Auction Hunt in Africa?

[Red Leg]

Off topic but what issue was your RSA hunt article in? I enjoyed your article about Takeri and would like to check it out if I still have that issue.

That is very kind of you. It is titled "Up Close and Personal in the Limpopo" in the Spring 2019 issue. As a subscriber, you can also access all the back issues digitally on their site.

 

[Flipper Dude]

Bought two auction hunts at DSC in 2022. One to a ranch hunt for plains game in SA 4 hunters or 2. $1000 trophy fees included for each hunter. Everyone wants to go to Africa until you put them on the spot, as in, let’s book airfare. Had to let it go and eat my $$. Bought another auction for close to full price at Tholo Safaris in Botswana. Place I had been wanting to go. The wife and I went and had a great time, after spending a week self touring in Namibia along the Skeleton Coast.

 

[Tbitty]

Did not read past the first 4 or 5 posts yet, but I am one of those who has been on a safari from an Auction Hunt. 2 of them actually; 1 in Africa and another in Argentina. My brother purchased both at SCI banquet events for a local chapter. I don't recall the exact organization/event, but you get the idea.
1st was Africa, hunted in 2017. I have a full write up of that hunt somewhere in these forums, but I'll give a synopsis here. The package included day rates and a $500 trophy credit per hunter, 4 hunters going 2x1. We paid about $400 per person (3 of us instead of 4) for the auction, I don't recall exactly the price. Airport pickup was an extra cost. All the usual exclusions (dip and pack, gratuities, airfare, etc.). And they had a 2 trophy minimum per hunter, but no restrictions on what those were, it could be the 2 least expensive trophies if you wanted. I never felt any pressure to shoot more or animals I didn't want. I did spend a lot more than I could have had I bought a packaged deal from any numer of those advertising deals on this site, or what I saw at DSC this past weekend. Some of that was naivety, some because I didn't know if/when I'd ever go back. My brother shot only 2 animals because he had another hunt (that ended up falling through) lined up to go back the next year with some included trophies. ... overall, it was not the "deal" it seemed to be by buying it cheap. I'd absolutely do it again and not regret it but I think same or better values can easily be found.

Hunt 2 in Argentina was easily the best value hunt I've ever been on. My brother gifted me the hunt as a present and I don't know exactly how much it cost him, but I know it was a steal. It included 2 red stag, 2 blackbuck, 1 water buffalo and all day fees and transfer from local airport. I did add some wing shooting and other activities, but that was purely by choice and not in any way pressured to do so. I also hunted for a 2nd blackbuck when i had an extra day after completing my original two, but told them I was only interested in finding an exceptional trophy, not taking another of same size as the first. Another day I went for feral ram but we didn't find any. ... For this one, I wish I could find another deal as sweet as this one was. I've looked for them actually, and would jump at the chance to do it again.

 

[Quest#1]

Read the fine print on every auction/ contract.
I have had good luck with auction hunts.
But i always keep in mind the outfitter makes nothing/ very little until i do add ons. So i always make it worth while for them. Its a business at the end of the day… In return i have been treated more than fair and most times been given extra animals or days for no charge. I have 2 more planned for this summer. I can’t say how the hunt will be… i can say the communication between the 2 outfitters have been top notch. You can’t go wrong with Afrihunt spent 20 days with them we didn’t stop laughing the entire time. Great family!
Unfortunately it will be years before i will return to some of these outfits as i want to do a new African country each time until i have hit most of them.

 

[Safari Dave]

I've "rolled the dice" twice and it has worked out wonderfully for me.

However, I wouldn't recommend that approach.


Just post on this forum "Have you hunted with "X" ?", and PM the members who have hunted with the outfitter with any sensitive questions.

Outside of RSA and Namibia, you are likely to hear anything. It got crazy with my last hunt to Mozambique, because there were friends of the old holder of the concession that told me that the current holder was a fraud. There were more recent hunters who had actually hunted with current concession holder and told me that their experience was great.

