How does pricing work for leopard bait?

[Russ16]

I’ve seen some articles and videos of leopard hunts where they are shooting animals for bait. They seem to be shooting what would be non-trophy animals. Cow buffalo and the like.

M question is when shooting for bait are you generally paying full trophy prices or is there some kind of discount? I’m referring to wild Africa a few teas like Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

The reason I’m asking is I’m doing my first safari in August for Buffalo in Zimbabwe. My brother is coming with me. My other brother isn’t in a position to pay for a safari and I’d like to do a trip with him in the future. But footing the bill for him entirely is a lot. One thing I thought was maybe if I did a leopard hunt he could come along and shoot the bait and maybe that would be a little cheaper. I could include one or two reasonable trophy animals. But he like get the trip experience and some shooting.

Does that make sense or would it not really save any money. I’d really like to get him over there but the tab for a double safari is a bit steep.

I know we could do South Africa plans game for cheaper and that’s an option but much less appealing to me at this point.

Thanks.

 

[Doug3006]

Bait pricing varies by country and outfitter. Most outfitters charge full price for bait animals, so it’s usually more economical to target animals like female Impala that are relatively inexpensive. Another strategy is to shoot a single animal, like a hippo, and get a LOT of bait for the dollar. So be sure to understand how a prospective outfitter handles baits before booking.

 

[375Fox]

Unless they have a lot of impala on quota, usually you are paying full price. Unfortunately it’s the same limited quota whether it’s shot as a trophy or for bait. Many concession areas will have more buffalo on quota than species like zebra or kudu.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I hunted leopard with Nick Nolte in Namibia earlier this year and he is somewhat unique in not charging for bait animals. Nick uses PG shot by other hunters in camp as bait animals. So he’s getting full price for the bait animals, but the PG hunters and not the leopard hunter is paying for it. Ideally, shooting inexpensive warthogs would be the cheapest bait animals but they are getting scarce due to the persistent drought.

A type of hunt you might look into for you and your brother is some sort of cull hunt.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Also, time of year is important. More bait is needed to keep locations fresh during the hotter months.
I would recommend to not pass off all bait collection to your brother. It’s a great ice breaker and a way to settle nerves, ensure your shooting is up to par before the Big Show.