Cost to hunt

[Duckhunter3000]

I’m not sure if this has been mentioned, but how much does it cost to hunt over in Africa?

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

Check this forum out. Lots of data to look at

Deals & offers

Hunts offered or wanted.

www.africahunting.com

 

[Duckhunter3000]

Check this forum out. Lots of data to look at

Deals & offers

Hunts offered or wanted.

www.africahunting.com

Thank you.

 

[Ridge Runner]

I'm sure you can get an idea from our AH forum sponsors.

It depends on what you want to hunt and how many hunting days you want to stay at a lodge. It also depends on location/country you want to hunt in.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

Also need to factor in tipping.

Thread 'Tipping Guide'

Dec 1, 2008

Here is an article that I wrote about tipping, feel free to comment and discuss this subject further, give your opinion or share examples of what you have given as a tip.


Tipping Guide

Tipping is something that I get asked about quite regularly, I believe this is because there is a lot of conflicting advice and confusion surrounding this topic. I have heard complaints, usually from hunters who are very satisfied with their hunt, but then have felt pressured to leave more of a tip than they were comfortable with or even told what they should leave. I will let you know what...

• AfricaHunting.com
• Replies: 1,443
• Forum: Safari planning guide

• 

Need to consider taxidermy (if you want to), travel agent, travel insurance/rescue plan and a little emergency cash too

 

[Doug3006]

Just a very rough estimate can be arrived at by taking the day rate and trophy fees and doubling it. To cover airfare, tips, dipping and packing, shipping, and taxidermy. So a $10k hunt is $20K all-in.

 

[mrpoindexter]

Figure you have the following costs:

Flights - you can estimate that on flights.google.com
The actual hunt - listed on the deals page or straight from the outfitter offers
Tips - there is a section here for tipping amounts, but figure it will be between 5-15% of the actual hunt cost.
Taxidermy - that depends on what you are looking to get done. There is also the cost of shipping the trophies, which can vary a lot.
Other costs - if you get a professional video of the hunt. Adds cost, but could replace taxidermy for some people. $200-300 per day of the hunt. Possibly a small amount of travel cost for the camera person and perhaps an observer fee to pay. You also might need an overnight stay in the city you are flying into if you arrive very late in the afternoon.

 

[JimP]

Just a very rough figure for you.

My last hunt was for 10 days and 12 plains game animals for $6500

Airfare and trip insurance $3,000

Taxidermy for 3 shoulder mounts warthog, blue Wildebeest, mountain reedbuck, and 5 euros $4800
Shipping to my house plus importer fees 5,000+-.

Tips around $2000psi

I budgeted around $13,000 but in the end it was closer to $20,000.

Prices have gone up for everything, this hunt was in 2022. You can do it cheaper and then again you can go for broke.

 

[Safari Dave]

Cheaper than a non-resident guided elk in Wyoming...

 

[Firebird]

There isn’t a hard fast Starting number. Look through the deals and offers section for a baseline and then add in the other items previously mentioned. It does get expensive fast, the airline tickets are always the killer for me

 

[JimP]

Cheaper than a non-resident guided elk in Wyoming...

Cheaper than a lot of guided hunts here in the US.

I feel fortunate that I lived in Utah and Colorado and all of my hunts have been DIY, even my coues deer in Arizona. I've shot elk, mule deer, javelina all without a guide for the last 60 or so years.

 

[Safari Dave]

If you can't DIY in the Rockies in America, then Africa becomes a much better deal.

Public land in America has become ridiculously hard to draw for non-residents, because of media hype.


(I got an e-mail from Wyoming G&F telling me that I would be wasting time and money to attempt to get a moose tag)


IME, you can actually take at least 4 big-game animals in South Africa for less than the cost of a tag and a guided hunt for only one animal in the Rockies or Alaska.

 

[Safari Dave]

Cheaper than a lot of guided hunts here in the US.

I feel fortunate that I lived in Utah and Colorado and all of my hunts have been DIY, even my coues deer in Arizona. I've shot elk, mule deer, javelina all without a guide for the last 60 or so years.

I have been fortunate enough to take elk, pronghorn, and mule deer without a guide in New Mexico & Wyoming.

Because of media (MeatEater, mainly), public land hunting in the western US has become very difficult.

Even as a non-resident, I had always been successful on DYI hunts in the west, prior to 2023.

On our two hunts in Wyoming in 2023, there were hunters everywhere!


There was no escaping the crowds, unless you hired a "guide" to take you into "wilderness."



In the eastern U.S., I have a "guide" permit, but I can not use it in areas that are designated "wilderness."

I guess I don't have sufficient GREASE for the politicians here...


Disgusting...

 

[grand veneur]

I’m not sure if this has been mentioned, but how much does it cost to hunt over in Africa?

You cannot get a useful answer to this question. The prices vary greatly depending on the country, on the game you are hunting, although there can be very different prices depending on where this game is hunted. You also have to take the outfitter into account because in the same area some are more expensive than others because they offer a little more than the neighbor,... and so on. In addition, as some have already mentioned, there are additional costs and tips that can no longer nowadays be estimated in advance. You have to be more precise with your question when it comes to prices, especially if you want to hunt for example with a limited budget.

 

[mark-hunter]

I’m not sure if this has been mentioned, but how much does it cost to hunt over in Africa?

Plains game safari, average five animals, all inclusive (only in Namibia and South Africa), average one week hunting start at cca 5 -7.000 USD.

Full bag safari in other countries, 3 to 4 weeks 150.000 USD. All animals available locally

There are options to find cheaper plains game hunt (like culling), and more expensive options in other countries.

Above is all inclusive boots on the ground cost, pick up and drop off at airport, full logistics, and hunt.

Add to this, additional costs:
- return flight tickets
- shipping expenses for trophies
- taxidermy.
- tipping.

All in all, blue collar doable, rich men doable also. take your pick.

Some people hunt without trophy shipping, for experience. Then shipping and taxidermy costs dont count.

Some animals are expensive, premium trophy. For South Africa and Namibia, it is roan and sable.
But you dont have to hunt premium animals.

Budget safari package is usually consisted of one higher costs animal (like Kudu or eland), 3 medium costs animal (like impala, sprigbok, blesbok), and one lower cost animal, like jackal, steenbok, baboon, or similar. And then you get high quality, full experience, budget hunt.

Once you do first safari like that, you start getting ideas.

Ideas are usually Dangerous game hunt (most often buffalo)
Or hunting in some wild areas, more expensive countries, like Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Mosambique.

Or stay within budget, and go to second budget safari plains game, to South Africa or Namibia.

FYG, 80% of all safaris are done in South Africa and Namibia, due to attractive pricing.

 

[grand veneur]

The cheapest PG and buffalo hunts were in West Africa, especially Burkina Faso and Benin, which offered hunts comparable to what most people know from Southeast and South Africa. Unfortunately, the hunting areas in both countries are no longer accessible due to terrorism. In the other countries of West Africa, there is no much game for hunting, or hunts for foreigners are not available.