For those contemplating Africa

[hogpatrol]

Heckuva deal on a plains game hunt and cheaper than a lot of one animal / no guarantee North American hunts. As far as airfare, I've flown to South Africa from the east coast (IAD) for as little as $1100.

https://www.africahunting.com/threa...r-hunt-13-animals-us-5-900.47752/#post-511119

 

[Down South]

Sure looks like a nice place to go!

 

[onelastshot]

For those interested in a lot of trigger time but don't care about trophies, the real bargain is a cull hunt. You can shoot 8-10 animals for the price of a regular hunt and not end up with 6-8 thousand in shipping and taxidermy work. Can't shoot 8-10 animals in the states for 5-6 grand. If you're really interested to to Africahunting.com, all kinds of offers. Be careful though everybody over there thinks they deserve a tip the cost of tips can end up being 15-20% for your total cost of the trip.

 

[Drop Port]

Looks like the prices are a reflection of the current political climate.

 

[hogpatrol]

Looks like the prices are a reflection of the current political climate.

Not so much the political climate but there is a lot of competition for the foreign hunter dollar.

For those interested in a lot of trigger time but don't care about trophies, the real bargain is a cull hunt. You can shoot 8-10 animals for the price of a regular hunt and not end up with 6-8 thousand in shipping and taxidermy work. Can't shoot 8-10 animals in the states for 5-6 grand. If you're really interested to to Africahunting.com, all kinds of offers. Be careful though everybody over there thinks they deserve a tip the cost of tips can end up being 15-20% for your total cost of the trip.

That's interesting. I've never tipped a PH more than a hundred bucks for a ten day hunt and the trackers, cleaning staff and other help, maybe ten bucks apiece for the same hunt.

 

[Drop Port]

Not so much the political climate but there is a lot of competition for the foreign hunter dollar.


It doesn't help when you are facing Zim all over again with pending land grabs. I have friends in SA and they are on egg shells right now.

 

[TC260]

Some relatives of mine spent most of their lives living in rural Zimbabwe, 40+ years, before fleeing back to England when it got too dangerous to be there. After their neighbors were murdered on the road into town for supplies. It was sad to hear their stories of the country they knew and what it had turned into.

 

[hogpatrol]

Some relatives of mine spent most of their lives living in rural Zimbabwe, 40+ years, before fleeing back to England when it got too dangerous to be there. After their neighbors were murdered on the road into town for supplies. It was sad to hear their stories of the country they knew and what it had turned into.

Like many others in Africa and Asia, it's a failed state with little to no hope for change. I've come to realize that there are some places on this planet where dysfunction is normal and trying to change them is an exercise in wasted effort. Sad.

Aside that, South Africa and Namibia are probably the safest for hunters.

 

[oldhoward]

Hi, I hunted with 3s Safaris and had a great time. I took my wife on this trip and she hunted with me but is not a hunter. We also took a few days to tour many attractions while in S.A. Hennie, Talida, and Longman did a great job. I highly recommend them. If anyone wants more information let me know.
Oldhoward

 

[300_whisper]

I thought SA only hate boers? Are English and Americans safe or is it a total lost cause? I always wanted to hunt SA, but not going there if they are doing those land grabs.

 

[hogpatrol]

I thought SA only hate boers? Are English and Americans safe or is it a total lost cause? I always wanted to hunt SA, but not going there if they are doing those land grabs.

The land grab hype is all noise and if anyone gets their land taken, it's the natives who were given land and produced nothing. Except for a couple rare instances, it's been my experience that Americans are generally treated like rock stars. After all, our government and American activists pushed for an end to apartheid. Thousands of American hunters go on safaris in South Africa every year without a hitch.

 

[JimT]

The land grab hype is all noise and if anyone gets their land taken, it's the natives who were given land and produced nothing. Except for a couple rare instances, it's been my experience that Americans are generally treated like rock stars. After all, our government and American activists pushed for an end to apartheid. Thousands of American hunters go on safaris in South Africa every year without a hitch.

