Cost for Me To Take The Big 5

[Rare Breed]

After being on our great site for so many years now becoming an Ambassador I thought this might be a good time to post my experience towards my vision of taking the big 5. I have gotten concerned when reading so many members say they could “never possibly get the big 5” due to cost. While I fully understand cost is in the eyes of the beholder my hope is to share you don’t have to be wealthy to obtain your goal. The following are my costs for the Big 5 without tip or air for perspective:
1. Cape Buffalo Zim $13,000
2. Rhino while the dart hunt was won at auction cost $6,000
3. Male CBL lion $6,500
4. Bull Elephant $15,000
5. Leopard $17,000 going in June 2025
Total $57,500
While this is a lot of money to me given I am not wealthy but I have done well as a senior executive it is still far less than one wild lion hunt or 60-70 pound elephant hunt
My point is set your vision then go after it as I have on your terms and no one else’s as long as it’s legal

 

[Flbt]

After being on our great site for so many years now becoming an Ambassador I thought this might be a good time to post my experience towards my vision of taking the big 5. I have gotten concerned when reading so many members say they could “never possibly get the big 5” due to cost. While I fully understand cost is in the eyes of the beholder my hope is to share you don’t have to be wealthy to obtain your goal. The following are my costs for the Big 5 without tip or air for perspective:
1. Cape Buffalo Zim $13,000
2. Rhino while the dart hunt was won at auction cost $6,000
3. Male CBL lion $6,500
4. Bull Elephant $15,000
5. Leopard $17,000 going in June 2025
Total $57,500
While this is a lot of money to me given I am not wealthy but I have done well as a senior executive it is still far less than one wild lion hunt or 60-70 pound elephant hunt
My point is set your vision then go after it as I have on your terms and no one else’s as long as it’s legal

Very good and inspiring

With me I will be personal
I got into a high risk job that payed well for where I was at in my state.
My idea was being able to retire in 20 years
So I started as young as I could 19
The idea being retired and hopefully have all the kids grow or nearly grow at 39 or so
Then do 5 years more after retirement ( the the drop program) and use that 5 years to fund where I wanted to hunt.

Well I got hurt so plan’s just don’t work out.
No big deal
I have been lucky in my own way
Family hunted dad had me with him for everything he could so I have been hunting since 4
I grew up in a farming community
I have had access to big farms deer and hog hunting.
Bear hunting in my youth.
But I have also had the opportunity to do depredation shooting/hunting/ pest control
What ever you want to call it.
From shooting chickens that got out of a egg farm and coyotes and other pest said chickens brought in to the farm
To deer on big farms and of course our feral hogs
So I have had a good time and a good life
Just it didn’t go as planned.
But who’s does?

 

[rookhawk]

After being on our great site for so many years now becoming an Ambassador I thought this might be a good time to post my experience towards my vision of taking the big 5. I have gotten concerned when reading so many members say they could “never possibly get the big 5” due to cost. While I fully understand cost is in the eyes of the beholder my hope is to share you don’t have to be wealthy to obtain your goal. The following are my costs for the Big 5 without tip or air for perspective:
1. Cape Buffalo Zim $13,000
2. Rhino while the dart hunt was won at auction cost $6,000
3. Male CBL lion $6,500
4. Bull Elephant $15,000
5. Leopard $17,000 going in June 2025
Total $57,500
While this is a lot of money to me given I am not wealthy but I have done well as a senior executive it is still far less than one wild lion hunt or 60-70 pound elephant hunt
My point is set your vision then go after it as I have on your terms and no one else’s as long as it’s legal

Sounds good. I think your estimate will hit a roadbump with wild leopard. It took me 4 hunts to get one, that can be a devastating cost. Wild Lion can also be a 2x cost beyond what we think it will cost.

 

[Tanks]

...
1. Cape Buffalo Zim $13,000
2. Rhino while the dart hunt was won at auction cost $6,000
3. Male CBL lion $6,500
4. Bull Elephant $15,000
5. Leopard $17,000 going in June 2025
...

I will most likely not do the "Big Five" as I refuse to dart a rhino similar to what their vets do on a regular basis. Lion will happen in Zambia most likely next year.

 

[Rare Breed]

Sounds good. I think your estimate will hit a roadbump with wild leopard. It took me 4 hunts to get one, that can be a devastating cost. Wild Lion can also be a 2x cost beyond what we think it will cost.