After the old concession holder's son called me (and I had never given my phone number to anyone on this forum, so "CREEPY" became my dominate thought), I decided to go with the current concession holder.

The hunt exceeded all of my expectations!


Bottom line - get referrals from the people on this forum...

 

[Hunt anything]

@Safari Dave , what coutada did you hunt in Mozambique?

 

[Safari Dave]

Cape Buffalo.



I also got permits for baboon and spotted hyena.

I got a baboon, but found it a little too grueling to tough it out all it out all night in a leopard blind waiting for a hyena.

 

[randallhebert]

I bought two hunts last year in Nashville. Hunts included specific animals and x amount of days. Added a few days and a couple animals and spent 30 days in africa and Namibia with my wife and son and ended up taking 20 animals. This gives outfitter a little incentive.

 

[Moe324]

Never won an auction hunt in Africa.. but have won several international hunts to other places on auctions…

2 different outfitters in Argentina.. 1 in Peru.. 1 in Ireland..

The hunt in Peru left a bit to be desired… great hunting.. but a marginal operation overall… at the price we paid it was still a serious bargain though and I really can’t complain..

All the others were genuinely wonderful… we were treated just like any other clients.. and had no issues.. no fine print surprises…

We do realize the outfitters get stretched pretty thin on auction hunts so we go out of our way to make it worth it to them.. we typically purchase additional hunts/animals.. I post hunt reports here and I tell people about my experiences and refer other hunters to them, etc..

Maybe we’ve just had exceptional luck.. but we’ll continue to buy an auction hunt whenever the opportunity presents itself… they support DSC/SCI/NWTF, etc.. they are a bargain for us.. and since we add on additional game, the outfitter doesn’t get beat too bad either (I’m guessing most end up making a little money)… so it’s a win/win/win..

We just got an incredible deal on an auction hunt in New Zealand last week at DSC… we are super excited about it..

What did you hunt in Peru and who with?

 

[mdwest]

What did you hunt in Peru and who with?

We hunted with these guys

Chaku Peru | hunting in peru

Chaku hunting outfitter offers hunts around the world your hunting guide Angelo will take you to peru chile mexico USA australia spain and france

www.chakuperu.com

Ducks and dove.

The dove experience was unique and fun… not nearly as many birds as a true high volume hunt like you’ll experience in Argentina.. but certainly volumes more than anywhere in the US… you could easily take a hundred dove or more in a day… we hunted them in the middle of an avocado grove… on the pass..

Ducks were a different experience as well… while we saw a few species not found in the US, what was strange was the ducks that are highly prized and hard to come by in the US like cinnamon teal are common there.. and fairly common ducks in the US like a mallard, are super hard to come by there…many of the same species we have, but in reversed commonality and numbers/volume…

Was neat to have chased cinnamons for years here and never see one.. only to shoot a dozen of them in one day there..

 

[Moe324]

We hunted with these guys

Chaku Peru | hunting in peru

Chaku hunting outfitter offers hunts around the world your hunting guide Angelo will take you to peru chile mexico USA australia spain and france

www.chakuperu.com

Ducks and dove.

The dove experience was unique and fun… not nearly as many birds as a true high volume hunt like you’ll experience in Argentina.. but certainly volumes more than anywhere in the US… you could easily take a hundred dove or more in a day… we hunted them in the middle of an avocado grove… on the pass..

Ducks were a different experience as well… while we saw a few species not found in the US, what was strange was the ducks that are highly prized and hard to come by in the US like cinnamon teal are common there.. and fairly common ducks in the US like a mallard, are super hard to come by there…many of the same species we have, but in reversed commonality and numbers/volume…

Was neat to have chased cinnamons for years here and never see one.. only to shoot a dozen of them in one day there..

I'm actually talking to Angelo about hunting ducks and geese down there. That's why I asked because I was wondering if there was something else to hunt there.