Cost for Me To Take The Big 5

[PANTHER TRACKERS]

are places where success runs consistently high, abound 80-90%

Even the best Leopard hunters have low success in marginal areas, whereas the opposite is true for prime areas. Almost any PH can have success on Leopard in places like Niassa.

 

[mark-hunter]

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

This is great advice. You started a great thread.
Having a vision, and goal is the only way to achieve in time what a person sincerely wants.

Achieving big 5 for somebody, is equal to having a good PG hunt for somebody else.
You need to set the goal, not lose it from the sight, and each day make a small step towards it. Sometimes it takes years.
In financial terms, you clearly described that even big 5, arguably the greatest African or most famous African accomplishment, is achievable.

Congrats!

 

[Tanks]

If you don't mind my asking, why the refusal to dart a rhino?

I have seen vets walk from their truck and dart a rhino. Not my cup of tea as a lifetime hunt.

 

[mark-hunter]

And yet no one thinks about spending nearly that on a vehicle every few years. Most Americans have more money than they think. It’s how you choose to spend it.

Car buying types are everywhere. I have friends in hunting community saying safari is expensive, but they drive new cars of such value - or more. I have nothing against that, but when they say it is too expensive, that Africa, they are just better drivers then hunters, by choice of priorities.

 

[DLSJR]

Even the best Leopard hunters have low success in marginal areas, whereas the opposite is true for prime areas. Almost any PH can have success on Leopard in places like Niassa.

Agreed. You are absolutely ‘Spot On’.

Where I hunted in the Selous, we had leopards everywhere. We hung baits in 7 trees and had cats feeding in 5 of them. We saw leopards twice in the middle of the day while checking baits. We saw tracks pretty much everywhere that we encountered sand or soft soil. The population and density there is ridiculous. I’ve heard the Niassa is similar.

 

[LWood]

Good thread and discussion.
I’ve taken a good buffalo and elephant. Doing white rhino (vita dart) this summer.
Trying to decide between Zim and Namibia for leopard.
Lion? Would love to take one in Tanzania.

 

[PANTHER TRACKERS]

Good thread and discussion.
I’ve taken a good buffalo and elephant. Doing white rhino (vita dart) this summer.
Trying to decide between Zim and Namibia for leopard.
Lion? Would love to take one in Tanzania.

Research the annual harvest statistics of each country to identify the better option for you in that choice. Countrywide quota VS export quantity. That will guide your choice in the right direction.

 

[ActionBob]

I went to Tanzania with my wife and two other members of this site. We went with an Outfitter who is not widely known in these circles. He is a darker skinned fellow of Iranian decent who's family fled Iran a long time ago, a Muslim hunting with some devoted Christians and holdung sime very interesting and respectful discussions. A good man who has an outstanding area in Tanzania with an amazing population of big cats. He has long ago lost track of how many lions he has taken with clients and himself but the number is over 200. Leopard way more. We had great success. Unfortunately this Outfitter is fighting for his life against cancer right now and I fear if he loses that battle, his area may be lost as well. A real shame.

However the realavent point is that there are opportunities out there to hunt the big cats and especially leopard in truly outstanding areas with consistently high success. We baited extensively and took the 3 leopard we had on license and when we left camp there were 6 more still on bait with little effort put into the last half of our 21 day hunt. I had not been to Africa the 3 years before that hunt and it was another 3 before I got back. But what a hunt!

 

[wildwilderness]

Big 5 is definitely more achievable than the 4 North American Wild Sheep!


I would love to kill a Rhino with a Bow and Arrow, but doubt that will ever be legal again

 

[DLSJR]

This whole ‘Big 5’ thread is interesting. I still don’t have the Big 5 or Dangerous 7, as I’ve never shot a Rhino. I’m fortunate to have all the others except Rhino.

In 1983, I went on my first African hunt and shot 3 of the Big 5 on that trip. I took an elephant bull, leopard and 2 buffalo. I also saw a fantastic lion and Black Rhino bull, both at less than 20 yards. This was with Roy Vincent on Deka, Zimbabwe. It was the first full safari conducted on Deka in a dozen years.

