How does graduated/tiered pricing work?

[TN_Farmer]

I see come safaris offer graduated or tiered pricing for things like Cape Buffalo and Kudu. I'm curious how that works.

I know that these are going to be in much more intensively managed areas.

So, if you sign up for the lowest tier hunt, then does that mean:
A. They won't let you hunt a larger animal
B. You pay more if you get a larger animal
C. They will guarantee you a certain minimum size, but if you see/hunt something larger, that's no problem and you don't pay extra if you get a larger animal

Thanks!

 

[375er]

Sounds like a good place to avoid.

 

[Tanks]

That seems to be the pricing model for RSA game farms though I have also seen it in Europe and South America. I avoid those types of hunts.

 

[deewayne2003]

Going by the standards of Texas hunting ranches I can tell you that option C will never be the case; you will always pay more for shooting over the booked animal, IF you are allowed to shoot over what you booked.

It usually goes something like this... 150" =$5K, 160"=$7K & 170" = $9K + $100 per inch over 170

You book a 150" whitetail hunt..... You and the guide are in the blind and a 150" walks out, followed by a 160"ish & 170"ish buck.

You booked the 150" for $5k but you want the 170"; you shoot and the 170" actually turns out to be a 174" when measured = You owe $9,400.00

As Tanks said.... I avoid these places

 

[Red Leg]

I see come safaris offer graduated or tiered pricing for things like Cape Buffalo and Kudu. I'm curious how that works.

I know that these are going to be in much more intensively managed areas.

So, if you sign up for the lowest tier hunt, then does that mean:
A. They won't let you hunt a larger animal
B. You pay more if you get a larger animal
C. They will guarantee you a certain minimum size, but if you see/hunt something larger, that's no problem and you don't pay extra if you get a larger animal

Thanks!

This is essentially the "estate" model and it is gradually becoming ever more prevalent on game ranches in South Africa - particularly for high demand species like kudu. It is a very common system across Europe, and as @deewayne2003 correctly notes, it is the norm on game ranches here in Texas. I make exceptions for Europe, where a hunting trip is normally a small part of a larger vacation. I only hunt free range in my home state. Fortunately, I have other options in Africa as well.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I hunt for the experience, not the size of the horns. Frankly, I can't imagine having something hanging on the wall that was paid for by the inch. Not the memory I want to cherish.

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

Im an outfitter here in SA
Its amazing how people love to generalise about South African outfitters
Majority of outfitters do not work on a tier system!!!

At Tallyho hunting safaries A kudu is a kudu a buff is a buff
If u shoot a 35” buff or a 43” buff then its good luck to the hunter

Happy days

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

I see come safaris offer graduated or tiered pricing for things like Cape Buffalo and Kudu. I'm curious how that works.

I know that these are going to be in much more intensively managed areas.

So, if you sign up for the lowest tier hunt, then does that mean:
A. They won't let you hunt a larger animal
B. You pay more if you get a larger animal
C. They will guarantee you a certain minimum size, but if you see/hunt something larger, that's no problem and you don't pay extra if you get a larger animal

Thanks!

Simply do your research. Then you can avoid any outfit that you do not gel with or where you are not 100% comfortable with.

 

[Hunt anything]

I’ve never hunted anything “by the inch” but I have a curiosity question.
What would happen if you book a 40” buffalo and the PH says that’s a 40” buffalo, you shoot and he is a 42” bull. Should you have to pay for the extra inches? I think most PH’s can judge it correctly but sometimes a bull is bigger os smaller in body size and can fool anyone.

 

[Doug3006]

I’ve never hunted anything “by the inch” but I have a curiosity question.
What would happen if you book a 40” buffalo and the PH says that’s a 40” buffalo, you shoot and he is a 42” bull. Should you have to pay for the extra inches? I think most PH’s can judge it correctly but sometimes a bull is bigger os smaller in body size and can fool anyone.

That’s something to discuss with your Outfitter before you even travel to Africa. Be sure you understand their policy. In my opinion, if the PH makes a mistake judging an animal, and it’s a bigger, more costly trophy than what you agreed, that’s on him. You shouldn’t have to pay the difference.

