Hunting African game in Texas

[BRICKBURN]

mmmmm, Eland steaks!

 

[kathy]

You can get African animals in Texas, but you can't get African sounds in Texas . Forrest

 

[edward]

Not sure I can call 3k for a Gemsbok "reasonable" The last I shot in Namibia (2014) cost me $650, plus I got to take a Hartman's Mountain Zebra for free. Not to mention I shot 2 other Gemsbock for meat(for the guide and trackers) That's a 2350difference.That covers airfare and shipping at least.

what airlines were you flying,my wife and i get nailed 5000.00 for a round trip,2500.each.

 

[edward]

You can get African animals in Texas, but you can't get African sounds in Texas . Forrest

you can and do get african thorns though.

 

[wesheltonj]

If the price was competitive with Africa, including the "daily rate," sure. But that would take years before the price gap closes.

 

[markferrigno]

what airlines were you flying,my wife and i get nailed 5000.00 for a round trip,2500.each.

Fair enough. Last time I went I was living in Germany so it was an easier and cheaper flight. I am back in the US now and I have been looking at flights for next year, I have seen flights (Denver-Namibia) for between $1000-1700

 

[LivingTheDream]

I hunted Blackbuck in TX. It was a hunt, they were ones that escaped the high fence and were on the property next door so it was a guarantee. We really had to work for them. I went with some other guys on the high fence section. 10000 acres, and those guys were spooky. Definitely a hunt and something I would do in a heartbeat. There was a wildebeest in the high fence area, it didn't like people which kept things interesting. I think for the right price African animals would be appealing.

Now if lions, tigers and jaguars were added, sign me up! Especially if they were born and raised there, just released would not be as difficult but if they knew the area and grew up there. Holy smokes that would be fun. I realize I'm asking for the best of both worlds but if someone could make it happen, they would have a gold mine!

 

[Royal27]

I'd do it if it were reasonable James. Here's the problem. It won't ever be my definition of reasonable.

For a deer lease here in GA I pay $1000 per year. That's reasonable to me. I'm not going to shoot a 180 whitetail there, but I go to hunt and try and get what is good for the area. If I still lived in Texas I'd be willing to pay more for a year round lease, but I won't be hunting next to the King Ranch either...

So.... If I'm going to pay big money I'm going to go to where the animal(s) are native whenever possible. And, I want the sight, sound, and smell of africa, as others have said. I love Texas and some areas look similar to places in Africa, as you're well aware. Both places are dear to my heart, but they are different.

Let me shoot a $500 cull animal and keep the meat and I'm interested. Other than that though, not really.

 

[charleslabounty]

James,
Sounds almost unanimous --- gotta to work the price down.
Keep working it and keep us posted here on AH.
Thanks

 

[CAustin]

Yep the prices to me are steep! For me I don't want the meat so that not an inducement. A Bongo at $35k.....wow I can go hunt elephant again for that!
On another note I don't understand why ranchers in RSA don't start breeding Bongo. If they can survive in Texas then they should be good in souther Africa!

 

[JGRaider]

Because I enjoy eland meat so much, I could possibly be enticed for a "meat hunt" type thing, perhaps.
Definitely not interested in a "by the inch" or "trophy hunt" of any sort though.

I'm with Velo Dog. I would LOVE to find a good gemsbok or eland meat hunt. I'm also not the least bit interested in paying by the inch. The pricing I've seen on African game in TX is mostly ridiculous, but to each his own.

 

[Hank2211]

Bongo.

Talk about sights, sounds and smells. I wouldn't have missed hunting bongo in the "forest" (that's jungle to us) for anything. Pygmies, their dogs, the heat, the humidity, the gorillas, the sitatunga, the gabon viper . . .

I think Texas would do better to stick to raising higher volumes of lower priced animals. The "glamour game" is at least as much about the experience as it is actually getting the animal. For much the same reasons I'd think it would be a shame to hunt bongo in South Africa, even if they could survive there.

But to each their own.

 

[Erny]

I hunted free range Gemsbock in New Mexico it was a fun hunt challenging hunt. It was pretty darn close to hunting them in Namibia as far as the experience was concerned. One of the reasons I did it was to be able to bring home the meat. It's not for everyone but I enjoyed the hunt.

 

[Royal27]

I hunted free range Gemsbock in New Mexico it was a fun hunt challenging hunt. It was pretty darn close to hunting them in Namibia as far as the experience was concerned. One of the reasons I did it was to be able to bring home the meat. It's not for everyone but I enjoyed the hunt.

And those have been there since the 50s I believe?

Ironiclly, due to that and the free range I'd actually pay more (not a lot more) for that than many in Texas. Seems like I heard one time it was relatively inexpensive but I can't recall for sure?

 

[enysse]

It's not cheap at all to hunt oryx in New Mexico, especially being from Wisconsin, if you are a resident...wonderful. But for me, I'll go to Namibia for cheaper costs........and hunt other animals very affordably. And they are fairly priced in RSA too. There is just something about hunting them in the desert!

 

[Erny]

The hunt in New Mexico on private land was not the major cost. The 1600 dollar New Mexican nonresident game. License cost more than the outfitter charged.

 

[enysse]

Exactly, I'm not paying $1600..........................NOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[JGRaider]

I'd pay $1600 in a heartbeat for a NM gemsbok. The hunt, bringing the meat home.....what's not to love about that deal. The meat alone would be worth the price of admission to me.

 

[enysse]

Being from Texas, the costs are bearable but it will cost $3000+ for me

 

[lwaters]

I am going to hunt Texas. I have already taken a free range auodad. I would like to take a free range nilgai and blackbuck. I also want a javalina maybe Simatar oryx and some of the sheep. But I have been putting it off until I no longer can stand the long flights or high mountains