Hidden Cost Surprises On Safari

Zero surprises with Paw Print. For the hunt and travel, every dollar was planned for. Also met with Pieter Erasmus in person 6 months before the hunt to see if I were missing anything. But I drink very little and no taxidermy involved.

Best advice I can give a first timer is to read any threads that deal with hunting in your country of destination and the general threads written by Jerome.

BRICKBURN said:

Here's another answer.

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I know the rules for importing firearms and ammo into SA & Namibia. What are the rules for importing Makers Mark?

I have been five times and prices were discussed up front and honored by both outfitters used. Really with Pieter at Pawprint Safaris I Got better prices on a couple of animals because he had gotten a price reduction at the last minute, needed to take a few more of a particular species, and I got the deal of the century.
SURPRISES

Skinning an elephant takes a lot of people!
People skinning the elephant take a long time!
Skinners then butcher the elephant and they fill several trucks with meat !
You can't skin an elephant when your still drunk from the previous night!
There are some really Big Ugly Snakes in Africa!
Porcupines can rattle their quills in a way that sounds like a rattle snake!
Elephant poop is really big !
Wild lions look at you like lunch!
People sell you something in one stall and the guy next door takes it to wrap for you in his stall so you will come and buy from him! Hold onto your purchases!
PHs can drink you under the table!
Elephant meat does not taste like chicken!
AH members will encourage you to eat parts of the hippo that you should not eat!
The camp laundry will iron the wife's underwear! She will not like that!
Let your son shoot first and he will make you very proud!
The Southern Cross is as beautiful as you have been told!
You don't need to take much with you on safari!
Sunday morning drunks are the same all over the world!
You can't get grits in New York but you can at Flintbeck Lodge!
South Africans have made an Art of cooking outdoors over fire!
Giraffes will chase you if you don't put them down with the first shot! Right @billc !
Good bourbon does not exist in South Africa....take some yourself!
Most heavy vehicles encountered on the highway seem very under powered and way overloaded!
Stop lights are really outdoor markets!


Game crossing signs are really different from what one might see in the states!


The Colonel is number one in South Africa!
I loved South Africa and would spend three months a year there if I could!

CAustin said:

AH members will encourage you to eat parts of the hippo that you should not eat!

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@CAustin You are dead on about PH's ability to outdrink someone and the fact that South Africa seems to have fire cookery down pat. I still don't know what the magic is about liver tasting a lot better from African game vs. domestic beef.

No surprises on my trips... Lots of thanks to this website for tons of guidance on these issues so a guy can check on things, ask others opinions and experiences, and know what to expect

Just make sure you know exactly what your getting into, all costs associated. Know (or have a good idea) of crating, D&P/taxidermy costs and there should be no surprises along the way.

TTundra said:

This is too funny. Last year, I went out to a bar just outside of Marble hall on a Friday night. The parking lot (if that's what it was) was an open area with gravel, trees all throughout. The bar was actually nice and had a great selection of drinks. Lots of young locals present as well.
I and my wife (we had just gotten engaged that day) wanted to go out and this was the 'best' local bar. The PH told us that before the end of the night, there would be multiple cars off the road just leaving the bar...and he was right. It was like watching a demolition derby. Must have seen 4 cars off the road and 1 into a tree before we left.

Sorry for the hijack, but couldn't pass up that story telling.

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If word gets out, Marble Hall could become the next SA tourist trap. There's some might fine people watching to be had there on a Friday night!
By the way, Marble Hall DOES in fact have a village idiot. We saw him at least 3 times, and every single time someone was slapping the living shit out of him!
The first time it was a little disturbing. The next time it was kinda like, what the heck? Third time I just had to laugh uncontrollably.

Fred Gunner said:

I know the rules for importing firearms and ammo into SA & Namibia. What are the rules for importing Makers Mark?

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Been to Namibia twice 2013 and 2016. Each time Customs checked luggage for just the beginning of the flight so by the time you're done with checking in your firearm they're not checking your luggage. That said liquor is whatever the airlines and airports is concerned about. Pack it well in checked bags, it should be fine. Personally I like Irish whiskey and they had pretty good selection in their liquor stores.

BRICKBURN said:

Here's another answer.

