Experience & Value Versus Cost

[JamesJ]

We just finished the show season and while I still have some bit of liver function, I thought I would do sort of a soapbox thread.

One disturbing trend that I'm seeing is guys passing on great hunts and experiences and opting for a quick cheap hunt instead. Not all of us are wealthy and we cant afford to travel the world chasing women and buffalo with no regard for cost, sanity or STD's. But, I think there are very well priced hunts out there that offer an amazing experience and are overlooked based on price alone.

Ranch hunting is fun and the experience is great, but comparing a ranch hunt to a hunt in Tanzania, is frankly just silly. Ive been lucky enough to do a lot of hunting all over the world and the truth is if, you cant afford to buy what you want, then you are better off saving another year and get exactly what you want. Hang onto your car one more year, buy one less gun/scope this year, you really don't need a 90" TV, stop kidding yourself the youngest child will never go to college. Take that money and put it in your hunting account instead.

I'm using buff as an example, as it comes up so much. I had a couple guys pass on hunts we had put together, they instead book with shady outfitter X offering super cheap buff, no daily rates, plane fare, strippers, etc on his 200 acre farm. Guess what they were unhappy with the result. So instead of spending a bit more money or saving another year, it cost them a lot more in the end. They got an immature buff that was a pot shoot on the first day and then the outfitter drove them in circles shooting PG.

Hunts in Zim with first class outfitters are running $12-15k, TZ $17k, MOZ $13-15K, RSA free range hunts can be a had for $14-16K. Don't get me wrong there are some great ranch hunts and some legit operators doing proper hunts on big properties, use them. But please stop giving advice and telling us your outfitter is the best and his 500 acre farm is as good as Zim or TZ, I'm really tired of hearing it.

Save another year and book the hunt you really want don't just book because its cheap or choose a different outfitter because he is $100 cheaper. Im not the cheapest guy neither is Aaron at @Global Hunting Resources we offer quality hunts and great experiences at fair prices. We are also a resource on the site for you guys who are new and have questions about hunts.

 

[Buckdog]

James sadly to say the world is all about marketing and promising tons of BS stuff that you cant deliver or never intended to and people swallow it down. then they whine and complain after they got what they asked for and I have NO SYMPATHY FOR THEM!
Now maybe you should include some strippers and massages in special package hunts!

 

[cpr0312]

We just finished the show season and while I still have some bit of liver function

Seriously though good thread for folks to think about for sure

 

[LivingTheDream]

I have been asking the wrong questions. Didn't know anyone offered strippers. I always focus on success rate, trophy quality, size of area, etc. I guess I book hunts to hunt.

To your point of saving though for the hunt, I think you hit the nail on the head, we are in an age of instant gratification. I start saving years in advance and talk to agents and outfitters a few years out to make sure I am getting myself the dream hunt I wanted. Saving a few bucks here and there can cost you in the long run, especially when you get booking Big 5, Sheep, Moose, bear hunts.

 

[siml]

James, I am really looking forward to the response. You have brought up a real valued topic.

 

[Red Leg]

We just finished the show season and while I still have some bit of liver function, I thought I would do sort of a soapbox thread.

One disturbing trend that I'm seeing is guys passing on great hunts and experiences and opting for a quick cheap hunt instead. Not all of us are wealthy and we cant afford to travel the world chasing women and buffalo with no regard for cost, sanity or STD's. But, I think there are very well priced hunts out there that offer an amazing experience and are overlooked based on price alone.

Ranch hunting is fun and the experience is great, but comparing a ranch hunt to a hunt in Tanzania, is frankly just silly. Ive been lucky enough to do a lot of hunting all over the world and the truth is if, you cant afford to buy what you want, then you are better off saving another year and get exactly what you want. Hang onto your car one more year, buy one less gun/scope this year, you really don't need a 90" TV, stop kidding yourself the youngest child will never go to college. Take that money and put it in your hunting account instead.

I'm using buff as an example, as it comes up so much. I had a couple guys pass on hunts we had put together, they instead book with shady outfitter X offering super cheap buff, no daily rates, plane fare, strippers, etc on his 200 acre farm. Guess what they were unhappy with the result. So instead of spending a bit more money or saving another year, it cost them a lot more in the end. They got an immature buff that was a pot shoot on the first day and then the outfitter drove them in circles shooting PG.

Hunts in Zim with first class outfitters are running $12-15k, TZ $17k, MOZ $13-15K, RSA free range hunts can be a had for $14-16K. Don't get me wrong there are some great ranch hunts and some legit operators doing proper hunts on big properties, use them. But please stop giving advice and telling us your outfitter is the best and his 500 acre farm is as good as Zim or TZ, I'm really tired of hearing it.

Save another year and book the hunt you really want don't just book because its cheap or choose a different outfitter because he is $100 cheaper. Im not the cheapest guy neither is Aaron at @Global Hunting Resources we offer quality hunts and great experiences at fair prices. We are also a resource on the site for you guys who are new and have questions about hunts.

Amen

 

[Royal27]

Fantastic post James!

