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I'm an Aussie and as noted I do not come from a tipping culture. We do not know how. On both my previous Safari's to South Africa I clearly stated early in negotiations to both my P/H's that I do not tip and do not know how. It is a poor operator who has to rely on tips for a living.

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Be that and your opinion regarding the 'operator' as they may be - in your opinion, of course, tophet1.

Normal 'pay' for a guide in this part of the country is $100.00 per day. That does not cover the work involved and delivered in my opinion. Our day starts at 04:00 with lighting fires in the hunter's tents so the hunters have a warm tent to get up in and get dressed for the day and our day doesn't stop until 22:00 to 23:00 - every night working on skinning out moose heads, bear heads and feet - as well as normal chores around camp - hauling firewood and splitting it & helping the cook and also packing out moose meat from kill to camp.

'Normal' tips (those who tip) run in the $400.00 range, while some hunters are more generous. Some don't tip. Saying you don't know how - is ridiculous - in my opinion.

We don't guide for a living - we do it because we like to hunt. Here, the man who relies on his guiding to put food on the table is a starving man - we hunt/guide during spring for bears and falls for moose and bear mostly.
Guides have to have regular 12 month a year incomes/jobs and most like to make a bit more by taking vacation during the hunting seasons - or, we're retired on pension and want to make some extra play money in the spring and/or fall doing what we love - stalking bears or calling in a bull moose inside 50 yards so the hunter might hit it in the 2 1/2' diameter kill zone - sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. $100.00 a day doesn't cut it for the work involved, so we work hard, which is ethical and hope for a tip, which is also ethical. Sometimes we're disapointed - oh well.

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Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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