Cost for Me To Take The Big 5

[mark-hunter]

Them were the days.

I can only read and weep....

 

[5shot]

For any of you who are able to hunt for these creatures multiple times…are you looking to adopt a 55 year old son?

 

[LivingTheDream]

Thanks for sharing this valuable information. I would add that a tuskless elephant cow in Zim can bring the cost down even further for those planning the Big 5.

My tuskless was 8k all in. One of the most epic hunts I have ever done.

 

[kpoynter]

But you only have to go once!

Exactly

 

[ActionBob]

Speaking of opportunities to take the big 5. My experience was when Obama put the ban on elephant imports, it essentially dropped the cost of hunting a trophy bull elephant in half, in Zimbabwe anyway. In my case from $37,000 down to $20,000. I added a buffalo for a $4000 trophy fee. Then all the tips, etc. This was the real deal. Tracking for miles. Getting right in amoungst herds of elephant. Hair standing on edge experiences. It was awesome.

My RSA lion experience taught me a lot! I was sold a "wild" lion hunt. I learned to be very skeptical about anything a South African tells me about hunting. I learned that the BS can be so deep that even they believe it! I learned that i would have been better off just doing an honest CBL lion where I knew what I was getting rather than being sold a fabricated wild lion hunt. It cost $20,000 but triple that after adding on buffalo for $8500 and an expensive hyena. Plus a ton of PG.

Rhino I did a few years too early. The best white rhino deals may have been a couple years ago or may be still coming? O thi k mine was something like $30k. As far as a South African white rhino hunt i think it was essentially about as good as it gets. Very large thick bull with a good conversation story. Old herd bull with daughters 20,000 acre property with a scattered rhino population and lots of other critters around. Took several days and culminated in a long stalk that involved crawling about 100 yards to get a shot. It was also a learning experience. I bought the hunt from my RSA Outfitter buddy (who is honest with me about his BS). He bought the rhino through another RSA Outfitter who specializes in buying up as many of the good quality hunts he can and then marking them up and selling them to the guys with the clients. I saw zero need for him to be there but there we were with a resident PH who has to conduct the hunt because he was responsible directly and employed by the property and game owner. My buddy PH who had agreed to being the camera guy, the in between guy who was not needed. The government guy who made sure everything was properly in order and the hunt was conducted within the rules (He was great and I was thankful he was there) he stayed within view but kept back and out of the way. And of course a tracker. We had a little Come to Jesus meeting where the middle man finally got the point hexeas to stay back with the government guy. I also took a great giraffe, Klipspringer, baboons, monkeys and some night critters on that hunt. It was two weeks total and split between two areas. Had a blast!

Leopard was a deal here on AH (as was the elephant and indirectly that lion). End of season the Outfitter had two tags left and was quickly running out of calendar. His idea was to bring in a dog team and sell both leopard to two guys hunting at the same time. Rotating every day between leopard and PG. Obviously a disaster waiting to happen. But the cost was down to $20K each including the dogs which was $8000 at that time. Well it got down to wire with no takers so we negotiated a deal to add the second cat at trophy fee cost.

Has a great hunt because the dog guy was so great! Shot a very long leopard on day 4 after an eventful 12 kilometers chase. And never found a shootable second cat. Did get a nice livingstone eland and some duikers. Shot a lot of baboons for bait. Stalked lots of wild sable but didn't find that elusive 40" the Outfitter knew was attainable. Probably my 3rd best most memorable hunt.