I'm with you, I'm tired of seeing a new guy who says he wants a wild hunt be advised he should do a SA farm hunt just because that's either what the outfitter sells, or its what the advising client bought. I've done both farm and truly wild hunts and they both have their place, but there ARE differences (strippers are typically better looking on farm since they are closer to the big city). Anyone saying they are the same either doesn't know what they are talking about, or worse....

Price is and should be a factor, but it isn't the ONLY factor and you must compare apples to apples. Saying a hunt on a farm should be bought because it is cheaper than a wild hunt is just plain silly. Now if someone tells me they want the cheapest hunt they can get in order to put a trophy on the wall then there are great farm options for that. If they say they want an African experience in the wild then an SA farm hunt sure isn't what I'm going to suggest. I'm going to suggest Zim, Zam, Moz, Tan etc.... then its the same process - talk to all of the <insert country of your choice here> and compare their prices, as well as how well you get along with the outfitter and what his reputation is.

And by the way, this blind sighted advice doesn't just apply to the hunts. You see the same thing with rifles and ammo as well. I'll exaggerate a little here, but how many posts have we all seen where someone says that they want to buy a nice English double rifle and someone immediately posts "my Ruger is great! Buy one!" Sometimes it is simply a matter of listening to the actual question.

 

[JamesJ]

Spot on @Royal27

 

[Ryan]

Living in Alaska I have had a lot of friends and other people either new here or from the lower 48 mention how they wanted to hunt various animals and I've told them the lower cost and low chances of getting whatever running around the roads and close rivers with everyone else in the state trying to fill the freezer, or the higher cost of a good hunt with good odds flying or boating way into somewhere remote. Most are surprised, some even get pretty angry with the latter. I'm not an outfitter, this is what I deal with every year too. The smart ones do what you mentioned, save money and research, the others don't. The results are the same to what you mentioned.
Good luck with the buff.

 

[siml]

@Royal27 agree with James you spot on, but I think species and geography is where there comes a big difference. Certian species you could hunt for example anywhere in Africa and they will still be a challenge, it's these tame excess bulls coming out of domestic programs that gets to me.

 

[JamesJ]

Living in Alaska I have had a lot of friends and other people either new here or from the lower 48 mention how they wanted to hunt various animals and I've told them the lower cost and low chances of getting whatever running around the roads and close rivers with everyone else in the state trying to fill the freezer, or the higher cost of a good hunt with good odds flying or boating way into somewhere remote. Most are surprised, some even get pretty angry with the latter. I'm not an outfitter, this is what I deal with every year too. The smart ones do what you mentioned, save money and research, the others don't. The results are the same to what you mentioned.
Good luck with the buff.

They are trying to fill the freezer, get a good trophy at the same time, but they don't want to travel. LOL

 

[Royal27]

@Royal27 agree with James you spot on, but I think species and geography is where there comes a big difference. Certian species you could hunt for example anywhere in Africa and they will still be a challenge, it's these tame excess bulls coming out of domestic programs that gets to me.

Agree Simon, but it still comes down to that experience part as well, even on the common species. My first African animal was an Impala and not a very big one. . That's about as plain vanilla as you can get. BUT, I shot that animal in the Zambezi River Valley about 30 minutes after seeing my first wild elephants. Put a price on that!

So you're right, it is the tame/bred animals, but its more than that too.

 

[Bullthrower338]

James,
Great post! But don't buy another gun and scope? BLASTFAMY! Lol
This is the reason I've held off on a buff hunt, I want it to be everything I've dreamed of. I said I wouldn't hunt buff until I had a double rifle, finally got it. Saving for a real bush hunt now.
Cheers,
Cody

P.S.
Please forward contact for 200 acre stripper concession!

 

[Ryan]

They are trying to fill the freezer, get a good trophy at the same time, but they don't want to travel. LOL

I bet every Alaskan hunter has similar stories. We have a lot of land, but not a lot of roads so anything near them gets worked hard. Some nice bull moose get taken near the road every year, but the odds aren't good. It's by luck, and/or a lot of experience and work.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

@Royal27 agree with James you spot on, but I think species and geography is where there comes a big difference. Certian species you could hunt for example anywhere in Africa and they will still be a challenge, it's these tame excess bulls coming out of domestic programs that gets to me.

Spot on Simon!

 

[Clayton]

P.S. Please forward contact for 200 acre stripper concession!

OK I HAVE to ask. If you get one of them strippers, you gonna mount it?

 

[JamesJ]

Im not touching that one.

 

[BRICKBURN]

P.S.
Please forward contact for 200 acre stripper concession!

There are still a couple of wild areas in this concession, but you have to look for them. The Buffalo have pretty well been shot out though. Choices.

 

[Royal27]

OK I HAVE to ask. If you get one of them strippers, you gonna mount it?

I doubt Cody has seen many strippers he wouldn't m.... Nevermind....

 

[JamesJ]

@BRICKBURN I think that is almost all high fence or poaching in those areas. There were plenty of buffalo as well.