The stress of preparing for a safari

[enysse]

The most stressful thing for me is paying everything. I think how many more hours to the bill is paid? What if I work doubles or get another job. Still, I love hunting in Africa. People think I've lost all my marbles not hunting too much in the USA but Africa is SO MUCH BETTER!

 

[JimP]

If you deal with it early enough it isn't stress but a little bit of fun learning how to deal with what is coming up.

That is where I like to have all my plans laid out 6 months ahead of time is this kind of trip, then if a problem does pop up you can deal with it without having to worry about other things. It was a lot like last year when the export/import regulations popped up on personal rifles. That was all I had to deal with when it did come up and thanks to SSI that quickly turned into a nonissue.

 

[Eventually_Africa_Again]

Oh man, my stress level spikes, goes down, spikes, goes down etc etc and I'm still 14 months out from my first trip! I hear what your saying completely. Still, one step at a time, right? I admit I pity the outfit that I'm going with, you could probably fill a book or three with all the questions I'm asking them lol.

 

[cpr0312]

Yes one step at a time @Eventually_Africa. The outfitters are very gracious in answering questions, especially for a first timer. It will get better, the hardest part will be the wait, but it will be so sweet once you are there in the bush pursuing animals you have been dreaming about!

 

[rookhawk]

The biggest stresses for me at present are twofold:

1.) What can I do to mitigate the chance of my rifles getting lost inbound to safari. I've done every conceivable thing to mitigate this risk from paying more for airlines, different cases, better documentation attached to the exterior of the case, etc.

2.) I stress about bills but specifically about taxidermy. I can handle the big check for a hunt but what I can't handle is the surprise "Death by a thousand cuts" for taxidermy. It is outlandish how those fees never stop. 1.) Pay for forms to taxidermy trophies from national park. 2.) Deposit money with taxidermist. 3.) Downstroke for taxidermy. 4.) Payment in full for taxidermy. 5.) Payment for permits to export. 6.) Payment for freight and permits Zim to RSA. 7.) Payment for freight and permits RSA to USA. 8.) Pay for customs and import in USA.

If I had but one bit of advice for anyone going to Africa I would suggest that they do not bring back any trophies. I didn't really get that much stuff from my hunt last year and I betcha landed in the USA I'll have $12,000 in taxidermy if not more. And lets remember, its ultra-premium quality African taxidermy so that translates into roughly MEDIOCRE quality USA based work. (Hyena Rug, Kudu Hide, Giraffe Rug, Kudu Horn Sconces, Impala Shoulder Mount, 4 Impala euro mounts, Steenbok shoulder mount, Baboon Skull, Hyena Skull, warthog tushes, two giraffe leg lamps, two giraffe leg ashtrays, warthog leather, Zebra rug) Not a small amount of taxidermy but again, not a huge amount of work either. (two shoulder mounts and a pile of 4 rugs/hides really)

Anyway, the surprise bills from Taxidermy that never stop is a huge stress on trip planning and the pain doesn't stop when the hunt is over. Take pictures. Eat the evidence. Use the saved funds to go back and hunt again.

 

[robertq]

Hi Rookhawk,
It doesn't help now, but I guaranty you that we, at SSI, would have taken all that stress out of the hunt to make it a vacation for you. Part of the preparation BEFORE departure is to help you budget for the dip/pack and shipping because we know and/or identify the people ahead of time and then based on your 'wish list', help you to plan accordingly.
Even if you didn't know exactly what you wanted to harvest, the easy way to budget on the high side is to triple the cost of the hunt. We give our first time clients the illustration that if you pay $5,000 for your hunt, you will need to budget 15,000 for everything. This is a little high, but it would include the hunt, airfare, dip & pack, shipping, clearing and Taxidermy. This is the reality of what to expect. Unfortunately, when you find this out the hard way after the hunt, it's hard to swallow but should not deter you or anyone from going again. Being prepared makes the difference between a good hunt and a great hunt.
Best,
Robert

 

[Royal27]

Even if you didn't know exactly what you wanted to harvest, the easy way to budget on the high side is to triple the cost of the hunt. We give our first time clients the illustration that if you pay $5,000 for your hunt, you will need to budget 15,000 for everything. This is a little high, but it would include the hunt, airfare, dip & pack, shipping, clearing and Taxidermy. This is the reality of what to expect.

I've never heard this estimate before Robert, but I really like it. You're mileage may vary of course but what a great way to give someone a good idea of the "all said and done" costs, especially if you throw in other incidentals that a first timer might buy that all add up.