Did I do well?

If two people are hunting 3-4 animals each, are we wasting time over a 10 day period? sounds like there is the possibility we are "tagged out" in the first days...

No, you’re not wasting your time. It’s always better to have more time than less. It will give you an opportunity to be more selective and wind up with better trophies because of it. If you are fortunate to tag out early, there will be plenty to do. You were in Africa!

@jhendricks - as @Shootist43 indicated, the advice given by @rookhawk is great advice and that is the way I would approach it as well. Target the animals that are fairly priced and have a great time hunting those animals. I would not worry about having too much time, given you have 9 hunting days you can be picky and hold out for better than average trophy quality.

The other option is to show your PH the price sheet provided by @rookhawk and tell your PH you and your friend would be inclined to shoot a few more animals if the pricing were more in line with the current market on RSA

Have you called the outfitter? I would call him and speak to him straight about my concerns. Tell him his prices appear to be overall well above the norm, but you want to hunt more than just a nyala. Then give him a list of animals you and your buddy would like to hunt. See if he will work out a deal for you. If he is not interested, I would start contacting other outfitters here and set me up another hunt. I would go kill my nyala first and then move on to another outfitter. I would also take my nyala with me to the other outfitters salt shed.

Safe hunting

Hogpatrol said:

Eight trips here, including cull hunts. I would cut my losses at $800 and look for a more affordable package with one of the outfitter/sponsors on this website. I've hunted twice with Nick Bowker and he's very reasonably priced. The HUGE gotcha on the auction hunts has always been high priced "others" and YES, you WILL be pressured in to taking more animals and in RSA, it's easy to shoot two or three animals a day. As far as red flags, the primary one is it's an auction hunt.

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I’ve actually done two auction hunts and they turned out great. In both cases, the amount expended in the auction would have been easy to walk away from if due diligence indicated problems.

Houston Bill said:

@jhendricks - as @Shootist43 indicated, the advice given by @rookhawk is great advice and that is the way I would approach it as well. Target the animals that are fairly priced and have a great time hunting those animals. I would not worry about having too much time, given you have 9 hunting days you can be picky and hold out for better than average trophy quality.

The other option is to show your PH the price sheet provided by @rookhawk and tell your PH you and your friend would be inclined to shoot a few more animals if the pricing were more in line with the current market on RSA

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I will likely be talking with them in regards to the pricing.

SFRanger7GP said:

Have you called the outfitter? I would call him and speak to him straight about my concerns. Tell him his prices appear to be overall well above the norm, but you want to hunt more than just a nyala. Then give him a list of animals you and your buddy would like to hunt. See if he will work out a deal for you. If he is not interested, I would start contacting other outfitters here and set me up another hunt. I would go kill my nyala first and then move on to another outfitter. I would also take my nyala with me to the other outfitters salt shed.

Safe hunting

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Is bouncing to another outfitter common? what do the logistics typically look like in this instance if we chose another outfit in Limpopo or another nearby province?

jhendricks said:

I will likely be talking with them in regards to the pricing.


Is bouncing to another outfitter common? what do the logistics typically look like in this instance if we chose another outfit in Limpopo or another nearby province?

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Me and the wife spent a month in Limpopo last year and hunted with 3 different outfitters. Not for any issues, we had hunts with all three scheduled pre covid. Our report is on AH.

We have also hunted with different outfitters in Namibia. We like to spend more time and hunt different places.

Definitely make a call and sort your issues openly with this outfitter and be prepared for Plan B, C, D, etc. Africa is to be enjoyed, not to be stressed.

Safe hunting

First, congrats on winning the hunt at such a miniscule costs.

What are the hidden costs?

1. Ground or air transport to and from Joburg? Is there an added charge for the former and most definitely for the latter.

2. Shipping fee to taxidermist for dip and pack or mounting?

3. Other not listed add-on costs.

Secondly, I would suggest to you to do your due diligence by investigating the outfitter: ie get references, how big is/are the property/properties you will be hunting, etc. Doing everything normally recommended here on this forum in planning your hunt, as if you were still looking for an outfitter.

Third, ask your outfitter for package deal for you and a package deal for your buddy. The outfitter should give you, at least a modest, reduced trophy fee on the packages, if they are known to be reputable.

If the outfitter doesn't give you an even modest discount on trophy fees then:

A. Only hunt the nyala and your buddy only hunt one animal. Finish the trip with this outfitter as a photo safari, sightseeing, and local souvenir shopping. Your already in Africa so option B.

B. Due your due diligence find an outfitter that is reputable, offers fair chase hunts of sustainable herds on large property/properties at more affordable package deals and on trophy fee prices either in the relatively same area or still within RSA.

C. JMHO, I wouldn't, but you might want to get out cheap and consider the money you spent as a charitable donation while you and your buddy start planning your first African safaris.

Understandably, with those high trophy fees obviously the outfitter is trying to make up for the loses on daily rates they donated to the auction.

However; Just to compare:
If you are interested send me a PM for details on a 4 animal package deal @ $2600.00 pp 2x1 or $2900.00 pp 1x1 and a 5 animal package deal @ $4900.00USD that my East Cape outfitter is offering. Both are 7 days of hunting, including arrival and departure that's 9 days total.

All Inclusive:
Trophy fees, Accomodations, meals, local alcohol and non alcohol drinks, etc.
Ground transportation to and from airport and while hunting

Not included:
Airfare to and from USA to PE or EL,
Taxidermy or dip and pack (taxidermy is done at lodge)(extra charge may be added to ship taxidermy to other taxidermists),
Tips,
Side trips to ie ADDO, SUBUYA, fishing, etc., Shipping charges of hides and/or mounts to North America.