Then Tanzania with Gina! Plus two great AH friends! Absolutely the best hunt ever! Two of us got wild lions on day 2!!! Saw lion sign constantly. Gina got her leopard off bait on day 4. Tons of PG including Gina's 42.5" sable and my Roan. We originally bought a 16 day leopard and buffalo hunt that I think was listed at something like $34,000 or $38,000 including those two Trophy fees. Had the opportunity to shoot 3 total buffalo in that deal for escaping trophy fees of about $4000. Then had the opportunity to add lion including 5 more days to make it the full bag 21 days. But that also included the right to take a 4th buffalo and elephant at trophy fees. That 4th buffalo would have been $4500 and elephant would have been been $9500.. The lion add on was $15,000 for the 5 days and right to shoot a lion. Then a $10,000 trophy fee. I doubt that deal os ever available again. We were told to not expect to see a shooter elephant but that if we did, we could shoot one. We did see quite a bit of sign and heard them feeding a couple times way up in the mountain bush. We spent just short of $100k on that hunt and over that with tips and then on top of that was flights, dip and pack, etc.

Gina is slowly pursuing her Dangerous 7. I may take the opportunity to hunt croc and hippo if I can add it on to her hunts but she wants those more than I do so has priority. Hopefully she can get a really big croc My bigger focus now is the Tiny Ten.

 

[Muskox]

5 good elk hunts = 5 of the big 5. Your choice.

What's good?

You could do 5 elk hunts in the Thorofare of Wyoming (provided you could get the tags) for about $35000.

You could do 5 private land elk hunts in Utah with 350-400 inch bulls for $125,000.

I'd prefer the Thorofare, but most people would prefer Utah.

 

[kpoynter]

I’m interested in the $17,000 price that’s been quoted a couple times for bull elephant. Are you referring just to the trophy fee? Most elephant hunts I’m seeing are coming in closer to $30,000.

Interested to learn more.

It’s not normal….
1) you could hunt a tuskless cow
2) you will see management non trophy animals sold for this sometimes (Caprivi/communal tags…Zim)
3) you will see deals on early season “crop raiders” or nighttime hunts in Zim
4) Cancellations with deposit lost

It can be done

 

[LivingTheDream]

You could do 5 elk hunts in the Thorofare of Wyoming (provided you could get the tags) for about $35000.

Are they still 7k? Thought they were between 10 and 12 now? Getting tags would be the hard part.

 

[ActionBob]

Great thread! I think the underlying theme can be summed up in a quote I’ve long admired:
“If you think you can or think you can’t you’re right”.

It really is odd, that so many people prevent themselves from accomplishing things in their lives with nothing more than a negative attitude.

Accomplishing a goal is achieved in the exact same way that you eat an Elephant!

This is exactly right!

 

[AZDAVE]

@ActionBob Yep those tiny 10 are addictive also!!!!!

 

[bakerb]

I have a leopard and elephant. Booked for a Cape buffalo in 2026. My problem is I want to hunt more elephant. And I want to hunt big ivory.

I would love a wild lion, but I’d rather hunt big elephant

 

[wildwilderness]

Nobody can guarantee the future, Tomorrow is promised to No One.

I say that as my sister in law lays dying in hospice at 49 yrs old from sudden cardiac failure


Now is as best of time as ever to chase your dreams! They definitely are achievable with hard work and sacrifice. It’s just a matter of priorities. I may not reach all of them but at least I will die trying and enjoy the journey along the way!

You can’t take anything with you so the moments you live in now and the connections you make with friends and family will be joy today.

 

[DLSJR]

@DLSJR
Great experience, many years of hunting!
I have one question:
How would you compare financial feasibility for Hunting DG in 80ies, and 90-ies, and now in last decade?

When was more expensive, or harder to get?

Well, even though those hunts in the ‘80s were a lot less money, it is relative. I’ll answer as best I can recall as to the cost of the hunt and trophy fees. Not including air travel, charters and other incidental costs. General numbers.

1983, Zimbabwe 24 day hunt, $27,000.
1986, Zimbabwe 15 day hunt, $16,000.
1989, Botswana 24 day hunt, $32,000.
2019, Tanzania 10 day hunt, $30,000
2021, Tanzania 16 day hunt, $45,000.
2023, Tanzania 16 day hunt, $65,000.