I fear you are correct @rookhawk !!! Lou Hallamore my ph said “craig no matter what your told, leopard is 50-50.”. That’s why i have saved him till last. While hope is eternal I know it might take several hunts to get him

 

[rookhawk]

I fear you are correct @rookhawk !!! Lou Hallamore my ph said “craig no matter what your told, leopard is 50-50.”. That’s why i have saved him till last. While hope is eternal I know it might take several hunts to get him

Indeed. Hallamore is probably the best leopard man alive. I went 0 for 2 with him in a bad area. (we were after other things, no hard feelings)

Hallamore probably has 2:3 odds in premium areas.

 

[Tanks]

I fear you are correct @rookhawk !!! Lou Hallamore my ph said “craig no matter what your told, leopard is 50-50.”. That’s why i have saved him till last. While hope is eternal I know it might take several hunts to get him

@michael458 will tell you it is much worse than a 50-50. Of course, I had one hitting the bait on day one and nabbed him on day 3 of baiting.

 

[Rare Breed]

I will most likely not do the "Big Five" as I refuse to dart a rhino similar to what their vets do on a regular basis. Lion will happen in Zambia most likely next year.

While I completely respect your thoughts @Tanks you have been an incredible successful entrepreneur. If you want the Big 5 ( you took an incredible huge leopard with CMS) you could go on a Rhino hunt that is not a dart hunt. I congratulate you on all the great animals and hunts you have shared with all of us…truly exceptional!

 

[Tanks]

While I completely respect your thoughts @Tanks you have been an incredible successful entrepreneur. If you want the Big 5 ( you took an incredible huge leopard with CMS) you could go on a Rhino hunt that is not a dart hunt. I congratulate you on all the great animals and hunts you have shared with all of us…truly exceptional!

I don't think there are any Rhino hunts outside of captive bred ones in RSA. There was an auction a few years ago for a wild one that went for $350K. Something to ponder for the future.

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/05/20/408186635/black-rhino-is-killed-by-u-s-hunter-who-won-controversial-auction

 

[rookhawk]

I don't think there are any Rhino hunts outside of captive bred ones in RSA. There was an auction a few years ago for a wild one that went for $350K. Something to ponder for the future.

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/05/20/408186635/black-rhino-is-killed-by-u-s-hunter-who-won-controversial-auction

Indeed. Those 3 black rhino auctions for conservation in Namibia were a rare opportunity for a well-heeled hunter. Kill them hunting, otherwise they were going to destroy them to avoid genetic bottlenecking. Good stuff from a science perspective.

Might as well add the dangerous 7 to the big-5 lineup. My son shot his croc for around $3800 (a maneater on the Kusile river) and a Hippo (I got one in the Valley) for around $4500.

I'm not a lion aficianado myself, not enough to shoot a CBL, so I've avoided the $60k wild hunts thus far. I'm also not interested in darting a rhino so I won't do that hunt in my lifetime. (no shade cast on those that do)

So when you add it all up, leopard is a miserable hunt and I'll never do it again. I didn't enjoy buffalo even though I was successful. I'm not hunting lion or rhino for the reasons stated. It leaves me with my favorite: wild elephant.

Love it or hate it, for me I'd rather hunt elephant another 5x in my lifetime than pick up the loose ends or shoot another of any of the dangerous 7. Others find elephant too emotional and won't go back for them, I respect that too. Of all of them, elephant is special, although it may not be something someone enjoys doing more than once.

 

[Green Chile]

While those costs are changing, the premise is 100%. It does not take a wealthy portfolio to get most of the big 5. Maybe you don't need a new truck every few years (or at all). Maybe you don't need Starbucks so often. Maybe that deer lease isn't worth it. I would far rather hunt DG than elk hunt in the US. Costs are not wildly off from those guided elk hunts in good units. Some are even less than that. The concept that big 5 is only for wealthy people is false.

 

[rookhawk]

While those costs are changing, the premise is 100%. It does not take a wealthy portfolio to get most of the big 5. Maybe you don't need a new truck every few years (or at all). Maybe you don't need Starbucks so often. Maybe that deer lease isn't worth it. I would far rather hunt DG than elk hunt in the US. Costs are not wildly off from those guided elk hunts in good units. Some are even less than that. The concept that big 5 is only for wealthy people is false.

