About the meat from a safari...

Hello all, I'm new to the forum and to hunting outside of the normal deer population in Massachusetts. I was wondering about Africa and the amazing hunting safari's a few friends have talked about going on in the next 5 years or so. I'm a hunt for food kind of person, and love eating "exotic" things. so naturally, the thought has come across my mind. an 800 lb Eland or a several thousand pound giraffe or even just a couple hundred pound impala, does the hunter get to keep a majority of the meat they procure? I'd love to spend a little extra to have most of the animal brought back, thinking of all of my chest freezers being full of African Game meat. But I've also heard people are forced to give most of the meat to the communities, (not that I have a problem doing so, just looking for information) or giving it to the camp or whatnot. any help would be greatly appreciated!

You will not be able to bring back the meat- must camps offer cooking the game meat while you stay with them though. You will only be able to bring back horns and hides- sorry

You left off my favorite- kudu. There is a thread on here somewhere about person's favorite and zebra seemed to rank up there

Zebra is excellent, Kudu also. Oryx is very good.
Markcz

I noticed this is your first post and that you joined today. Welcome to AH. Please do an intro and tell us about your hunting experience. This forum is a digital campfire. Gathering around and tell some stories.

Your ability to shoot straight will determine how well you and all the rest of the people in camp will eat while you are there.

Had Kudu several ways- all excellent. (Sausage links at breakfast might have been the best). Zebra and Springbok were also excellent followed by Oryx, in my opinion. We ate everything we took in our group hunt except Waterbuck and it was all great eating. I am looking forward to trying Eland on my next trip, I’ve always read it is the best game meat there is.
We ate our meat in camp and the rest was processed (very professionally) and distributed to the local community.

Welcome.

From the list you provided Eland and Springbuck are the best.

Welcome to AH - All of your meat must stay in Africa but you can eat as much of it as you want while your their. I enjoyed all of the venison in Africa but the Zebra was my favorite.

The best eating experience I have ever had on safari was in Namibia. My friend shot a Kudu, the liver was placed in a bucket with rock salt all day. That evening the liver was placed in the embers of the camp fire and rolled around until cooked. We then sliced pieces with our knives all washed down with cold beers. memories ahhhhhh.
Markcz

Hello @Hunt65 and welcome to the forum,

For the most part all of the hunting done in South Africa is on private property and therefore the game is privately owned. As much as we would love to send our guests back with a cooler full of back straps and biltong, the US government will not allow importation of any meat or fruit from Africa into the USA.

As others have mentioned, one of the best parts of an African safari is the chance to sample a wide variety of game meat prepared in many traditional ways. The very best cuts from game hunted during your safari will be used for camp meat, and you will likely have some form of it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day. It's hard to beat a kudu sausage braai for an appetizer with an ice-cold Castle beer! And, every veteran safari hunter has their favorite cut of game meat. My personal favorite is a toss up between eland and Cape buffalo tenderloins.

A good portion of what is not consumed in camp may also be donated back into the local community. We take great pride is supporting our local community and we try and give back whenever possible. Lots of our guests will request to visit the local village and schools during their safari with us, and they will get the chance to deliver these donations first-hand to some very appreciative folks.

My favorite was either kudu or sable, but everything we ate was delicious. We had impala lasagna one day for lunch that is making my mouth water just thinking about it!

I've heard giraffe is terrible, but I've never tasted it.

Of course the fact that everything was cooked over actual wood coals probably didn't hurt!

I liked it all..... from Eland to springbok & everything in between...... we had steaks, lasagna, sausages, etc.... all excellent. Eland, Zebra, Kudu probably near the top. But all great.

Welcome aboard Hunt 65. No usable meat is wasted, even undamaged organ meat is consumed. Just about all first timers ask this question. As previously stated you get the steaks, capes and horns. Everything else is eaten by locals.

A couple of my favorites have been Kudu in a mushroom sauce and warthog BBQ. Both were excellent. I always want to eat some of what we hunt each day. On my first safari my hunting buddy killed a Sable. He was able to get the tenderloin from the landowner.... He commented that is was the most expensive meat he had ever eaten.....
On private farms/ranches the animals belong to the landowner which may or may not be the PH/company that you are hunting with. If your PH is buying quota from someone else they will negotiate on who keeps the meat. In RSA and some other places the meat is often sold to help pay for operations. Some as mentioned above donate part of the meat to communities.
In parts of Namibia the locals own the animals and the meat is theirs. You keep the trophy and that is all. Other countries can be a mix of these two. If you are not sure then ask the companies as you interview them prior to going hunting. Its a good question to ask. Be sure of one thing. It will not be wasted! Meat is a valuable commodity in Africa. I was surprised how many people were asking my PH for a piece of meat in Zambia including a couple in the airport when he picked me up.
Bruce

Welcome to AH. Sir!

Hunt65 said:

Hello all, I'm new to the forum and to hunting outside of the normal deer population in Massachusetts. I was wondering about Africa and the amazing hunting safari's a few friends have talked about going on in the next 5 years or so. I'm a hunt for food kind of person, and love eating "exotic" things. so naturally, the thought has come across my mind. an 800 lb Eland or a several thousand pound giraffe or even just a couple hundred pound impala, does the hunter get to keep a majority of the meat they procure? I'd love to spend a little extra to have most of the animal brought back, thinking of all of my chest freezers being full of African Game meat. But I've also heard people are forced to give most of the meat to the communities, (not that I have a problem doing so, just looking for information) or giving it to the camp or whatnot. any help would be greatly appreciated!

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Hunt 65 Can you please post a little more about your hunting experience and a picture or two? I have noticed just one post from you and no response from you? Sorry to be suspicious but many anti hunting TROLLS lurk around and asking about what happens with meat kinda smells like a little anti to me. Hopefully I am wrong??

Buckdog said:

Hunt 65 Can you please post a little more about your hunting experience and a picture or two? I have noticed just one post from you and no response from you? Sorry to be suspicious but many anti hunting TROLLS lurk around and asking about what happens with meat kinda smells like a little anti to me. Hopefully I am wrong??

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Glad I’m not the only one. Sad it has become an interrogation routine when someone new asks questions on a hunting forum

Hunt65 said:

an 800 lb Eland or a several thousand pound giraffe or even just a couple hundred pound impala, does the hunter get to keep a majority of the meat they procure?

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800 lb Eland??????? Try 2,000 lb.

As mentioned already, the hunter does not have the rights to the meat. Not a bit goes to waste though. My favorite is Oryx, but all the species are excellent.

Buckdog said:

Hunt 65 Can you please post a little more about your hunting experience and a picture or two? I have noticed just one post from you and no response from you? Sorry to be suspicious but many anti hunting TROLLS lurk around and asking about what happens with meat kinda smells like a little anti to me. Hopefully I am wrong??

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Rookie would like to bring meat back! Who wouldn't?

Deep breath, his IP is from the state mentioned.

Springbok backstraps on the braai. mmmmmmm

@gizmo was a big fan, would not stop talking about how much he enjoyed Zebra Penis & Monkey Balls..... how they just melted in his mouth. Wanted more.... dreams of going back, etc....