were to be added on at "settlement" time through the Outfitter who distributed them on. I, his "staff"and he, to the best of my knowledge were happy with that. As said earlier,I had taken several quality knives with me; none of them came home. (I even bought a couple of decent butchering/ skinning knives which were left behind as well.)

I asked Ed of EAI Outdoors about tipping and other items he somewhat negated to tell me when I originally booked my 2017 hunt in 2016.

After finding this site and reading various threads I contacted Ed and we went through every question I had.
Tips and tipping, amounts, when and how, and other items ie knives, and alike. To say the least, I found out better info from other clients at the lodge as my PH was very reluctant to discuss such things even the last night during our settling up of other animals and such. But we did work through it all, as per my earlier posts.

 

[Mort Hill]

As soon as I got the email about the old dollars I sent a query back to them to confirm old dollars and the reason for it and posted my question here immediately after. Apparently, I misunderstood - just got an email back that they want the new dollars.

The reason for post 2006 bills is that apparently there is a very lucrative trade in counterfeiting US greenbacks in Africa. I was told that the pre-2006 did not have enough of the current protections designed in the bills. Because the majority of safeguards made, especially to $100 bills were in 2006, there are a boat load of bad notes still in circulation, so nobody is willing to take a chance on accepting the fake bills.

 

[geoff rath]

Clever; only a Lady would think of that ....

 

[Countrylife]

The reason for post 2006 bills is that apparently there is a very lucrative trade in counterfeiting US greenbacks in Africa. I was told that the pre-2006 did not have enough of the current protections designed in the bills. Because the majority of safeguards made, especially to $100 bills were in 2006, there are a boat load of bad notes still in circulation, so nobody is willing to take a chance on accepting the fake bills.

I was aware of this and that is why I was surprised. Here's an extract of the email I received.

All tips will be in US$, the notes must be older than 2006 please.

Later emails clarified that what was meant was newer (as in more recent date) instead of "older".

 

[Mort Hill]

Glad you got this staight. I went to Zambia many years ago with a butt load of travelers checks. I might as well had monopoly money. Nobody wanted to take or cash, and only survived by buddying up to the night clerk at our hotel who would cash a couple of hundred dollars at a time just to keep me with some cash. Good thing you are getting your ducks in a row early. Will save on the stress later. Hope you have an excellent trip!

 

[1dirthawker]

tipping,

as a guide here in alaska, i have had many clients that tip and one that did not: tipping is not money i count on. but, that said, it does give me feed back as to the experience the client felt he had and the clients way of saying thank you.

when a client goes to africa, he gets a team that washes clothes, cooks, track, skin, etc. when he hunts with me....he gets one overworked guide!

it try to tell my clients, enjoy the whole experience, the whales, bad weather, catching a halibut, watching the sows with cubs fishing, etc. not just what you happen to shoot.

i can tell you all, typically, my crew wants our clients to get their game more than the client. we are willing to work harder, hunt longer and do what ever we can to help the client have success.

most respond well, occasionally .......they don't .

 

[gordon kings langley]

Tipping is down to your DISCRETION
Nothing is written in stone
Just remember the more you give the more they expect

 

[geoff rath]

1dirthawker; thanks a HEAP for that; while I will be very lucky to hunt Alaska (or Africa or elsewhere for that matter) I really appreciate your input; you've summed it up perfectly. I, and a good mate both have a dream of Brown/Grizzly, along with a fish or three, as well as just seeing the magnificence of Alaska; never know, we might just have a big lotto win.
We'd have give you a call then ...

 

[Spooksar]

Tipping is down to your DISCRETION
Nothing is written in stone
Just remember the more you give the more they expect

Yes if a few people over tip then it becomes the new expected tip, restaurants in Canada went fromb 5% to 10% and now then expect 25% for really bad service

 

[saed]

Great info Jerome. I get that question all the time. I'll just forward the link to this article in the future.
Craig

 

[Michael Dean]

All of the comments and feedback regarding what you consider to be proper tipping and what you've experienced is greatly appreciated; it provides first timers a valuable insight as to what is proper. That being said, those venturing out on a hunt have to remember that the tipping amounts others utilized are nothing more than a suggestion or guide. Every hunt is different and what's appropriate on one particular hunt may have no bearing as to how you tip.

The individual who wounds a couple of animals and is fortunate enough to have an excellent tracker to find them will be motivated to be far more generous towards his tracker who saved him a considerable sum of money he would have been charged for lost animals. The same can be said for a skiner who capes 10-12 animals as opposed to 3-4. In summation, every trip is unique and tips should reflect it.

