How much for Africa?

[Csu7mm]

I have been wondering, what would the bottom line be for a basic plains game hunt in either South Africa or Namibia? I would like to hunt gemsbok, kudu, impala, springbok, and warthog or hartebeest. I was wondering what I should expect to spend on the actual hunt, airfare, tips, shipping trophies home, taxidermy, etc. I was just wondering how much more saving I need to do. Thanks!

 

[YukonDall]

I BELIEVE FOR YOUR TYPE OF PLAINS GAME SAFARI CRUISER SARFARI HUNTS ARE THE BEST PRICES TO BE FOUND. THEY HAVE A GOOD WEBSITE. YD.

 

[Bambistew]

$1700-2100 for airfar to RSA and figure another $500 to Namibia
$250-600 a day tarrif
$4000+/- for trophy fees RSA
$3000+/- for trophy fees Nam
10-15% of total Day rate for tip
$250-350 per animal dip/pack/ship
$450-900 per animal taxidermy

This is at the top end of what you'll likely spend and better deals can be found. If you look around you can probably find a package deal for the amimals you mention on a 7 day hunt including day rate and trophy fees for around $5000 or so. Keep in mind that lots of places that have good 'deals' some times don't have good animals as they run so many people through.

There is a site called accuratereloading which has tons of African threads and hundreds of guys that have gone. Its far and a way your best resouce for reserching Africa. The next best place to reserch is outdoor shows.

Good luck, and start saving your pennies. You will have the hunt of your life!

 

[hntnhrd]

I have been researching it for the past 6 months. I AM taking wife and daughter. Daughter may take a couple animals but my wife doesn't hunt.For a GOOD place not super fancy I am at 11,000 for a 10 day hunt. Not including airfare or taxidermy. I am planning on doing a mount or two a year when I come back not all at once. Some may just wind up being skull mounts. Cabelas has one package right now for 7400.00 10 days 10 animals. Looks kind of too good to be true but you never know.

Should be the trip of a lifetime.

 

[couesbitten]

I've also been looking into this, and I intend to take my wife, son, and daughter with me when I go. Son and I will both hunt, and I'm thinking that 10 days and a dozen animals between us is going to run me about $20,000, not counting taxi work. I would recommend becoming an annual member of Safari Club Int. the bi-monthly magazine that they send out is very informative, and has hundreds of contacts for African safaris. Have a look at these websites, from what I've been able to read, I think all are very good. Of all that I've listed, my personal choice would be Erindi Game Reserve, based on my research. Scott

Namibia
http://www.erindigamereserve.com/
http://www.africantwilightsafaris.com/
http://www.namibsunhunting.com/

South Africa
http://www.blaauwkrantz.com/
http://www.eklandsafaris.com/

 

[WVHUNTER]

I hunted South Africa with http://www.Huntershillsafaris.com/ in 2005. Price for my wife and I was $6,000 for Kudu, Gemsbuck, Zebra, Blesbuck, Impala and Springbuck.

Airfare was $1,800 each.

I had the taxidermy done there. $2,000 for the taxidermy and another $1,000 to ship them home.

Tips were $400 for the PH and a $100 each for two trackers.

So if you leave the wife at home it would be about $10,000.

 

[hntnhrd]

WVhunter sent you a PM

 

[WVHUNTER]

hntnhrd,

sent you a PM

WVHUNTER

 

[Csu7mm]

Thanks for the info. I kind of figured that I should start looking when I have about 10,000 saved. I would like my wife to go, but I don't think she wants to. No kids yet, so it will just be me. Again, thanks for the info.

 

[OutdoorWriter]

LAST EDITED ON Dec-05-06 AT 05:52PM (MST)[p]Below is a copy of a message I posted on AR a couple days ago. Be aware of the date of my hunt; prices MIGHT have changed a bit since. If you would like the contact info for the U.S. agent we used, send me a PM here. He's a class act and even called over to SA twice to see how the hunt was going. And...be sure to note how many animals I killed. -TONY

I hunted with John X Safaris (http://www.johnxsafaris.co.za/)on the East Cape of RSA in 2003 and paid the FULL amount -- no discounts. Before I actually booked with them, though, I compared the basic hunt cost and additional trophy fees for more animals to many, many other outfitters.

The long and short of it -- it cost me a hair under $10,000 for everything involving John X. The cost included lodging, food, alcohol, tips, VAT, trophy prep and PH/tracker, of course.

The original 1-on-1, 10-day hunt was $4,995, which included an impala, springbok, kudu, gemsbok and blesbok. I added a nyala (highest trophy fee at $1,700), zebra, bushbuck, warthog and both blue and black wildebeests. My PH threw in an extra springbok ram because I wanted one for a full rug. That's a total of 12 critters.

All, including the free springbok, were above-average specimens, with about 80% large enough to make the SCI books. Plus, the accommodations, food and every other service were top notch. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend John X to anyone.

The bad news, the airfare and everything AFTER the hunt, including all the taxidermy work, cost me about $12,000 more. :-(

Holler if you'd like to see a few photos of the critters I let the air out of. -TONY

 

[BigPig]

I'm looking at a 10 day in SA for Kudu, gemsbok, wildebeest, impala, duiker, and warthog. I'm looking at about $12K for everything. All air, hunt, tips, incidentals, dip and pack, shoulder mounts for Kudu, Wildebeest, Gemsbok, pedestal for the duiker and euro mount for the impala. That is doing it right, no skimping.

 

[Elkcrzy1]

I hunted with bobbyhansensafaris.com in SA in '02. We had an awesome hunt and took some great animals. 30" nyala, 40" gemsbok, 26" impala and other great stuff. Hes a good guy, honest, hard working and id reccommend him. You can also check into cabelas for package type hunts ive heard were good. gary

 

[scottyboy]

LAST EDITED ON Dec-06-06 AT 12:39PM (MST)[p]I went on my 3rd African hunt this summer with my wife.. We ended up with 7 animals and with our airfare, it came out to right at 14K for the whole hunt.. I'm now getting ready to have to pay the Customs broker.. my skins are going to be here in the next week or so..
if you want any info on my hunt, PM and I'd be glad to help you out any way I can..

here are a couple of pics from my most recent hunt to get you Jonezin' for your African hunt!!

 

[OutdoorWriter]

Big Pig,

Your total sounds about right for the number of animals, I assume you included the estimate for shipping trophies or hides/head and customs brokering, etc. in it? -TONY

 

[Huck58]

If you have never been, go to the africam.com website listed on here and it might get you fired up, you go once, most return!

 

[Texas_Hunter]

I will second the Cruiser Safari's comments. I just spent 10 days hunting with Chris Broster in Canada and he is a great guy. I am going with another outfit in 2007, but Chris was a wealth of knowledge and gave me tremendous pointers. I believe he is booked for 2007, but I also talked with 6 guys who have been with him and they gave him nothing but rave reviews.

He is still trying to establish his business with Andrew (his Safari Partner) and I think you would have a dynamite hunt with him.

 

[kidkononen]

That Giraffe would be one hell of a mount!

 

[hunterofelk]

I had a great adventure in Namibia, took a Kudu, Gemsbok, Springbok, Red Hartebeest, Zebra and Klipspringer in about 12 days of hunting. Everything went well until the taxidermist in Cape Town got involved. It took two years to get the mounts to me and I didn't get the Kudu, Gemsbok and Springbok I killed. I got someone else's animals. After talking and e-mailing with another group of hunters whose capes and horns went to the same shop with mine, I've concluded I will never see my original animals again. The other guys didn't get all their original animals either.
So my advice is to pay the higher price USA taxidermists charge and save yourself some stress. It's worth it.