In 1986, I hunted Charara & Matetsi 3 in Zimbabwe and took another elephant bull, as well as bull and cow buffalo at Charara. I failed to take a lion despite giving it two weeks. We saw a number of lions, just not the right one. We also saw 5 Black Rhinos! 2 were single rhinos and then a group of 3 at about 25 yards…. A cow, her yearling calf and a very big bull. We were separated from them by a small stream and they never noticed us despite being close enough to hit with a thrown rock.

In 1989, I hunted Botswana, both the Kalahari Desert and Linyanti Swamps. Took a leopard on day one with the Bushmen by tracking it. Up north I shot 2 more buffalo and a lion. Saw some excellent lions but took a lesser cat on the 22nd day of my 24 hunting days. That lion gave me 4 of the Big 5.

After this, I had a long break from African hunting not returning until 2009 for a vacation and short hunt with Ernest Dyason’s Spear Safaris for plains game.

In 2019, I went on my next Dangerous Game hunt, to Maswa North in Tanzania. This was supposed to be a father-son buffalo hunt but due to me tearing my rotator cuff in my shooting shoulder the year before while trying to run down a poacher in Zambia, I wasn’t able to hunt. So, I got to enjoy watching my son on his first Buffalo hunt. He shot 2 bulls and I got to take pictures and pay the bill.

In 2021 I hunted Mlele South in far Southwestern Tanzania. This was the hunt where I failed to take a leopard in November. It was hot, there were baby bush pigs everywhere and cats were fickle. I shot a couple buffalo but struck out on leopard. Saw probably 60 bush pigs on this hunt!

In 2023 I had the great pleasure of taking my son to Madaba in Tanzania’s Selous Game Reserve. This was an epic safari, where I took 4 of the dangerous 7. My son and I took a pair of great old Dugga Boys together. I shot a leopard with my son sitting right beside me, so he got to experience the hunt. My son was also next to me on an intense dry land hippo where we were face to face with a bull in very thick cover at 15 yards. I shot that hippo on the run and my son barely refrained from joining in the shooting. Unfortunately, my son flew out of camp for home the day before I shot a croc on Lake Nyerere; but he got to participate in the croc hunt most of the way, including spotting a 14-15 foot croc that we nearly got killed.

So, I’ve been fortunate to take all of the Big 5/Dangerous 7 except Rhinoceros. I’ve never had any interest in a White Rhino and can’t afford one of the very few Black Rhino permits. I recently learned from one of our members that it is possible to dart a Black Rhino and I might do that someday.

Next trip is in May. Heading to Zim for a combination trip where I’ll be visiting several NGO’s that the Mzuri Wildlife Foundation has funded and seeing how they’re using the funding we’ve given them. I expect to see lions and black rhinos that they’ve radio collared as well as other interesting species. Then going to Hammond on the Savé Valley Conservancy for a buffalo hunt. I’ll be looking for an old broken down Dugga Boy while an 81 year old buddy will be looking for the biggest bull we can find him. We likely will see all of the Big 5 on this trip, even though only a couple buffalo will be shot. All of the Big 5 can be found on the SVC.

 

[michael458]

@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.

I hate Leopards, and I hate people that get one on the first try too...................And it happens, just not to me........ I spent over 70 nights in blinds, over 7 years, with 5 different PHs, in 5 different countries before getting lucky. I have had 3 pals hunt leopard and get them on the first day/night......... Yes, I hate all 3 of them.. LOL....Maybe 50/50, flip a coin, I just had to flip the coin 70+ times............

I have been fortunate, taking several elephant, buffalo, hippo, lion, crocodile, ONE LEOPARD.. never hunted leopard again I simply do not have the patience for leopard........ and as far as I care, here is my version of "Rhino".......... They say a Photo Says a 1000 Words, I also say a Photo SAVES many 1000s of $$ as well......... and all that is short on this photo is "Squeezing The Trigger", everything else is there, so I figure this will suffice for my version of "The Big Five"................