 

[Hallgeir Gravråk]

This is useful, thanks a lot, We in Norway have no culture tipping, and it`s always dificult to find the right amount of tipping.

 

[Countrylife]

I've followed this post with a lot of interest since I was planning my first trip to Africa. Now, everyone is different and everyone has a different situation that affects what they do. So, here's my situation. I left the US 6 weeks prior to my hunt in Africa (that creates a whole different set of problems) and didn't really want to carry enough cash thru lots of foreign countries and hotels to cover the tips. It is possible to withdraw cash from ATMs and then take it to an exchange and get USD. I booked the hunt thru an agent. I was expecting average service so I took what I considered an average tip and a little more with me. It was not a good plan.

The agent and outfitter were not on the same page. When we got near the end of the hunt I asked about adding an animal. The outfitter wanted payment in cash at the end of the hunt, the agent had told me 2 weeks after returning to the US. I'd received service beyond what I expected from the staff, PH, outfitter, just everyone. So I was $150 short of cash for the animal without using some of the tip money. Now I had a choice to take $150 from the tip and apply it to the animal or not take the extra animal and give the full tip to the PH. I chose to pass on the extra animal. But still, everyone probably deserved every penny I gave them and more.

My advice:
#1) If you use an agent get the agent and the PH and outfitter and anyone else involved to sign the same contract so everyone knows what is to be provided, when and how.
#2) Take more cash than you think you will need.
#3) Check if the PH really wants the tip in USD. When I asked mine (near the end of the hunt), he said it's normally in USD but doesn't matter to him. If I'd known that earlier, I could have waited until I got to Namibia and pulled the cash there and not had 2 currency conversions (~8% on one trip I took earlier) and not had to carry lots of cash for many weeks.

 

[IA diver]

If the outfitter is also the PH how does this or does it change things? As the outfitter/owner/PH they are receiving full payment for the safari and trophy fees. Do they also require a tip too? Obviously camp staff and tracker/skinners etc. should for good service.

 

[Countrylife]

Keep in mind I've only been on one hunt in Africa. The owner was the outfitter and driver. The PH was separate, the tracker worked for the PH. All other staff worked for the outfitter. The way I looked at it was the PH (regardless if the owner) and the camp staff (including the tracker even though he technically was not camp staff, but an employee of the tracker) got a tip. The other probem I ran into is that I never met at least half of the staff so I have no idea what their contribution was. There was a request earlier that all the tips be given to the pH, and after seeing how convoluted everything was, I thought that to be a good idea.

 

[geoff rath]

I caught myself out in a similar manner. Took a debit card hoping to either use that with the outfitter/PH, or else draw on it at an associated bank. Finally sorted it out, but embarrasing for both myself and the outfitter/PH. We're still good mates. DEFINITELY take cash(US$), and more than you think you need.

 

[jeff]

Countrylife, that is good advice to make sure the agent and outfitter are on the same page. Many people swear by a booking agent and some swear at them!

 

[Dinsdale]

If the outfitter is also the PH how does this or does it change things? As the outfitter/owner/PH they are receiving full payment for the safari and trophy fees. Do they also require a tip too? Obviously camp staff and tracker/skinners etc. should for good service.

1st....almost 100K views on this topic and I think this gets overblown especially by the non tipping culture folks. I know one set of non-tipping Scandinavians that return several times with one well qualified Zim operator and they get exactly the same service as a US hunter that tips would. I have never known that not to be the case, and I have asked.

2nd I get some tips, so I think I just look at it like the shoe is on the other foot and I'm very comfortable with the tipping process. Makes me feel good to let guys I hired know they did a good job, but I don't fret over amounts. I'm pretty sure everyone would take my money again if I wanted to book something.


To answer your question I hire the outfitter to run the hunt and organize; thats where he makes his profit for his business.

If he also acts as PH, then I'll tip them accordingly because I would tip any guide that worked hard for me; the tip is for the guide work. Personally I don't care if he owns the company or not. But thats me, if you don't think he needs a tip, don't. Like you have said they have made their money and I don't think anyone i have met would feel any different about that.

4 of 9 African PH's have been the company owner........I've had one give me half back, One give me all of it back, and 2 thank me and keep it all....I had a great time with all of them and I've been very lucky to always take my main quarry.

