What is the craziest lengths you have went to in order to pay for a hunt?

[TheGrayRider]

You can always make more money but you cannot make more time.

Wheels up one week from tomorrow for leopard hunt with hounds in Botswana. Hunt report and photos to follow upon my return.

Just go! Happy hunting, TheGrayRider a/k/a Tom.

 

[mdwest]

I’ve been fortunate in that I honestly haven’t had to go to any crazy lengths to pay for a hunt…

But.. I’m also a guy with maybe premium beer tastes and maybe slightly better than a premium beer budget…

While I love hunting abroad… I generally take it pretty easy.. I don’t aspire to hunt bongo or lord derby eland or elephant… I’m genuinely just happy spending a week chasing impala and wildebeest as I would be chasing a sable and giraffe… so, when the budget is available I step things up and do more expensive hunts… but when it’s not I don’t bother waiting to save longer or sell stuff off… I just do a simpler hunt…

I’m the same with gear… I’d love a fine double… but, I’m absolutely happy with a decent bolt gun… and then use the remaining money to go hunt… I love fine glass…but leupold hasn’t failed me yet.. I then take the remaining money and go hunt…

 

[mdwest]

I knew someone who sold plasma...seriously. I've been selling some stuff that doesn't get used and thankfully has also appreciated in many cases. It's a bit like having another bank account. Here's something fun and scary...add up what's sitting in your gun safe, closet and under your bed...then think about your discretionary spending on everything...coffee, smoking, car leases, whatever...it adds up quickly. I've got half a storage unit full of waterfowl decoys, etc new in the box that I need to sell since I don't have good access anymore.

I've got a storage locker that is completely full of stuff that never gets used.. 3x fishing kayaks, 2 spare deer feeders, etc... I honestly should sell most of that stuff off.. not to pay for a hunt.. but so that I can stop paying a couple of hundred bucks a month to store crap I dont ever use anymore lol..

 

[Green Chile]

Tell you what...come get my stuff and put it in your storage and we'll call it even!

 

[Hogpatrol]

Had a guy at the gun club ask me how I can afford to go to Africa. Told him I don't have your $80k Mercedes SUV millstone around my financial neck. Opportunity cost is lost on most people.

 

[Tra3]

I try to really think about purchases to make sure it isn’t unneeded. I’ve stopped buying rifles after the R8’s. That makes it easier to put money into a hunt. One nice rifle is about equal to brining another person on a hunt.
It also helps that I’m in my 40’s. When I was in my late 20’s with young kids and newly out of school, there wasn’t extra money.
Today, the farther out I plan, the easier it is to save.

 

[TXhunter65]

I've always been given a LOT of crap by coworkers who make the same or more than me for hunting in Africa. Two in particular finally got to me one day so I asked them to sit down and calmly walked them through my mathmatical reasoning for how I could afford to do what I do and pay cash for what I do. A pack a day, a can a day, a 5th or 2 a week, a six pack a day over 2-3 years is more than enough money to go to Africa and do most things you'd want to do.
I told them I'm no better, I'm no worse than you, you have your vices and I have mine and in the end they cost about the same.

 

[freefall]

Kidnapping the Lindberg Baby.

 

[K-man]

I posted years ago about losing my Starbucks/Donut routine every morning. $5 to $6 dollars 6x a week is over $1600 per year. every three years a really nice PG hunt. I have since added more disposable income by driving my 18 yr old pickup and making smart choices with everyday purchases. I seldom buy anything I don't have cash available, so no interest or credit card expenses. I go on at least one overseas trip per year and usually one stateside hunting trip. Began hunting overseas at 45yrs old since I have seen many hunting camps full of gentlemen who were unable to see, hear or walk very far because they waited too long to start. I am now getting closer to being one of them but at least I have had a lot of good hunts under my belt Like most things, it will have more value if you have to sacrifice a few things to obtain it.

 

[sestoppelman]

Other than working a lot at times, retired now, and saving what I could, selling guns here and there, never gone to any real extremes I dont think.
Still have managed 8 trips over, but over a long period of time starting in late 1985. Last one was now 6 years ago when my son and I went to Namibia his first and my second trip to that country.
Several false starts and FUBARS since then, COVID screwed up a couple of almost trips.
Hope to have something in the for sure column soon....

 

[WAB]

In another direction, I sold a browning B78 single shot rifle in 6mm Rem to buy an engagement ring for my wife. That move has gotten me brownie points for the last 42+ years!

 

[sestoppelman]

In another direction, I sold a browning B78 single shot rifle in 6mm Rem to buy an engagement ring for my wife. That move has gotten me brownie points for the last 42+ years!

