hunting in africa
- Thread starter fourpower
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hogpatrol
Gold $$ Contributor
Plains game trophy hunts are reasonable. Cull hunts are downright cheap. The big five are where it can get expensive. The only drawback is the long plane ride to South Africa but if you have the time, it can be broken in to two flights.
Dusty Stevens
Shiner
Where is the best layover spot on the way to africa? Hunts are cheap its the government extortion fees called trophy fees then taxidermy and shipping that triples the price
If you go out of Dulles, It's 8.5 hours to Dakar, Senegal. You sit on the plane for 1.5 hours while they fumigate the plane with you on it. Then another 8.5 hour flight to Jo'burg. If you go out of Atlanta, It's 16 hours to Jo'burg. I prefer the non stop flight. Drink only water and get up and walk around a lot. You get a digiplayer to watch several movies etc. Take a book and sleep if you can. Most of the flights are at night anyway. They do feed you well. Once in Johannesburg, if you have to transfer to another flight, you can stay at the airport or if you have an overnight layover, your outfitter can arrange your stay at Africa Sky's. Follow the yellow brick road and keep a stiff upper lip
hogpatrol
Gold $$ Contributor
Dusty, My costs, exclusive of airfare, double with taxidermy costs. I've done the flights four different ways and settled on the Atlanta direct Jo'burg flight on Delta. Other times we transferred through Paris and Frankfurt. Layovers there can be excessive, over ten or fifteen hours. The Dakar stop is on South African Airways, did that too. Be prepared to breath some bug spray on that and the European routes. We stay overnight right at the airport and use a meet and greet service to smooth the firearm import and transfer process. It's well worth the money.
The best way to go for a first timer is a package deal on plains game in South Africa or Namibia. You can go with a more expensive trophy animal package where the animals meet a specific SCI criterion or a cheaper cull package. My first year hunt included six trophy animals, all airport transfers, food, alcohol, lodging, skinning, taxidermy prep services, shipping to an in country taxidermist (had mine done there a lot cheaper), services of a one on one professional hunter, all fees and taxes for six days of hunting for 3950 (in 2013) but prices are up since then. A la carte is more expensive but you choose what you want to take. Competition is fierce, exchange rates are favorable and the experience is well worth the time and effort.
As far as large fees, those come in to play on rare animals, some CITES animals and dangerous game. Reasoning behind that is it's usually a limited number of permits and whatever the market will bear. As far as extortion, to me, two grand for a license to hunt one, no guarantee kill, animal in a western U.S. state more fits that description.
I hunt here: http://jakkalskuilsafaris.com/ I'm going back May 7.
In the meantime, http://www.africahunting.com/community/ has more info on outfitters and all Africa hunting than any other website.
If you decide to go, just remember this one anecdote, "no one goes just once".
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effendude
Gold $$ Contributor
I second what Hogpatrol states. I like the Atlanta to Joburg flight, about 16 hours in the plane. It is usually an overnight flight and the Delta staff knows how to make you as comfortable as possible. An inexpensive upgrade to business class gives you more room and divined over 32 hours of air time, it really is a bargain. The Rand is very low in value against the dollar right now and the industry is responding with lower prices. Both companies I hunted with in 2014 have called me in the last 2 weeks with special offers to return.
The taxidermy costs can be great. We have a great taxidermist who is willing to do our trophies over a couple year period to soften the blow to my discretionary funds. I have seen too many crooked ears, out of place eyes and other issues to have my taxidermy done there, regardless of the savings. I am also leaning towards doing much more European mounts on my future trips, along with a good photo or two of each animal to display on the wall by the skull.
I encourage everyone to make their first trip to Africa, and the continent sells itself for return trips. My wife and I spent 16 days there in Sept. of 2014, hunting for 13 of those days. We were in awe the entire time. I doubt there was a 20 minute period where we didn't see something to stop and photograph, or just watch with amazement. Great experience. Cape buffalo, Nyala, Eland, Leopard and a Giraffe are left on my list and my wife wants a Sable. Its going to take a few trips...
Scott
The taxidermy costs can be great. We have a great taxidermist who is willing to do our trophies over a couple year period to soften the blow to my discretionary funds. I have seen too many crooked ears, out of place eyes and other issues to have my taxidermy done there, regardless of the savings. I am also leaning towards doing much more European mounts on my future trips, along with a good photo or two of each animal to display on the wall by the skull.
I encourage everyone to make their first trip to Africa, and the continent sells itself for return trips. My wife and I spent 16 days there in Sept. of 2014, hunting for 13 of those days. We were in awe the entire time. I doubt there was a 20 minute period where we didn't see something to stop and photograph, or just watch with amazement. Great experience. Cape buffalo, Nyala, Eland, Leopard and a Giraffe are left on my list and my wife wants a Sable. Its going to take a few trips...
Scott
Dusty Stevens
Shiner
I have a PH friend in namibia. Windhoek is my place to fly into
http://www.huntnamibia.info
There are no words to describe hunting at Beenbreck.... dont even know if I should post this. They might get so popular that I cant get a booking. ..
There are no words to describe hunting at Beenbreck.... dont even know if I should post this. They might get so popular that I cant get a booking. ..
Prices arent cheap, infact its prob the highest its ever been here...its just our currancy is so sh$t thanks to..wel it just is.If you earn $'s or €/£ the time is now to come to SA, you can life/hunt like a king.
hogpatrol
Gold $$ Contributor
Capt. It's not cheap here. State governments are trying to squeeze every PENNY out of hunters. Some states have lotteries. You buy a CHANCE to hunt an animal and if you're lucky enough to get drawn, the real extortion starts.
swd
Silver $$ Contributor
I was in Zim in 09. We hunted buff and plains game. If I were to do it all over again I'd pass on on the plains game and buy 2 buff. There's nothing like being in a herd of buff trying to not get winded. A PAC hunt for elephant would also be high on my list. License fees are sometimes negotiable with the PH. They buy a block of animals in an area and then mark up the prices. They don't like you to know that. At least that's the way it works in Zim. Pretty much everything in Africa is negotiable, US cash dollars talk. And like every has said the flight sucks. Senegal is an armpit. If you can fly direct to RSA, do it.
up grade on TWO WATERS Safaris. they just got new place full of buffalo and are running a special of 1 cape buffalo 1kudu 1 gemsbuck $12,500. this is a great outfitter as went in sept 2015. his price for 5 big animals $4600. this incluced every thing and no game no pay. some of there prices are down 30%. give them a call and tell him what you want to hunt and he will put a package togerther for you. tell him lynn sent you.
Hi,
I went to SA last year and had a great time see my review posted on this forum. We left from Dallas to DC to Johannesburg with a layover in Ghana. A long trip but if you are bringing your own rifles some airports are much easier to travel thru, check with outfitter for a recommendation. We hunted with Kubusi Safaris and took all the animals in the packages we booked. We took 16 animals all total, all mature, and good animals, but not all were record animals. We also took a few animals not included in the packages we purchased. I hope you have a great time in Africa! If you have questions let me know or if you want to chat let me know.
oldhoward
Been researching a South African hunt now for the past six months. Time and again the outfitter, Two Waters has come up time and again for both quality and value. I'm going to decide in the next few weeks and it's now down to two outfitters.
wboggs
Gold $$ Contributor
Go while you are healthy and before the political climate gets worse.
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