Did I do well?

[jhendricks]

Good morning all,
This website is great and I've learned a ton. I recently won a trip at auction that includes 10 days, 9 nights with day rates for two hunters included for one Nyala in SA. Airport pickup and drop off to and from is included as well. Too be honest I bid thinking I wouldn't win at $800. There are other members here that have went with this outfit and seemed to have a wonderful time. My buddy and I would likely like to take 3-4 additional animals each.

The concerning issue is their pricelist which is considerably higher than others, picture attached. Price list was not shown in listing, which in hindsight probably should have been a red flag. What do you think? do I cut my losses and chalk it up to lesson learned, or go hunt?

 

[Tundra Tiger]

I have nothing to offer on your situation; others will offer up educated answers in short order.

I was surprised looking at your pricelist; that's WAY over what my daughter and I will pay in June for the outfit we will hunt with.

Oh, and welcome to AH. I could not have had the successful trip I had without this site and without the advice of a great many folks on here.

 

[jhendricks]

I have nothing to offer on your situation; others will offer up educated answers in short order.

I was surprised looking at your pricelist; that's WAY over what my daughter and I will pay in June for the outfit we will hunt with.

Oh, and welcome to AH. I could not have had the successful trip I had without this site and without the advice of a great many folks on here.

I appreciate your response!

 

[PARA45]

If I'm reading your post correctly, you won an auction with 9 days of hunting included for one Nyala for you and buddy. I think you are already ahead of the game, and I would hunt a couple of animals so the outfitter could make some money. You are already in Africa, I would take advantage and get a couple of animals like an Impala, Warthog, and maybe even a zebra.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Oscar is probably right; I'd sit down and do a cost comparison though - price out what you expect to spend with this outfitter versus what the same animals and costs would be with someone else? And it seems to me that a number of sponsors on here have very similar price structures, within same areas or countries.

An example, on the subject of prices, I paid less for my cow buff than your list shows for kudu, and I paid $1200 for my kudu. With your list, my daughter and I would likely be shooting a lot less when we head over in June. Just my two cents, and I could be wrong.

 

[PARA45]

TT, love that Kudu. BTW, seems like we both visit the same barber.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Going strictly on your price list per species - not the day rates - I can tell you the following. Excluding my buffalo, I shot 9 animals in 2021. The first 5 were on a package deal; the other 4 were added after the fact. I paid around 6K for those 9. Those same 9, from this price list, would be over 16,000. That's a big difference, at least for my pocketbook.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

@PARA45 ... my barber needs to put in an overdue appearance this evening, assuming he isn't pooped after work.

 

[jhendricks]

If I'm reading your post correctly, you won an auction with 9 days of hunting included for one Nyala for you and buddy. I think you are already ahead of the game, and I would hunt a couple of animals so the outfitter could make some money. You are already in Africa, I would take advantage and get a couple of animals like an Impala, Warthog, and maybe even a zebra.

I appreciate your take, There is only one Nyala. My buddy will have to purchase all animals.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Expect a whole lotta people a whole lot more qualified to respond than me to chime in shortly. There could be an angle I'm not seeing, with the one trip I have under my belt.

 

[318AE]

Another consideration - it’s not unheard of to take an animal a day on a game ranch in RSA - others experience will help provide a better picture here. It’s not the hunting I have the most experience with in Africa.

You may get encouragement/pressure from the PH/owner to take more animals - as much as one per day. That can really add up at these prices. I’ve also found a reluctance to hunt another, less expensive impala or warthog if you have already taken one. You can manage all this, but it can also make the trip feel like a 9 day negotiation - which may or may not be relaxing and enjoyable to you.

If you take 3-4 animals in 3-4 days, are there other activities available?

 

[jhendricks]

Expect a whole lotta people a whole lot more qualified to respond than me to chime in shortly. There could be an angle I'm not seeing, with the one trip I have under my belt.

Thank you Sir.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

That's a good point by @318AE. I have only read about the pressure tactics at some places; my PH (owner) and I sat down each day to talk about what we would go after, and options after I filled my package deal. I never felt any pressure at any time; he was totally OK with whatever I wanted to do. What I wanted to do was hunt, and we did, but for less expensive options because I do not have a bottomless bank account.

 

[jhendricks]

Another consideration - it’s not unheard of to take an animal a day on a game ranch in RSA - others experience will help provide a better picture here. It’s not the hunting I have the most experience with in Africa.

