Tips for packers

[Gander29]

Curious as to what most agree with as common tip for packers/wranglers taking you up the mountain? Guessing maybe the better tip equals more info on the area? Doing a drop camp hunt this fall, got a decent horse/mule string ride to get to camp.

[easeup]

mr. tommy,
I have done a little and made lots of mistakes too. I am not sure what you are asking. play another card please.

[cnelk]

I believe he is inquiring about how much $$$ to give (tip) a packer to get him into elk country.
I have never hired those type of services but I think it would depend on how much meat was packed out..

[Gander29]

All I'm asking is what is a suitable tip amount for the guys who pack our stuff and actually take us up the mountain to our camp and give an overview of the area. Kind of customary like tipping your guide, just trying to get an idea.

[easeup]

OK...I will throw out some thoughts for you.
I only paid someone to pack out a elk for me once and it was money well spent and have never done the spike camp option with an outfitter, so I may not fit in with others ideas.

However, I think of it as similar to tipping anyone else. If your trip is all day in and out and he does you a good job with the clock and service, I would suggest ~ up to 5-10%. If he got you a one hour ride each way his tip is not that big. Your eyes will let you see how hard a guy is working for you. So put yourself in his shoes. What would you like for your hunter to do for you if you were the packer?

[pointysticks]

if i am going into a new situation, i find no shame in calling ahead and asking what a typical gratuity is. i am 100% on honest answers thusfar. they live on repeat business and word of mouth..they will give you an honest answer. for sure.

[Indian Summer]

I believe he is inquiring about how much $$$ to give (tip) a packer to get him into elk country.
I have never hired those type of services but I think it would depend on how much meat was packed out..

I sure hope that's a joke because from an packer's perspective I wouldn't want my tip depending on the luck & skills of a hunter. Especially an unguided rookie no offense. Struck a nerve there. This ain't waitressing & most packers don't make a whole lot of money.

Time in the saddle isn't that big of a deal either. It takes the same amount of work starting at 4 am no matter how many hours are spent riding a trail. Now if it was over 4 hours one way I'd be showing the guy some appreciation because he's looking at a 12 hour day minimum and starving before he gets back. If it's a preset camp he's likely worked for you before you got there and will again after you leave.

I don't know the cost of services for you so I can't suggest a % but I'd say $100 minimum from each hunter, for minimal effort, for each packer and there's usually 2. If there's 1 give him the $200. But that should surely include being on time, knowing their job thoroughly, getting your gear there in 1 piece, giving you as many tips on the area as possible, being pleasant and treating you with respect. If you land an elk in a hell hole and he has to go above and beyond the call of duty add $100 or so depending on the situation.

I'll say this too... if he's late, smells like alcohol, and/or doesn't do or say anything more than he has to... I wouldn't give him a dime. Even though it isn't waitressing it's still the customer service business and you're supposed to enjoy the ride in & out with him.

It's not always easy to find an outfitter that will just pack for you in the area you want to hunt. If you can it's a great way to insure a really good hunt and save alot of energy for the real hunting. I'm an outfitter and a packer and I'm paying another outfitter to pack for me in Wyoming this year. I'll probably do half the work and tip him just the same.

Good luck Gander! What state?

[Lefty]

My daughter wanted to wrangle,. they get paid worse than deck hands
We use to do a lot of trail rides and I spoke with a lot of the wranglers.Non premium ( outside of a National park)1/2 rides they expect / hope $20 a family or small group $50 if there is food
The wranglers that pack in ( full day) that I know hope for $100 per trip in and out 2 trips $200 that includes camp set up and fire wood that tip guys not the fee.

Most of these people love doing what they are doing and are paid little. My daughters first job offer was $40. a day and they took housing and food from that
Less than420,00 per day,.. As part of that day include feeding and health check, saddling and gettingthe horse to the trailhead or riders
often a 12-16 hour day living on being tipped twice a day

My daughter sold a horse to an outfitter. His comment about his wranglers "I dont pay them they earn their tips" "My horses my gear" One of his youngest warnglers said he was paid a lot of money"

Ask and find out wha tis right. From the outfit

[Lefty]

~ up to 5-10%. ?

Yikes are you the guy leaving a quarter with the waitress when she has been hauling coffee all morning to your table!!!

if i am going into a new situation, i find no shame in calling ahead and asking what a typical gratuity is. i am 100% on honest answers thusfar. they live on repeat business and word of mouth..they will give you an honest answer. for sure.

right on!!! some are already paid well some arent paid worth a darn

My daughter and I took a ride on her 1th birthday , i knew the young wrangler,.. $5.00 a day. Had to be there at 6:00 Picked up when everyone left for the evening chuck wagon4:30 Thats 11 years ago,.. but not much has changed mmoney wise

[Gander29]

Guess it remains to be seen as to their work. Granted on how they handle our equipment/guns and offer knowledge of the area. Called some references from the outfitter and others. Generally good reports for this outfitter and his people. Some other outfitters and references for them, didn't get as good of reports, unless you were going fully guided and paying more $$$. Not going to base the tip on my success, since we're on our own for 5 days, do believe in tipping anybody that works for or helps us out. Especially if they're offering alot of info on the area, marking places on the map or giving gps coordinates to key places or areas.

