How often do you hunt Africa?

[csmcclain]

Okay, so this is a question for us international hunters, but PHs/outfitters are welcome to add what they most commonly see in their clients.

This community is (mostly) devoted to the thousands of people who have the controversial mission of experiencing hunting in Africa. Let’s be honest though: it’s not always easy to drop everything at work or home and spend $10-20k+ for a trip that is a pipe dream for the average outdoorsman. That’s not to mention the fact that many of us hunt and fish in many other places as we look to collect the many experiences of this global sportsmen community.

I’m young by the average age of this community, and I have been blessed to be able to afford the opportunity to go three times after this September, but I do not have a 4th trip booked yet. As I look to book a 4th trip, I’m somewhat conflicted in timelines. Is it really necessary to plan to go every other year, or would I rather mix in more global adventures and push it to every 3-4 years? Then again, who is to say that this will even be an option in a decade or two? Should I save a little extra money over basic PG or buff trips to expand to new horizons, species, and experiences? Or is it just being in Africa that makes me happy, regardless of whether I’m shooting a cull or a trophy?

So I guess my question is how often do you actually hunt Africa? Or, maybe more precisely, how long have you found that you can stand being away?

 

[roverandbrew]

I have hunted six times over the last three years, and they have been split between @spike.t and @Bos en Dal SAFARIS. They are both truly amazing as humans and the hunting is secondary to the friendship. My daughter has also hunted with both and loved every minute. I classify those trips as seeing friends. My frequency has varied with workload the last ten years, but I would think once every two years would be the minimum.

 

[375Fox]

I’ve gone twice in a year several times, but I think I would average out to once a year. I generally want to book 14 day hunts now to justify the travel. I’m also getting much more particular on the hunts I book.

 

[migrabill]

I went for the first time in 2024. I am booked for my second trip in 2028. I also want to do the AG Group DG hunt in 2028 - so maybe twice in that year - unless I can back-to-back them.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

I have done 7 trips since my first in 2018. Missed 2020 due to Covid shutdown.
Skipped 2025 because of family health issues. Just hunted past June for trip 7 and I plan on 2028 for next one.

 

[csmcclain]

I’m currently considering a trip somewhere domestic or maybe in Europe next year. I also do a hunt out west every year, along with plenty of time in the woods locally. 2028 will be Alaska, then I’m thinking ‘29 might be back to Africa.

After that, I’m considering a cycle of a cull hunt (no taxidermy) every 4 years and a trophy hunt in a new destination every 4 years offset in such a way that it’s only 2 years between trips.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Not. Often. Enough.

I went for the first time in 2021 and then again in 2023. I would like to get to the point of every other year. A divorce derailed 2025 and this year my fun money is going to a goat tag I drew for Kodiak. Maybe 2027?

 

[gregrn43]

Haven't been yet. Next year will be the first. I would like to make one more trip, but will have to wait and see.

 

[hunt4fun]

September will be my sixth time. My trips are mainly to shoot something I haven’t shot before. I’ve taken 15 different animals so far and have booked for three more in September. I love to go. But this year will complete my list, unless I go somewhere for gazelle.

 

[K-man]

I’ve been to Africa fifteen times over the last 20 years. But I take advantage of short notice cancellation hunts and that doesn’t include the dozen other trips to Spain, New Zealand, South America, Alaska, Greenland, etc.

 

[CloudySkies]

I'm going to be doing back to back to start with, but thereafter will probably extend it to every other depending on my interests - I'd like to be able to swing for the some of the more challenging/expensive options, and in that price range and funds available, its going to have to be alternate years. Typically, for the past several years I've hunted a couple of places in North America every year, and next year I won't have the opening to do that due to a job change mid-year, so figured I'd do a second African trip.

 

[Parkerpusher]

My first time was March of this year. I already have 3 trips booked, so averaging twice a year. Financially difficult, I’m not wealthy retired.