Was at a Friends of the NRA picnic once and they had an auction for various things, I bid on an NRA pocket watch and won it, but another guy won on a raffle I think a B78 Browning.
His eyes were as big as banjo's when he walked up to claim his prize.
He was literally shaking he was so excited.

 

[Gemsbok45]

After I went in the 90’s. It was all over. Zimbabwe was the best and most affordable big five hunting area. I devoted my life to Alaska/Yukon and Africa. No regrets.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

I have not really gone to any crazy length to afford it. I plan the hunt and my max budget. Divide by the number of weeks till departure day and set aside somehow that much each week. Maybe sell or trade some guns. Clean out unused hunting gear I have accumulated. Any extra bonus or extra work money goes to hunting fund. I set up a second bank account just to put it in so doesn't get spent on daily purchases or routine payments.
Also after 5 trips I have decided with the cost of taxidermy Dip pack and shipping. I will not be bringing anything else back.
Except maybe Leopard if I ever get the chance. Good photos from now on at my age. Don't have anyone to leave mounts to anyways.

 

[sestoppelman]

'Also after 5 trips I have decided with the cost of taxidermy Dip pack and shipping. I will not be bringing anything else back.'

I hear that!

 

[Phil Giordano]

I remember one time, that I was so "lucky" that I was hit (quite badly) by a big motorcycle as I was crossing the street - the Insurance covered the damages, for money enough for the Elk hunt in Montana I was planning / dreaming at time! I was only a boy, young and penniless, but tough and in pretty good shape. I clearly remember the hit, and the flight I made before hitting the ground. Quite damaged, but no one single bone broken. After two weeks I was already at the shooting range for the usual training routine, and after a year and a half, I was on the Rocky Mountains with my Remington in hand, after my first Elk - that turned to be "only" a good Raghorn (but any Elk is a good Elk, isn't it?) ...What a providential accident!

That hunt - lot of good memories and an awesome first Big Game Hunt

 

[Inline6]

I've got a storage locker that is completely full of stuff that never gets used.. 3x fishing kayaks, 2 spare deer feeders, etc... I honestly should sell most of that stuff off.. not to pay for a hunt.. but so that I can stop paying a couple of hundred bucks a month to store crap I dont ever use anymore lol..

We did the same thing "temporary we said" 3 years we sold the house we were in and the new place was able to accommodate everything in the storage unit. Then I did the math 250x36=9000. Hell, I could have thrown away everything in the storage unit and replaced it and would have been money ahead.

I would not do a storage unit again. I'll sell off what I can and give away the rest or throw it away.

As far as extra funds, find the extra hassle where you can and get after it. It was not for hunting funds, it was had bills to pay. Would go around to farmers who had busted equipment, trucks, cars, greenhouses in a fields. Would offer to clean them out, with the understanding we would keep the equipment to sell for scrap. Did that for a while and saved us. Nothing I would want to do full time, it was worth the effort.

Just remember, if you have a wife and family. They need some of your time too. It easy to take them for granted, putting your goals above them. Just keep an eye on that, again it is an easy thing to neglect and hard to make right.

 

[Garrett89]

Mostly just working as many hours of OT as I can at a job that fortunately pays decently. Eventually my wife and I should be in a position to make our plans work without so much elbow grease. Fortunately I haven't had to resort to anything the true die hards might've yet but given how much I love it over there I'd probably figure something out if I had to lol

 

[Sideshow]

Ok kind of off topic but the craziest thing I did was hunt during Covid. Never believed in the seriousness of Covid. Got the shot early as I am a fireman and offered and we have three nursing homes in town with multiple false alarms. But my two sons and a daughter got it and were done in a day, same house etc. you get the point. Early 2020 a favorite ph says if I can get over the price is unreal. Was on the second plane that arrives in Namibia the day it opened. Sept 28th, 2020. Had to drive 5 hours to dc fly to Ethiopia (14 hours) layover, 9 hours to Windhoek and then no internal flights, drive 13 hours to caprivi. All one atraight shot with no stopping. The reward was an elephant, hippo, buffalo, sable, lechwe, and 6 other plains games for price I will not mention. It was 49 hours straight on forged Covid tests coming and going. And I would do it again in a heartbeat.

LOL forged Covid tests!
AWA (for those that don’t know Africa Wins Again)
We didn’t need to forge ours but definitely had them ready

 

[Whit]

Slowly collecting European guns with upside in the States. Planning to collect until it is time to buy an engagement ring, or another safari trip. Not much interest in taxidermy - maybe one set of nyala horns or a buffalo skull - as I'd rather have the memories and the photos.

Longterm, hopefully, marrying an Afrikaans girl, and working my butt off for a posting to the US Embassy, Pretoria... no travel costs to speak of!