Last Minute Elephant Hunt- I'm Going!

This is awesome

Altitude sickness said:

@Scott CWO , Bowhunting Safari is always priced high. They are proud of all of their hunts.

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Yes they are adding their fees on top of the local guide and outfitter. Three layers.

CAustin said:

Congrats Philip. Can’t wait to hear about your hunt!

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Thanks Charlie!

Rare Breed said:

I have not seen any great deals though due to cancellation versus their regular price your being an exception to that. My bet is come June you will see some real deals for back half 26

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CMS posted some cancellations weeks ago, same with several other Zim Outfitters. I’ve seen Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Tanzania and a CAR hunts this year at a discount because of cancellations or unsold quota including some big tuskers.

Buzz just made a post about unsold quota in Matetsi 6 LOTS of extra and unsold hunts this year in Zim. I’m here now and hearing about lots of it. @Betterinthebush knows of a cancellation Leopard/Buff hunt as well. He messaged me a few hours ago about it. Wondering if this new Zim VAT policy has some impact on it, aside from the economy and uncertain times.

I think the reason some of us see or hear about cancellations and left over quota first is because we’re hunting with/talking to the more premium outfitters with their own areas, they have more quota, or better quota vs price shopping and/or hunting marginal areas

Amazing you pulled this off on such short notice!

Mtn_Infantry said:

CMS posted some cancellations weeks ago, same with several other Zim Outfitters. I’ve seen Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Tanzania and a CAR hunts this year at a discount because of cancellations or unsold quota including some big tuskers.

Buzz just made a post about unsold quota in Matetsi 6 LOTS of extra and unsold hunts this year in Zim. I’m here now and hearing about lots of it. @Betterinthebush knows of a cancellation Leopard/Buff hunt as well. He messaged me a few hours ago about it. Wondering if this new Zim VAT policy has some impact on it, aside from the economy and uncertain times.

I think the reason some of us see or hear about cancellations and left over quota first is because we’re hunting with/talking to the more premium outfitters with their own areas, they have more quota, or better quota vs price shopping and/or hunting marginal areas

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Thanks...yes I have seen nothing from CMS about the above on AH but I might have missed it.

Rare Breed said:

Thanks...yes I have seen nothing from CMS about the above on AH but I might have missed it.

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CMS isn’t a sponsor on AH …. There are thousands of outfitters outside of AH Sponsors.

Not trying to detract from any of our sponsors because there are several great ones but many of the best utilize their own client lists for cancellations and deals, perspective clients from shows, or their PH’s client lists vs spending money advertising a discounted hunt or bringing in a random client they’ve never had a conversation with.

Once you get outside of South Africa and Namibia many of the best outfitters and PH’s have a very limited amount of online presence. They stay booked solid based on their reputation alone.

Makes perfect sense! Thanks!

Adam Stevens said:

I agree.

I wonder if economy or uncertainty is playing into it. Because flying not through ME shouldn't be that big an issue.

I'm thinking about a spring 2027 elephant hunt. But also wondering if I should hold off and see about cancelations for this year

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I am seeing cancellations/unsold quota from numerous outfits now. Top names with many to sell for this year.

Philip Glass said:

I am seeing cancellations/unsold quota from numerous outfits now. Top names with many to sell for this year.

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Quite a change in circumstances from the positive reports so many had after the shows earlier this year.

Let’s hope it didn’t put the outfitters in too difficult a situation. Not good for us or the animals if they can’t keep up the work that they do.

Philip Glass said:

I am seeing cancellations/unsold quota from numerous outfits now. Top names with many to sell for this year.

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Russ16 said:

Quite a change in circumstances from the positive reports so many had after the shows earlier this year.

Let’s hope it didn’t put the outfitters in too difficult a situation. Not good for us or the animals if they can’t keep up the work that they do.

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I think it has a lot more to do with the economy than it does with war in the Middle East. Obviously they are a bit tied. However, the bigger issue is that prices on a lot of things have doubled since covid. Wages stagnated for much of that time. Most people haven't adjusted their spending habits much up until this point and treated it as "that's just the way it is now". There was even an opposite effect for a while, people were spending more freely and reported they were spending because they didn't see a point to saving anymore. That was a couple years ago when I read that. So, I would imagine we are now hitting a point where it's getting difficult for a lot of people to cover their monthly bills. That makes it a lot harder to go on hunts.

Just to add another +1 to your sentiments. I am also seeing way more cancellations and outfitter discounts this year than I can rememberer in the near past. I would like to see outfitters stay in business. I would also like to see a bit of a societal reset/adjustment to income and cost of goods and services. The current state isn't sustainable for average income families.

Good deal have lots of fun stay safe !

Russ16 said:

Quite a change in circumstances from the positive reports so many had after the shows earlier this year.

Let’s hope it didn’t put the outfitters in too difficult a situation. Not good for us or the animals if they can’t keep up the work that they do.

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It also sounds like some countries and areas saw some significant increases in tags/quota over the last couple years. I know of an Zim outfitter who was given an additional 10 Trophy Bull Elephant Tags for his area by Parks. There are other outfitters who only saw an increase of 1-2. Botswana has slowly been adding some additional areas as well.

Russ16 said:

Quite a change in circumstances from the positive reports so many had after the shows earlier this year.

