Is this a fair price for a hunt?

[rookhawk]

Guys,

Thanks again for all your input as it was valuable. I apologize for my vague details and that it may have had you scratching your head. I'll let you all know more detail in how things came together if they do in a couple weeks.

Especially thank you for the sanity checks on daily rates and for info on the standard operating procedures you've experienced with outfitters.

Also thank you to the PHs that clearly were able to infer the scenario I'm considering but were thoughtful enough to not spell out exactly where and what I was considering without putting it all in print in the replies. Much appreciated for respecting privacy while providing great feedback.

Regards,

Troy

 

[siml]

Troy, sounds fishy to me, not really a great deal if you don't take all the animals.

 

[spike.t]

@rookhawk what was the outcome here?

 

[Stuart1970]

Without a fee for individual animals, and no refund for game not taken.....tread lightly, even at 1000 daily fees for PH that leaves a lot of cash flying in the breeze. Thats also quite a list to harvest in a short time period. Given this is wild area, you may be doing a lot of roaming for a shooting resolution. Either way good luck, your adventure is about to begin!!

 

[rookhawk]

@rookhawk what was the outcome here?

TBD

 

[spike.t]

isnt decision time close?.........

 

[rookhawk]

isnt decision time close?.........

Government issues have delayed decision.

 

[siml]

The fish is starting to get a bit smelly...Rook, giving a wild guest, are we talking a private game farm..Botswana?

 

[James.Grage]

Rookhawk

The short answer is NO i would not do the hunt.

I have read reports where the hunter is quoted a price for the package hunt and never saw a shoot-able animal.

Seeing as you are being secretive and not wanting anyone to know where you are going is not a good indicator of a good hunt.

I have not taken a package deal like you are talking about where you pay for the animal weather you shoot it or not.

It I sounds like this could be and up scale photo safari, is what you will may be have lined up.

If you decide to go, go with the intent that you will return with nothing in the way of trophies...

 

[shoulderman]

I would absolutely walk away. If the 20 k is paid up front and can't be refunded, there is very little incentive to work extra hard to get you your animals. You also may be tempted to take a lesser quality animal just to "fill the list" I don't like this one bit. Especially for your first trip to Africa. You don't want to be under any pressure to harvest while you are there. You want to be able truly soak in the experience. There are also so many other options out there for a great plains game experience that won't cost you that much money. If you said you only wanted to spend 10k and you are spending 20k. You have to remember the minimum of the other 10 to 12 k for dip/pack/shipping to states/clearing/shipping to your taxidermist if getting done here, then taxidermy and shipping to your home. Now you are 3 times at your original budget.

 

[rookhawk]

Well, I've made a decision and can elaborate now that the dust has settled.

I chose to hunt with a PH that I trust and have met several times. Fair chase and no fences was imperative for me so I chose to do Zimbabwe. I bought an auction from the Zimbabwe parks service in an area that has good animals and a traditional fly camp setting not far from where Courtney Selous had his camp.

Since I was contemplating an auction I did not want to advertise it and bring more awareness to the event as it could have impacted my bids.

The bag I acquired licenses to attempt to harvest are:

Kudu1

Zebra1

Impala5

Impala (F)4

Steenbok1

Baboon2

Guinea Fowl5

Pigeons 5

Francolin10

Vervet Monkey2

Sandgrouse10

Warthog1

Spotted Hyena1

Giraffe1

It's a large potential bag but in Zim it's pre-paid no refunds and that government isn't incented to make sure I get my bag, that's my PH's job. All I know is that the PH says it's good habitat and the government states that this bag is the proper amount for a sustainable harvest.

I'll hunt in June.

The big-5 bags all went to affluent Russians that bid them up to astronomical sums. I'm content with the plains game hunt I got. These were the areas and animal tags / camps auctioned for those that were curious: http://www.desiredauctioneers.co.zw

 

[BRICKBURN]

Good luck.

 

[gillettehunter]

interesting way to do it. Hope it works out for you. be sure and post a hunt report. Best of luck to you. Bruce

 

[Spooksar]

Not the way I would do it but good luck with the hunt

 

[siml]

Would be interesting to hear what the package went for on auction.

 

[Hank2211]

The thought of doing a hunt this way has not occurred to me, but the more I think about it . . .

I think the starting ;point is that you have to have a Zim PH you know and trust (I do), and do your research on prices offered by outfitters and the area itself. PH gives you numbers for cost of the camp and tracker, skinner, etc., and you make your bid.

Now I really like the idea . . . but the idea of competing with wealthy Russians, not so much.

Rookhawk, I am very much looking forward to the report of your hunt. Africa the old fashioned way?

 

[siml]

Hank, I don't think it's the best way to go....plenty unknown factors, how much for the camp a day, ph fees, vehicles,food, skinners, rememeber all the little things, they add up..etc, I was at one of the auctions two weeks ago, packages when for nearly 50% more than I valued them...AUCTION FEVER..

Also the animals you don't shoot on that time period you lose out.

 

[Hank2211]

Hank, I don't think it's the best way to go....plenty unknown factors, how much for the camp a day, ph fees, vehicles,food, skinners, rememeber all the little things, they add up..etc, I was at one of the auctions two weeks ago, packages when for nearly 50% more than I valued them...AUCTION FEVER..

Also the animals you don't shoot on that time period you lose out.

I get that Simon, and some of those things you should be able to account for - again, this is where the PH comes in. Other factors will be a challenge.

I think the biggest challenges will be the quality of the area - the availability of game. Rookhawk has quite a list, and in four hunts in Zimbabwe, I've never seen an area with all of those. So you would have to factor that in to the price you are prepared to bid.

And of course, as you say, you need to avoid auction fever.

But what's missing for me in much of the African hunting today is the "old time" safari experience. I read stories of guys who just up and went into the bush for a month, camped, ate what they killed, and I would really like to try that.

 

[tinie kok]

Rookhawk
Just to ask . Are you hunting in tuli as I was at the auction on Friday and bought 4 camps for my clients here . 3 in June and 1 in August .

 

[Hank2211]

I wan't involved in any of these - wasn't even aware of it until today.

I will be in South Africa and Namibia this summer. Thinking of the future.