Many cheap hunts vs only one very expensive premium hunt in a lifetime

[grand veneur]

During the discussion on another thread about game farming and Put and Take, it was pointed out that some hunter books repeated cheaper hunts in heavy managed areas or game farms, but complain that hunts in open wild areas of Africa are too expensive.

Should one prefer to hunt more often in Africa under not so dreamy conditions, or should one make for the same money only one expensive safari in a wild area of Africa once in lifetime?

 

[Donnachaidh]

I've only hunted in Africa once. It was a management hunting package which was affordable and definitely on fair chase principles. There are plenty of reputable operators offering similar trips, and this site is a great source of information. I'm now starting to plan a return visit in 2028.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

I think there needs to be a balance IMO. I’d rather go every 5-6 years than save up for 30 years (or be in the process of saving) and have something happen and then not be able to enjoy it or not be able to go at all. Having too lofty of a goal can be a problem. Need to be realistic while at the same time maximizing the experience you can afford.

It would be like me saving up for a Heym 89b when an R8 would be a rifle I could acquire faster and actually get some enjoyment out of without interfering with my hunt budgeting.

 

[Wade J VanGinkel]

At my age and income i decided more is better. Taking Africa out of the equation I've been gong somewhere at least once a year. Generally 5k and under with airfare. Double that every couple years.
So in the past 5 years I've hunted Alaska, Canada, South Africa, Greenland, England and Romania. Also fished in Costa Rica and Puerto Rico.
Currently booked next year in South Africa again. Also a cheap cull fallow hunt in New Zealand and and sika hunt in the Czech Republic before the end of next year.

Trying to see as much of the world as I can while I can still travel easily and still working.

 

[mark-hunter]

Should one prefer to hunt more often in Africa under not so dreamy conditions, or should one make for the same money only one expensive safari in a wild area of Africa once in lifetime?

Tomorrow is promised to no one.
If you have funds to hunt plains game on budget do it. Do it now
Try saving money for wild areas, for later and hope for the best.

On this forum you can find often "cancelation" hunts. These things happen, Those were hunts planned and booked, but clients had to cancel them, on force majeure of some kind. These things happen.
So, if saving will delay your safari for 5 years or more, there is no guarantee you will make it at all.
Go when you can, on budget that you have.
That is my way of thinking.

I also repeated often a word that someone else once said: last 200 meters of stalking is always the same. So, it is very questionable what are "less dreamy" conditions to hunt.
Despite of all the romance that Safari brings in mind of people who have never been to Africa, Africa has changed in last 100 years, just as America has changed, and Europe has changed.

Globally hunting is not the same as 100 years ago. Things change. And today we hunt in modern day Africa.
I think if you find a proper outfitter in South africa, you can have a safari of lifetime.

I hunted 3 times central farmland in Namibia, and once Caprivi strip in Namibia. Yes, there is the difference in ambient, and in biotop, and in animals density and in general impressions, but this does not reduce my previous hunts experiences for a bit.
Do safari as you can, plan another one within reasonable time, and with available funds.

 

[everett]

I’m not generally a dangerous game hunter, so a big trip is not as expensive for me as it is for some.

I’ve posted this somewhere here before, but what opened my eyes was doing long term financial planning. I realized I could do the big trips and still go every year if I planned over the long term.

If you have saved up the money for the big trip, delay it for 10 years, and use the interest for a cheaper hunt every year for the next 9, and then do the big trip.

Granted, my plan now will require me living to and still being able to hunt when I’m 97, so there are a few flaws still to be worked out, but at least I get to go to Africa every year while I’m working on it.

 

[revturbo9967]

I would rather go on a real hunt in a wild area where the game can get away, and chances of going home empty handed are real, every few years than go to a farm to shoot stuff for the wall as much as possible. If that means I need to space the hunts out, then so be it. My first African hunt was in Zimbabwe in 2023, next is Namibia for plains game in 2026, and after that will be Zimbabwe again for leopard and buffalo in 2028.

