Do you pay before or after?

[Paul K]

No offense intended, but I’m guessing you’ve never hunted outside South Africa or Namibia, and definitely haven’t hunted dangerous game. I’d hate to carry enough cash to pay for a couple Buffalo and a leopard. Or a lion!

Well, you are very much mistaken and offense is taken, read my bio . 18 days DG hunt in Zim, 15days in SA and 12 days in KwaZulu Natal with an up and coming DG trip hopefully to Tanzanzia. We have 27 African trophies and plan on adding a few more, God willing. And paid for them as stated. We work very hard for our money and don't plan on throwing it away or loosing it to a shady safari operator.

Paul

 

[Paul K]

I think there is a fair number for both sides. It’s not 100% of safari. I’m good with full daily rates paid and a partial trophy fee deposit. You are asking outfitters to put a lot of trust in you before you’ve ever earned it.

I think that giving him 10's of thousands of dollars of my money is trust enough for him to trust me that i'm good for the rest of it. But paying a 100% up front and he will refund me for trophies that I didn't decide to take is BULL SHIT.

Paul

 

[Russ16]

I guess I’m a little different.

My outfitter asked for daily rates up front and wanted me to pay trophy fees after. Because he preferred not to have to deal with refunds if an animal wasn’t taken. I preferred to pay as much as possible up front at least for my primary target species. He said that was fine and it actually worked out as I booked another hunt with him for 2028 and if for some reason I’m not successful on one of my species he’ll roll the money to 2028 which is what I prefer.

I expect I’ll be successful and probably take some lower value species as well and wind up owing a bit at the end.

I’m just one who if I’m going to have to pay something I want to get it over with and pay it rather than having to keep track of what I’m going to owe. I keep a separate bank account for my hunting trip funds and it makes the accounting easier.

 

[375Fox]

I think that giving him 10's of thousands of dollars of my money is trust enough for him to trust me that i'm good for the rest of it. But paying a 100% up front and he will refund me for trophies that I didn't decide to take is BULL SHIT.

Paul

From the hunts you described I don’t think you paid tens of thousands of dollars in advance. I’d be more concerned booking with outfitters eager to accept a large final payment in cash than wiring a partial payment in advance to reputable names.

 

[Hunt anything]

In South Africa I pay the daily rate up front as a deposit to hold my dates and then the trophy fees upon conclusion of the safari.

In Mozambique I paid for a 10 day buffalo package and paid the govt license fees for the plainsgame I planned to hunt. If I remember correctly I added up the trophy fees that the outfitters charged (sable, bushbuck, warthog and nyala) split them in half and paid that to the outfitter and paid the balance upon conclusion of the safari.

 

[Paul K]

From the hunts you described I don’t think you paid tens of thousands of dollars in advance. I’d be more concerned booking with outfitters eager to accept a large final payment in cash than wiring a partial payment in advance to reputable names.

From the hunts you described I don’t think you paid tens of thousands of dollars in advance. I’d be more concerned booking with outfitters eager to accept a large final payment in cash than wiring a partial payment in advance to reputable names.

Think what you like, it is of no concern to me. A man ask for advise and I gave mine, take it or leave it ,it
matters not to me. I'm not here to start an argument nor am I going to let you goad me in to one

Paul

 

[375Fox]

Think what you like, it is of no concern to me. A man ask for advise and I gave mine, take it or leave it ,it
matters not to me. I'm not here to start an argument nor am I going to let you goad me in to one

Paul

Then don’t tell a lie on a public forum to exaggerate your point. You wrote you paid half to full daily rates up front but paying trophy fees on advance is ridiculous. A South African safari is maybe $350-$500 per day. A Zimbabwe buffalo hunt maybe $1000-$1500 per day. That’s not tens of thousands on advance to earn their trust.

 

[Art Lambart II]

My first 2 safaris it was a deposite only and settle the bill on the last day of the hunt. On my last safari in 2024 the outfitter required full payment 30 days before the hunt.

 

[migrabill]

Likely circumstance… What animals are you hunting?

Most PG - I would be inclined to pay balance at the end of the hunt.

DG - Different type of negotiation.

Cape Buffalo, Sable, Gemsbok, Nyala, Waterbuck, and Duiker.

 

[Nyati]

@migrabill , I think this is ridiculous, paying your daily rate when booking and settling the rest at the end of the safari would be reasonable.

 

[DLSJR]

Well, you are very much mistaken and offense is taken, read my bio . 18 days DG hunt in Zim, 15days in SA and 12 days in KwaZulu Natal with an up and coming DG trip hopefully to Tanzanzia. We have 27 African trophies and plan on adding a few more, God willing. And paid for them as stated. We work very hard for our money and don't plan on throwing it away or loosing it to a shady safari operator.

