Africa...when will you be priced out??

Tundra Tiger said:

I wonder about this. I hope to make several more trips before I am done, likely to RSA because of the cost factor, though I would like to hunt elephant just once and lion, albeit CBL, if that's still a thing when I am finally able to go.

And SGW is right: it's everywhere. I left Kansas and moved to Alaska because it had gotten to where access to land had become non-existent. It amazes me at what people pay to come to Alaska to hunt moose or bear as a non-resident - it far outpaces what it costs to go to RSA to hunt.

Hunting is becoming a rich man's game. I remember many years ago MR James of Bowhunter magazine predicted that very thing. He even had a predicted timeline that's probably still on track.

I have had many friends who have given up because they can't afford it. I personally believe hunter numbers will eventually shrink in the coming years because of the costs involved. Parents who might have hunted and introduced their kids to hunting will pursue other activities that don't cost as much. I say that as a professional environmental educator and hunter ed instructor.

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Tundra Tiger said:

Yes Foxi, that is why I moved here. For most things permitss are free - my only cost is a hunting license and whatever travel cost me to get where I am going. Heck, in our area you can shoot 2 brown bears a year and don't even need a permit. The NR costs are what mystify me, and people pay up.

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analog_peninsula said:

Dangerous game hunting has always been the sport of kings. It was only for a short time that it was deemed "affordable" for the upper middle class. That out of the way, ditch the taxidermy and the high end trophies, deal with the discomfort, fly economy, and go hunting. Southern Africa is easily the best deal in hunting today.

The spousal unit wants no more trophies in the house, so I'm doing a cow buffalo + optional cull hunt (giraffe, zebra, impala) this summer. I won't say that it's exactly cheap, but it's a terrific value, and the ultimate costs aren't unbearable. There are also other comparatively inexpensive hunts on offer, like the baboon varmint hunt, and various PG hunts for common species, that are within the means of anyone middle class. If you enjoy the actual hunting, and not just showing off expensive trophies to your friends, the world is still your oyster.

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JoeSoap said:

Do many outfitters do the cheaper common species hunts? I had thought they made a % off the type of animal so the incentive would be for the more expensive animals and most wouldn’t be interested in the common types, but my assumption is probably wrong….

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JoeSoap said:

Do many outfitters do the cheaper common species hunts? I had thought they made a % off the type of animal so the incentive would be for the more expensive animals and most wouldn’t be interested in the common types, but my assumption is probably wrong….

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Tundra Tiger said:

I wonder about this. I hope to make several more trips before I am done, likely to RSA because of the cost factor, though I would like to hunt elephant just once and lion, albeit CBL, if that's still a thing when I am finally able to go.

And SGW is right: it's everywhere. I left Kansas and moved to Alaska because it had gotten to where access to land had become non-existent. It amazes me at what people pay to come to Alaska to hunt moose or bear as a non-resident - it far outpaces what it costs to go to RSA to hunt.

Hunting is becoming a rich man's game. I remember many years ago MR James of Bowhunter magazine predicted that very thing. He even had a predicted timeline that's probably still on track.

I have had many friends who have given up because they can't afford it. I personally believe hunter numbers will eventually shrink in the coming years because of the costs involved. Parents who might have hunted and introduced their kids to hunting will pursue other activities that don't cost as much. I say that as a professional environmental educator and hunter ed instructor.

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DrBob said:

I had just returned to Alaska after my first hunt in Africa (Zim).... I bumped into a group of hunters from the Lower 48 in the waiting line in the airport. They had been skunked.... the ADF&G closed the season while they were still in the field. Alaska is essentially a one species per hunt proposition for outsiders. When I get my moose tag, I pick up a grizzly tag just in case. Sadly, I told the hunters that they should hunt next in Africa... multiple species.. higher percentage of success... lower cost.

