Cost for Me To Take The Big 5

[rookhawk]

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.

FYI. Using a CPI calculator, your 1983 hunt of $27,000 was the equivelant of $83,000 in 2023. Your hunts have actually gone down in price relative to our inflated dollar, or perhaps at best the true costs have remained static all that time.

 

[Green Chile]

Hey, thanks for stirring the pot...all this off season big 5 talk got me to try again for leopard. Just booked the last permit for '27 with sponsor @PANTHER TRACKERS in Moz. It will also allow me to nearly finish my T10. This will be my 2nd attempt for Spots but it's a totally different strategy. I feel good about it.

 

[ActionBob]

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

Combine buffalo with lion and/or leopard. You'll need the bait and it is much more cost effective.

 

[ActionBob]

Hey, thanks for stirring the pot...all this off season big 5 talk got me to try again for leopard. Just booked the last permit for '27 with sponsor @PANTHER TRACKERS in Moz. It will also allow me to nearly finish my T10. This will be my 2nd attempt for Spots but it's a totally different strategy. I feel good about it.

Using dogs is a much more proactive hunt. You are out making things happen instead of waiting for things to happen.

 

[Green Chile]

Using dogs is a much more proactive hunt. You are out making things happen instead of waiting for things to happen.

Yes for sure. Also, I learned that my bait hunt in Oct/Nov was too late with all of the piglets hitting the ground late in the season. Plus it was a ranch cat so we knew that would be tough. We got close on patterning it but never had a shot. Those ranch cats are tricky. He's still alive out there making messes.

I'm stacking the odds on this one in my favor. If successful, it would finish my big 5 and almost finish my T10. At that point, I will probably only need the dik-dik in Namibia.

 

[BryceM]

Really interesting thread. I am at 2/5 and looking now toward the cats. I don’t have any interest in rhino. Even when they were plentiful it probably wasn’t a very exciting hunt. Darting one does nothing for me. If others enjoy it, that’s great.

I’ll probably try for 6/7 instead, which is perfectly fine. I’m not even remotely old, but the biggest issue is already time instead of money. Leopard is on my list, but thinking of 2 or 3 trips to get it done is a bit daunting. Lion may also be a problem. CBL doesn’t really do it for me and the $$ for a wild one is a whole ‘nuther thing, as they say.

And then, I look at opportunity cost and wonder how much fun I could have hunting birds, or grizzly, or ibex, or caribou, or PG for the same $$. That, and chasing buffalo alone could fill several lifetimes with excellent hunts. A big tusker is also on the list, having already enjoyed a monumental experience with a smallish exportable bull.

I’m starting to care much more about the experience than the kill or stretching out the tape every time an animal hits the ground.

 

[Green Chile]

I’m starting to care much more about the experience than the kill or stretching out the tape every time an animal hits the ground.

 

[Flbt]

Car buying types are everywhere. I have friends in hunting community saying safari is expensive, but they drive new cars of such value - or more. I have nothing against that, but when they say it is too expensive, that Africa, they are just better drivers then hunters, by choice of priorities.

How many of them buy the car? Not caring a bank note on it?
How many use the car to go to work?

 

[Daisy]

How many of them buy the car? Not caring a bank note on it?
How many use the car to go to work?

You could buy a 20k car and still get to work.

You can go to Africa on credit. Not recommending it but possible.

 

[K-man]

I was going to post my costs but I know my bride reads this forum from time to time, so nooo.....

Those of you who are wary of darting a rhino, there is nothing quite like leading a black rhino by his ear onto the road so he can be fully sedated. I will not experience anything like that the rest of my life. That's not a hunt you can book, just an opportunity while I was there. (no, I wasn't the one to sedate him, but I got to give him the revive shot in the trailer). Just being that close to a living, breathing rhino was quite shocking.

 

[flatwater bill]

I have hunted wild leopard 3 times without success. I am with @rookhawk on this one. Failure IS an option. It can run into money. In retro, I shouldda used dogs...................FWB

 

[Martin77]

Good info

 

[Green Chile]

I have hunted wild leopard 3 times without success. I am with @rookhawk on this one. Failure IS an option. It can run into money. In retro, I shouldda used dogs...................FWB

That's what I'm doing on round 2...stacking the odds in my favor.

 

[Flbt]

You could buy a 20k car and still get to work.

You can go to Africa on credit. Not recommending it but possible.

Ok I guess on credit would be credit card
That did not cross my mind.
I don’t use them.
Yea your right on the car price to.

 

[mark-hunter]

How many of them buy the car? Not caring a bank note on it?
How many use the car to go to work?

You wouldn't beleive the urban culture.
(We had like 20 years ago) final settlements with Italy, for pending debts for world war 2 damage, and pending pensions for those who were mobilized in Italian army 20tis till 1943.
Once paid: younger working age generation took granpas pensions and bought German cars.
it was to buy property, or buy car? Buy car.
The same car culture remains. it is there since ever.
You take a loan, buy a new car (because new is new, right?) and pay 40% of monthly income to pay off the loan. There are also leasing options, but it comes to the same
People sell property, buy cars.
There are some, after having a new car, to think twice before buying a coffee in a bar.
BTW, the price of every new car s 25% higher from MRSP because of VAT.
Second hand one year old car looses 20% of its value on the market, and then 10% more, each year.
Good second hand car, with low mileage is really best buy, I would say 3 to 4 years old.
Dont forget, new car is new, right, so the cycle is new car every 5 to 7 years. It is continuous drain of cash in that case.

It is important when you live in the city, to have a car you can show off. When you are young, to pick up girls, when you are older to show colleagues at work
it s how it is. Not always, but very visible, and very present. Urban culture.

I mingle within sport competition shooting and hunting community (these are different, not similar like in the states), but similar in affection to their equipment and activities.
And I think all of top class shooters and dedicated hunters i know or meet on occasion: have much more money invested in their rifles, pistols then in the car. Very often one gun in the trunk, is more valuable then the car itself. (not an exaggeration)

In my life, I owned 2 cars. One brand new, paid in half by cash, half on loan, I drove it for 18 years till it died on natural causes. it was diesel, because diesel fuel is cheaper.
Then I got wise, and bought my second car, few years old SUV Vitara, 10.000 miles, for 40% of value of a new one. All going well, it will be my car till retirement. Then on retirement I will buy my retirement car. (that's the plan, anyway)
In the same period (since 2017 till now), I went on 4 safaris. And bought few more toys for my locker.

The average hunter who drives new car to work, does not go to Africa. I dont know a single one at least.

 

[Fatback]

I’ve been fortunate to get my leopard on my fist DG hunt in 2011. Since then I’ve gotten a couple of buffalo. I am booked for own use elephant this year and wild lion in 2027. If I am successful on this 2 hunts then I’ll have some pondering to do on whether or not to try a rhino hunt be it kill or dart. I also have a hippo so then I’d also have to consider a croc. To fund these hunts I’ve picked up a part time job in conjunction with my regular full time job. I drive a 23 year old truck etc…. I’ve also invested in my eventual retirement since I was 18 years old and when the market does well like it had the last couple of years my money makes me some expendable cash. I’ve also been fortunate on a couple of real estate deal over the years that have help my finical situation. tremendously. So as long as I don’t pick up any more vices besides rifles and hunting I should be good to chase a few more adventures.

 

[coreydb]

I am doing the same thing. The States won't allow Lions to be brought into the country, but for roughly the same price as the taxidermy fee, taxidermists here in the States can replicate the trophies based on the measurements you take at the time of your kill.