Thinking Africa in 2017 or 2018

[scott_r]

On average what could one expect to pay all in for a Cape Buffalo hunt? for a Bull not cow.

 

[Dogleg]

On average what could one expect to pay all in for a Cape Buffalo hunt? for a Bull not cow.

In a general sort of way; plan to spend the equivalent of a fairly decent used 4x4 by the time the dust settles.

Elephant, plan on spending the price of a new one, plains game about the same as a new quad. There's a bit of a range in there, but view bargains with a great deal of scepticism .

 

[Claybuster]

Don't rule out RSA or Namibia ranch hunts either, I hunted properties where I never saw a fence in 5 days of hunting and the game was born, lived and dies on these properties without ever seeing a fence or being herded or inhibited in any way. The multitude of habitats , open plains, mountains and bushy hill country held a vast and diverse quantity of game which never was encumbered by the miles away fences. These are not canned hunts and the game is neither fed nor managed beyond the numbers that may be taken by hunters, they live out their lives as though they were in unfenced concessions, and it is still very possible to lose a poorly hit animal, although the trackers are amazing. It is absolutely no easier than hunting unfenced Zambia or Mozambique.

All true. These are not game farms in the way we might think of them but not all outfitters are alike.

During my time there and working with people who worked part-time or even lived on game farms I learned much about their business. The key is to ask questions and be specific about what you want. Some places are content to put a Hemingway-fueled North American hunter into a bakkie, drive to an elevated hide near a waterhole where he proceeds to pop whatever presents itself most often a springbok, zebra or giraffe and return home by lunch. Others offer more challenging hunts. Ask questions and do your research.

My biggest fear these days would not be my time in Africa as much as it would be the travel to and from, given all the current terrorist activities in Europe and about. Sooner or later they are going to hit an airport somewhere, and of course it will be a major one. It used to be possible to fly directly from some US centers to Jo'burg, which would be my choice nowadays. Jo'burg is the southern continent hub and regardless of where you go, you will likely hub out of Jo'burg.

You still can fly directly from North America to RSA. South African flies direct to Johannesburg from New York and Washington, Delta flies direct from Atlanta.

I have a standing offer to hunt in Namibia on a friend's farm that I hope to take up next year. If it's part of a work trip I'd use his guns because we typically go through NYC and I don't want the added hassle of managing guns on a business trip. If I were travelling on my own and taking guns I'd probably route through Frankfurt and fly Air Namibia into Windhoek or SAA to Jo-burg and double back. The people I know advise it's the smoothest route if you are bringing guns compared to London or New York.

 

[KMG Canada]

In a general sort of way; plan to spend the equivalent of a fairly decent used 4x4 by the time the dust settles.

Elephant, plan on spending the price of a new one, plains game about the same as a new quad. There's a bit of a range in there, but view bargains with a great deal of scepticism .

Dogleg, That really puts it into perspective Can I borrow that line when we are at the shows this year

On a serious note, do watch for the too good to be true deals ... and do your due diligence checks before you book!

 

[Dogleg]

Dogleg, That really puts it into perspective Can I borrow that line when we are at the shows this year

On a serious note, do watch for the too good to be true deals ... and do your due diligence checks before you book!

Sure; it's yours.

 

[KMG Canada]

Prices in Africa as stated above can vary widely, depending on country and more importantly the USD. Most will quote in USD, if you can, try to get a quote in CAD as the CAD has done ok vs the RAND (South Africa) compared to the horrible performance of the CAD vs the USD.

 

[c-fbmi]

Last Safari show I was at in Calgary I negotiated a good deal on a plains game hunt in CAD. Unfortunately I was unable to take advantage of this deal due to non related happenstance.
I found most of the operators represented there to be somewhat negotiable in CAD. As far as comparison for cost, like Dogleg, I have found a good plainsgame including a buff or leopard 10-14 day hunt to be the cost of a new 2 wd basic pickup, if you add a second DG, buff or leopard, it goes up to a new 4X4 and if you want an elephant or lion it compares to a new diesel dually 4X4. These values have held more or less true for the 25 years I have hunted in Africa.

 

[BigUglyMan]

Can you even buy a 2WD pickup anymore? Who would want such a thing? Some landscaper in Toronto?

 

[A-zone]

Can you even buy a 2WD pickup anymore? Who would want such a thing? Some landscaper in Toronto?

Enjoying the discussion here. Between trucks and quads and duelly 4X4s, it all puts it in perspective.

Neo and I just landed a 40' container of taxidermy as the culmination of our 2013 "month in Zim" tour. A guy starts thinking that maybe that was two 4x4s... House looks pretty amazing, though.

 

[Kudu]

Most North American based hunters go to the countries in Southern Africa looking for trophies.

If you are hunting, as you say - for "meat animals" then you have a lot more to look forward to, at really reasonable rates.

Having lived there for 45 years (I was born and grew up there) We understood the distinctions between the foreign hunter and the local hunter, the ranchers and land owners tend to pander to the mighty US$, but once the penny dropped - and they realized, that the homegrown market (local hunter) was never going to pay the super inflated $ price, they started the "meat market" vs "trophy market" pricing structure.

There are areas in the Eastern Cape (Craddock, Queenstown, Stutterheim, Fort Beufort ) that offer world class plains game hunting.

If you journey the opposite direction and concentrate in the Jansenville, Uitenhage, Graaf Reinette, Pearston areas you will have kudu in the really challenging speck boom regions, and that in itself is a worthy hunt.

Venture further North, and by this I mean North into the mopani regions and the bushveldt, using Luis Trichard as the most southerly town, Alldays as the Westerly furthest point, Musina as the Northerly point and Tshipise as the easterly boundary, you will find Buff hunting as good as anywhere in Zim and Moz and decent deals are to be had.

I personally know a bunch of land owners, ranchers and Ph's in the area (I went to school in the district) - Pm if you like and I will give you some contacts to email.

I owned a number of businesses in Port Elizabeth (and in other areas of the Eastern Cape), and spent a great deal of time hunting the areas I mentioned above, again I can give you some good contact details if you need them.

Have fun with the planing, it's a sum of the greater part of the hunt.

 

[KMG Canada]

Enjoying the discussion here. Between trucks and quads and duelly 4X4s, it all puts it in perspective.

Neo and I just landed a 40' container of taxidermy as the culmination of our 2013 "month in Zim" tour. A guy starts thinking that maybe that was two 4x4s... House looks pretty amazing, though.

Photos?