Paul

Well gosh, Sunshine; you’re right that I didn’t read your bio. I should have known better. If I had I’d have realized how uninformed (I would have said ignorant, but don’t want to hurt your feelings) you are about carrying very large amounts of cash on your person in 3rd world countries despite your experience level.

Let’s think about this a bit…. An 18 day hunt in Zim almost always has at least 2 DG animals included, unless you’re on a dedicated elephant bull hunt, so you’re typically carrying well over $10,000 USD on you and likely a lot more than that unless you’re a cheap bastard who doesn’t tip (no offense toward Europeans as I realize your culture doesn’t emphasize tipping like USA culture does). And your upcoming Tanzania trip, if you do a 10-day, 2-buffalo hunt; will run about $12,000-15,000 in trophy fees and tips. Just wait till you see how many people are typically tipped in a Tanzania camp! If you do a 16-day hunt that includes leopard, hippo and crocodile plus 2-3 buffalo; your trophy fees alone will run you around $18,000-25,000 plus several thousand more for tips & incidentals. In case it hasn’t dawned on you yet, tipping on a Tanzania safari will be slightly different than your 2 South Africa hunts, it’ll likely be more than you tipped on both of those hunts combined. That is, unless you’re a cheap bastard.

If you’re going to carry that kind of cash on you, you’re just plain dumb unless you’re a former Delta Force operator. And they aren’t dumb. By the way, when you leave the USA with $10,000 or more don’t forget to declare it to customs or you face possible seizure and an enquiry from the good folks at FinCEN if discovered.

As to your comment about “a Shady Safari Operator”; perhaps you should do your homework better and find people who aren’t shady. That comment in itself is kind of offensive, at least to the great majority of Safari Operators and PH’s who are ethical men of integrity and conduct their businesses honorably. It seems you and I may hunt with different classes of PH’s because I know the ones I deal with are very fine people whom I trust thoroughly.

Bottom line, most people pay some or all of their trophy fees by electronic transfer after their hunt. Some pay by check. Many pay a TF deposit in advance, with the balance at end. Cash is generally for tips & incidentals.

Paul K, I hope this didn’t hurt your feelings.

 

[dchum]

in my two safaris I’ve wired a small deposit just to secure my dates and booking. Typically not even covering all the day fees.

The we would go over bill, incidentals and final cost at the conclusion of the safari.

Fly home and wire that amount once back in USA.

Paying for Sable, nyala etc before the hunt in SA seems unreasonable. Why would you pay for a gemsbok you haven’t killed yet?

They seem confident you will get everything on your list… how big are the properties you will be hunting for your buffalo and the rest?

 

[Betterinthebush]

I paid my day rates in full for my DG hunt in Zim. I offered a deposit toward the TF on them, but that was flatly refused. He told me to look after that when I returned. I thought that was fair. He didn’t ask me to pay 60+ days in advance, I just did it because I like having my bills paid early or on time, less anxiety for me that way.

The other hunt for this year follows the day after my DG hunt ends. This was a “package” hunt in SA. This hunt I also elected to pay off in advance and am awaiting information on a short notice DG opportunity in county with the same operator if he can organize it, which, I’m confident, he will.

FWIW, I’d never do this if I hadn’t checked all references given, checked reputations on the backside (this forum is invaluable for that purpose) and looked hard for any reason to say “no” before I say “yes”.

I’d not sleep for the duration of my 26 day safari if I had to tote around all that dough for TFs, tips and the many and varied “gotchas” (gifts, etc.) that is typical of time spent in Africa.

 

[375Fox]

in my two safaris I’ve wired a small deposit just to secure my dates and booking. Typically not even covering all the day fees.

The we would go over bill, incidentals and final cost at the conclusion of the safari.

Fly home and wire that amount once back in USA.

Paying for Sable, nyala etc before the hunt in SA seems unreasonable. Why would you pay for a gemsbok you haven’t killed yet?

They seem confident you will get everything on your list… how big are the properties you will be hunting for your buffalo and the rest?

I don’t have any problem paying a trophy fee deposit or paying once the safari ends. I would say though I research the outfitters I’m hunting with. A new sponsor (advertiser) with small properties and no references when a post is made, I’d have some concerns. Some outfitters ask for payments before hunt as standard business procedure, some ask because they are not in a good financial position. It’s up to hunter to figure out who they are dealing with.

 

[Miletic]

My first Safari I did, we settled the bill at the end before I left. I just booked my second trip and this outfitter requires that the bill is paid in full 30 days before arrival. Is this normal? Of course any adjustments will be settled in country (animals not taken that were on the wish list, animals that were taken that were not on the wish list, etc).

I have an agreement with my hunters to make an advance of 50% of the agreed hunt.
And that's only from the value of the accommodation, hunting permit and hunter's reservation (for large game), and for bird hunting, an advance of 50% is paid, including the catch. The advance is for me to cover all the trees and the hunter's reservation if the hunter cancels the hunt. If the hunt is scheduled 6 months in advance and is canceled in 3 months, 75% of the advance is returned. If the hunt is canceled in the last month, the full advance is retained. The hunter has the possibility to find a replacement for him and then the advance is still valid. All expenses incurred later are paid at the end of the hunt, when they are calculated together by the client and me according to the current price list.