Let’s hope it didn’t put the outfitters in too difficult a situation. Not good for us or the animals if they can’t keep up the work that they do.

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I know that at SCI sales were up or even record breaking for many, many outfitters. I heard from them directly. It does not square with the long lists of unsold quota in Zim however. Maybe the other big show doing so extremely poorly has had a big effect now that it's been a disaster two years in a row? I know one thing and that is that if outfitters can not get their quotas sold they will certainly cut back on nonproductive marketing events.
I do not believe it is the economy keeping people from going on safari. What else?

Mtn_Infantry said:

It also sounds like some countries and areas saw some significant increases in tags/quota over the last couple years. I know of an Zim outfitter who was given an additional 10 Trophy Bull Elephant Tags for his area by Parks. There are other outfitters who only saw an increase of 1-2. Botswana has slowly been adding some additional areas as well.

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That could certainly be true as in so many cases the quotas are too conservative.

Philip Glass said:

I know that at SCI sales were up or even record breaking for many, many outfitters. I heard from them directly. It does not square with the long lists of unsold quota in Zim however. Maybe the other big show doing so extremely poorly has had a big effect now that it's been a disaster two years in a row? I know one thing and that is that if outfitters can not get their quotas sold they will certainly cut back on nonproductive marketing events.
I do not believe it is the economy keeping people from going on safari. What else?

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I absolutely think the economy has an impact. But not the same way as other sectors, I think safari goers are more sensitive to turmoil in the stock market than other measures that are normally linked with consumer behavior.

Philip Glass said:

I am seeing cancellations/unsold quota from numerous outfits now. Top names with many to sell for this year.

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I think from what our friends have shared is many great outfitters are not on AH and I for one just did not consider that so there may be many hunts we on AH just like myself do not see

I spent 10 days hunting elephant in Matetsi 4 with Richie Schultz. This area is really neat in that you can climb hills and glass vast areas. We never tracked just spot and stalk. Sadly there were no big bulls to be found. Cows and small, younger bulls are all that was in the area while I was there. A couple of bulls in the mid 30's were the best I saw. We never saw a big track or a bull to drool over across a boundary. Surprising due to the proximity to Hwange National Park and Matetsi 5 which has been taken by preservationists and no hunting allowed.
The camp there is an old National Parks headquarters and is very comfortable. The food and service were fabulous. The highlight of the trip was catching and filming a Pangolin as well as hitting a croc with the vehicle! I had Raymond Buchannan filming me so a film entitled "No Animals Were Harmed" will be on its way!
I flew Delta Premium Select SAT-JNB, overnighted at City Lodge, then Airlink to Victoria Falls. Vic Falls was the easiest rifle procedures I've had in Zim. Nice airport and nice folks!
Now to focus on buffalo in Nyakasanga in August.

@Philip Glass Welcome home from another safe journey into the veld!

Philip Glass said:

I spent 10 days hunting elephant in Matetsi 4 with Richie Schultz. This area is really neat in that you can climb hills and glass vast areas. We never tracked just spot and stalk. Sadly there were no big bulls to be found. Cows and small, younger bulls are all that was in the area while I was there. A couple of bulls in the mid 30's were the best I saw. We never saw a big track or a bull to drool over across a boundary. Surprising due to the proximity to Hwange National Park and Matetsi 5 which has been taken by preservationists and no hunting allowed.
The camp there is an old National Parks headquarters and is very comfortable. The food and service were fabulous. The highlight of the trip was catching and filming a Pangolin as well as hitting a croc with the vehicle! I had Raymond Buchannan filming me so a film entitled "No Animals Were Harmed" will be on its way!
I flew Delta Premium Select SAT-JNB, overnighted at City Lodge, then Airlink to Victoria Falls. Vic Falls was the easiest rifle procedures I've had in Zim. Nice airport and nice folks!
Now to focus on buffalo in Nyakasanga in August.

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Getting to see, let alone touch a Pangolin is so amazingly cool in itself. Will admit my film from Zim should be similarly titled. Had a great hunt, got in close on several elephants just not what we were looking for, and saw a couple tuskless, one we got to 12 yards before noticing it was a tuskless…she was well above us coming up out of a riverbed. This was to be my first, and while there was tuskless on quota, not the right time. We saw a few big tracks worth pursuing, but were a day behind. The timing in the Omay South is what got us. The rains came very early, farmers planted very early, and with all the good rains, harvested 3-weeks earlier than normal. If I’d been 2-weeks earlier, or couple months later, think it would have played out differently. Still a wonderful trip and got to see Matt’s 8th leopard with York, which was the first leopard I’d ever personally touched, also a wonderful experience.

I departed on my originally planned schedule, luckily had some extra days that had freed up with my schedule from original plans, so did a side trip to Bots in NG4 and connected with an old bruiser of a bull. There’s certainly bigger ivory around, but going in I had said I really was focused on an old bull and always a guy that likes age over inches (pounds as were the case here).

Sitting in camp now, enjoying a sundowner, and will fly out late tomorrow…which makes the misses super happy since I’m coming home a day early rather than several late which she expected. Should make easier negotiation of terms for this October’s return. I had prepaid some additional days if needed and partial trophy fee which Dalton rolled to my October 2027 Nuagasange Ele hunt.