I'm comfortable carrying cash, maybe more than some of the replies I read here, and have never had a hint of issues and I travel alone exclusively and spend extra time before and after hunts travelling. So I never run short and always take extra quota, I can't remember a hunt where I haven't shot more than I set out too, thats what makes it so much fun.

 

[meigsbucks]

A lot of good tips on tipping. For my first safari, a 14 day buffalo and plains game hunt in Zimbabwe (2013), I attended a tipping seminar at the SCI Convention. It reduced the muddy waters by about 10%. However, it did reinforce what I had already read about HOW the tip should be distributed.
My wife went with me as an observer. She spent most mornings in camp, reading, listening to music and photographing the animals crossing and playing in the sand river and at the small waterhole. The camp staff treated her well. In the afternoons she'd go with us as the PH would say: "Madam needs to go for a drive." She'd take pictures. Overall, she had a great time. The camp staff consisted of the PH, two trackers (of which one was also the driver), the skinner, assistant skinner, game scout, housekeeper, groundskeeper, two cooks and a waiter. I took a buffalo and ten head of plains game.
I asked the PH about tip amounts. He explained the pecking order among staff. His suggestions were a little higher than I had planned, but close. His suggestions were: trackers $500 each, skinner $450, assistant skinner $300, game scout $250, housekeeper $300, groundskeeper $300, cooks $350 each and the waiter $350. But that these were HIS guidelines.
The safari met or exceeded my expectations, except for the food which even the PH said should have been better. I kept with my original plan of $100-$150 per day for the PH ($2000). The trackers were fantastic and truly busted their butts. From what I saw, they did so much. Our game scout should have been a tracker as well. The butler was fantastic. Although I had minimal contact with the rest of the staff, they did a great job. I gave everyone more than the suggested amounts except for the cooks. In retrospect, I probably tipped a little heavy but seeing the poverty of Zimbabwe, a few hundred bucks extra was money well spent.
In a few weeks I leave for Namibia for a plains game hunt. Based on this forum and what I've since read and heard, I think just go with your gut and reward those who do good work.

 

[Red Leg]

A lot of good tips on tipping. For my first safari, a 14 day buffalo and plains game hunt in Zimbabwe (2013), I attended a tipping seminar at the SCI Convention. It reduced the muddy waters by about 10%. However, it did reinforce what I had already read about HOW the tip should be distributed.
My wife went with me as an observer. She spent most mornings in camp, reading, listening to music and photographing the animals crossing and playing in the sand river and at the small waterhole. The camp staff treated her well. In the afternoons she'd go with us as the PH would say: "Madam needs to go for a drive." She'd take pictures. Overall, she had a great time. The camp staff consisted of the PH, two trackers (of which one was also the driver), the skinner, assistant skinner, game scout, housekeeper, groundskeeper, two cooks and a waiter. I took a buffalo and ten head of plains game.
I asked the PH about tip amounts. He explained the pecking order among staff. His suggestions were a little higher than I had planned, but close. His suggestions were: trackers $500 each, skinner $450, assistant skinner $300, game scout $250, housekeeper $300, groundskeeper $300, cooks $350 each and the waiter $350. But that these were HIS guidelines.
The safari met or exceeded my expectations, except for the food which even the PH said should have been better. I kept with my original plan of $100-$150 per day for the PH ($2000). The trackers were fantastic and truly busted their butts. From what I saw, they did so much. Our game scout should have been a tracker as well. The butler was fantastic. Although I had minimal contact with the rest of the staff, they did a great job. I gave everyone more than the suggested amounts except for the cooks. In retrospect, I probably tipped a little heavy but seeing the poverty of Zimbabwe, a few hundred bucks extra was money well spent.
In a few weeks I leave for Namibia for a plains game hunt. Based on this forum and what I've since read and heard, I think just go with your gut and reward those who do good work.

To add to the confusion - everyone does it a little different. Most operations with whom I have hunted prefer a single staff tip which is distributed according to job importance, quality of service etc. I have always been asked to participate in and approve of the division. This method insures that the ladies washing and ironing, the kid feeding the fire to the hot-water tank etc are all taken care of. Often this is paid in the form of a chit to be redeemed at the end of the season. (Keeps key help from wandering off after a successful hunt.) I will note your staff tip for a two-week hunt is about the largest I have ever encountered.

Your daily calculation for a PH is what I typically do. During my recent 14-day Buffalo/PG hunt in Mozambique, my PH thoroughly earned a $2K tip.