Botswana opening

I'll stay out of the elephant discussion and go back to the opening of Botswana.
My daughter and I have a trip planned for early June, plains game only.
We have to fly into Gaborone and two weeks later fly out of Kasane.
Just curious as to any experiences, or advice, you seasoned travelers could give to us first timers to Botswana. And NO RIFLES, we are bowhunting. Bypass the advice on traveling with rifles/firearms.

You will have an amazing time. It sounds like you have some touring time after the hunt. You will want to see the falls if you’re in Kasane. If there is any way to get to the delta possibly a flight seeing tour of the delta you should do it. We camped through the parks from Maun to Kasane. It was possibly the top highlight from the nine safaris we have done.
 
Heckuva trip! Hope you take the time to poke around and really "see" it. Botswana is my favorite. Don't know why- the Kalahari?, the delta in the desert? the people? the San culture? the Bushman trackers?... something :)
 
As far as I know all the operators that bought at auction are around the $70k to $75k price tag for a 14 day hunt...
@WAB Thanks for clearing that up.
@rookhawk like @WAB stated no big deal just these are the more accurate figures.
 
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This is latest I have received.
Its a media release with regard to international arrivals into Botswana.
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As far as I know all the operators that bought at auction are around the $70k to $75k price tag for a 14 day hunt...
@WAB Thanks for clearing that up.
@rookhawk like @WAB stated no big deal just these are the more accurate figures.


Apologies for my error. I had heard prices even higher than those stated with more updated research. The point I was and am now making with concrete data is this: A Botswana Bull (the big ones) and a Hwange/Tsholotsho/Plumtree Bull from Zim (the big ones) are the same migratory herds. At present, you can hunt that elephant in 2020 on the Zim side of the border for 1/4th the price because Zimbabwe government is not crediting quota into 2021 and Botswana is crediting quota into 2021. Thus, one group of operators is desperate to sell their quota for any price possible in the next 45 days so as to not lose their life savings whereas another group of operators is quite content waiting for next year to bring clients in for hunts.
 
I get what you saying...

My opinion is that Botswana is just a prime hunting location and especially for Elephant.
 
I get what you saying...

My opinion is that Botswana is just a prime hunting location and especially for Elephant.

Hands down. The genetics of the Western Zim - Eastern Botswana bulls are the finest and most abundant that exist anywhere in the world.
 
Just a couple of quick notes from all the posts above.

I was in Bots via Gaborone twice in 2019. The airport facilities are small but very, very nice and modern. They have a full size elephant statue made out of assembled elephant tusks that is pretty cool. Make sure you take a pen with you as you'll have to fill out their immigration/customs form in the arrival hall before you go to the single baggage belt to collect your checked bags. IF you take rifles, they came off the same belt and they do have baggage trolleys (free). Collect your stuff and go thru immigration (US citizen visas are free and just a stamp in your PP. Then go a few meters to the customs inspection stations. IF you take firearms, your PH should have your rifle permit and be waiting just outside the double doors to the main hall. Tell the customs person that you have firearms (if you do) and your PH has your permit just outside the double doors. Leave your stuff there and just walk the few meters to the double doors and your PH will hand you your rifle permit. Go back and show the permit to the office and just follow their instructions. Both trips they were very friendly and very easy going.

DG quotas - The DG quotas that were tendered and won and NOT shot (remaining quota) have been allowed to "roll over" with the same operators/outfitters/PH's in the the 2021 hunting season that begins 1 Apr 2021.

I've seen the winning tender bids. Calitz and Rann did obtain quota in the concessions they had but they did have to bid on them - they weren't just given to them.

Jaco Viser and is business partner Gerhard Koch won two concession areas - NG49 with 15 elephant and I think 2 buffalo and a leopard on quota and CT 27 with 3 elephant on quota. NG-49 is $65K all in from the time you're picked up at the airport until your taken back, for a 10-day hunt. They have 2 elephant "sold" pending client(s) being able to get there next year. The elephants they have in CT 27 are also 10-day all inclusive from airport pickup to drop off and are $27K each. Reason for the big price difference is the NG 49 elephants have a 50-70 pound expectation and the CT 27 elephants have a 30-50 pound expectation.

Dee S - think you and I corresponded earlier this year about Namibia? Wish I could give you details on sightseeing in Botswana. I had several trips planned there this year with one trip in July for my wife and I to do a few days hunting and they 3-weeks of self-drive touring. Gerhard had provided us a list of stops/places to see and stay but the WuFlu shut it all down. Hope to do the same trip this July 2021.
 
Just a couple of quick notes from all the posts above.

I was in Bots via Gaborone twice in 2019. The airport facilities are small but very, very nice and modern. They have a full size elephant statue made out of assembled elephant tusks that is pretty cool. Make sure you take a pen with you as you'll have to fill out their immigration/customs form in the arrival hall before you go to the single baggage belt to collect your checked bags. IF you take rifles, they came off the same belt and they do have baggage trolleys (free). Collect your stuff and go thru immigration (US citizen visas are free and just a stamp in your PP. Then go a few meters to the customs inspection stations. IF you take firearms, your PH should have your rifle permit and be waiting just outside the double doors to the main hall. Tell the customs person that you have firearms (if you do) and your PH has your permit just outside the double doors. Leave your stuff there and just walk the few meters to the double doors and your PH will hand you your rifle permit. Go back and show the permit to the office and just follow their instructions. Both trips they were very friendly and very easy going.

