Dave Zimmerman
AH member
So I am booked to hunt with Numzaan Safari in March 2018 with a friend. Airline ticket is booked and pair for (luckily family was amazing and helped) and now im trying to budget/save as much as possible to pay of the trip. In emailing the outfitter, I did get a little surprised when they discussed extra fees. I am wanting to know from those of you who have been over there to see if this is normal or if there is anything I need to discuss further with them.
Please note, I am on a strict budget due to my ex wife filing for divorce in November 2016 and going from 2 incomes to 1....I work full time and am saving everything I can to pay for this once in a lifetime trip and borrowing money from family to help.
Extra fees I think are a little odd:
* $180+tax to be picked up from airport and driven to hunting camp
* $180+tax to be driven from hunting camp back to airport
* Have to hunt a minimum of 2 animals or required to pay the non-hunter rate of $260 a day
* Trying to require us to use their dip and pack agent, who is charging $180 an animal...which seems high compared to the other quotes I have gotten from companies there in South Africa. Shipping cost is not included in this $180, those are discussed 4 months later they are saying.
I was planning to shoot an Impala ($550) but now if I have to shoot 2 animals or pay way more in fees...trying to decide between Springbok($625), Blesbuck ($680), Duiker ($470), Steenbok ($570) or just shoot another Impala for $550. They offer Warthog and others, but hearing how difficult to give a warthog skull back into USA is im leaning away from it. Those are the cheapest trophies they offer...so if I have to get a 2nd I wanted to see what everyone thought would be the best bang for the buck in terms of 2nd trophy on limited budget. Was planning to have Impala skull mounted on wooden Zulu style shield when I got home (have done European mounts before) so it would likely be the 2nd skull mounted on same large shield for 1 big trophy. I can also do skull plates instead of entire skull if it will save me $$$ on shipping.
Am I crazy or is this the normal way to nickel and dime hunting customers who already dropped $1200+ in airfare just to get there? Kind of caught off guard with what I was expecting/budgeting/saving.
Please note, I am on a strict budget due to my ex wife filing for divorce in November 2016 and going from 2 incomes to 1....I work full time and am saving everything I can to pay for this once in a lifetime trip and borrowing money from family to help.
Extra fees I think are a little odd:
* $180+tax to be picked up from airport and driven to hunting camp
* $180+tax to be driven from hunting camp back to airport
* Have to hunt a minimum of 2 animals or required to pay the non-hunter rate of $260 a day
* Trying to require us to use their dip and pack agent, who is charging $180 an animal...which seems high compared to the other quotes I have gotten from companies there in South Africa. Shipping cost is not included in this $180, those are discussed 4 months later they are saying.
I was planning to shoot an Impala ($550) but now if I have to shoot 2 animals or pay way more in fees...trying to decide between Springbok($625), Blesbuck ($680), Duiker ($470), Steenbok ($570) or just shoot another Impala for $550. They offer Warthog and others, but hearing how difficult to give a warthog skull back into USA is im leaning away from it. Those are the cheapest trophies they offer...so if I have to get a 2nd I wanted to see what everyone thought would be the best bang for the buck in terms of 2nd trophy on limited budget. Was planning to have Impala skull mounted on wooden Zulu style shield when I got home (have done European mounts before) so it would likely be the 2nd skull mounted on same large shield for 1 big trophy. I can also do skull plates instead of entire skull if it will save me $$$ on shipping.
Am I crazy or is this the normal way to nickel and dime hunting customers who already dropped $1200+ in airfare just to get there? Kind of caught off guard with what I was expecting/budgeting/saving.