"Cheap" Hunts

[billc]

Again anytime someone loses money it is bad and has nothing to do with the cost of a hunt. It may not be the way guys like to look at booking a hunt but it is a business for someone.

Again it takes time to see who makes it and who goes away. Anyone thinking that post about cheap hunts is making this better is just kidding themselves. It is just a way some try and make themselves look better but to me it normally makes them look pretty stupid.

 

[tarbe]

My question.

Is the quality of the Safari less important than the price?

I believe your question is based on a false assumption. Almost like asking someone if they have stopped beating their wife.

I do believe that what you are seeing is an expansion of the safari experience into a wider market.

Back in "the day", African safaris were strictly for the wealthy.

Now due to creative marketing and a broader spectrum of offerings, many more people are able to experience some sort of hunt in Africa.

Most folks still cannot afford a 21 or 30 day DG/PG hunt, but for those who can, the hunts are still offered. But now days, a fellow who otherwise would never see Africa (me) is going on a 10-day hunt for PG because a number of outfitters are catering to me, and offering me a hunt I can afford.

How is that a bad thing? More hunters coming to Africa, more money being spent in Africa, an overall stronger hunting industry.

An analogy; Rolls Royce make a quality automobile...but that quality is meaningless to me because I could never afford to own a Rolls. What matters to me is if Toyota makes a decent car that I can afford to buy.

Of course, just my $0.02 from my worm's eye view!


Tim

 

[Warbird782]

I would gladly own many Toyotas over one Rolls. That being said how about last minute hunts? These are offered by all outfitters. I have seen greatly reduced hunts due to cancellations. Are these of less quality. Doubtful. You can obtain a good prices hunt of quality. Do your homework and call the references or watch the hunt reports right here on AH.

 

[siml]

There have been some good points raised in this thread, I was chatting to an outfitter who was charging 450$ a day on bird shooting, wasn't getting hunts sold, so dropped his price to 380$ a day, still no bookings, he then decided to mark his prices up to 750$ a day, now he is just about fully booked.

Something that I feel really hurts the hunting industry is the "FORCED" donation hunts...these hunts usually sell for a cheap price. A lot of hunters buy these donations as they know they getting a bargain.

 

[tarbe]

One other point I would like to emphasize.

It is the hunter who is paying for the safari that gets to define what constitutes "quality". After all, s/he is the one ponying up the cash.

So if the hunter who makes a modest wage considers their "cheap" safari to be of acceptable quality for the price paid, that is all that really matters.

 

[numzaanstef]

Dear Friends,
These questions and discussions around it was not to make anybody look bad or attack anybody at all. I am not judging anyone for the way they choose to run their business. It is purely to try and get a better idea of what you our potential clients think about the situation. The more honest feedback we get the better service we can offer. Thank you for all your input.

 

[BRICKBURN]

It is a great point for discussion.