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Mtn_Infantry said:

You'll commonly see "packages" in South Africa and Namibia that include the cheaper "common" species. This is often done for pricing reasons but also carrying capacity. The more "common" species often breed faster or raise more offspring per litter because they're smaller and more common prey for predators. In a Game Ranch scenario (regardless if it's put and take, or completely self sustaining), humans are the main predator for the animals. Lions, Leopards, and even Hyenas don't frequent the property so the fawn mortality rate changes from what's natural where these apex predators are naturally occurring and unrestricted in their movements. Even places like the Kruger are forced to cull species like Impala. Additionally their impact and food consumption is less per animal so a rancher can maintain a larger number of animals allowing him/her to hunt more clients, whereas his/her carrying capacity on Kudu, Eland, or Zebra will be significantly less.

IMO a better way to look at the game is in "classifications" that you can group the animals into them by both size and popularity. More popular animals will cost a little more. You see this sometimes in other African countries where your license allows you to take for example 1 or 2 A List, 3 B-List, and 4 C & D List

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JoeSoap said:

Thanks for your input! One other question for you, as I see you are from Texas, or others from Texas, I saw someone post earlier in the thread about hunting whitetail in Texas costing $12K and I am horrified as I am in Texas and was wanting to hunt a Whitetail as a first timer. I see them all the time along the road at night, can’t I just shoot one of those for free?

Ok maybe discharging a rifle along the road at night isn’t such a good idea …but surly there are ranches to go which are much cheaper than 12K? Especially if one is happy to hike around and accept fate if one is lucky enough to find one. The guiding I need is to learn to field dress a deer where I do it myself and someone instructs.

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Ridge Runner said:

LMAO.....

Yeah you definitely need to really think about not discharging a firearm along the roadway at night.....especially near to, during, or shortly past deer season.

It's been a few years, but there are a couple of really good how-to videos on YouTube on field dressing and butchering deer and wild boar. Unfortunately I don't remember who the 2 guys are that did the videos.

I watched them, but they didn't offer much beyond that which I was already doing to skin, gut and process a deer. And the wild boar video lack some of the details that I wanted to see and learn. None the less they were good basic skill videos.

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JoeSoap said:

Thank you Sir I will do some searches for them on utube!

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JoeSoap said:

Thanks for your input! One other question for you, as I see you are from Texas, or others from Texas, I saw someone post earlier in the thread about hunting whitetail in Texas costing $12K and I am horrified as I am in Texas and was wanting to hunt a Whitetail as a first timer. I see them all the time along the road at night, can’t I just shoot one of those for free?

Ok maybe discharging a rifle along the road at night isn’t such a good idea …but surly there are ranches to go which are much cheaper than 12K? Especially if one is happy to hike around and accept fate if one is lucky enough to find one. The guiding I need is to learn to field dress a deer where I do it myself and someone instructs.

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JoeSoap said:

Thanks for your input! One other question for you, as I see you are from Texas, or others from Texas, I saw someone post earlier in the thread about hunting whitetail in Texas costing $12K and I am horrified as I am in Texas and was wanting to hunt a Whitetail as a first timer. I see them all the time along the road at night, can’t I just shoot one of those for free?

Ok maybe discharging a rifle along the road at night isn’t such a good idea …but surly there are ranches to go which are much cheaper than 12K? Especially if one is happy to hike around and accept fate if one is lucky enough to find one. The guiding I need is to learn to field dress a deer where I do it myself and someone instructs.

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Ridge Runner said:

If you were near my find yourself in my neck of the woods I gladly invite you on a hunt and show you how I skin, gut, and process deer.

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Mtn_Infantry said:

I'm not sure if this is serious or not but I'll bite .....
A majority of this information (outside pricing) should've been covered in your hunter safety class. If you haven't taken one do so ASAP. They should instruct you on how to field dress a deer and youtube is also your friend. Pricing is always changing and fluctuating, I'm basing it off what I've recently seen at some of the shows or what my outfitter/guide friends have told me.


