Africa

Todd: Congrats on those wonderful trophies. Corne and Chamonix are great hosts, and Omujeve is lovely. Plan on seeing them all in Reno at SCI, as I see they have a leopard hunt donated to the auction this year.

This is one experience everyone should try in their lifetime; especially if you can talk the wife into going along. We spent our 29th anniversary with them all at Erindi last year.
 
Salmon, Africa isn't nearly as expensive as you might imagine. South Africa and Namibia have hunting that is very reasonably priced, while you can also go to the other end of the cost extreme in Tanzania and Zambia. There are some great bargains in Zimbabwe, but the country is spiralling out of control right now, and should be avoided for safety reasons.

I'm taking my family over this summer, and its been twenty years since my last hunt there, way too long. We're making it a combo game viewing vacation at Kruger Park combined with plains game hunting, and the total cost is about the same as a quality elk hunt, and cheaper than some of the top quality mule deer hunts.
 
Awesome hunt DidIDraw! congrats and thanks for posting, You have some great memories there and trophy's too!

CAelknuts, the hunt itself may not be expensive but the cost of getting there, trophy's shipped back and taxidermy work, I would imagine it is nearing $15k or more for all costs?


Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"
 
That Looks to be alot of fun ! I would like to try it some day with my bow ! I have herd the same about the hunts being a bargain, but the cost of getting your trophys shiped back can brake you, what did you have to pay to get your capes and heads shipped back?
 
That looks like the safari of a lifetime DID.

Just curious .... that's a whole bunch of meat. Do the guides have outlet's for the game or do you ship most of it back to the States?

RUS
 
Mtnman, there are african hunts that run the gamut from very expensive, over $100K, to less than $10K, including travel and shipping trophies back home. Were I not taking my family, the hunt would cost no more than many good elk or deer hunts, travel included. As it is, we're flying on frequent flyer miles, so that saves almost $7K of cash. Generally speaking, you can hunt South Africa or Namibia for very reasonable rates, including airfare. Hunts in Botswana, Zambia and especially Tanzania are expensive to very expensive.

bucks4brains, the cost of shipping trophies back home isn't that bad, especially if you are able to split the cost with another hunter shipping his trophies. If you just have your animals dipped, packed and shipped, you're just paying a freight bill and if you go ocean freight (I don't recommend that) if can be very reasonable. Air freight is more costly, but still not too bad. If you have your animals mounted in Africa, shipping will be much higher, and you'll also owe duty on the value of the mounted trophies. If shipped back unmounted, there is no duty involved.

RUS, no meat can be imported into the USA. Our Department of Agriculture has strict rules that forbid this. Meat is sold locally, some is shipped commercially to other countries but not the USA, and of course some of it is enjoyed in camp.
 
S.Africa and Namibia offer the best hunting value in the world today. Going to Namibia this summer for my 4th trip to Africa. Lots of great hunts out there. The meat is never wasted, either used in camp, given to camp staff or locals, or sold. Just remember, you can't kill enough Kudu, you always have to hunt Kudu...LOL.

from the "Heartland of Wyoming"
 
Just to echo what others have said, it is the trip of a lifetime and the cheapest "per animal" hunt of all.

You don't have to bring the capes/horns back.

I brought back 6 capes, backskins & heads. All the hides were tanned and of course the heads were boiled out and ready to do european mounts. I don't have the exact amount but the processing in RSA was app. $1400 and the shipping handling back was about $500. Airline miles made the flight cost app. $400. The safari itself was a bargain as it was bought at a banquet, but a similar package would be around $4000.

6 animals, a week of guided hunting in a foreign country, and they treat you like a king for about $6000. Mounting will be more but I can have them done as I save money.
 
The costs getting my stuff back has been a little more than I had hoped. I had all the skulls boiled (this is required anyway), two of the capes sent green (for mounting here), and three hides tanned. The taxidermy work in Namibia was about $2k and the shipping was $700 (air freight). Now I have to pay about $500 to get the stuff through customs (I might could do this myself but I'd have to be in SF to do it so I'm paying someone instead). I could have kept the costs lower by not having the hides tanned and sent.

I spent $900 to get to Africa using frequent flier miles that I accrued on a delta credit card. Overall the cost, including my taxidermy in the states, will be about $12K. It is a little easier to deal with because it is spread out over time a bit. I would consider this a bit on the high side for a plains game hunt because I shot a huge kudu and an eland (not cheap choices). You can find many hunts for $2-$3K less than what I spent.

Really worth the experience if you can find a way to make it happen.