You may get encouragement/pressure from the PH/owner to take more animals - as much as one per day. That can really add up at these prices. I’ve also found a reluctance to hunt another, less expensive impala or warthog if you have already taken one. You can manage all this, but it can also make the trip feel like a 9 day negotiation - which may or may not be relaxing and enjoyable to you.

If you take 3-4 animals in 3-4 days, are there other activities available?

I have to negotiate everyday during my day job. Not something I care to do on my vacation. There are other activities at additional cost. , But my buddy and I are hunters and wouldnt care to go shopping, or visit fancy restaurants at an additional cost. I appreciate your feedback.

 

[fourfive8]

You are OK on $ as long as you don’t start shooting without thinking. Likely you will see animals everyday…. a lot of tempting animals. Take time to really kick back and enjoy it and forget shooting at every opportunity. Obviously if a 60”+ kudu pops up shoot straight and ask trophy fee questions later. Same for a big old blue eland bull! A nice nyala along with a good impala would be a good first trip. You will likely be planning your second trip before plane lands heading home.

 

[JimP]

Have your buddy set a price limit on what he will spend.

These type of hunts and the animals can add up real quick if you are in a area with a lot of animals. This past June I shot 3 animals on my first day, and 2 on the second. If I would of been paying for them I would of spent over $5000 US according to your price list. My whole hunt for 12 animals was only $6500.

Also figure what you plan on doing with the animals once shot. Euro mounts, or shoulder mounts will add up quickly, then there is the shipping to get them home. Even dip and pack get expensive and then you have to pay your taxidermist here in the US.

Auction hunts can be fun, but they can get real expensive real quick if you don't adhere to a budget.

 

[Hunt anything]

You only paid $800 for for 9 days and airport pickup and drop off, if it was me I would figure out a budget say $5000 and pick animals up to that and stop shooting. Your still ahead of probably 80% of the plains game pkgs out there.

 

[jhendricks]

Have your buddy set a price limit on what he will spend.

These type of hunts and the animals can add up real quick if you are in a area with a lot of animals. This past June I shot 3 animals on my first day, and 2 on the second. If I would of been paying for them I would of spent over $5000 US according to your price list. My whole hunt for 12 animals was only $6500.

Also figure what you plan on doing with the animals once shot. Euro mounts, or shoulder mounts will add up quickly, then there is the shipping to get them home. Even dip and pack get expensive and then you have to pay your taxidermist here in the US.

Auction hunts can be fun, but they can get real expensive real quick if you don't adhere to a budget.

Great feedback. I dont think I will have issues getting trigger happy, but also dont want to get taken price wise or be pressured to shoot more than what im budgetted..

 

[Doug3006]

It looks like the outfitter is trying to make up in trophy fees what he’s losing in day rate…since it’s a donated hunt. I agree with @PARA45 that you are way ahead of the game having won a 10-day safari for two for $800!!! Including a Nyala!!! I recommend you add a few additional animals at the rates indicated, and feel very good about the total cost of your hunt.

 

[rookhawk]

Good morning all,
This website is great and I've learned a ton. I recently won a trip at auction that includes 10 days, 9 nights with day rates for two hunters included for one Nyala in SA. Airport pickup and drop off to and from is included as well. Too be honest I bid thinking I wouldn't win at $800. There are other members here that have went with this outfit and seemed to have a wonderful time. My buddy and I would likely like to take 3-4 additional animals each.

The concerning issue is their pricelist which is considerably higher than others, picture attached. Price list was not shown in listing, which in hindsight probably should have been a red flag. What do you think? do I cut my losses and chalk it up to lesson learned, or go hunt?

View attachment 525865

The prices of your trophy fees are overall, quite high with some being outright outrageous. A few on your list are what i would consider fair-market prices for a hunt.

The auction you won is effectively minimum value. If you go over and shoot particular animals, you're going to be way overpaying. If you're curious which animals are actually fairly priced, meaning those that I would not balk at their costs if they were on a "normal" price sheet, it is these:

Sable $4500-$6500 is fair
Waterbuck at $2750 is only a couple hundred bucks high
Nyala at $3000 is fair
Giraffe at $3500 is fair
Ostrich at $1200 is only slightly high
Tsessebe at $3000 is fair
Warthog at $700 is only slightly high

I would personally not hunt anything else on that price list because virtually all the remainder in my mind are truly DOUBLE fair market value.

Some animals are regionally localized and you may not get another chance to hunt them if you come back to Africa and hunt a different region. Nyala, Tsessebe, Waterbuck, Giraffe and Sable would be wise choices that you may not encounter elsewhere.