How Do Y'all Pay for these Safaris?

[C.W. Richter]

Yes Zim is great CW, I have been away in Johannesburg for a while but heading back soon. Covid is everywhere, this Delta one seems far more contaigous, but not too harmful. My daughter has it, she is one of six in our company who caught it, hopefully thats it now.
I have owned companies all my life except for the initial four years after university. It is the way to go, but avoid partners or choose the right ones. After I sell the current one thats it, full retirement!

Cheers! I planned to do same by the end of this year (prior to covid,) but as the gov't. gave customers 2 years worth of extensions to complete cleanups, that has unfortunately been extended to 2023, and some lucrative p/t cherry picking of work thereafter to pay the taxes, utilities, basic expenses, and PHs. Do i get credit as a young man for marrying well-looking? No. No I don't. All I have to show is two great adult kids! Son may be taking a short-term job as a dentist in AK, so that will cut down on hunting expenses there (no guide required if a resident or fam member).

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I married well

It didnt matter how many jobs I had (at one point I worked 1 FT job with quite a bit of OT as well as a PT job, as well as running my own small business on the side, and consistently was putting in 85-90 hours a week at "work") when I was married to my starter wife... she's was a serious spender, and never much of a contributor at all to household income.. she kept us on the edge of financial ruin the entire time we were married.. combine that with 3 young kids in the house, etc.. and there simply wasnt enough money left over for much of anything during my late 20's - late 30's, much less trying to hunt internationally (although the nature of my work allowed me to travel a decent bit back then and see Africa, Europe, Central America, etc)..

Once I fired the starter wife, things changed dramatically.. I was able to pay the bills without having to work 90 hours a week, while still able to put money aside, save for things I wanted or wanted to do, etc...

Marrying the wonderful woman that I am now bonded to improved things that much more.. not only is she my best friend, hunting partner (far more serious about hunting, fishing, traveling internationally, etc than even I am), and the bigger gun nut of the two of us.. she also is a very capable breadwinner in her own right, has had a very successful career, is in a profession that compensates well, etc..etc..

Its a bit more expensive supporting two safari junkies in the same household than it would be to just support myself.. especially when Im just as happy just walking on the red dirt paths, hunting impala, or blesbok, or warthog as anything else.. and my tastes in firearms are pretty basic (I mostly shoot winchesters and rugers)... where she prefers the more exotic/rare/harder to hunt animals, and her firearms preferences start with things like kimber and custom mausers on the low end and go up from there..

But between our two incomes and the blessing of two successful careers, doing an international hunt or two a year isnt a hard stretch as long as we're not chasing the truly high cost trophys in the more high cost locations, etc..

We also live well within our means in other areas, which gives us more discretionary income than most of our peers.. We have a nice home in a nice suburb.. but its not at the high end of what we can afford (the last two homes we have purchased, both the real estate agent and the bankers have been confused as to why we werent shopping for homes that were hundreds of thousands dollars more expensive than what we have bought.. we simply dont need or want that much, and would prefer to travel and hunt than be anchored by a big mortgage.. we both drive vehicles until the wheels fall off.. Im currently driving a base model 2013 pick up truck.. she's driving a 2011 crossover vehicle.. she'll probably get something new later this year.. I'll wait another year or two.. but then we'll drive those new vehicles at least 8-10 years before we buy again.. we dont do the new car thing every 2-3 years like a lot of people do.. Neither of us have expensive hobbies or habits outside of hunting and fishing.. neither of us drink, smoke, etc with any regularity.. We dont dine on steak and lobster or other expensive meals with any frequency (although we probably do spend too much time and money eating "out" and should cut that back a bit).. So our monthly outgo is pretty reasonable..

We're not in a position where we could just pick up and go on an ele hunt in Zim without doing some planning and saving for a while.. but our life choices do make it possible for us to wake up on any given morning and have conversations like "what do you think about chasing red stag in Ireland next year? lets find an outfitter and send a deposit to someone this month.." without any real problem or concerns..

Being able to do that didnt happen overnight though.. Its taken both of us trudging through 30+ years of a career path, working our collective cans off, being somewhat frugal with our money and making the conscious choice not to spend on things that we dont find a lot of value in that we know a lot of other people spend large amounts of money on, etc.. and simply being shown the grace of God multiple times along the way (more than once we have faced a financial peril, or some other problem that could have thrown the brakes on all of our plans and designs.. but thankfully we have yet to hit an obstacle that wasnt overcomeable.. )

You are a blessed man Midwest, and Mrs Midwest too. God enables blessings, but as per the parable of the talents, He want's you to do your part. Laziness does not beget hunting safaris! Good on you for creating your enjoyment, come and get that ele some time!

 

[Mountaineer]

If you can manage credit cards (only spend budgeted amounts and pay off monthly) bonus miles will pay for your airfare. That’s a big savings.