DG quotas - The DG quotas that were tendered and won and NOT shot (remaining quota) have been allowed to "roll over" with the same operators/outfitters/PH's in the the 2021 hunting season that begins 1 Apr 2021.

I've seen the winning tender bids. Calitz and Rann did obtain quota in the concessions they had but they did have to bid on them - they weren't just given to them.

Jaco Viser and is business partner Gerhard Koch won two concession areas - NG49 with 15 elephant and I think 2 buffalo and a leopard on quota and CT 27 with 3 elephant on quota. NG-49 is $65K all in from the time you're picked up at the airport until your taken back, for a 10-day hunt. They have 2 elephant "sold" pending client(s) being able to get there next year. The elephants they have in CT 27 are also 10-day all inclusive from airport pickup to drop off and are $27K each. Reason for the big price difference is the NG 49 elephants have a 50-70 pound expectation and the CT 27 elephants have a 30-50 pound expectation.

Dee S - think you and I corresponded earlier this year about Namibia? Wish I could give you details on sightseeing in Botswana. I had several trips planned there this year with one trip in July for my wife and I to do a few days hunting and they 3-weeks of self-drive touring. Gerhard had provided us a list of stops/places to see and stay but the WuFlu shut it all down. Hope to do the same trip this July 2021.
Awesome post. I was skeptical of the fees for the CT-27 and CT-29 quota and your price clarifications explains it. I've spent some time in the Tuli Circle (Zim's peninsula that juts into the Botswana's Tuli Block) and found the elephants to be small and unremarkable, nothing was seen in 3 visits that exceeded 25ish pounds a side. These genetics are probably the same as the Mapungubwe genetics in RSA across the Limpopo nearby where they call "trophy quality" 30lb animals. Nothing like the Hwange corridor bulls further north that are the "quintessential large elephants" that people think of in Eastern Botswana.
 
Thanks for the input so far, I know we are probably more excited about 'seeing' the country than we are the hunting part. Don't take that the wrong way, we are looking forward to the hunting part, but for us to have the opportunity to sight see and enjoy the tourists part of it is something we are really looking forward to.
Any advice or input on airlines that fly in and out of Gaborone and Kasane? At the moment, it looks like Qatar is the best option. Houston to Doha, Doha to Johannesburg, Jo'berg to Gaborone. Kasane to Jo'berg, Jo'berg to Doha, Doha to Houston.
Trying to avoid long layovers, but at the mercy of the airlines usually.
That big IF is COVID and what the travel restrictions will be next June.
 
NG41 bulls can go over 70 pounds and don’t move in from Zimbabwe.
 
So, November 1 is the opening for PRIVATE charter flights into Botswana? It doesn't, nor have I found where it mentions COMMERCIAL flights. Interesting.
 
Hello All. Just saw this post. Yes areas went on auction system as stated previously. Our quota was rolled over into next season. We expect to hear more on travel restrictions by the end of November. In our area (NG49) we sell Trophy Elephant for $65,000. These are all inclusive. NO EXTRA FEES. Only things not included are airfare, dip and pack and taxidermy. Anyone wishing to discuss a hunt can feel free to send me a message. Thank you.
 
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Some photos from last week
 
Hands down. The genetics of the Western Zim - Eastern Botswana bulls are the finest and most abundant that exist anywhere in the world.
The eastern part of Botswana has the highest concentration of Elephants in the world at the moment. This according to my pilot friend who flew the elephant census team around the country 2018. By implication this is where you want to hunt if you are looking for a good bull. Yes the Elephants do move around but I Have never seen a “wildebeest on the Serengeti” type migration except maybe in the 1950 make of Tarzan! No doubt there are family members of the herd in Eastern Zim so if there are deals to be had the operators should post!
 
Awesome post. I was skeptical of the fees for the CT-27 and CT-29 quota and your price clarifications explains it. I've spent some time in the Tuli Circle (Zim's peninsula that juts into the Botswana's Tuli Block) and found the elephants to be small and unremarkable, nothing was seen in 3 visits that exceeded 25ish pounds a side. These genetics are probably the same as the Mapungubwe genetics in RSA across the Limpopo nearby where they call "trophy quality" 30lb animals. Nothing like the Hwange corridor bulls further north that are the "quintessential large elephants" that people think of in Eastern Botswana.
The Tuli Elephans were the closest to South Africa back in the Ivory hunting days and as such the genetics of big ivory has been shot out 100 years ago. In 30 years of visiting the Farm which borders the Tuli circle the biggest ivory I recall is maybe 60 pounds . There are some huge elephant bulls there but lack ivory. The Mapangubwe elephant all come from Botswana and only recently- 1990’s when Debeers proclaimed a reserve around the Venetia diamond mine and the Establishment of the Transfronteer or Peace Parks concept spanning Bots, South Africa and Zim. Buffalo and sable were completely shot out by 1900 and those that survived were killed by the rinderpest epidemic around the same time.
 

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