When I was there, I felt at home and at peace. I came back a better person. I want to experience that transformation and realignment as often as I can. I’m willing to make sacrifices to make that possible. Will I slow down eventually? Maybe. Maybe not. Time will tell. I don’t think so though.

There’s a lot of talk these days about “self care”, almost to the point of annoyance. But spending time there is definitely self care for me. And that’s worth the sacrifice.

 

[Justbryan]

I do international hunts every 2 years. One year I pay for the hunt and the next year I pay for the taxidermy. Then I start again.

 

[MontanaPat]

I did four years in a row to Africa but now planning on every other year, mainly to just do cull hunting unless something really special comes along. I’ve gone to doing more European or other intl hunts in the off years, usually two of those per year mixed in with a US whitetail hunt somewhere away from home

 

[mdwest]

We tend to hunt internationally twice a year.. once in South Africa.. once somewhere else.. we've hunted internationally every year since 2016 with the exception of 2020 when the world decided to go crazy and shut down over a virus.. .

Last year it was @Bos en Dal SAFARIS and a hunt in New Zealand.. this year we're headed to Croatia as our "other" destination..

 

[Hunt anything]

Not. Often. Enough.

I went for the first time in 2021 and then again in 2023. I would like to get to the point of every other year. A divorce derailed 2025 and this year my fun money is going to a goat tag I drew for Kodiak. Maybe 2027?

Terry, Good luck on your goat hunt!
My first hunt was 2014, it was supposed to be the infamous get it out of the system safari. Didn’t work out that way.
Went back in 2018 and went twice in 2021 taking advantage of cancellation hunts due to covid. Went back in 2025 and I’m in the process of nailing down at least one more hunt in 2027 or 28 before possible retirement.

 

[deewayne2003]

Not as much as I want to, first trip was 24 and I'm booked for 27.

After the 2027 trip I'm going to sit down and weigh my options, I like dangerous game hunting but the cost of the trip from 24 to 27 has increased over 25% in just 3 years so I may be priced out of Africa by 2030.

On the other hand for the $25K+ my next Africa trip will cost me for a 10 day 1 buff hunt, I could go to Australia and have an AMAZING time for over a month and hunt many animals.

There is also the issue of "age correction" boomers are the wealthiest generation in history and I'd be willing to bet that in 10 years at least 50% of them will NOT be hunting so there will be some market correction.

 

[HookMeUpII]

I/we went to RSA in 2023. I honestly never thought I'd ever hunt there due to 1) the logistics of it and 2) the cost. We realized soon the barriers to doing it were really much lower than some trophy whitetail hunts in Texas, Michigan, Illinois, etc.

From my group, 2 out of the 4 returned with the same outfitter and are going again next year. I opted to wait and save for something in Zim or Tanzania. I'd like to answer every 5-10 years but it might only be twice in a lifetime.

The next time I return it will (most likely) not be RSA, and I have my sights set on one animal. A trophy cape buffalo. I've decided the next time I go back I want it to be entirely wild/fair chase.

I said most likely not RSA because I do know there is some limited wild/fair chase hunting there.

 

[Rare Breed]

I’ve been to Africa fifteen times over the last 20 years. But I take advantage of short notice cancellation hunts and that doesn’t include the dozen other trips to Spain, New Zealand, South America, Alaska, Greenland, etc.

While I go every year, I am just like @K-man, I always look for cancellations. For example, I had not planned on my second attempt for leopard but a cancellation due to fear of Ebola and Iran provided a deal too good to turn down. So, while I book two years out, I always keep both funds and time to take advantage of great opportunities!

 

[DLSJR]

I’ve been averaging about once a year for the last eight years, but before that I hadn’t been in a long time, 9 year break. I went 3 times in the 1980’s, then because of marriage, work, kids, etc. I had a 19 year gap before I went in 2009, then another 9 year gap. But since 2018, I’ve been 8 times counting this year’s upcoming trip.