Africa prices?

[Jetjockey]

So, I’m still making “payments” for my Zambia Hunt last year. I finally got my trophy’s back to the US and made my 50% payment for taxidermy. I really, really want to go back ASAP, but our Zambia hunt wasn’t cheap. I basically paid $18k for a 10 day hunt (hunt and concession fees), I had $12k in trophy fees, plus tips, airfare, etc. The trophy fees included Buff, kudu, waterbuck, puku, and zebra. The trip was booked through a booking agent. I also paid $3600 to get my trophy’s shipped to the US, and then $1500 for the importer to accept, and then ship the trophy’s to the taxidermist in the US.

I know RSA high fence can be a lot less money, but what about other country’s without fences? Can you save money booking directly through an outfitter? What about 7 day vs 10 day hunts? Do you have to use an importer? Basically, is there a way to hunt Africa without my wife divorcing me for spending $50k again?

 

[Piet-Vis]

Namibia

 

[JimP]

Don't think of SA as high fence hunts. I have been on two hunts there and neither felt like a high fence properties or the other properties that we hunted, other than the large security gates they have entering their properties.

My last hunt the only fencing that I actually encountered were range type fences that were only 4' or so high.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

What are you looking to pursue? There are a few areas with low fence hunting available. Please feel free to send me a PM.

 

[Jetjockey]

What are you looking to pursue? There are a few areas with low fence hunting available. Please feel free to send me a PM.

I’d like to hunt buff again. But I’d also like a good wart hog, impala, wildebeest, nyala, and maybe a roan or sable.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Based on what I have read on here from others, and from what a few friends have told me, Namibia might be a great bet. I hope to go myself someday.

But I'll echo what @JimP said: I think you could find situations in South Africa that would provide for a great experience at a fraction of the cost. My first trip, minus the after hunt trophy stuff, I could have done the whole thing all-in for under 10K, with airfare... if I had stuck to the original 5 animal package. (I did not) We saw fences when we entered properties, but they played no role in the actual hunts at all, IMHO.

 

[375Fox]

Hunting low fence ranches in Namibia is a very good experience and reasonably priced for kudu, gemsbok, hartebeest, warthog, Hartmann zebra. Namibia can also offer hunts in concession areas for plains game at plains game pricing in Caprivi and NW Namibia or places like waterberg park for eland.
South Africa really has a ton of options for free range plains game as well, but it needs searched out, and discussed with outfitters.
If you want to hunt DG free range Zimbabwe offers the best pricing for free range DG, but higher quality areas demand higher prices and there are marginal areas that probably shouldn’t really be marketed. If you’d like to have a hard tracking hunt and good opportunity at a buffalo in 10 days you can do that in the $15k-$20k range before flights, tips, trophy shipping.

To your direct questions. Yes you can save money booking directly with an outfitter but not all cases. Agent commissions are usually 15%. 7 day hunts can add stress you don’t get on 10 day hunts that might not be worth the cost savings. You need to ship and use a broker for most African trophies. They need to go through a dip and pack and veterinary process or finished taxidermy that won’t be completed before you leave. I suppose you could take a finished small skull mount home for non-regulated species like I do from Europe, but most African hunts take too many trophies and large trophies to really effectively do this.

 

[375Fox]

I’d like to hunt buff again. But I’d also like a good wart hog, impala, wildebeest, nyala, and maybe a roan or sable.

If you want to hunt free range and add roan and sable. It will always be a very high final hunt cost. Buffalo only is much more affordable.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

I can only speak for our own company and the taxidermy costs are totally out of almost all safari companies.

First we do not use any agents. We will have agents that have no affiliation with our company who will want to book someone with us usually european. They want a deal cut for them. We charge them exactly what we would charge the client no more no less and if this agent accompanies he pays the same daily fee as any observer pays. How much do they mark the hunts up to the clients upto 100%. Are all agent's the same, but those that do should be ashamed (oops I said ashamed again).

As I have said before we try to operate on a 20% margin seldom do we make it to 20. One thing we are sure of we will do our best to see that everyone has the best hunt we can provide.

After all of that costs continue to go up which means prices go up. Someday you may be talking how little you paid for yoit hunt.

Lon

 

[migrabill]

You don't HAVE to pay the broker fee. It depends on where your trophies come in as to how necessary it is. Baltimore is very easy and can be cleared in person, filling out the forms, with no broker needed.

 

[Osama Mahdi]

I saw how Kudu, Impala , baboon and warthog cross the fence in SA. See the picture I took for Impala.
It is look like these fences made for humans more than animals.
For my Buffalo I hunted with Limpopo BIG GAME Safaris on 20000 acres. There were mountains inside that property.
If you search, you will find very good outfitters and properties in SA.
Out of curiosity, who was your outfitter in Zambia?

 

[Hunt anything]

If you want a fair priced wild sable look into Mozambique, the prices have gone up but are still somewhat affordable.
Ive posted this picture before but thi is what kudu and gemsbok think of fences in the Northwest province of South Africa. This was on a sheep and goat ranch.

 

[Hunt anything]

So, I’m still making “payments” for my Zambia Hunt last year. I finally got my trophy’s back to the US and made my 50% payment for taxidermy. I really, really want to go back ASAP, but our Zambia hunt wasn’t cheap. I basically paid $18k for a 10 day hunt (hunt and concession fees), I had $12k in trophy fees, plus tips, airfare, etc. The trophy fees included Buff, kudu, waterbuck, puku, and zebra. The trip was booked through a booking agent. I also paid $3600 to get my trophy’s shipped to the US, and then $1500 for the importer to accept, and then ship the trophy’s to the taxidermist in the US.