 

[JGRaider]

You are a blessed man Midwest, and Mrs Midwest too. God enables blessings, but as per the parable of the talents, He want's you to do your part. Laziness does not beget hunting safaris! Good on you for creating your enjoyment, come and get that ele some time!

Amen Kevin!

 

[TOBY458]

My strategy was to work hard and pay off EVERYTHING. Drive used vehicles. Be happy in a house just big enough to be comfortable in. Step out of your comfort zone and take on a job that pays more than the job you're comfortable doing. Only spend money on necessities such as booze, women, guitars, and guns. Then you'll have some lucre left over for a Safari more often than you might think! (The word "lucre" was stolen from @Red Leg , but the copyright has expired.)

 

[Shootist43]

There seems to be some consistency in the answers given. Namely work a little harder or maybe a little longer, cut back where you can and save for an eventual hunt. I suspect that only a few are able to do it differently.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

Planning is my key. As I have stated before.
I just finished up a 21 day safari less than 3,weeks ago. Dates set for with PH for 2022 in May this time to catch Kudu rut. I have already had Jennifer at Travel Express book my Qatar flight 10 months out and got confirmed tickets today. That gives time to pay those off. Was under budget on hunt this year and used left over already for dip/pack and some taxidermy.

Now to save only for hunt! That’s 10 months and easy working extra hours and some side gun trading.

Planning is the key and you can make anything happen if you really want to.

 

[shootist~]

I like the idea of going earlier in the year.

 

[Deleted member 40394]

I say work hard and make sound decisions. I purchased a small tract of land. Actually 3 small tracts back in 2014 and at a good price. Two of the tracts I would never sell, but one tract I just made the decision to try to sell this week. I should double what I paid for it then some on the sale if all goes well. I wanted to buy a tractor with the money but instead I plan to spend every dime on Africa and have a blow out once in the lifetime trip. So again make good moves at the right times. I also sold my first house this year after living there for 5 years and made enough off the deal to get back everything I had ever paid into it then some. Those good decisions have helped me be in position to do stuff that I didn’t think I would be able to do until I was 50 or older. I am now 38 and will be hunting Africa within the next few years.

 

[Deleted member 40394]

Forgot to mention earlier I also have a hunt fund account. $50/week gets direct deposited to a bank I don’t live close too. Lol. This adds up as I usually forget about the account for a while. It’s nice to forget and 6 months later have $1300 or more in an account somewhere. I usually use this for duck hunting trips or to pay for hunting club dues.

 

[Tanks]

I usually do a wire transfer.

 

[SFRanger7GP]

How do ya'll pay for these safaris? That is a good question. Maybe my sister said it best when her young daughter was looking at all the trophies with wide eyes of wonder and asked "Momma, are my Aunt and Uncle rich?" My sister replied "No honey; they don't have any kids!"

First, a great plains game hunt in South Africa or Namibia is much cheaper than most guided big game hunts in North America. You could pay a big chunk of coin for a elk hunt and not even see a track. You will see plains game in Africa.

I think the answer is a combination of priorities, hard work and a supportive wife. Added bonus if she hunts and loves to eat wild game.

Safe hunting!

 

[Brad Matteo]

My philosophy is, when you have money spend it like your broke, and when your broke spend like your broke.
I'm financing my trip to RSA by any type of side work I can get. Plowing driveway in thd winter, scraping metal, whatever I have to do. It helps when you have a goal in mind.

 

[Justbryan]

I live off my income with very modest debt. Then I spend my inheritance and my kids inheritance to hunt Africa, New Zealand, Texas, etc...

The difficult part is not financing the first trip at $6000 but the subsequent trips, taxidermy bills, and new game rooms. My first $6000 budget ended up costing me $13,000 for the hunt, $10,000 for taxidermy, $5000 for side trips.

My advise is take smaller bites with fewer animals, don't feel pressured, slow down, enjoy Africa, take pictures. My first hunt was a "once in a lifetime hunt" and if I would have been planning to return on a 2nd and 3rd trip then I could have been more relaxed. Don't plan like you are going on a "once in a lifetime trip".

You can spend less money and have more fun! Get to know the guide, staff, and enjoy the food and country. It does not cost as much as you think! I was on the plane with two very young hunters who shot 3 animals each and spend less than $4000 each for an off peak special deal. Both got a kudu, impala, and warthog with bows in 5 days.

Many people who spend a lot of money on safari who are pushing their budget feel pressured and anxious. They feel like they have to get a lot for their hard earned dollars.

Spend less money and have fun! I was told this by an older hunter with many trips to Africa but I did not listen. Also, always take what Africa offers. You can have a list but be open for the truly special. Example: I would not pass on a 17" bushbuck because it was not on my list.

 

[shootist~]

But this one really will be the Once In Lifetime. (So will the next one!)

