Tipping a Gamekeeper - The Debate!

One of the more nerve racking times of the days can be that fluster for the all important gamekeeper tip to show your appreciation of your days shooting.

How much do you tip? Will he find the money tucked into my sweaty palm? Have I put the money in the wrong sweaty palm? What happens if it drops out of my sweaty palm?!

Sweaty palms aside, there also seems to be a concern as to how to calculate how much you should tip. Should tipping be based on how enjoyable your day was, which could be based on factors the Gamekeeper can’t control like your position on the line or the weather, or should there be a standard basic amount, which you can then add to based on your perceived enjoyment?

How to calculate your tip

In 2012, we surveyed Members of GunsOnPegs and with 1,500 respondents, we now have a definitive formula to use if you are ever unsure... 

If you are to calculate your tip on a base rate, then the general consensus is £10 per 50 birds for pheasant and partridge, or £40 per 25 brace of grouse.

For a 200 bird pheasant/partridge day you would tip £40. It’s easy to work out and removes all issues from tipping, although you just have to hope that the final bag ends in a 50 or a zero!

It doesn't stop there

However, if you feel that the day has been made all the more fantastic by the helpful Keeper, hard working beaters and overall professionalism of the day, then it is entirely at your discretion to slip the Keeper an added bonus. This of course works both ways and if you feel the enjoyment of your day has been affected by the actions of the Keeper, then you must decide whether a reduced tip, or no tip, is a fair judgement on the day.

Having said this, if you are still unsure as to what to offer, then a quiet word to the host of the day will stand you in good stead and all you need to worry about is the sweaty palm issue!

Fines!!!

The other nerve racking part of your shoot day is of course the shooting itself, not necessarily of the chosen quarry but of those bird anomalies that come with a fine.

We asked our Facebook fans to see whether they’d been hit with any fines for shooting the proverbial white pheasant. We’re not sure whether missing them or hitting them is worse!

Why not add some of these into your day to spice things up?!

• If you shoot at a Reeves pheasant and miss, it's a £50 fine for each shot, but no fine if you hit it!
• £30 if you hit an English partridge
• £10 for a Reeves multiplied by your peg number
• £50 fine if you miss a white pheasant and £20 fine from all the other guns if you hit it!!!
• £25 for a jack snipe!
• £50 if you hit a white pheasant, £100 if you miss.
• A bottle of port fine for hitting a white pheasant.
• £50 if you shoot a white pheasant, £100 if you don't shoot at it!
• £500 for a Black Grouse
• £50 if you accidentally hit a Guinea Fowl
• £500 for a black cock.
• £50 for shooting a turkey and £100 if you shoot at it and miss!
• £1000 for a grey hen
• Crate of whiskey for a Reeves pheasant
• Pay for the reeves to be professionally stuffed!

If you have any more, please add them as a comment below.