Texas is 99% Private Land, if you shoot a deer you see off the side of the road (even during the daylight) there's greater than a 99% chance it's on Private Land and you've now trespassed on private land and poached a deer. Even if you see it on Public Land, there are rules about hunting from public roadways and how far you need to be. Deer Hunting costs vary greatly in Texas and it's really dependent upon the location and quality of the deer. Your options for deer hunting in Texas are below

1) Hunt on your own land or family land (make sure you meet the legal requirements for the city and country you live in, many have a minimum acreage statute) - Cheapest Option but not possible for most hunters.

2) Public Land - As stated above 99% of Texas is Private so the public land tracts available to hunt are widely dispersed, are typically larger blocks, and often times draw. Some of them like Davy Crockett National Forest or Sam Houston National Forest can be hunted with your standard license and the APH (Annual Public Land Hunting) endorsement at $48. Pay attention to seasons and laws because they vary by location and sometimes within each location. Example some public land places don't have a draw to hunt, but require a draw for Does and Spikes meaning you can only hunt bucks with an antler spread over a certain size - This is the cheapest option to deer hunt in Texas, many are draw, and the non draw ones are often heavily pressured. Big Public Land Deer in Texas don't come easy and are often the same handful of guys taking them, but that's common with Public Land in many states.

3) Lease Land - You enter into a legal agreement with a land owner to lease their land for hunting purposes. Sometimes you can get in with another group to defer the cost per gun (hunter). Costs can vary greatly but so does the quality of hunt. Many leases section you to a specific area you can hunt and now you're playing the feed game (who can feed more or better than their neighbor) - A private land lease is how most Texans hunt. I've seen lease the costs from a few hundred per hunter (lots of hunters on small tracts) to six figures. Each lease is different on what they allow or don't allow. I'd say the average lease cost in Texas for a mediocre lease giving you access to 100ac or more is $4500-6000 before you factor in corn/protein. If the lease is known for or gets known for big deer expect someone to try and outbid what you're paying. It happened to me a few years ago.

4) Day Hunts - A landowner charges a fee to access their land for a day or multiple days, and then charges you a fee if you kill something. They're not outfitting or guiding you. - Costs can vary based on the landowner, species, and time of year. This isn't something I'm interested in and don't partake in.

5) Outfitted/Guided Hunts - You contract with an outfitter to hunt their land/leased land. They'll tak you to the blinds/feeders and often times have a guide sitting with you. Typically they provide food and lodging with the hunt for a set fee, and there is a trophy fee attributed to a specific size deer you pay when shot. Some outfitters are set-up as flat fee regardless if you kill or don't and often times these contracts cover any size buck. - I'd say the average cost on a 3 Day Management hunt like this is $4500 (with meals/lodging & deer). Average Trophy Hunt starts around $6k and goes up from there. $12K is probably accurate for a 160-170" deer. A 200" deer is likely around $20k and there are some that will approach or even exceed six figures.

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45-70guy said:

Just got back from SA, planned to spend $11k on a 11 day trip and 4 animals. Came home and shot 9 animals and spent $21k.
The costs are not all at once if you do a deposit, and you can control what animals you want.
In all reality you can do an 11 day safari for 10k and still get some awesome animals.
Friend of mine did a bear hunt in Idaho it was 6k, totally different experience but I can shoot black bears at my house for a $15 tag fee.
At this point being in my 30’s and driving 30 year old mechanical diesels , living in a 1000sq ft cabin I fixed up out of pocket, flying economy, using what most guys on here would consider “cheap gear” and having no debt but still willing to work 7 days a week nights or weekends , I still can afford a 10k hunt once and a while if they stay around that. The extras are our own fault when we see a sable and a big kudu and an nyala.
We are headed to Canada to moose hunt again this fall; less than 6k with an outfit who is amazing, the thing is they aren’t in huge moose territory it’s possible but not normal so the costs are less. I’d rather do 5 moose hunts and experience it than shoot one 60” bull once in my life and never be able to go again. Which is how Alaska is at this point.
I never thought I’d be at this point where I could leave the country or go on hunts like this, but my lifestyle allows it at these prices.
Though my lifestyle is not the norm for people my age, they would rather drive a $80,000 pickup truck that will be in the scrap pile in less than 10 years.

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