How many here have successfully hunted the Big 5?

[Green Chile]

Sloth bear and gaur...you don't see that every day.

 

[Green Chile]

Bit of a pattern here on the missing one being Spots. Doesn't surprise me. I'm thinking of starting a support group for our sad lot. Think about it...billions of people that haven't taken a leopard.

 

[Philip Glass]

I know many here have several safaris under their belt and have taken multiple dangerous game, but how many have taken the Big 5?

I’m guessing this is an increasingly exclusive club today as hunting costs continue to rise and rhino hunts become more elusive.

If you’re currently at 4, which animal do you need to complete the 5?

Cheers,

I have taken the Big 5. All are still relatively affordable with the exception of a wild lion. That one is expensive. Rhino, especially dehorned, are easily available. Tuskless elephant in Zim is the most affordable ele.

 

[Philip Glass]

I have four of the five, lacking only a rhino. I just can’t wrap my head around shooting a fenced white rhino, so it’s very unlikely I’ll ever have all five, unless Black Rhinos miraculously become huntable someday. Not sure I could afford a Black Rhino if they ever become huntable, but I’d definitely want to hunt one. I’ve seen five in the wild, all in Zimbabwe in the 1980’s. They’re very neat animals.

All told I’ve shot 10 buffalo, 3 leopards, 2 elephant bulls and a lion. Also dry land hippo and a croc if you consider all the dangerous game.

Why does everyone think rhino are not hunt able? Where does this come from? Black rhino are hunted annually. With a price tag of $400k you don't hear much about it. White rhino are plentiful. Everything will be fenced one day especially in Africa. Go hunt!

 

[Philip Glass]

Are white Rhino only found in South Africa? Only Huntable on fenced ranches?

RSA and Namibia. Most of the hunts are fenced properties but there are exceptions.

 

[Rare Breed]

RSA and Namibia. Most of the hunts are fenced properties but there are exceptions.

In my search for white rhino i found RSA had dehorned at $15,000 and horned at $24,000. These were the lowest prices I found. I just got lucky and won a dart hunt which turned out to be incredible

 

[LivingTheDream]

I have 4, need Spots but hopefully with a bit of luck, I will complete it this July.

 

[ActionBob]

I lack the rhino but I am darting a white rhino in June. I would love to hunt a black rhino but cannot justify the cost.

You can dart a black rhino as well. And a kill hunt for a white rhino is certainly doable. It can be an ok hunt without 100% success. Many people hunt fenced lion, buffalo, and even elephant with similar likelihood of getting one.

 

[ActionBob]

I know many here have several safaris under their belt and have taken multiple dangerous game, but how many have taken the Big 5?

I’m guessing this is an increasingly exclusive club today as hunting costs continue to rise and rhino hunts become more elusive.

If you’re currently at 4, which animal do you need to complete the 5?

Cheers,

I disagree. With some prudent shopping and being prepared to take opportunities when they present themselves, I would argue costs of these hunts are less than they were even 12 years ago.

White rhino is easily done. Even on large thick properties where it can be challenging. Elephant deals can be found, certainly buffalo. Whatch for deals on leopard and canned lion hunts are very cheap. Granted a wild lion hunt can be expensive but check around and it does not have to be out of reach. Especially if you save up a bit longer and add it onto for example a buffalo hunt.

You need the bait so need buffalo, zebra, eland. Etc. Day fees may be higher for a lion hunt than buffalo, but if you pay the lion fees the only expense to add buffalo is the trophy fee and in wild areas once you have the day fees and license paid, buffalo trophy fee add ons are cheap. Give or take $4000.

If someone goes on a $20,000 plains game hunt every year or two and does taxidermy, it wouldn't take all that long to save up for the Big 5. And add on stuff for example definitely do buffalo with lion unless doing a South Africa tracking hunt. When you do rhino, it is typically a 5 day hunt at most so that's potentially a lot of travel expense for a short hunt. For example there is a deal a South African Outfitter is brokering to hunt elephant in Southern Botswana and can add on a rhino dart for a really good price. And no extra travel cost.

 

[ActionBob]

I have the 5 with several buffalo and 2 lions. I fully intend to hunt more elephant, leopard and Buffalo. Perhaps a black rhino some day

My wife @Just Gina started with the leopard. We are tentatively planning on the elephant and rhino deal I mentioned above for her. She really wants to hunt Croc and hippo which we hope to do in Mozambique next year. The hippo tags are sold out for this year with our planned Outfitter. I will hopefully take a croc as well but it has never been as high on my list as other things.