Todd
 
That's what I thought! My brother inlaw went over to africa this year, he took 5 animals, he said he was into it about 14k total, it cost about $2250 to get his trophys shipped back. Looks like its going to cost an average of about $2500 to $2600 per animal to hunt africa, not real cheap after all, I better start saving up now!
 
If he spent $2250 to get his trophies shipped home, he either had them mounted over there (bad idea) or he got seriously ripped off. Dipped, crating and shipping usually runs around $500-600, plus the actual cost of freight, and it shouldn't total anywhere near $2250, even if he took a 21 day full bag safari.

If you ship raw hides and skulls back to the USA, there is no duty, but you can pay an arm and a leg in duty if you want your stuff mounted over there.
 
Time for me to chime in here. I don't make a ton of money, but have managed to arrange my priorities and go over twice. The wife still loves (tolerates?) me, and it is a blast. It is nice to be treated so well while hunting. Still manage to hunt here every year also.

If a person really wants to try Africa in the future, the time to go is now. This is the strongest the US dollar has ever been against the Rand or Namibian dollar. Great deals are out there, and a person needs to attend one of the shows and talk to some outfitters to see what the packages really cost.

Dallas Safari Club, and Reno SCI are this month. Even the Western Expo next month will have lots of people there to check with on hunting Africa. Several are world class and top-notch people to boot.

Give it a try.
 
CAelknuts,
That may not be that far off at all. $2500 all-in to get trophies to your door is about right if you shot a lot or are bring home some big critters. Diping, packing, shipping and a customs broker could easily add up to that much. I went in Aug and am just about to have my trophies shipped home. I'll spend $1160 for 8 animals dip and pack, $7-8 hundred bucks for shipping, plus a few hundred bucks for customs clearance, and even a bit more to have them trucked from the port to my local taxidermist.
 
Well, maybe I need to update my figures. I haven't been in a while, but it was a lot less expensive not too long ago. Of course, I live only 2 hours from San Francisco, so I don't use a custom's broker or freight to get them home, I do it myself.

I thought he was saying $2250 for dipping, packing and shipping, and that does sound like a lot, even today unless he's got some buffalo or ivory coming back as part of his shipment.
 
I keep hearing there are great bargains in Africa all the time from hunters ! It may be a bargain if you brake it down to each Trophy ? The bottom line is you are going to be into the trip anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000, your not going to go over there to shoot just one animal, you are most likely going to take four to six Trophys.

Lets see, for $ 13,000 do I go to Africa? or a Quality Trophy Elk hunt just about anywhere? or three Trophy Mule Deer hunts? or three Trophy Whitetail hunts? or pay for my Daughters wedding ?

Maybe some day I will have enough Doe to hunt Africa !
 
Years ago I had heard a friend of mine cashed out his wife's retirement to go hunt Africa and thought he was an idiot. He never did go through with it. I've had other friends spend thousands on hunts to Alaska, Canada, Mexico etc....and I just thought it was a waste of money. Until I went on a bear hunt to Canada. Long story short, for me, if you have your priorities in line, you're taking care of family first, why not save up some money and go on these "exotic" hunts?

I've got a buddy that saves every penny he makes, doesn't buy anything. Doesn't hunt anywhere but his own back yard, and then only hunts deer. Sure he's got a bunch of cash in the bank, but I'd rather have the experiences and memories that are gained from hunting with the boys. I've given up golf, fishing, bird hunting and snowmobiling so that I can hunt big-game more. And I don't regret it one bit. I still get jealous when I hear of someone going to Africa, or Alaska on a neat hunt, but it just fuels my fire to have more adventures.
 
I just smile when people tell me I'm rich, 'cause I can go hunt in Africa. These are usually the ones with a new diesel pickup, ATV's, snowmobiles or specialty motorcycles, and a 36' fifth wheel RV. I really get a kick out of the ones smoking $4/pack cigarettes and drinking fancy micro brews, also.

Just a matter of priorities. I drive a 25 year old Suburban and my work car has 240,000 miles on it. My wife works full time so we can alternate his/her vacations every year. If you really want anything in life, you will find a way to do it.

My Dad always wanted to go to Austrailia, and kept putting it off. As he lay dying 10 years ago, he made me promise to never put off and regret not doing something I wanted. My first trip to Africa was by myself, but dedicated to him.
 
There are also way to do it more cheaply. You could easily find a good 7-10 day plains game hunt for $4.5-5K. You could do it even cheaper and just hunt the smaller animals like Impala, springbok, blesbok, duikers and Warthog, etc. If you abstained from taxidermy, and did not shoot the really prized critters, you could quite easily do a safari for $6-7K all in. Use some airline miles and you are into it for probably less than what a good elk hunt would cost at home. You'll get to shoot a half dozen animals for that price and get to see things that you probably never imagined. Not to mention the wonderful cultural experience you get from international travel. Yes, it is a much better value than your typical elk or deer hunt in North America. Once you amke a commitment, it is not difficult to save the required money. A couple - few hundred bucks here or there really adds up.
 