It’s only a matter of time and this guy will be running things.

https://www.france24.com/en/20190202-land-jobs-are-top-priorities-radical-african-party?ref=em

 

[hogpatrol]

It’s only a matter of time and this guy will be running things.

https://www.france24.com/en/20190202-land-jobs-are-top-priorities-radical-african-party?ref=em

Jim, That's the noise I referred to. Any land grab would shut off loans to the country and there are enough smart people to know his policies would never work.
It's analogous to the Democratic presidential entrants calling for 90% tax rate for billionaires.

 

[hogpatrol]

There were protests against this radical ideology. The vast majority want their jobs to be secure and support all the farmers, white and black. Anyone in that country with a modicum of intelligence just needs to look at their neighbor, the failed state of Zimbabwe which because of land confiscation, used to be the breadbasket of Africa, now imports food.

 

[allen529]

Says a different story about land grabs. I really dont have a dog in this fight but I met a gentleman from S.A. this past Oct while fishing and he told me he was able to get his family out several years ago. He now runs a construction company out of the dallas area. His son should have graduated USMC boit camp by now. His words were if you have not left by now its only a matter of time before your murdered legally. As in no one will really investigate your death. He also said that farmers are being shot, properties are being seized, and whole families are just disappearing never to be seen or heard from again. Again, I am just relaying what I was told.

As for safaris.... I would have loved to go on one but everyone I have seen feel almost canned. Not all of them but quite a few. For the right amount of $ there isnt anything left on that continent somebody wont give you a license for.

 

[hogpatrol]

Says a different story about land grabs. I really dont have a dog in this fight but I met a gentleman from S.A. this past Oct while fishing and he told me he was able to get his family out several years ago. He now runs a construction company out of the dallas area. His son should have graduated USMC boit camp by now. His words were if you have not left by now its only a matter of time before your murdered legally. As in no one will really investigate your death. He also said that farmers are being shot, properties are being seized, and whole families are just disappearing never to be seen or heard from again. Again, I am just relaying what I was told.

As for safaris.... I would have loved to go on one but everyone I have seen feel almost canned. Not all of them but quite a few. For the right amount of $ there isnt anything left on that continent somebody wont give you a license for.

There have been atrocities around the large cities but they have mostly been criminal activities, not government land grabs. If your contact left several years ago, he may have been in an "hot" area or jumped the gun. As for canned safaris, it's no different than in the U.S. One can hunt game farms here for deer, pig and exotic game or hunt free range areas. Some feel a fenced area is canned. I hunted a farm of 36,000 acres, a little over 56 square miles or an eight mile by seven mile parcel. There were fences but it was hardly a canned hunt. I can tell you, my butt was dragging every day. Some game areas hunted are in the millions of acres where it takes a couple hours to get to the other side of the concession. Depending on the animal hunted, one could be on a stalk for as many as five miles and several hours.

Aside that, it's funny that people are fearful of Africa. I hear the same thing when I'm over there about us. Why don't you guys visit the U.S.? Well, they read about the mass shootings, murders in Chicago, the gangs in LA, the MS-13 Mexican criminals in the big cities, the opiod addiction/crime wave, and other isolated incidents and say NO WAY! When some do come over for the conventions and sports shows, they are amazed that this stuff isn't in 99.9% of the country and we're just like people everywhere, trying to make a buck and take care of ourselves and our families.

 

[300_whisper]

There are “good” parts of Africa. Remember the entire continent can fit the US, China, India, and Chile in it. It’s huge. There has to be stable countries with good, ethical hunting.

 

[hogpatrol]

Some fantastic fishing there too, fresh and saltwater. Many guys combine hunting and fishing.
One thing hunters like in Africa is NO anti-hunting BS. They LOVE hunters. When I go through immigration in South Africa, I'm asked which animals I'm going to hunt and am wished good luck! I've gotten that in Texas but that's about it for the states I've hunted.

 

[JimT]

Jim, That's the noise I referred to. Any land grab would shut off loans to the country and there are enough smart people to know his policies would never work.
It's analogous to the Democratic presidential entrants calling for 90% tax rate for billionaires.

Zimbabwe

 

[xswanted]

Does a person have to keep and ship back horns/heads if you do a trophy hunt?

i.e. if a guy went over there and did some trophy hunting and shot a big Kudu, are you required to ship the skull and horns back to the US?