When we went to Tanzania on our full bag hunt, Gina really wanted leopard and Sable. So she got those and I hunted the lion and Roan. My biggest regret on that hunt is that I should have had her shoot the lion and Roan as well.... She had such bad reactions to the Tsetse flies that she does not want to go back. I would go back in a heartbeat!

 

[Green Chile]

If someone goes on a $20,000 plains game hunt every year or two and does taxidermy, it wouldn't take all that long to save up for the Big 5.

This is the way. I get distracted sometimes by incredible PG specimens (and Tiny 10) but I'm mostly committed to DG. I just need to stop doing taxidermy and apply that to more hunts...and probably sell some guns for the same purpose.

 

[ActionBob]

This is the way. I get distracted sometimes by incredible PG specimens (and Tiny 10) but I'm mostly committed to DG. I just need to stop doing taxidermy and apply that to more hunts...and probably sell some guns for the same purpose.

Yup I resemble most of that

 

[Uintaelkhunter]

I have done the big five and dangerous seven. Done multiples of elephant and buffalo. I would still like a wild lion as I did a South African lion hunt. But for me I really enjoy elephant and buffalo so unless the prices come down on wild lion I just don’t see it in my future. Even then I think I would spend the money on an area that produces big ivory over the lion hunt. I know guys that like to hunt the cats but I find tracking much more enjoyable and the interaction you get with it.

 

[ActionBob]

Why does everyone think rhino are not hunt able? Where does this come from? Black rhino are hunted annually. With a price tag of $400k you don't hear much about it. White rhino are plentiful. Everything will be fenced one day especially in Africa. Go hunt!

Haven't the Namibian's quietly been selling those for $150,000 when nobody bites at the $400k?

 

[godwincp]

I’ve completed the big 5 dangerous 7 with two leopards, two elephants, 7 buffalo and one lion, rhino, hippo and crocodile. If you plan carefully and shop wisely with a lot of our sponsors you can do this cost effectively. Especially if you compare it to a guided moose or brown bear hunt. You can do this!!

 

[ActionBob]

In my search for white rhino i found RSA had dehorned at $15,000 and horned at $24,000. These were the lowest prices I found. I just got lucky and won a dart hunt which turned out to be incredible

When did you last check? A full horned rhino is definitely in more demand, especially it seems when 22" or more.

For a few years there was an option of leaving the real horn behind for a significant discount. They would keep ownership with the farmer who owned the rhino and he was basically speculating that the horn trade would open and he'd be able to sell it. Last I've heard most are no longer even wanting it.

I would encourage hunting a very mature old bull that had been dehorned. Especially if it has grown back significantly. You can't replicate the big base those bulls have but you can replicate the pointy end

Edit; you can replicate the entire horn.. but you cannot honestly put a horn with a much larger base onto a skull that is young or had a much smaller base.

I didn't get a picture, but there was a display of rhino shoulder mounts in the hallway at sci. One had a particularly large base on his horn. It was very noticeable how much difference there is

 

[Scott CWO]

You can dart a black rhino as well. And a kill hunt for a white rhino is certainly doable. It can be an ok hunt without 100% success. Many people hunt fenced lion, buffalo, and even elephant with similar likelihood of getting one.

Yes, I looked into both. I found a white rhino hunt on 200,000 acres for a gold medal bull but decided that finishing my spiral slam with a LDE and mountain nyala appealed to me more. Found some cheaper options as well but the darted rhino seemed good enough.

 

[Green Chile]

Yes, I looked into both. I found a white rhino hunt on 200,000 acres for a gold medal bull but decided that finishing my spiral slam with a LDE and mountain nyala appealed to me more. Found some cheaper options as well but the darted rhino seemed good enough.

Scott, you have clearly done well on your choices to get the Big 5, Spiral slam, Marco Polo, etc, etc. Big respect to your experience.

 

[kpoynter]

I have four of the five, lacking only a rhino. I just can’t wrap my head around shooting a fenced white rhino, so it’s very unlikely I’ll ever have all five, unless Black Rhinos miraculously become huntable someday. Not sure I could afford a Black Rhino if they ever become huntable, but I’d definitely want to hunt one. I’ve seen five in the wild, all in Zimbabwe in the 1980’s. They’re very neat animals.

All told I’ve shot 10 buffalo, 3 leopards, 2 elephant bulls and a lion. Also dry land hippo and a croc if you consider all the dangerous game.

I bow hunted mine with a dart for this reason. Was a lot of fun. I didn’t want to kill one, so I rigged up some wide shafted target arrows to hold a Pneudart.

 

[kpoynter]

completed mine at age 40 or so… also one fish away from my Royal slam on Billfish. Just haven’t bothered to target a swordfish.