African Hunting Safari

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Frontman44

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I am hoping to go on a hunt of a lifetime for an upcoming milestone birthday in a few years. African plains game with my main goal to bring home a Kudu euro-mount.

I am hoping to get some advice from others who have done it especially regarding any travel agents you may have booked through. Taxidermy and export/import fees along with hearing about your experiences are greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance.
 
There a number of older threads here that will have a host of info that you are looking for already; use the search function above.

I am going again in May on my second plains game safari in South Africa.
Went to the Eastern Cape on the first trip, booked through a booking agent met at a gunshow. Was a great adventure! Learned lots.
Have learned quite a bit just recently with regards to some hidden costs about getting the trophies home (one shoulder mount (nyala), European mounts and flat skins), for both their taxidermist (fumigation, etc.), and the importing agency (airport storage fees, etc) here in Canada, that we did not experience from our trip to New Zealand (Euro mounts and a flat skin).

Going with another PH in the Free State, whom we met at another gun show, and with whom my wife won a safari. Will get to see and hunt some new species in some new country. Hoping for another great adventure with another longtime outfitter!
Have found a new importer that should mitigate some of those hidden charges that I have just experienced.

If travelling with firearms (and knives), be prepared that there are very few airlines you can use, and flight routes that allow weapons shipping, and require their own permitting requirements, even when just making connecting flights in those countries, to/from Johannesburg. A travel agent can help, but the firearms services in SA can also be a big help with customs, and worth the additional costs.
 
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BlackRam said:
There a number of older threads here that will have a host of info that you are looking for already; use the search function above.

I am going again in May on my second plains game safari in South Africa.
Went to the Eastern Cape on the first trip, booked through a booking agent met at a gunshow. Was a great adventure! Learned lots.
Have learned quite a bit just recently with regards to some hidden costs about getting the trophies home (one shoulder mount (nyala), European mounts and flat skins), for both their taxidermist (fumigation, etc.), and the importing agency (airport storage fees, etc) here in Canada, that we did not experience from our trip to New Zealand (Euro mounts and a flat skin).

Going with another PH in the Free State, whom we met at another gun show, and with whom my wife won a safari. Will get to see and hunt some new species in some new country. Hoping for another great adventure with another longtime outfitter!
Have found a new importer that should mitigate some of those hidden charges that I have just experienced.

If travelling with firearms (and knives), be prepared that there are very few airlines you can use, and flight routes that allow weapons shipping, and require their own permitting requirements, even when just making connecting flights in those countries, to/from Johannesburg. A travel agent can help, but the firearms services in SA can also be a big help with customs, and worth the additional costs.
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Thanks for the reply. I've done a search and really did not find the info I was hoping to.

Mainly hoping to find an ontario based company we can book through to put my wife's mind at ease versus send thousands of dollars over seas directly.

If you don't mind, would you let me know the outfitter name you are going with in the Free State?

Thanks again, I really appreciate the info about travelling with firearms and the hidden fees you experienced.
 
I've done SA, and it is its own thing... there are some good operators in good areas, but there some horrendous operators on "put & take" farms, that will leave you disappointed. I think you should really consider hunting in Namibia. Logistically Namibia is an easier country to hunt and travel to and in. Very diverse, with more truly free range opportunities. There are easy taxidermy and shipping options and very reputable outfitters. On the whole, you don't hear much negative feedback on hunting experiences in Namibia, I enjoyed it immensely. Zambia, Mozambique and Tanzania are another level, and probably best for a second or third trip. I wouldn't worry too.much about sending a significant deposit to any reputable outfitter... just check their feedback profile online and on forums like African Hunting. Good luck.
 
Frontman44 said:
I've done my homework on it and it's cheaper for me to take my wife to Africa than it is for me to go hunt moose with a guide in the Yukon or head out west on an elk hunt.

No lottery winnings needed😁
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very true. a single animal bc/yukon hunt is almost double most quality hunts one can get in Africa. and Im talking quality areas and hunts. not put and take game farms.