Costs have gotten significantly higher in the last 10 years, while overall bags have gotten smaller. In 1983, I took 16 animals in 24 days including 4 dangerous game. In 1989, I shot 17 animals including 4 DG. In 2021, I shot 6 animals including 2 DG. In 2023, I shot 6 animals, of which 5 were DG.

In 1980’s costs were far lower, quotas were easy to come by and you could hunt dangerous game on short hunts or a lot of DG if a long hunt. Of course, incomes were far lower back then so it’s relative.

I don’t like pondering what costs will be to hunt in another 10-15 years.

 

[Rockwall205]

Speaking of opportunities to take the big 5. My experience was when Obama put the ban on elephant imports, it essentially dropped the cost of hunting a trophy bull elephant in half, in Zimbabwe anyway. In my case from $37,000 down to $20,000. I added a buffalo for a $4000 trophy fee. Then all the tips, etc. This was the real deal. Tracking for miles. Getting right in amoungst herds of elephant. Hair standing on edge experiences. It was awesome.

My RSA lion experience taught me a lot! I was sold a "wild" lion hunt. I learned to be very skeptical about anything a South African tells me about hunting. I learned that the BS can be so deep that even they believe it! I learned that i would have been better off just doing an honest CBL lion where I knew what I was getting rather than being sold a fabricated wild lion hunt. It cost $20,000 but triple that after adding on buffalo for $8500 and an expensive hyena. Plus a ton of PG.

Rhino I did a few years too early. The best white rhino deals may have been a couple years ago or may be still coming? O thi k mine was something like $30k. As far as a South African white rhino hunt i think it was essentially about as good as it gets. Very large thick bull with a good conversation story. Old herd bull with daughters 20,000 acre property with a scattered rhino population and lots of other critters around. Took several days and culminated in a long stalk that involved crawling about 100 yards to get a shot. It was also a learning experience. I bought the hunt from my RSA Outfitter buddy (who is honest with me about his BS). He bought the rhino through another RSA Outfitter who specializes in buying up as many of the good quality hunts he can and then marking them up and selling them to the guys with the clients. I saw zero need for him to be there but there we were with a resident PH who has to conduct the hunt because he was responsible directly and employed by the property and game owner. My buddy PH who had agreed to being the camera guy, the in between guy who was not needed. The government guy who made sure everything was properly in order and the hunt was conducted within the rules (He was great and I was thankful he was there) he stayed within view but kept back and out of the way. And of course a tracker. We had a little Come to Jesus meeting where the middle man finally got the point hexeas to stay back with the government guy. I also took a great giraffe, Klipspringer, baboons, monkeys and some night critters on that hunt. It was two weeks total and split between two areas. Had a blast!

Leopard was a deal here on AH (as was the elephant and indirectly that lion). End of season the Outfitter had two tags left and was quickly running out of calendar. His idea was to bring in a dog team and sell both leopard to two guys hunting at the same time. Rotating every day between leopard and PG. Obviously a disaster waiting to happen. But the cost was down to $20K each including the dogs which was $8000 at that time. Well it got down to wire with no takers so we negotiated a deal to add the second cat at trophy fee cost.

Has a great hunt because the dog guy was so great! Shot a very long leopard on day 4 after an eventful 12 kilometers chase. And never found a shootable second cat. Did get a nice livingstone eland and some duikers. Shot a lot of baboons for bait. Stalked lots of wild sable but didn't find that elusive 40" the Outfitter knew was attainable. Probably my 3rd best most memorable hunt.