Several of you have commented on taking trips that leave you with special memories, and several have commented that it is still more expensive than going on an elk hunt if you're hunting multiple animals. I've done quite a few guided hunts here in North America, as well as a few in Africa. In my opinion, there is a difference.

I can remember vivid details of some of my North American hunts, particularly a couple of Alaskan hunts, but I have to say that I've taken a number of forgetable hunts here, including some long and expensive trips. Think 21 days Stone Sheep hunting and coming home without firing a shot forgettable, or 15 days Bighorn hunting and missing the only legal ram you saw. I've been on a pile of elk hunts, mostly DIY, but also some guided and most of the guided elk hunts haven't been that memorable, though a few were excellent and I still think of them.

I can't say the same thing about African hunting. The absolute best hunt I've ever been on was in May of 1983, in Zimbabwe. Yeah, it was a longer and more expensive hunt than most would ever go on, 24 days and I hunted elephant, buffalo, leopard in addition to plains game, but that hunt was the greatest value I've ever enjoyed in hunting, for anything or anywhere. It's been nearly 26 years, but I can still remember kneeling 13 yards from a big cape buffalo bull as he stood broadside, staring at me with a tree blocking his vitals. Or how he didn't even flinch when I hit him in the shoulder with a 500 grain bullet as he bolted to depart. When my PH said "you missed!", I was incredulous and assured him I did not miss. Fortunately, we found the buff dying less than 150 yards away. The other five cape buffalo I've shot have all been memorable, but that remains the only one I've taken with a single shot.
I'll never forget the strange calm that I experienced when time seemed to stand still as an enraged bull elephant came for us, and we stopped him at 10 yards; and how my .458 felt like a BB gun at the time when facing that giant. I could go on and on, but don't want to bore everyone. The bottom line is, I've enjoyed more great experiences and built more long time memories on African hunts than I have over here, whether DIY or guided over here. I'll take those great memories to the grave, they'll never leave me so I guess some would say I got my monies worth on those hunts. I probably could have used the money I spent on those hunts for more worthwhile things, but we have a house, our kids are through high school and onto college, we have cars to drive and clothes to wear, and I've got incredible memories that, in hindsight, I would have paid far more to obtain if I'd have known how special they'd be.

I guess it's all a matter of what matters to you, which is why I'm taking my family over to South Africa this coming summer.
 
Ive been to Africa 4 times already and I'm not rich by any means!! Its all a matter of if you really want to go or not.. I always have money going into an account that I dont touch just for hunting.. that way, when it comes time to book a hunt, the money is there. I'm headed to Tajikistan this Nov for Ibex and back to Namibia in 2010.. been saving since the day I got back from Africa in Aug. '08!!
 
Hunting in Africa is a pleasure that everyone should experience. I have been 5 times, and taken the entire family on two of those trips. I still get a special satisfaction out of stalking a rutting bull elk on a DIY hunt here in the states, but I find myself thinking of going back to Africa just as much.

Many people start talking about costs, and then don't compare apples to apples. The cost of transporting trophies home from Africa is high, and $2K is not out of the ballpark these days. Have you priced shipping moose horns home from Alaska recently?Not cheap either, and you are only talking one set of horns. Taxidermy bills area always high, it seems, whether or not you are talking kudu or elk. I still think it is generally worth the expense.

As far as the actual hunt goes, 5-8K can buy a fantastic plains game hunt in Africa. you don't have to bring home the horns if you need to save money. If I think of all the North American hunts when I would have gladly paid the shipping costs if only I had been successful....

You can always pay a lot more for the big 5 hunts. I did do a 10 day PAC bull ele hunt not long ago for under $10K, including airfare and everything, and with a top notch outfit. I've seen an awful lot of elk hunts with higher price tags, and nothing beats an elephant hunt up close and personal to set your hunting priorities straight.

Good Hunting,

Bill
 
Llamapacker, I think you'll agree that a bull elephant is the greatest game animal that one can hunt. I think they are the ultimate as far as hunting goes, and if I could afford it, I'd hunt them every year for the rest of my days.

What do you think?
 