Wild, free range hunting is not 3x or 4x the cost of SA. It may be a small percentage more, or possibly the same price. If the argument is you can just go more frequently because the price is lower, then I’d say those individuals are looking for a completely different experience than myself.

 

[thriller]

This depends on what animals you “have to have” and your savings rate. Some of the larger ones are more attainable if you look at cancelation and management hunts

 

[revturbo9967]

I think we need to define what a once in a lifetime hunt is before this gets off the rails. Are we talking a 21 day full bag in Tanzania or a 7 day buffalo hunt in Zimbabwe with a few plains game thrown in? Both of those have vastly different prices yet offer hunting in wild areas.

 

[mdwest]

We prefer to hunt as often as possible and typically hit South Africa every year, and also do another international hunt as well maybe 2 out of 3 years…

Hunting with that frequency does require us to maintain/control a budget (at a minimum there are 2 hunters.. my wife and I.. but often we bring a third, our youngest daughter, which creates a further budgetary consideration)…

So it’s unlikely I’ll ever do a “premium” hunt… 3 ele or 3 bongo in a single trip… or even a bongo with several other PG and travel and accommodation for 3 really isn’t in the cards for us…

But I genuinely don’t mind.. the trade off is I get very frequent opportunities to make lifelong memories and visit people that over the years have become very dear friends… which I prefer…

 

[grand veneur]

Tomorrow is promised to no one.
If you have funds to hunt plains game on budget do it. Do it now
Try saving money for wild areas, for later and hope for the best.

On this forum you can find often "cancelation" hunts. These things happen, Those were hunts planned and booked, but clients had to cancel them, on force majeure of some kind. These things happen.
So, if saving will delay your safari for 5 years or more, there is no guarantee you will make it at all.
Go when you can, on budget that you have.
That is my way of thinking.

I also repeated often a word that someone else once said: last 200 meters of stalking is always the same. So, it is very questionable what are "less dreamy" conditions to hunt.
Despite of all the romance that Safari brings in mind of people who have never been to Africa, Africa has changed in last 100 years, just as America has changed, and Europe has changed.

Globally hunting is not the same as 100 years ago. Things change. And today we hunt in modern day Africa.
I think if you find a proper outfitter in South africa, you can have a safari of lifetime.

I hunted 3 times central farmland in Namibia, and once Caprivi strip in Namibia. Yes, there is the difference in ambient, and in biotop, and in animals density and in general impressions, but this does not reduce my previous hunts experiences for a bit.
Do safari as you can, plan another one within reasonable time, and with available funds.

It is true that Africa is not the same as 100 years ago, especially when it comes to countries like South Africa in all cases, but also Zimbabwe, Namibia or Mozambique, but there are still a few natural wild areas that are suitable for hunting in countries like Tansania, Uganda or RCA for example. Unfortunately, these hunts are very expensive.

 

[migrabill]

I'll take more inexpensive hunts. Each trip is a journey and a different experience. I would rather see the Dark Continent more than once and have as many experiences as I can.

 

[PARA45]

In my humble opinion, one should hunt based on their budget, and their expectations. I hunt for my own gratification and no one else's. If someone doesn't like my hunts, or where I hunt, then maybe next time they should pay for my trip. I hope one day to go to those "wild" areas of Africa after Elephant, Hippo and Crock, but I also look at my age and wonder if it will be possible to do. I have no regrets about hunting the South African high fence areas, non-whatsoever. Regardless of if it's fenced or not, I can say I hunted Africa, and I'm happy with that.

 

[grand veneur]

I think we need to define what a once in a lifetime hunt is before this gets off the rails. Are we talking a 21 day full bag in Tanzania or a 7 day buffalo hunt in Zimbabwe with a few plains game thrown in? Both of those have vastly different prices yet offer hunting in wild areas.

It is true that we don't all define wild areas in the same way. For many, wild is when areas are unfenced and allowing wildlife to move freely. Zimbabwe meets some of these requirements, but when a concrete waterhole appears, that's not longer a right wild area for me. The same applies to Mozambique. Tanzania is something different, especially when it comes to some hunting areas in the north by Arusha. The north of Uganda also seems to be somewhat preserved. This probably explains the high prices for all these hunts.