I know RSA high fence can be a lot less money, but what about other country’s without fences? Can you save money booking directly through an outfitter? What about 7 day vs 10 day hunts? Do you have to use an importer? Basically, is there a way to hunt Africa without my wife divorcing me for spending $50k again?

You can always take your wife with you! I took mine with me in 2018 and 2021 and after 2018 she told me I could never go back without her. She’s gotten the bug as bad as me, this past weekend we were at our state SCI convention and she slipped away from our table for a little while, she came back with a smirk on her face and a fist full of paperwork for the hunt she had booked for us! She doesn’t shoot but loves the stalk.

 

[Jetjockey]

My wife and daughters met me after my last hunt and I took them to Sabbi Sands. They loved it, and that basically cost me what another hunt would. ‍ They got the bug, but only for safari and not hunting. My oldest daughter, who turned 10 on our trip in Africa, wants to go back because she didn’t get to see a black rhino.

 

[Hunt anything]

My wife stays in camp, takes videos, pictures and goes along on the hunts sometimes, basically just relaxes and does what she wants. We just pay the observer fees.
On our trip next year we are planning on 3 days of sightseeing, don’t know where yet but all still in the planning stage.

 

[375Fox]

My wife and daughters met me after my last hunt and I took them to Sabbi Sands. They loved it, and that basically cost me what another hunt would. ‍ They got the bug, but only for safari and not hunting. My oldest daughter, who turned 10 on our trip in Africa, wants to go back because she didn’t get to see a black rhino.

Try Waterberg Park in Namibia. You could hunt buffalo and eland there while they tour. Lots of rhino to see there.

 

[Ridge Runner]

So, I’m still making “payments” for my Zambia Hunt last year. I finally got my trophy’s back to the US and made my 50% payment for taxidermy. I really, really want to go back ASAP, but our Zambia hunt wasn’t cheap. I basically paid $18k for a 10 day hunt (hunt and concession fees), I had $12k in trophy fees, plus tips, airfare, etc. The trophy fees included Buff, kudu, waterbuck, puku, and zebra. The trip was booked through a booking agent. I also paid $3600 to get my trophy’s shipped to the US, and then $1500 for the importer to accept, and then ship the trophy’s to the taxidermist in the US.

I know RSA high fence can be a lot less money, but what about other country’s without fences? Can you save money booking directly through an outfitter? What about 7 day vs 10 day hunts? Do you have to use an importer? Basically, is there a way to hunt Africa without my wife divorcing me for spending $50k again?

There's probably more than a few husbands on here whose wife has threatened them with a divorce or more likely severe bodily harm taking an expensive "vacation" without them.

Seven day hunts, 9 days total including travel days, can be relaxing hunts but it depends on species and quality of the animal(s) you want to hunt.

The more common PG like impala, blesbok, springbok, warthog, and zebra, can easily be hunted with success and of good quality. Whereas if you're looking for record book quality animal(s) there is more pressure. Adding more days could reduce the pressure and rush to get your animal(s). Of course adding days will add to the expense of the hunt.

There's another pitfall to watch out for, outfitters that charge by the inch of horn. Separating the reputable form the irreparable outfitters will take dudilegents on your part cause this could increase your expenses immensely if you choose an irreparable outfitter.

IMOPO Hunting the forementioned common PG on 20,000 and more acres with animals that live and breed on those acres even if there are 4 feet high "pasture" fences, I consider it free range spot and stalk hunting. Outfitters that put and shoot animals I want to avoid.

For hunting the larger more difficult PG and DG I would look at outfitters with or have access to concession(s) of 100,000 plus acres. High fence would border the property. However, hunting 100,000 plus acres is still a lot of land and time to search for a good quality eland, gemsbok, or buff.

Reality Check...For those that are looking for an 1800's/early 1900's African safari in the 2020's Good Luck.

 

[Sika98k]

If you want a fair priced wild sable look into Mozambique, the prices have gone up but are still somewhat affordable.
Ive posted this picture before but thi is what kudu and gemsbok think of fences in the Northwest province of South Africa. This was on a sheep and goat ranch.

The browsers go over the fence, the grazers go under. Those are just stock fences to keep the livestock in place. The landowners make opes in the fences for the oryx to get through. That’s Namibia at least in my experience.
i never tire of hunting oryx, a truly magnificent creature.

 

[Hunt anything]

The browsers go over the fence, the grazers go under. Those are just stock fences to keep the livestock in place. The landowners make opes in the fences for the oryx to get through. That’s Namibia at least in my experience.
i never tire of hunting oryx, a truly magnificent creature.

A split second later I would have gotten the gemsbok sliding under the fence as the kudu hit the ground on the other side, this was an awesome site, 7 kudu bulls going over and 15 or so gemsbok going under!

 

[Red Leg]

I saw how Kudu, Impala , baboon and warthog cross the fence in SA. See the picture I took for Impala.
It is look like these fences made for humans more than animals.
For my Buffalo I hunted with Limpopo BIG GAME Safaris on 20000 acres. There were mountains inside that property.
If you search, you will find very good outfitters and properties in SA.
Out of curiosity, who was your outfitter in Zambia?View attachment 588848View attachment 588849

That is not a game fence. Animals do not jump over game fences. A warthog will dig under one. It may or may not include the lower mesh. Most are designed so an antelope can't dive through it.

The Limpopo of South Africa is the most heavily game fenced area I have ever seen. Though the Hill Country is catching up.