Plains game hunt costs

[BRICKBURN]

Better questions = better answers.

 

[rookhawk]

I've come to the sad realty that "cheap hunts" are overpriced in many ways. So much of an Africa trip is a fixed cost and so little is a variable cost it just doesn't add up. Let me give you some math for examples:

Last year, booked a hunt on 144,000 sq. KM area for myself. Literally, I rented an area about 1/6 the size of Rhode Island by luck of the draw.

Bag / Tags I purchased:

Kudu
Giraffe
Zebra
Warthog
Impala (9)
Hyena
Baboons (2)
Steenbok
Francolin
Sandgrouse
Guinea Fowl
Doves/Pigeons

I then bought my guns.

I then bought my binos.

I then bought my travel essentials.

Travel Insurance / Rescue.

Taxidermy.

Trip transport.

Airline Tickets.

Daily Rates.

The total was:

$10,000 for bag/camp
$8000 for daily rates
$400 for transport
$400 for lodging before/after
$20,000 for rifles
$3000 for binoculars
$1500 for gadgets/cases
$5000 for airfare

Basically, all-in I spent $40,000 to have a fair chase, wild environment experience in a fly camp. It was a memorable time but I planned poorly. For example:

I could have added a Leopard for about $4000 more (world record book quality...saw several but had no tag). Dumb. I could have added a tuskless elephant for $4000 more. Dumb.

Dangerous game rates would have been the same.

So if I go back this year, I'll spend about $30k all-in and I'll hunt 3 of the dangerous 7 along with some nice plains game, roughly the same price as last time. (guns don't need to be purchased again, nor do gadgets)

Even if you go "super cheap" and get one of those $8000 hunts for 4-5 animals, you can spend say $12,000 and hunt maybe 10-12 animals. Bottom line, don't go all the way over there and go cheap on the actual game bag when that is a tiny piece of the costs. Save up, get a bigger bag.

 

[JAC]

how do i PM? i would like to get my hands on one of these spread sheets yall are talking about.

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

how do i PM? i would like to get my hands on one of these spread sheets yall are talking about.

The PM system on AH is called Conversations. If you go to your Inbox at http://www.africahunting.com/conversations/ you will find your messages there. If you want to start a conversation, go to your Inbox at http://www.africahunting.com/conversations/ and click on the button that says Start a New Conversation or go to the following link: http://www.africahunting.com/conversations/add.

Also by clicking on a member's avatar, a window will open up giving you the ability to click on a link called Start a Conversation to send a message to that member.

 

[truenorth1]

avoid the warthog, not "worth" the extra paper work, money and hassle to bring that home.

What do you mean?

 

[AZDAVE]

truenorth1 the extra paperwork and separate shipping container only apply if you are shipping the trophy back to the usa for the taxidermy work. If you have the mounts done in Africa a warthog comes back in the shipping crate with everything else.

 

[firehuntfish]

truenorth 1,

As AZDAVE touched upon, the laws only apply to swine and primate parts that have been dip & packed. Fully finished taxidermy is not subject to USDA inspection like unfinished animal parts. However, there is no law that states swine/primate parts cannot be shipped as a container within a container. In other words, it is perfectly acceptable to have your dip & pack company put the box/crate containing swine/primates inside of the main shipping crate as long as it is properly labeled, packed and sealed.

Should you have swine/primate parts to ship, I would request this of your dip & pack or taxidermy company. I have done it for years with my own dip & packed trophy parts. It will save you some money.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Good idea.