I think the thing you must first ask yourself is what type of hunt you want to experience. are you okay seeing fences, sizes of property, native people living in the areas, etc etc. ALOT of people hunt in South Africa and there is some amazing places and people I'm sure. Im glad it exists and im glad for animal populations that have come back from declines.

I knew I wanted to experience wild africa. vast tracks of land, no fences, no people, miles and miles of bloody africa. just you, your boots, a good land cruiser or rover, great Ph and even better trackers. pick up the tracks and follow till you see what you come to and what adventure arises.

If i was in your boots, and just wanted a quality kudu (that was my main focus for my first trip aswell) i would look at namibia or botswana. try to find some larger concessions. Zim has some good areas for alittle extra, cant bring rifle "legally" so if thats an issue. Moz and its coutadas are a excellent choice for plains games but itll be 30-50% more then SA and namibia.
 
Crazy_Farmer said:
very true. a single animal bc/yukon hunt is almost double most quality hunts one can get in Africa. and Im talking quality areas and hunts. not put and take game farms.

I think the thing you must first ask yourself is what type of hunt you want to experience. are you okay seeing fences, sizes of property, native people living in the areas, etc etc. ALOT of people hunt in South Africa and there is some amazing places and people I'm sure. Im glad it exists and im glad for animal populations that have come back from declines.

I knew I wanted to experience wild africa. vast tracks of land, no fences, no people, miles and miles of bloody africa. just you, your boots, a good land cruiser or rover, great Ph and even better trackers. pick up the tracks and follow till you see what you come to and what adventure arises.

If i was in your boots, and just wanted a quality kudu (that was my main focus for my first trip aswell) i would look at namibia or botswana. try to find some larger concessions. Zim has some good areas for alittle extra, cant bring rifle "legally" so if thats an issue. Moz and its coutadas are a excellent choice for plains games but itll be 30-50% more then SA and namibia.
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Namibia seems to be the place to try. I definitely do not want an experience that feels like targeting livestock on a farm. My favourite part of hunting is the challenge of it and I think seeing fences all over the place would ruin that for me.
 
Longwalker said:
I've hunted South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. I suggest Namibia for a Kudu hunt that will be satisfying and a good value. Mozambique if you're more adventurous and have deeper pockets. I'm going back to Mozambique this year. Amazing place! View attachment 1095516
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I agree, Namibia is a good pick for a reasonably priced free range Kudu hunt... but you can't do Namibia and not add the indigenous Kalahari Springbok, Gemsbuck and Hartmann's Zebra. I am heading back to Namibia in a little over a month. Also booked in Zambia 2027 for Cape Buffalo, Livingstone Eland, Defassa Waterbuck, Nyala, Chobi Bushbuck, Puku and Crawshay Zebra. Hunting the Kafue region.

20250304_184657.jpg20250304_081740.jpg20250301_111721.jpg20250301_173004(0).jpg
 
hoytcanon said:
I agree, Namibia is a good pick for a reasonably priced free range Kudu hunt... but you can't do Namibia and not add the indigenous Kalahari Springbok, Gemsbuck and Hartmann's Zebra. I am heading back to Namibia in a little over a month. Also booked in Zambia 2027 for Cape Buffalo, Livingstone Eland, Defassa Waterbuck, Nyala, Chobi Bushbuck, Puku and Crawshay Zebra. Hunting the Kafue region.

View attachment 1095709View attachment 1095710View attachment 1095711View attachment 1095712
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I knew that if you ever started hunting Africa you’d never be able to stop.🤣
 
AlbertaJohn said:
Man I need to win the Lotto and if I ever do Ima go to Africa and shoot me a Warthog. :LOL:
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But that's the thing...you don't need to win the lotto. While the total price for a hunt in Africa can look pretty daunting, there are ways to ease the impact on your bank account.

1) Book the hunt a couple of years ahead. You will usually have to pay some percentage of the daily rate in order to hold your hunt date. If that's $500/day for a 10 day plains game hunt in RSA, you'll have to drop $2500 right away. Set aside money the next year to pay for the remaining daily rates. Then, usually a few months before the hunt, you will pay the rest of the daily rates. Once you've gone and come back you will receive a bill from the outfitter to cover the trophy fees. Depending on what you take that will be anywhere from a couple grand to 5 or 6K, but you will have spread out the payments over a span of a couple of years which makes it much more manageable.

