With gas and groceries I have yet to make any profit. Fact of the matter is 9 times out of 10 I'm usually in the red. What makes it worthwhile is the landowner lets me a harvest a good deer as a trade off. By no means a pissed rant but I do know what most guides make and it ain't much.

I think your getting a bit carried away with who receives tips and who shouldn't. I don't tip nurses. Customary to tip waitresses, barbers etc. I believe most intelligent people can figure who needs tips. To categorize you painting cars and nursing would be like a cop taking tips for his service, which is not required.

I had a group of hunters off another forum hunt with me several yrs ago. The total tip I took in for 2 1/2 days was 130.00. No complaint but here is the break down. 30 was from the hat being passed around. One individual felt bad for us I guess. He gave me a hundred. Before one jumps on the band wagon of "maybe you didn't get off your arse". I took the group out for spot and stalk, blind hunting. When done and they shot seven javalinas. I gutted, caped and quartered, most of the javelina. Oh less not forget I cooked that weekend. Some of you have been in our camp, and know I double as guide and cook the majority of times. By the way I did have one other guide helping me, but it was balls to the walls.

With gas and groceries I have yet to make any profit. Fact of the matter is 9 times out of 10 I'm usually in the red. What makes it worthwhile is the landowner lets me a harvest a good deer as a trade off. By no means a pissed rant but I do know what most guides make and it ain't much.

7mag makes a good point. You have to remember that most guides aren't the land owner and aren't being paid for their services, rather compensated with free hunting. This is a pretty common arrangement. You tip waitresses because they make $2.13 an hour... most guides make $0 an hour. I tip just like I would at a restaurant, I'll let you know exactly what I think of your service with the amount I put in your hand. I've tipped $0 for a terrible hunt I went on and I tipped a grand for a hunt I went on that cost $600 because the guide knew the land and the deer and put me on a 14 point the first morning I hunted.

So we know you don't do it for the money but when we leave a tip it sure makes you feel appreciated doesn't it?

I have asked the owner about charging for quartering/skinning/gutting. He doesn't like the idea and prefers the hunters would just tip. Most are not paying high dollar so maybe they feel no tip is needed. Some if not most places charge 25-50 per animal for the service.

I have been on both sides as a guide and a hunter. As a guide we have people that come back year after year. We remember the ones that tip and the ones that dont. I do not guide for the money but the time scouting prior to the hunt, gas, wear and tear on my vehicle etc. It is nice to feel like your appreciated for what you do to give them a good hunt. I seem to get around 100 - 200 per hunt on whitetails on a 3.5 day hunt.