I'll make just a quick observation here from the perspective of a hunter with very little experience in these matters. I have just returned from my first African hunt, which was also only the second guided hunt of any sort that I have ever undertaken. In both cases, the first being a Quebec hunt for caribou, I went into the deal with a fairly firm idea of what I considered a fair tip for excellent service, and I fully intended to downgrade the amount if I felt that the service was substandard. Both in Quebec and more recently in Namibia/Botswana (a two-part hunt with two totally unrelated outfitters, so maybe I've had actually three guided experiences), by the end of the hunt I was so impressed with the service, friendliness, and generally high quality of the experience that I wound up overshooting my pre-planned tip amount considerably. I also intend to do with the African PH's what I did with the Quebec guide, i.e. send them a package of items that I believe they will enjoy and find useful, based upon our conversations in the field.

I have to say that it felt good to let these guys know that their hard work and expertise were appreciated. I will still have no problem in future letting dissatisfaction be reflected in a small tip, but I hope that all future trips will be as rewarding (for both me and the guide/PH) as these have been.

John