2) Work closely with your taxidermist to defer the cost until all is finished. If they have the freezer space and are willing, you can spread out your taxidermy over a couple of years. I did that when I went to Zimbabwe. I had my impala, warthog skull, and cape buffalo done right away but left the full-mount civet for a year. Again, spreading the costs out.

3) Use airline points to cover your flights. I did this when I went to Zimbabwe and it ended up only costing me a few hundred bucks to cover the taxes and fees. This was using the CIBC Aventura Visa, but the RBC Avion or BMO World Elite would work just as well.

So to break it down:

Year 1: 50% of daily rate paid
Year 2: set aside remainder of daily rate. Book flights with points and pay fees with cash (or points, if you want)
Year 3: Hunt, pay the balance of the trophy fees
Year 4: Pay for shipping and Taxidermy

When you do it this way, a $15K plains game hunt in Namibia becomes much more affordable. Similarly, a $30K cape buffalo hunt in Zimbabwe becomes much easier to swallow, though it is more of a stretch.
 
BigUglyMan said:
But that's the thing...you don't need to win the lotto. While the total price for a hunt in Africa can look pretty daunting, there are ways to ease the impact on your bank account.

1) Book the hunt a couple of years ahead. You will usually have to pay some percentage of the daily rate in order to hold your hunt date. If that's $500/day for a 10 day plains game hunt in RSA, you'll have to drop $2500 right away. Set aside money the next year to pay for the remaining daily rates. Then, usually a few months before the hunt, you will pay the rest of the daily rates. Once you've gone and come back you will receive a bill from the outfitter to cover the trophy fees. Depending on what you take that will be anywhere from a couple grand to 5 or 6K, but you will have spread out the payments over a span of a couple of years which makes it much more manageable.

2) Work closely with your taxidermist to defer the cost until all is finished. If they have the freezer space and are willing, you can spread out your taxidermy over a couple of years. I did that when I went to Zimbabwe. I had my impala, warthog skull, and cape buffalo done right away but left the full-mount civet for a year. Again, spreading the costs out.

3) Use airline points to cover your flights. I did this when I went to Zimbabwe and it ended up only costing me a few hundred bucks to cover the taxes and fees. This was using the CIBC Aventura Visa, but the RBC Avion or BMO World Elite would work just as well.

So to break it down:

Year 1: 50% of daily rate paid
Year 2: set aside remainder of daily rate. Book flights with points and pay fees with cash (or points, if you want)
Year 3: Hunt, pay the balance of the trophy fees
Year 4: Pay for shipping and Taxidermy

When you do it this way, a $15K plains game hunt in Namibia becomes much more affordable. Similarly, a $30K cape buffalo hunt in Zimbabwe becomes much easier to swallow, though it is more of a stretch.
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Well said, when I was 30 and inbetween 1st and 2nd kid my wife knew it meant alot to me and said book it. Lucked out in a very wild part of Zim with one of the best PH on the continent.

I paid a deposit, then 6 months later paid the day fees before I left. Took some cash for tips and some balance etc. Leading up to the hunt and the year that passed, I sold 4-5 long guns, an antique, a boat motor, just a bunch of stuff to this day I dont miss or didnt need. and that paid for alot of my Cape Buff trip.

I used my rbc avion points. 100k for anywhere in the world up to $2k, even was able to upgrade a couple connecting flights

I actually was not very responsible with my finances lol, put a good chunk down on Line of credit when I got home and settled up the trophy fees and made a plan to pay it off. Safari was in sept and luckily hit big OT over winter and a good tax return and by march it was fully paid off.

Then the dip/pack and shipping came and taxidermy. Once again, sold a boat to a buddy in usa and that USD went direct to Zim to pay my shipping.

You said it well, and if one REALLY does want to go to Africa, it can be done. you just need to start chipping away at it. no pun intended but how do you eat an elephant? one bite at a time.
 
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