CAelknuts,

I really do enjoy ele hunting, and will plan to do another bull hunt in the not too distant future, I hope. As much as I do love the big elephants, I think another buffalo is awful high on my list right now. There is just something about being in large herds of agitated buff that really gets the adrenaline going. Much the same as being within 20 yards of a bull elephant, but multiplied by the number of animals present.

Choosing one hunt over another has never been my strong suit. I love both elephant hunting and buffalo hunting in Africa. Here in NA, elk and mule deer compete with sheep hunting for my priorities. Each has its own special charms. Not a bad dilema to have...

Bill
 
For people that have hunted Africa how for out did you book your hunt. Do you think places would let you book for 2011?
 
Todd,can you give us a break down of your final hunt,travel,
etc,costs. Basically any and all costs from the time you leave home until you return.

Also are you able to bring meat home,if so how much,and do you have to have animals mounted there and then shipped home?

Reason being every year @ our RMEF dinner there is a African hunt that sells for around $4k or less (I think it's for 4 to 6 plains game animals and valued @ around 8k)and everyone is afraid to bid on it because we're worried about hidden fees or just not taken into consideration all the things that you have to do and pay for to hunt that region. I would hate to buy hunt for 4k and find out it ends up costing another 10k.

Thanks in advance for your time.

Joe E Sikora
 
You cannot bring meat home. You do not have to have animals mounted over there. In order to bring them home however, they do need to be dipped and packed according to a strict governmental process. They then arrive in the US as salted skins and cleaned skulls which your taxidermist will then tan and mount. You can have the taxidermy done over there and it will probably save you some money but the quality is generally not as good as what is done here in the US.

Costs: Airfare, about $23-2700 depending on where from and to.

Dip, pack and ship back home. Figure on about $2000 give or take for 5 or 6 plains game animals.

Your US taxidery can run the gamut. In most cases it will be at least a few hundred more per head than your typical deer or elk. Get price lists ahead of time and budget accordingly.

Tips: $25+ or so per day to be split among the staff. $50-100 a day for your PH.

You might want a few hundred bucks for incidentals along the way. Make sure you keep a good supply of small bills while in airports for the porters and help.
 
Craig,

The short hunt I'll be taking my family on was booked directly with the safari company, and we just booked it for this summer. Generally, I've booked my hunts directly with the safari operators and about 12-18 months out. Of course, if you book it further out, you'll have more choices of prime dates.

Llamapacker, can't argue with you about buffalo, they are also great to hunt, and I've hunted them a lot more than elephants. They're both great, but I do think elephant hunting has it's own special appeal. With cost being a consideration, I know I'll shoot more buffalo going forward than I ever will elephants. I just hope I get to take one or two more trophy bull elephant hunts before I die. I'd also love to do some PAC hunts and cow hunts.
 
Hi Joe:

As long as you don't let my wife see it :)

The airfare was $300 (I used a credit card to earn miles and only had to pay for the last leg of the trip) plus $300 to the booking agent to get it all set up for me (I probably couldn't have done it without her help so worth it).

I hunted a la carte so I paid daily rates and trophy fees for each animal. Daily rates were $300/day and I stayed eight days. These fees cover everything except for the trophy fees.

I spent $4,650 for trophy fees on seven animals. My guide really did a great job so I tipped him about 15%.

The taxidermy work in Namibia (all skulls boiled, two capes prepared green, and three full rugs tanned) cost $2K. The shipping to the US about $700. The customs in the US should be about $500-$600. Then I'll have the taxidermy work in the US for the two shoulder mounts I'm doing - I expect these to cost about what an elk would cost to mount.

I was just looking in the brochure that I brought back from Omujeve and they offer combo hunts as well. One hunt is 10 days, 1x1, 7 animals (good ones) for $6,500 or $6,000 2x1. Another combo hunt is $4,500 for 7 days 1x1 for 5 animals.

Hope this helps. I think the most important thing if you're thinking about Africa is getting good references for the guide. Our guide was fantastic and it made it worth every penny to me.

Todd
 
Todd - you rock man wow some wonderful times. I guess you better start that AK app for a Moose now, just tell the wife you won't draw:)

Makes me want to do an Africa trip now instead of BOU in AK. Big congrats!

Steve
 

Click-a-Pic ... Details & Bigger Photos

Member Gallery Photos and Videos!

IMG_6374.jpeg
8BE5BE15-97D2-4E35-BEA0-04501ECBE4B0.jpeg
6929.jpeg
1713404228813.jpeg
3434E84B-1217-443C-A8E4-A4B1A219DE62.jpeg
IMG_0490.jpeg
IMG_1867.png
IMG_5767.jpeg
Big Bull
Big Typical Muley
5x5-2.jpg
0217221300a.jpg
Back
Top Bottom