Then Tanzania with Gina! Plus two great AH friends! Absolutely the best hunt ever! Two of us got wild lions on day 2!!! Saw lion sign constantly. Gina got her leopard off bait on day 4. Tons of PG including Gina's 42.5" sable and my Roan. We originally bought a 16 day leopard and buffalo hunt that I think was listed at something like $34,000 or $38,000 including those two Trophy fees. Had the opportunity to shoot 3 total buffalo in that deal for escaping trophy fees of about $4000. Then had the opportunity to add lion including 5 more days to make it the full bag 21 days. But that also included the right to take a 4th buffalo and elephant at trophy fees. That 4th buffalo would have been $4500 and elephant would have been been $9500.. The lion add on was $15,000 for the 5 days and right to shoot a lion. Then a $10,000 trophy fee. I doubt that deal os ever available again. We were told to not expect to see a shooter elephant but that if we did, we could shoot one. We did see quite a bit of sign and heard them feeding a couple times way up in the mountain bush. We spent just short of $100k on that hunt and over that with tips and then on top of that was flights, dip and pack, etc.

Gina is slowly pursuing her Dangerous 7. I may take the opportunity to hunt croc and hippo if I can add it on to her hunts but she wants those more than I do so has priority. Hopefully she can get a really big croc My bigger focus now is the Tiny Ten.

Completely agree with the way you book your hunts . Adding on critter’s based on tags and availability has been my approach as well, but you stated it so eloquently and with remarkable detail!!!

I’m currently on the hunt for a wild lion . I have feelers out and waiting for end of the year deals and last minute cancellations to show up .

The double elephant and leopard hunt is on a slamming deal because Zane Bronkhorst just picked up Sengwe a few months ago and the tribal council wants elephants taken this year . We added the leopard and have opportunity to take buffalo for the trophy fees.

I’m so happy my sweet little wife has taken up the pursuit of hunting Africa as well. I get more excited nervous when we are on a stock for her and I’m on the camera !!!

She also felt it when we brought our grandson on his first African Safari and said her heart was pounding as our grandson stalked a Zebra!

 

[mark-hunter]

@DLSJR
Historical value of dollar, calculated to todays value:

1983, Zimbabwe 24 day hunt, $27,000. (today value, 2025: 86.115, 63 USD)
1986, Zimbabwe 15 day hunt, $16,000. (today value, 2025: 46.373,33 USD)
1989, Botswana 24 day hunt, $32,000. (today value, 2025: 81,979.61 USD)
2019, Tanzania 10 day hunt, $30,000 (today value, 2025: 37,277.02 USD)
2021, Tanzania 16 day hunt, $45,000. (today value, 2025: 52,755.64 USD)
2023, Tanzania 16 day hunt, $65,000. (today value, 2025: 67,766.59 USD)

I used this calculator:

Inflation Calculator | Find US Dollar's Value From 1913-2025

Easily calculate how the buying power of the U.S. dollar has changed from 1913 to 2025. Get inflation rates and U.S. inflation news.

www.usinflationcalculator.com

 

[Rare Breed]

This whole ‘Big 5’ thread is interesting. I still don’t have the Big 5 or Dangerous 7, as I’ve never shot a Rhino. I’m fortunate to have all the others except Rhino.

In 1983, I went on my first African hunt and shot 3 of the Big 5 on that trip. I took an elephant bull, leopard and 2 buffalo. I also saw a fantastic lion and Black Rhino bull, both at less than 20 yards. This was with Roy Vincent on Deka, Zimbabwe. It was the first full safari conducted on Deka in a dozen years.

In 1986, I hunted Charara & Matetsi 3 in Zimbabwe and took another elephant bull, as well as bull and cow buffalo at Charara. I failed to take a lion despite giving it two weeks. We saw a number of lions, just not the right one. We also saw 5 Black Rhinos! 2 were single rhinos and then a group of 3 at about 25 yards…. A cow, her yearling calf and a very big bull. We were separated from them by a small stream and they never noticed us despite being close enough to hit with a thrown rock.

In 1989, I hunted Botswana, both the Kalahari Desert and Linyanti Swamps. Took a leopard on day one with the Bushmen by tracking it. Up north I shot 2 more buffalo and a lion. Saw some excellent lions but took a lesser cat on the 22nd day of my 24 hunting days. That lion gave me 4 of the Big 5.