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their definition of a heavy drinker is the African definition of a teetotaler

K-man said:

Wear them around DSC and the AH dinner with the bill attached.....Then tell everyone that asks how you got them.

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damn I like that

How about $95 each for dip/pack of 3 spring hares for dennis to use 1 or 2 wtih my caracal life size mounting and the extra for his stock to use with maybe one of you guys caracals. But that spring hare is gonna cost . Who wants a springhare incorporated with there caracal from dennis just PM me. I was def not happy with that fee and I let it be know but to know avail as I knew it would be. dip/pack ship always a PIA.

Odinsraven said:

Have hunted Africa a dozen times perhaps and not had any suprises ........ but as I cull only except for Warthog the king of beasts ......

Have been supprised by the honesty of some of my safari companies ....got a days culling on a mixed sheep and goat farm for some blesbok ..when the final bill came in there was just a small flat fee for the day ...PH explaining he was doing a mate a favour ........

However get everything nailed down in writing

The drinks thing is weird ......asked once what moderation was ....drink less than I do was the answer ...

I however like Klipdrift .....yeah guys I am cheap ..... Lodges never do cheap so usually pick up a bottle of my own !!!!! Which has elicited some funny comments .....

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I've got some of those comments too
I've gotten to where I pick up two bottles in duty free JNB just to help the guys not worry about having everything stocked. Then the think about am very particular about my drinks!
Philip

It's ALWAYS the dip and pack. Lazy, possibly dishonest, but I believe mostly lazy. Over the years I've figured out that they batch all the dip and pack orders they have. So they WAIT until they have say 10 Safaris stacked up then do paperwork, get that done then start packing, when all ten are ready then they start shipping logistics, WAIT on payments for all ten, then WAIT on something else, oh yea it's December and we don't work in December, then WAIT on someone to plan to take them to shipping company........oh yea we messed one guys paperwork up so all 10 WAIT until we do it all over and get approved again, then back to thinking about shipping......
And I get to pay full price even if it takes a year or 1.5 years. It's always a surprise what dip and pack plus fees plus freight costs. ALWAYS!
I like the one fellow here on AH who negotiated some taxidermy over there with a time limit or a big discount. I've got to think about that one!
Regards,
Philip
PS if you haven't noticed my pet peeve is dip and pack portion of the safari biz!

Beware of rushed taxidermy in SA

jeff said:

Beware of rushed taxidermy in SA

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Absolutely! I can imagine what it might look like if it had to be out by next Friday.....or I have to cut my rates.
I used to have a sign in my office that said, "you want your work good, fast, or cheap? pick any two and let me know..."

Fred Gunner said:

I know the rules for importing firearms and ammo into SA & Namibia. What are the rules for importing Makers Mark?

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I advise everyone to pick up their favorite liquor at duty free in JNB. Is a huge store and has everything,not 100% sure about Makers Mark but I think so. CAustin is right no bourbon in Africa. I had to learn to drink scotch...and that took me a while. Sometimes I just go with the flow (scotch normally) and sometimes I get two bottles of something at duty free. I made martinis with @Martin Pieters Safaris last year and that took some planning to pull off!
Philip

Philip Glass said:

I advise everyone to pick up their favorite liquor at duty free in JNB. Is a huge store and has everything,not 100% sure about Makers Mark but I think so. CAustin is right no bourbon in Africa. I had to learn to drink scotch...and that took me a while. Sometimes I just go with the flow (scotch normally) and sometimes I get two bottles of something at duty free. I made martinis with @Martin Pieters Safaris last year and that took some planning to pull off!
Philip

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Yep hit the duty free shop before you go if you plan on having a good bourbon.

But also be aware if you're flying on to another country you may not be able to make a purchase.
On my first trip I wanted to buy tobacco for the trackers/skinners but I was denied because I was flying on to Namibia and therefore apparently couldn't buy in SA and import it to Namibia.

I was surprised when I read about some costs on AH...especially dip and pack, taxidermy, and shipping...but because of AH I was prepared and happy.

I'm curious if the dip/pack/ship fees are not exaggerated by them, to sway/coerce hunters to have the work done there. I have to admit. When I looked at the dip/pack fees to have sent over here to have work done. I was like, well hell might as well just get the work done there & save the extra expense.