Just cleared security in route to DFW.

 

[PARA45]

Looking at how I'm doing my 2022 safari, I'll say this:

1. Look for deals, and they are on this site.
2. Have a goal/plan (how much you want to spend, how many animals), be realistic on what animals you want to hunt.
3. Stick to your plan.
4. Have a solid savings plan and stick with it.
5. Taxidermy. Work with your taxidermist and maybe do one mount at a time, so you can pay as you go. Or, see item #4.

Before you know it, you'll have enough $$ to fund your safari, and it's not out of reach. With a little bit of sacrifice it can be done. I did it 10 years ago, and I'm doing it again in about a year.

 

[Rick Cox]

I dream of going on a Hunting Safari to South Africa or Namibia. My concern is how do members of this forum pay for their trips? I believe many of you are very success in your business and careers, you have put in the work over the years to be able to afford to take hunting trips. I also see families going on Safari, I just would like to know if anyone has tips or suggestions on how to save, or make money on the side.

My wife and I both work, we have two young children. We work hard, paid off our student debts, paid cash for our cars, and our mortgage payment is very low. I can't justify to my spouse going to Africa if the house isn't paid off. She is very supportive of my hunting hobby, and she would love to go back to Africa (she has been all over for Africa for her work but is in a different role now, she doesn't travel anymore) but is concerned about how we can pay for a Safari.

I know this is a random question. Any advice or in general advice would be appreciated.

Good grief don't wait till the mortgage is paid off! You only live once and no one knows how long that is. Go while you can, before health concerns raise their ugly little heads or the kids are in college, or the parents need help, or some unforeseen complication comes into your life etc. Sounds like you are very fiscally responsible, but cut your self some slack and enjoy your life, while you can!
Sell stuff you aren't using, play the stock market etc. With a target of say $10,000 (airfare included) you could get there on $200 a month saved over four years. Don't have any trophies mounted, only do 'euro' mounts, which saves hugely on taxidermy costs and shipping. That budget could be cut down a lot, but it would give you the opportunity to hunt such animals as eland, kudu, oryx, warthog perhaps a zebra. Personally I would advocate Namibia or possibly Botswana.
Then you can get old and grey and thank yourself that you allowed yourself some adventure in life.

 

[Rick Cox]

Like most folks not born with a trust fund, I think monetary success is a function of ability, hard work, and a bit of luck. I did not go to Africa for the first time until 2008 when I was 56 years old. I had spent 29 years in the military (which did give me the opportunity to hunt a number of interesting places on the cheap). Few leave a career in the Army (particularly in a command track) with anything but debt, though perhaps also, a good reputation for getting things done. In 2003, immediately after retiring, I joined a major defense corporation earlier than the vast majority at my rank, and the CEO gave me the opportunity to succeed or fail running one of their business units. For more than a decade, we succeeded very well indeed. In 2014 I was able to retire, and should I drop dead tonight, we owe nothing on our home. But there were a lot of bleak years where we wondered how we would pay for new curtains in the quarters we were moving into every 12 to 24 months - much less college. But we kept at it, and that work and worry was rewarded. My bride is not a hunter, but we love traveling together. Often I combine a hunt with a vacation in Europe or South America. This year we were in Spain and next year Argentina and Austria. Stay the course.

You got to love it when you have a boss who gives you the opportunity to succeed or fail. BTW - I think I said it before, but nice Land Cruiser. I bought a new diesel in 78 that was that color. I sold it when I finished my apprenticeship as a Millwright to fund a long trip to South America.

 

[Spearhead]

Like a lot have posted. I just started hunting Africa in 2018. Just finished 3 rd trip and #4 is booked and plane tickets bought for 2022. I don’t make a lot. Work retail and smithing in a gunshop. But I have no kids or wife either.
I decided to spend what I can and live life! After a couple health scares and some health issues life is short and live and do while I can now. I just turned 58 in Africa on last Safari, best birthday I have had in a long time.
I am not worried about retirement right now I probably never will retire and always work to feed my desire to hunt.
After health scares and not sure if you will be alive in a few days laying in a hospital my take on life changed. I will live life one day at a time to the fullest I can.
Sorry for the rambling, but just my take on life and hunting as I personally see it

Great post! Real information and things to not take for granted. Thank you for posting. It's always good to talk about things to people that can understand and possibly relate to. I don't call that rambling.

 

[Edster]

My first safari was April of this year. A friend got the trip at an auction for $500.00. So essentially that paid daily rates and an impala for each of us. Trophy fees, airfare, taxidermy, and incidentals for me came out of an extremely good year of profit sharing from my job. Like many have said here you will be planning your return trip before you leave Africa in your first. Yes I am planning a return in 3 years and am taking my grandson with me. This trip will be paid for one week at a time. Having a little bit taken out of every paycheck and dumping it into a savings account.