After this, I had a long break from African hunting not returning until 2009 for a vacation and short hunt with Ernest Dyason’s Spear Safaris for plains game.

In 2019, I went on my next Dangerous Game hunt, to Maswa North in Tanzania. This was supposed to be a father-son buffalo hunt but due to me tearing my rotator cuff in my shooting shoulder the year before while trying to run down a poacher in Zambia, I wasn’t able to hunt. So, I got to enjoy watching my son on his first Buffalo hunt. He shot 2 bulls and I got to take pictures and pay the bill.

In 2021 I hunted Mlele South in far Southwestern Tanzania. This was the hunt where I failed to take a leopard in November. It was hot, there were baby bush pigs everywhere and cats were fickle. I shot a couple buffalo but struck out on leopard. Saw probably 60 bush pigs on this hunt!

In 2023 I had the great pleasure of taking my son to Madaba in Tanzania’s Selous Game Reserve. This was an epic safari, where I took 4 of the dangerous 7. My son and I took a pair of great old Dugga Boys together. I shot a leopard with my son sitting right beside me, so he got to experience the hunt. My son was also next to me on an intense dry land hippo where we were face to face with a bull in very thick cover at 15 yards. I shot that hippo on the run and my son barely refrained from joining in the shooting. Unfortunately, my son flew out of camp for home the day before I shot a croc on Lake Nyerere; but he got to participate in the croc hunt most of the way, including spotting a 14-15 foot croc that we nearly got killed.

So, I’ve been fortunate to take all of the Big 5/Dangerous 7 except Rhinoceros. I’ve never had any interest in a White Rhino and can’t afford one of the very few Black Rhino permits. I recently learned from one of our members that it is possible to dart a Black Rhino and I might do that someday.

Next trip is in May. Heading to Zim for a combination trip where I’ll be visiting several NGO’s that the Mzuri Wildlife Foundation has funded and seeing how they’re using the funding we’ve given them. I expect to see lions and black rhinos that they’ve radio collared as well as other interesting species. Then going to Hammond on the Savé Valley Conservancy for a buffalo hunt. I’ll be looking for an old broken down Dugga Boy while an 81 year old buddy will be looking for the biggest bull we can find him. We likely will see all of the Big 5 on this trip, even though only a couple buffalo will be shot. All of the Big 5 can be found on the SVC.

Wow!!!! Congratulations on incredible hunts and experiences!!! Thanks for sharing!!!!

 

[Rare Breed]

I have seen vets walk from their truck and dart a rhino. Not my cup of tea as a lifetime hunt.

I highly recommend @wintershoek for one. that was not my experience at all. Please see my post from April

 

[Rare Breed]

I’m interested in the $17,000 price that’s been quoted a couple times for bull elephant. Are you referring just to the trophy fee? Most elephant hunts I’m seeing are coming in closer to $30,000.

Interested to learn more.

No at Tokoloshe that is total cost except tip and air

 

[Rockwall205]

What's good?

You could do 5 elk hunts in the Thorofare of Wyoming (provided you could get the tags) for about $35000.

You could do 5 private land elk hunts in Utah with 350-400 inch bulls for $125,000.

I'd prefer the Thorofare, but most people would prefer Utah.

I’m glad I caught elk fever early in life hunted southern Utah Panguitch Lake area three different times on landowner tags . Twice with a gun once with a bow but all during the rut . My biggest bull with a bow go figure 391” .
This was 20 years ago and tags were around $12,000 then . I haven’t looked lately but glad I got elk hunting out of my system early.
I believe the escalating prices out west make Africa the place to go for a deal . However we can drive to Utah or Wyoming saving substantially on travel .

 

[Rare Breed]

You will kick yourself one day!

You know in the years i have known my good friend @Philip Glass I cannot ever remember him being wrong!!!! I may just have to revisit my thinking