[caperoll/Scott]

It's been a few years but my hunting partner and I used a guide for drop camps, we did this three years in a row. The guide was really good to work with full of hints on elk movements and locations, water and wallows. He even gave us the location of one of the natural salt licks. He was charging us $1,200.00 for seven days on a drop camp that was fully equiped and one year we even had a cook. We took at least one elk out on each hunt. I cant speak for my partner but I tipped the guide $300.00

[pointysticks]

my best (hunting) friend worked at a pack station. the work was brutal. he rented horses from his boss and ran us in to hunt deer. my buddy Justin was amazing. he showed me how to load the animals, showed me a bunch of cool knots (i've forgotten them)..and all sorts of tricks. i took the opportunity to learn something new. he said he barely got paid, and really relied on the tips. he did well.

he would accept tips from us friends, so the most of us worked as hard as we could.

i would call the pack station. those cowboys have a difficult job.

tip: hunting boots in stirrups are a disaster. pack a pair of ropers.

[pointysticks]

Gander..it goes without sayin..HAVE A GREAT TIME!!

(i dont like horses that much )

[cnelk]

Indian Summer
I think your nerve misunderstood me...

Believe me, I've done my share of packing...
I know EXACTLY how much work it is.

It doesn't matter if your packing gear or meat, it still packing.

I wasn't really joking because it is EXTRA work if you have game to pack PLUS gear.
Why would you tip someone the same for just gear?

[Indian Summer]

Cnelk... wow.. I guess they all look pretty similar but that gated road with the yellow grass sure looks familiar. I can almost smell the elk just looking at it.... or is that you that smells like that? An entire unboned bull head and all on 1 horse... man that's a full load!!!

You're right, I completely misunderstood you. Since you've been there you know what I mean. Hunters who go by the elk=tip method which also means no elk no tip. That's like not tipping your waitress because you dropped your burger on the floor right. I've even had the odd few who passed on an animal... or missed and still went with no elk no tip or one so small like $25 where the guide later says man I wish I could afford to just give it back and say no thanks. I won't even rebook a guy like that. Elk Gods just don't like those guys anyway. lol

It sure is disheartening to any guide young or old when they hear the line "I'll mail your boss a tip to give you"... and we all look at each other knowing that hell will sooner freeze over. It's disheartening as an outfitter too because you know that it's hard to keep mature experienced intelligent personable employees year after year at a seasonal job if they can't make ends meet. Many a good guide has traded his backpack for a tool belt. Really really makes me sad to think about it.

My brochure and website both talk about tipping straight up though I don't name dollar amounts because people all come from different worlds and I don't think that's quite right all the time. If an 89 year old guy hands you a $100 bill with a firm handshake & a big grin it's not very good but you have to realize he thinks it's $1000, or a million! It's the thought that counts alot of the time. I included the paragraph about tipping for a couple reasons. One is so I don't have to hear the "I'm so sorry I had no idea" line which comes right before "The check's in the mail". The other is so that my guides know that I go to bat for them and even put it in print. No matter what you do for a living you won't be the best you can if you don't feel appreciated. My guides are my friends and I know what they do... because I do it with them. Quick story:

I had a client once who came on the gun opener. It was in the mid 60s out. From a rock with a grand view he said to me "You have the greatest job in the world just to be able to call this your office" Three days later it was a high of 5 with wind like razor blades just howling down an open slope we were making our way up. He looked at me, cupped one hand over the windward side of his his mouth and yelled over the wind "Your office sucks and I wouldn't take your job for all the money in the world" Of course he said it with a frosty grin and off we went. Nice guy. Like several above have said... Good Lord not many really have a clue what guides and packers go through. A labor of love no doubt.

I've seen insane tips. I don't run the King Ranch or anything. Blue collar hunting. Blue collar hunt costs & tips. This guy from California who barely hunted and didn't kill anything handed a $3000 custom rifle to the cook (a 60 year old woman) and $1000 to the guide. We all wondered why it wasn't the oother way around... guide gets the gun and her the money. Crazy. But I don't have many stories like that. When people save for the hunt of a lifetime they expect results. Everyone has a spot picked out on the wall or fireplace for their (hopefully 6 point) bull. All the effort in the world won't make up for an unpunched tag for some guys and so unfortunately I have plenty of sad stories too. A pretty touchy subject with me as you can see. And that sir... is why I jumped the gun. I apologize for that. I owe you a beer. Where's your local hangout?

I will say that for the most part hunters are great people. Hard working and appreciative and up there for all the right reasons. Otherwise there wouldn't be many good guides. It's so nice of you to ask Gander. If a guy looks at a tip as a part of his hunt cost and plans for it he's no doubt a good dude on the right track. Elk God's like those guys. Best of luck to you this fall.

[easeup]

~ up to 5-10%. ?

Yikes are you the guy leaving a quarter with the waitress when she has been hauling coffee all morning to your table!!!

your math is weak.
10% of a $2000 drop camp is $200 which is what I had in mind. that should make more sense.

[Bartfrncs]

I go on several guided hunts a year let me tell you this If you cant afford the tips you cant afford the hunt. This is not said to ruffle anyones feathers just the facts. You got to figure these guides and packers work like a raped ape for four months give or take. One of the first things I ask before booking a hunt is ,What do you pay your guides ? If its not over 150 bucks a day I dont book. The reason for this is You get up well before dawn they are already up saddling feeding ad infinitum. These folks work really hard. I start at 10% and look for extra service for more. That being said I have had bad guiding experiances. Last year I went on a bear hunt in Canada Last Spring broke my $150 rule and paid for it in misery. On the other hand dont let anyone tell you what to tip affter all it is for service.