 

[mark-hunter]

@DLSJR
Great experience, many years of hunting!
I have one question:
How would you compare financial feasibility for Hunting DG in 80ies, and 90-ies, and now in last decade?

When was more expensive, or harder to get?

 

[Russ16]

I’m interested in the $17,000 price that’s been quoted a couple times for bull elephant. Are you referring just to the trophy fee? Most elephant hunts I’m seeing are coming in closer to $30,000.

Interested to learn more.

 

[Tusker]

I’m interested in the $17,000 price that’s been quoted a couple times for bull elephant. Are you referring just to the trophy fee? Most elephant hunts I’m seeing are coming in closer to $30,000.

Interested to learn more.

Everything has a price, is just that not for the same quality.
7-day elephant for a representative bull (30-40lb) in the right time of the year, definitely you’ll find it.

 

[VINOYASADO]

Interesting and encouraging post!

But honestly in order to be more realistic you need to include (minimun) another 30K in flights, tax, permits, trophy,etc,etc

So you are clolser to 100K more than 57,5K. is it?

 

[Philip Glass]

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

Thanks for sharing this valuable information. I would add that a tuskless elephant cow in Zim can bring the cost down even further for those planning the Big 5.

 

[ACE (in CT)]

Great thread! I think the underlying theme can be summed up in a quote I’ve long admired:
“If you think you can or think you can’t you’re right”.

It really is odd, that so many people prevent themselves from accomplishing things in their lives with nothing more than a negative attitude.

Accomplishing a goal is achieved in the exact same way that you eat an Elephant!

 

[Philip Glass]

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

You will kick yourself one day!

 

[AZDAVE]

Very interesting thread.
I agree that how you spend or save your money makes a big difference. My truck is almost 20 years old, very well cared for and will last another 20 years. Will keep it till the tires fall off or I am to old to Drive a manual transmission. While I was working took my lunch and a thermos of coffee. and saved so I could travel and hunt in different parts of the world. If you want to do something put a mark on the calendar and save, when the $$$ and the mark come together go. I worked a straight blue collar so to speak jobs my whole life. so it can be done.

Everyone perspective and what interest them is different and that is one of life's pleasures is to see others celebrate each others success and have them also celebrate yours.

Will also quote a friend that worked in embassy's for years and in many of the stan's part of the world. He told me of a conversation around a fire with a group of men they were helping get water into a village. He told them he grew up very poor and worked hard to get to where he was. He said one of the elders asked him" Did you have a car in your family? were you able to go to School beyond 6th grade or at all? did you have a television of radio in your home? did you have more than one pair of clothes?" "if you answered yes to any of these question you would be considered a very rich family here"

So I am thankful every day for being born where I was.

I love to hunt Buffalo and will hunt more.
Had a great hunt for a hippo, but one is enough
Backed a buddy up on his elephant and my wife and I will be hunting elephant this year.
@michael458 You will be upset with me as I was successful on my leopard on my first hunt on day 3. I was lucky and in the right place at the right time. I find leopard to be the ultimate chess match and will consider hunt more.
My lion was a CBL and I had to work a while on my decision to hunt as I wouldn't ever spend the $$$ to hunt a wild lion. so it is a once and done
The rhino I am still undecided about as I like @michael458 picture idea and also have a few ideas of my own. Will see what the next couple years hold.
My wife shot a very good croc .

Bottom line is will hunt more buffalo, Might hunt another leopard, and after this years hunt will let you know about ele being a one and done or if will hunt more.

 

[TSIBINDI]

FWIW: Zimbabwe, Tshabezi Safaris trophy fees.

1988: Leopard $1,500. Elephant $6,000. Buffalo $1,200. Hippo $1,000
2003: " $3,500. " $10,500. " $2,000. " $1,500
2018: " $6,000. " $15,000. " $4,500. " $5,000

And in 2003 the cost of a lion in Zambia (Muchinga Adventures Ltd) was $3,250.

...Them were the days.