I’m referring to the guys who have access to multiple ranches . How do they make money ? I’m assuming the LO dictates prices for game kills. I’m sincerely interested to learn more about this.

It’s a secret

More specifically , I have never hunted at a guided ranch but I plan to this season. I want to make sure I understand. If the listed price is $2500 + $200/day guide fee is a 20% tip also considered customary ?

Typically an outfitter has agreement with the landowner for each animal killed. Either the landowner sets a price and the outfitter gets anything above that or the outfitter charges a fee for a hunt and the landowner gets X percentage of the total price.

Ive never been on a guided hunt but I think "normally" the fee is known up front and the guide fee is included in that price. If the guide fee was stated up front separately from the hunting fee then thats probably cause they offer guided or nonguided hunts. Tipping would normally be expected. I really dont know so maybe I should shut up.

NO 1 thing, GET reference's

You tip what YOU feel is appropriate based on YOUR EXPERIENCE and YOUR GUIDES EFFORT put forth in getting you on an animal. Industry standard is roughly 10% however every single person on here will give you varying answers on how much if any at all. I start at 10% and it goes up or down based on the above. I have refused to tip and I have given way more than the 10%. Totally up to the individual.

For the guide itself ( not the outfitter ) is usually about 10% of the cost of the hunt. Back when I guided we would normally expect around $100-$150 a day per day hunted. Used my truck ( nice warm cozy crew cab ford, not some ranch POS) my corn, would tailgate feed the heck outta the area and I would not let them shoot mediocre animals unless they insisted upon it. Also would entertain them after the hunt, hang out, party and take them around towns during mid day and educate them with local history.

Strictly depends on what type of hunting you are doing too. I’ve been on some “ guided hunts” where a dude sat with me in a blind, per ranch rules and I knew 10’x’s the amount about hunting as this guy did. Also been on some duck hunts were the guide worked his arse off and we tipped very well even though they are not expensive hunts.

We tipped our PH’s and trackers in Africa very well and they deserved every cent of it. Been on some other trips where they should have paid me for even being there

+1
You will know if the guide busts their [censored] for you. If they do, tip them well

Customary to tip guides and cooks, not the outfitter or landowner, they're already making money from the sale of the hunt.

Every situation is different. I guided hunts for a few years on several large ranches, but my agreement was my work in exchange for X number of cull deer and does. I never took a dime from the boss man. Hell I even bought groceries out of my pocket many times and cooked for our clients, some of them were the biggest cry babies you've ever seen. Several nights I spent all night trailing a gut shot deer while everyone was sleeping, got back in time to make breakfast for them, and then take everyone back out. Sharpen my knives and get ready for more animals, or more blood trailing after guys shooting big caliber guns that couldn't hit [censored]. I only got cash if one of the hunters gave it to me. I'd report that up the chain of command just to stay clear on business dealings.

The only money I made was tips.

Your tip should be based on the service your receive from the outfit.
If your guide does his job and you have a good time, tip accordingly. If they don't do their job or if they are rude or what not, tip accordingly.

For the price hunt you are referring to here the tip I'd get would usually range from $300-$500.
Sometimes higher when we had a lot of culls to shoot and I'd have my hunter start really knocking stuff down after we'd tagged his targeted animal.

The ranches I guided on typically paid $125-$200/day plus tips. But, on a couple I helped out more than with just the hunting and filled feeders, fixed fence, shredded, plowed, planted, graded roads etc.

Of all the hunters I had (which was a bunch over a period of several years) I could count the ones who were a crybaby or a royal PITA on 1 hand. Most, were excellent hunters and simply did not have the time to put into a lease of their own and wanted to have a good hunt for 3-5 days seeing lots of deer and taking a nice one if possible. Hell, some of them had enough money to buy a ranch but just didn't have the time to put into one.

I would do everything possible to make sure the hunter had a great time and enjoyed themselves as much as possible and most did and couldn't wait to book another hunt for the next season and even a couple that came back later the same season for another round.

For the ones that were a royal PITA, they likely ended up not going home with the best animal they could have! lol

For those of you who don’t like tipping, I’m no professional outfitter but I’m selling a few hunts in the outfitter forum to help my dad pay his taxes. Not only do I not expect a tip, I will not accept one (unless in the form of a 6-pack).

On our ranches we hunt the guides expenses are covered by the ranch or 'outfitter'. My guides/cook are top notch and bust their tails for the guests both in game knowledge and ranch histories. Usually the clients tip a minimum of $100/day per guide (cook $50/day) and more when a giant hits the ground and one of the guides has done something above and beyond normal which seems to be pretty regular with our group.

I know it varies with different companies however our guides keep coming back year after year.....

What if the landowner is the outfitter and the guide isn't there so the landowner does the guiding?

I dont like it when the outfitter says $300 per day "guide fee".

This should be included in the cost of the TOTAL hunt as their earnings

Then I can tip accordingly.

"guide fee" makes me feel like the tips covered.

I agree that part is confusing

No, you should always take it as not included in the guide fee. That way you can tip accordingly depending on how well the guide did their job.