I went to a Whitetail banquet a couple years ago where a free safari was being raffled off with 3 animals on the list. By that time, I had already booked my Safari and knew that what was being given was not really a great deal. Just know this: Vet your outfitter. There are many outfitters in South Africa and most are great. The bad ones do not last long. It is the hardest thing to choose a good one first when you have no knowledge base to draw on. The AH forum here and maybe SCI are two resources that are unbiased. Also, with regards to African trophy fees, the prices are all somewhat negotiable. Compare and then talk to your outfitter about a package that you would like. For whatever reason, some African game is in higher demand and the prices reflect that. For example: Gemsbok is a great hunt but they are much less expensive than say Kudu or Sable. Impala are common and easy to hunt and are usually priced very low. Wildebeest are another that are cheap but is a very fun hunt.
I hunted Limpopo last year. While the prices go up with inflation and exchange rates I will share my numbers for comparison. Nyala (1/8" from being a record bull), Blue Wildebeest (World Record Book Bull), Bushbuck (another Record), Duiker, Gemsbok (a nice bull instead of a taller female), Impala which was not a record but a very nice ram. My hunt was 8 hunting days plus two travel days with all services included except for VAT tax, taxidermy and tips plus my airfare. My hunt was $6,500 by contract. I traded the Zebra on my list for the Wildebeest which was about the same price and added the Impala. We did not bag the Warthog ($500) or the Baboon which was free and with those adjustments and taxes I paid $7,250 plus tips. Travel was $2,500. I could have flown for $1,750 that trip but paid a bit more to avoid driving as far etc. My PH's price list is not the cheapest but he owns his own main reserve and has access to about 6 others to hunt on for variety. He also hunts Namibia, Botswana, Free State and E. Cape. He also has a number of color variant species of Wildebeest, Impala and maybe Blesbok. Those all bring a premium and for good reason. He has been more than willing to offer discounts or add-ons at fair prices. His lodge is 5-star and the food is as good as it gets. His facilities are well cared for and I was comfortable and safe at all times. Except for the day I was standing five feet from four sleeping lions that were sleeping off a zebra kill, lol. Cheap thrill.
I did pay about twice the recommended rate for tips simply because I had such a magnificent time that I felt that any less would not be fair. About 10% was recommended. By day six, I had this wonderful Zen feeling that came over me and it lasted for weeks after I returned home and was simply priceless. I honestly think about Africa EVERY DAY. I am going back this year with the same PH for a more ambitious hunt that will include Kudu, Cape Buffalo, Zebra, Warthog, Blesbok, Baboon, Black Wildebeest and either Springbok or one other animal to be named later. Could be Waterbuck or Lechwe, or something else. That hunt is priced higher by about 2x but if you price Kudu and Buff alone they would add up to nearly the same total.
Four Sleeping Lions - they filled up on Zebra last night
We were too close and knew it but it was a chance encounter
The big Lioness did wake up, opened one eye, bared one very large fang and flopped back down
I could have pulled the tail of the one in the middle
Moral: Let Sleeping Lions Lie