 

[Green Chile]

It’s a good question but there are different angles within that question. I’m not a collector but I would like to see some different sub-species of buff…or bushbuck…or duikers. I’m making plans to see more parts of Africa and I definitely want some jungle experiences. The costs vary somewhat but it’s more about getting into new areas and continuing to learn.

 

[Philip Glass]

During the discussion on another thread about game farming and Put and Take, it was pointed out that some hunter books repeated cheaper hunts in heavy managed areas or game farms, but complain that hunts in open wild areas of Africa are too expensive.

Should one prefer to hunt more often in Africa under not so dreamy conditions, or should one make for the same money only one expensive safari in a wild area of Africa once in lifetime?

The two are not mutually exclusive. It is a fallacy that all fenced properties are put and take. Far from it. There are quality yet inexpensive hunts on large fenced acreage. Put and take costs more than having naturally occurring wildlife. Maybe some more shopping is in order to know what all the options truly are?

 

[Flipper Dude]

One can find free range hunts for plains game in KZN area as well as in Namibia for the same price as your typical ranch hunt in SA. Game is not as thick and is native to the area. Can’t do the check-off shopping list type of hunt that you would do on a game farm. Harder hunting, but hunting nonetheless.

What I try to avoid is hunting the same area twice. Never have.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Both. I have been on many not too elaborate hunts, it has been fun, I don't regret any of them and will do more. But I also would like to go on an elaborate hunt. How is that defined?
A special area, like Nyakasanga in the Zambezi Valley.
Multi species, at least five, for example buffalo, crocodile, kudu, eland, nyala.
At least 15 days.
In a tented camp with excellent cuisine.

 

[EarlsSon]

During the discussion on another thread about game farming and Put and Take, it was pointed out that some hunter books repeated cheaper hunts in heavy managed areas or game farms, but complain that hunts in open wild areas of Africa are too expensive.

Should one prefer to hunt more often in Africa under not so dreamy conditions, or should one make for the same money only one expensive safari in a wild area of Africa once in lifetime?

To each his own !! unfortunately I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth !! My father died when I weas 16 years old, but I'll be damned if that was going to prevent me from being "so called" successful in life financially or emotionally. I often read questions/ responses on this site that have "ABSOLUTELY NOTHING" to do with hunting. In example "what watch do you wear while hunting" or "what cigar do you smoke" while hunting ?? In my opinion these topics have "ABSOLUTELY" nothing to do with hunting in Africa or anywhere else on this planet but are mere "personal" opinions of what one does in their own personal lives !! Sorry if I went off on a tangent, but as a low to middle class individual "financially" I say hunt "hunt where you can and hunt what you can afford to hunt", most importantly enjoy the experience completely. I do not drive a Bentley or a Maserati nor do I feel inferior / less of a person than those that do. I have been to Africa several times and I've had the fortune of having taken 26 different species of which "EACH" and every one is an absolute trophy in my mind regardless of the fact that they were harvested on a "high fenced" concessions. Its of my opinion that as "hunters" we all can't get together and be happy for each others success as opposed to "looking down" on a brother hunter because they've chosen to hunt in another country or area then they have. Sadly the "Anti's" are more than happy to eviscerate us as a community regardless of "where or what we hunt".

 

[Hogpatrol]

I chose to do the more relatively safer RSA trips multiple times. Could have saved what I spent on those trips for a more expensive/wilder hunt in other countries but being an old fart, I really don't want to deal with heat, tse tse flies, malaria and other cooties endemic to the tropics. If I was forty years younger, my thought process might be different. Having said that, in 2014 a bud was looking to go with myself and two other hunters for his first trip to Africa. Hurt his back and had to cancel. He then had other health problems and never made it. To someone's post about tomorrow not being guaranteed to anyone, just remember Mike Tyson's quote.