5 good elk hunts = 5 of the big 5. Your choice.

 

[Rare Breed]

Respect your points @rookhawk . I had an awesome chance with D&Y to take a hippo and an exceptional crock 15 feet but they just hold no appeal to me, just me, completely respect those who want them

 

[Tanks]

...

Love it or hate it, for me I'd rather hunt elephant another 5x in my lifetime than pick up the loose ends or shoot another of any of the dangerous 7. Others find elephant too emotional and won't go back for them, I respect that too. Of all of them, elephant is special, although it may not be something someone enjoys doing more than once.

No arguments there. Yearly elephant hunts are my favorite thing to do. Heck, I have shot more elephants than Impala over the years.

 

[Green Chile]

I'm not a lion aficianado myself, not enough to shoot a CBL, so I've avoided the $60k wild hunts thus far. I'm also not interested in darting a rhino so I won't do that hunt in my lifetime. (no shade cast on those that do)

So when you add it all up, leopard is a miserable hunt and I'll never do it again. I didn't enjoy buffalo even though I was successful. I'm not hunting lion or rhino for the reasons stated. It leaves me with my favorite: wild elephant.

Love it or hate it, for me I'd rather hunt elephant another 5x in my lifetime than pick up the loose ends or shoot another of any of the dangerous 7. Others find elephant too emotional and won't go back for them, I respect that too. Of all of them, elephant is special, although it may not be something someone enjoys doing more than once.

Leopard 4x...ugh. Not having it work out the first time hurt bad enough! Taking the 50 lb ivory that hunt salvaged my experience for sure. I don't know if I could repeat that 4x to get Spots. The fact that you can get into ele 2x for every leopard hunt is another factor. I'm with you Troy....I love everything about the ele hunt. I will definitely be doing more of those. I don't even need the ivory. I could do ele every year and have no regrets. I've got those pesky T10 in my blood right now but besides that, ele are easily my fav hunt. Letting that sink in...4 leopard hunts with low odds versus 8 ele hunts with excellent odds.

 

[Rare Breed]

I agree…elephant hold a special place in my heart!!!

 

[Hunting Hitman]

My Outfitter now charges 110k for the lion hunt I paid 65k back in 2018 in Zambia.

HH

 

[ActionBob]

I hope to prove you all wrong on the wild black rhino someday If I ever fully retire that would be a bucket list hunt! I may be all washed up on this but I don't think the respondents here so far have fully investigated the opportunities.

 

[ActionBob]

And I've been on two leopard hunts, mine and my wife's. Just so happened both were taken on day 4. Do your research, shop for as a second or third priority. Go where the odds are in your favor. Maybe not where everyone else has gone and lots of cats have already been shot but rather a place with lots of cats and only 2, 3, or 4 hunts per year. Not where a leopard hunt is booked every 2 or 3 weeks.

 

[Rockwall205]

I love to hunt them all . ( dangerous 7 ) every hunt is special in its own way . Especially when it’s with family. I have had incredible leopard luck . For some reason I asked my family what do you want to hunt and it’s always leopard! My oldest son for graduation wanted a leopard , told him the hardest of the big 5 . Didn’t care he shot a leopard and a buffalo. When my second son graduated I said what do you want to hunt , he said leopard gave him same speech. He shot a leopard and a buffalo. Then it was my turn I had taken the other dangerous 6 and only had Mr Spots . Figured we had used up all the luck, but hedged my hunt by adding Zane Bronkhorst’s ( Backcountry Safari’s) amazing dogs . Ten days of chasing leopards and connected on the second to the last day no telling how many kilometers we walked . Way more than my elephant!

Then took my wife to Tanzania Maasai land , had the opportunity to add leopard so why not ! My wife was the hunter and had an incredible hunt . Saw several leopards doing their thing in the trees. A Nice male finally came in that we had on camera but in the wrong tree . He was laying towards them but not the best angle she took the shot but hit a piece of brush on the way due to it being in a tree behind and to the right of the tree brush was cleared for .

So we are 3 for 4 with having shot opportunity on every hunt . We are on our way back for elephant x 2 plus leopard again in May . @Rare Breed will be using the Rigby Double you sold me on that trip .

Took it out today and shot some nice groups with it ! Thanks again for letting it go ! Will add a picture of the leopard that got away .