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

Cape Buffalo, Sable, Gemsbok, Nyala, Waterbuck, and Duiker.

Assuming that you have paid a deposit? I would be inclined to reach out and renegotiate terms that you are more comfortable with.

Seems logical that you would pay a deposit and the balance at the end fir this type of hunt. Not sure if we identified where you are hunting? Unless there is a special concession where the Buff is hunted and your PH needs to secure that with a fully paid fee, then just talk it through. My outfitter never complains because he knows I like to hunt and kill a lot of animals and I’m good for the bill at the end…

I’ve booked a hunt recently that included a high end animal and other animals that were more common/less expensive. Paid a deposit. Agreed to pay for tags, and if I don’t shoot the lesser valued animals, I won’t pay for them. My point is; circumstances and negotiations should be understood and ironed out well in advance. Trust your gut…

 

[DieJager]

First hunt payed only a deposit and payed the bill partially with cash as did the tips and a bit with the credit card. This was in South Africa.

In Namibia small deposit beforehand. The rest on site after completion of the hunt. In other words the day fees and trophy fees and tips in cash.

Upcoming hunt already paid the day fees, so only trophy fees and tips in cash.

I'm rather pay up front and leave the pile of cash at home. If I don't trust the outfitter with my money upfront why would I want to hunt with him. Do you due diligence. But if theyb want it otherwise also ok.

 

[dchum]

I don’t have any problem paying a trophy fee deposit or paying once the safari ends. I would say though I research the outfitters I’m hunting with. A new sponsor (advertiser) with small properties and no references when a post is made, I’d have some concerns. Some outfitters ask for payments before hunt as standard business procedure, some ask because they are not in a good financial position. It’s up to hunter to figure out who they are dealing with.

I don’t have any problem paying a trophy fee deposit or paying once the safari ends. I would say though I research the outfitters I’m hunting with. A new sponsor (advertiser) with small properties and no references when a post is made, I’d have some concerns. Some outfitters ask for payments before hunt as standard business procedure, some ask because they are not in a good financial position. It’s up to hunter to figure out who they are dealing with.

I agree with trophy deposits,
I had to for my Damara Dik Dik, as it requires government permits and the property only has two tags. So locking in my tag/permit made sense to me.

I would agree that paying trophy deposits for animals on government quota makes sense to me. Like on government land and safari areas with set quotas.

But for a private land ranch hunt in SA with no government quota and to be charged in full like op seems unreasonable.

 

[mark-hunter]

My first Safari I did, we settled the bill at the end before I left. I just booked my second trip and this outfitter requires that the bill is paid in full 30 days before arrival. Is this normal?

Three safaris on plains game I paid fully on the end, before going home.

Two safaris on DG, buffalo and ele, I paid in full before the hunt. I dont like it, but it is how it is.

From my expereince, it depends where you will hunt: farm or wild areas.
Maybe there are other options elsewhere, but this is my experience.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Cape Buffalo, Sable, Gemsbok, Nyala, Waterbuck, and Duiker.

From this comment I’m inferring the outfitter created some kind of Bespoke Package for you. If that is the case, it’s very common for South African and Namibian Outfitters on Package Hunts to require 100% paid for before the start of the hunt. I’d make sure you ask what happens to your trophy fees if you don’t shoot an animal in this “Package”. This is one of my criticisms with Packages in South Africa and parts of Namibia (topic I posted a couple weeks ago). If you’re hunting a “Buffalo Package” and adding the others I can see him asking for the full amount of the Buffalo package and maybe a partial deposit on the others. Anything other than this to me is you paying for a Bespoke Package rather than hunting based on opportunity,

My personal preference is 1/2 the daily rates paid at the time of booking as a deposit, or an agreed upon amount to serve as a deposit. From there I expect to pay 100% of the daily rates + any permit/license, game scout, taxes, or charter fees 30-60 Days prior to the start of the hunt. Some outfitters also require a trophy fee deposit. This is very common on longer and larger safaris or in places like Tanzania, Uganda, CAR/Cameroon. I personally like to do this regardless of where the hunt is and have done it in South Africa and Zimbabwe. My logic is it shows the Outfitter/PH my commitment, and makes them scout/hunt a little harder. It also minimizes the amount of cash I’m carrying on my person and I have travelled in Africa more than once with $30-50k on my person (declaring it of course).

That said, I’ve taken more than one last minute cancellation or end of season deal. Shortest has been under 24 hours of notice to departure and several in the 2-3 week period. In these instances I’ve wired the entire daily rates + plus a trophy fee deposit. In the Under 24 Hours notice I wired the entire hunt cost from Afton House upon landing.