Just my 2¢ worth.

jhendricks said:

If two people are hunting 3-4 animals each, are we wasting time over a 10 day period? sounds like there is the possibility we are "tagged out" in the first days...

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See if you can add bird hunting.

I would cut bait, going on a 10 day hunt and being super limited on animals sucks. Some of those prices are insane, no way I would pay them. Some of those prices are double or more than what you could get at MANY other outfitters on here. If you get a couple nice animals, then have 8 days left, you are going to be in a spot that isn't going to be enjoyable.

If you stay with the current outfitter, definitely see if you can add a day of bird hunting, a day of fishing, and possibly a night hunt for anything simple (jackal, etc). If you plan those things in advance, you will have possibly reasonable cost alternatives to fill the time if you tag out early.

I’ll give a +1 on negotiating a package. If the outfitter knows you have a total of X dollars, I think you are more likely to get a deal to keep hunting. I’m inclined to believe the outfitter doesn’t want a bad review.

So, this is the fourth or fifth hunt I've seen concerning this outfitter this year that has been up for auction that people have personally asked me or this forum about. I've only heard their name once but I've seen the offers and price list enough to be pretty confident it's the same. Here's my take away. The outfitter is using auctions to sell their hunts, taking a hit at the beginning with free daily fees and an animal or two and making it up in the end. Nothing wrong with that with careful research. Research should be done prior, not after, now you're trying to play catch up. That's not a great place to be. So now it all boils down to what you want and what your partner wants. you at least get an nyala (An animal I expect to pay $1800-2200, not $3K).

I'll play devil's advocate and take your partners view. With rare exception everyone wants a kudu and something along the lines of a zebra, hartebeest or gemsbok for their larger two animals on the first hunt. So on the low end I'm paying $5500 for a kudu and a plains zebra. Go for gemsbok or hartebeest instead of zebra and it's now $6100. Add an impala (typically $4-500) and it's almost $7K. That's more than some five animal hunts you can find in the Limpopo without paying an auction fee too.

To make things worth while you both have to constantly be diligent, critical and probably making "deals" as you hunt. That's a frustration I don't want at that point. As the partner I'd walk.

jhendricks said:

Aside from the high pricing, any red flags you see I should look into?

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Absolutely positively ask and get a list of US based clients(not just one or two...it is usually easy to get literally a dozen or more). Contact them...Try email first, mentioning the outfitter in the subject line so hopefully it doesnt get trashed/spamed immediatly, ask for permission to call. Most references/most of us love talking about our experiences. Even if booked, not too late, and you will get alot of advice.

Thank you all for your insight. I've learned a lot from this thread and all the great PM's I've received.

I'll be reaching out to the outfitter soon and voicing my concerns and maybe its possible to get better rates. They have been given great reviews by some members here in past hunting reports, but I still feel like I should be getting better rates, especially for my hunting partner.

At this point I'm leaning heavily towards visiting this outfit for a couple days and getting a Nyala and maybe another animal and then transferring over to an Outfit that can give us a better package.

I'll be sure to report back.

I would take the hunt as it is. I also highly doubt that the outfitter will budge on his prices for your auction hunt, they are how he makes back his money.

If nothing else as some have suggested, select some of the lower priced animals to hunt and then go enjoy yourself. You and or your guest may decided that Africa isn't for you.

But afterwards you will have some great insight for a second trip. About the only thing that you are saving by going to another outfitter after a few days would be your airfare over and back and perhaps your vacation time.

Or look at the outfitters web site and see if he offers any multi animal specials, the vast majority of them do. Then either book with him for that special or just move on.

I wish that these banquets would put a disclaimer on these type of hunts so that whoever is bidding on them can do so knowing just what they are getting into. We have a number of hunters every year come onto the site here with one that they have won only to have their eyes opened up when they realize just what it is really going to cost them. Some go on the hunts and some back out. But in the end it is up to you.

Can we get this outfitters name?

safe hunting

These auctions are classic loss leader strategy sales.

jhendricks said:

I will likely be talking with them in regards to the pricing.


Is bouncing to another outfitter common? what do the logistics typically look like in this instance if we chose another outfit in Limpopo or another nearby province?

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Depending on where your other current outfitter and your next outfitter are located and how you arrived at your current outfitter by vehicle or by air, the logistics is relatively simple after your hunt with the auction outfitter you can either be picked up by:

1. your second outfitter from the auction outfitter, if they are on good terms.

2. Return to Joburg where your next outfitter will pick you up.

3. Return to Joburg take a short flight to or near your next outfitter's nearest airport where they will pick up and return you for your flight to Joburg from Joburg you fly back home.

My 2 cents on this as the same thing happened to my wife and I last year at an SCI auction. My wife after a little to much Chardonnay bought a very similar hunt that included a $3,000 credit to animals taken for $800. The outfitter was Ubathi and after inquiring about the price list I quickly decided that it wasn't for us. I would rather go with one of the top notch outfitters on this website.

Hunting Hitman said:

My 2 cents on this as the same thing happened to my wife and I last year at an SCI auction. My wife after a little to much Chardonnay bought a very similar hunt that included a $3,000 credit to animals taken for $800. The outfitter was Ubathi and after inquiring about the price list I quickly decided that it wasn't for us. I would rather go with one of the top notch outfitters on this website.

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And I can't even use chardonnay as an excuse ha!