 

[375Fox]

Unless you are looking for a particular size category I’d hunt with an outfitter and area that doesn’t charge by the inch particularly with kudu. However if you do hunt with an outfitter charging by the inch, if you shoot a larger size, the trophy fee due to the landowner is out of their control. So depending on the outfitter and their markup on trophy fees will depend if you’d need to pay more.

 

[375Fox]

Im an outfitter here in SA
Its amazing how people love to generalise about South African outfitters
Majority of outfitters do not work on a tier system!!!

At Tallyho hunting safaries A kudu is a kudu a buff is a buff
If u shoot a 35” buff or a 43” buff then its good luck to the hunter

Happy days

It’s still easy enough to avoid but a quick check of the other sponsors who post trophy fees on their website says it’s a fairly common practice with outfitters in Limpopo and other areas within driving distance from Johannesburg. Less so it other regions.

 

[sgt_zim]

I see come safaris offer graduated or tiered pricing for things like Cape Buffalo and Kudu. I'm curious how that works.

I know that these are going to be in much more intensively managed areas.

So, if you sign up for the lowest tier hunt, then does that mean:
A. They won't let you hunt a larger animal
B. You pay more if you get a larger animal
C. They will guarantee you a certain minimum size, but if you see/hunt something larger, that's no problem and you don't pay extra if you get a larger animal

Thanks!

Option B.

That said, most PHs will know when they're looking at an upcharge animal if you're hunting with that kind of outfit. I hunted with @Limcroma Safaris and they do upcharge on things like kudu and cape buffalo. I don't care, I will be hunting with them again in 2 or 3 years. The staff was awesome, accommodations were terrific, game was plentiful, the 3 hots a day were delicious, and new bonds of friendship formed. I can barely wait to go back.

 

[Rafiki]

I’ve never hunted anything “by the inch” but I have a curiosity question.
What would happen if you book a 40” buffalo and the PH says that’s a 40” buffalo, you shoot and he is a 42” bull. Should you have to pay for the extra inches? I think most PH’s can judge it correctly but sometimes a bull is bigger os smaller in body size and can fool anyone.

Yellow ear tag.

 

[375Fox]

Option B.

That said, most PHs will know when they're looking at an upcharge animal if you're hunting with that kind of outfit. I hunted with @Limcroma Safaris and they do upcharge on things like kudu and cape buffalo. I don't care, I will be hunting with them again in 2 or 3 years. The staff was awesome, accommodations were terrific, game was plentiful, the 3 hots a day were delicious, and new bonds of friendship formed. I can barely wait to go back.

I can’t say I like it but I do think it adds a lot of value protecting genetics on high fence farms for better trophies. I’m uncertain if any outfitters or landowners set quotas by size categories on these types of farms but what I’ve seen is regularly hunted farms without regular introductions gradually slide towards 48”-50” on greater kudu bulls especially areas where there is quality kudu hunting in adjacent low fence farms. Consistently targeting the biggest bulls isn’t always a good thing. The tiered pricing structure gives some incentive to take old management bulls instead of the biggest trophies in some cases. It’s worked very well to protect genetics in free range environments in Europe. Many hunters there only target the oldest males that are lesser scoring trophies because of this.

 

[Hunt anything]

Yellow ear tag.

I hear ya but I’ve never seen an ear tag except on a black angus bull!

 

[Rare Breed]

Unless you are looking for a particular size category I’d hunt with an outfitter and area that doesn’t charge by the inch particularly with kudu. However if you do hunt with an outfitter charging by the inch, if you shoot a larger size, the trophy fee due to the landowner is out of their control. So depending on the outfitter and their markup on trophy fees will depend if you’d need to pay more.

The only thing I would add…how important is size for people? An outfitter saying any size buffalo comes for a price no charge by inches yet they know no buff over 35 inches on their property primarily in SA just be careful and ask the right questions such as what is the typical size animal one can expect to take?