What is the Standard payment structure for booking a hunt?

[Smitty]

Hi All,
Thank in advance for your advice. I am looking into a hunt in June, for Zimbabwe. The outfitter I am corresponding with is asking for a 25% payment now, and the remaining 75% payment 30 days prior to the hunt. I get nervous wiring the full payment in advance, before I have even landed or met the outfitter. What recourse would I have if they just took my money and never even picked me up at the airport? Is there a more traditional or accepted practice? I am afraid I have only been to Africa once before, so I am not very versed in what is normal. Thanks, Smitty

 

[375Fox]

What are you calling full payment? Usually all daily fees are paid prior to the hunt like you described and then either the major animal is paid or a $10k trophy fee deposit before the hunt starts depending on the outfitter and the hunt you booked. Then I pay any balance by wire after returning home but you need to discuss this with outfitter. I see a lot of PG hunts in South Africa are paid by credit card but that’s not an option for most hunts in other African countries. You have to do your research and trust who you are hunting with.

 

[Smitty]

What are you calling full payment? Usually all daily fees are paid prior to the hunt like you described and then either the major animal is paid or a $10k trophy fee deposit before the hunt starts depending on the outfitter and the hunt you booked. Then I pay any balance by wire after returning home but you need to discuss this with outfitter. I see a lot of PG hunts in South Africa are paid by credit card but that’s not an option for most hunts in other African countries. You have to do your research and trust who you are hunting with.

Thank you for your reply. By full payment, I mean the outfitter wants the entire gross cost of the hunt, day fees and the trophy fee for the one animal listed, a Sable. Any other animals taken would be billed at the end of the hunt. I am just trying to find out if this is standard practice or if it is out of the norm, and what recourse does one have if it turns out to be other than advertised?

 

[deewayne2003]

You have to do your research and trust who you are hunting with.

As @375Fox said, you have to do the research and trust who you are hunting with.

Having said that, it's a really small world when it comes to big game hunting and the last thing a reputable outfitter wants is bad press about ripping someone off.

July was my first trip to Africa and I hunted in Zimbabwe and it went.......

30% of daily rates as deposit to book the hunt and secure dates and trophy quota.

Balance of daily rate due 2 months before hunt starts.

End of hunt - Given an invoice with balance due, to be paid by wire transfer within 10 days of return.

Think of it this way.... You are trusting him to not run off with your daily rates and in turn he is trusting you to wire him the balance due when you get safe back home to the opposite side of the world.

 

[375Fox]

Thank you for your reply. By full payment, I mean the outfitter wants the entire gross cost of the hunt, day fees and the trophy fee for the one animal listed, a Sable. Any other animals taken would be billed at the end of the hunt. I am just trying to find out if this is standard practice or if it is out of the norm, and what recourse does one have if it turns out to be other than advertised?

That is standard. Unfortunately in a place like Zimbabwe you have no recourse if a PH/Outfitter doesn’t follow through. I’d make sure you are booking through a Zimbabwe outfitter that is a member of their professional hunter’s association and check references. That’s all you can do. Your other option is to book through a reputable US agent, but even then your recourse is limited.

 

[Smitty]

deewayne2003[/USER], Thank you for your reply. I appreciate it. It seems as what my outfitter is asking isn't way out of normal the[/FONT]n.​

 

[Smitty]

That is standard. Unfortunately in a place like Zimbabwe you have no recourse if a PH/Outfitter doesn’t follow through. I’d make sure you are booking through a Zimbabwe outfitter that is a member of their professional hunter’s association and check references. That’s all you can do. Your other option is to book through a reputable US agent, but even then your recourse is limited.

375Fox, Thank you. I guess you are right. I have checked references. All of them speak highly of the Outfitter/PH, it's the booking agent who I have trust issues with. But I will check the hunter's association and be as careful as possible.

 

[Dinsdale]

I have wired 100% day rate 30 days ahead.

I have been given the option of sending primary game TF or more; and have always covered the primary ahead of time; paying the balance when returned home or camp.

But I 100% trust the outfit.

 

[Smitty]

I have wired 100% day rate 30 days ahead.

I have been given the option of sending primary game TF or more; and have always covered the primary ahead of time; paying the balance when returned home or camp.

But I 100% trust the outfit.

Thank you. I am feeling much more confident knowing it is more or less standard practice.

 

[JimP]

In my two hunts I have wired a deposit as far a a little over a year away, then the final payment 30 or so days before I arrive.

You have to figure that if they are legit then they are holding a space for you and expect for you to show up on the date on the contract. If you don't show up they may have a hard time filling that spot that you left in their plans.

Both of my hunts were package deals so I really didn't have to settle up at the end of my hunt. However on my second hunt I did pay a deposit on the taxidermy that the outfitters taxidermist was going to do.

 

[Smitty]

Thank you very much for your input. I am feeling much better about the contract now.

 

[Tusker]

Is common practice to pay 100% on every safari excluding South Africa and/or Namibia.
There is limited quota and last thing outfitters want is to save quota for a hunter that changes his mind along the safari and decides to not go for the booked trophy.
I would ask to pay online with a credit card. This is hands down the best travel insurance you can get.

about my previous message, I would think this quota applies to elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo,,, and special antelopes like Roan, sable, sitatunga, for which a concession may get 1 or 2 of each.
This doesnt apply for common animals such as impala, kudu, duiker, etc

Let me continue my post.
Plains game is the cherry on top of the cake. Most hunters book a target animals (one of the mentioned scarce tags) and then decide to add these other animals such as waterbuck, kudu, impala, zebra.
I would include on the scarce/rare quota also the hippo and croc. But is all on a one on one cases.
Biggest problem when talking about safari planning best practices is that you cant compare SA and Namibia with the rest. They are simply different.

 

[3chunter]

I’m not hunting anywhere that has to have 100% of the money before I get there. That’s just my policy. The two times I went to Africa. A copy of my flight itinerary is/was all that was required. But that was SA and Namibia.

 

[Rafiki]

Standard, no such thing. Read these posts, they are all over the map and none represent my experience.

 

[coreydb]

There are too many great PH/outfitters who will send you their invoice after you return home. I'd shy away from any outfitter who wants the bill paid in full before you even get there.

 

[Tusker]

There are too many great PH/outfitters who will send you their invoice after you return home. I'd shy away from any outfitter who wants the bill paid in full before you even get there.

Dont want to start an argument, but only 2 questions:

1. with whom did you hunt in Spain that didn't request upfront payment? I am really interested on this.
2. Other than SA, have you hunted any other place in Africa? Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Gabon. All these places I hunted and they always pay for daily rate and at least one animal upfront. But I might be an exception.

 

[BRICKBURN]

what recourse does one have if it turns out to be other than advertised?

Complaints to professional associations, Wildlife Departments, hunt reports,

Then.....

Then .............

 

[coreydb]

Dont want to start an argument, but only 2 questions:

1. with whom did you hunt in Spain that didn't request upfront payment? I am really interested on this.
2. Other than SA, have you hunted any other place in Africa? Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Gabon. All these places I hunted and they always pay for daily rate and at least one animal upfront. But I might be an exception.

Hi Tusker- I was referring to final payments before the hunt begins, not the deposits. Sorry if I didn't articulate that well.

 

[Deni81]

I paid upfront for my trip but that’s because my bank did not like me making payment to South Africa and it was a process.

 

[coreydb]

Yes, some banks are like that. The process is administrative, I (in my mind) was thinking of being taken with a scam, that's all.