Is a auction hunt really worth the savings?

[twilly24]

Hi, new to the site. Amazing stuff on here. Thanks to all that have spend the time to write about there safaris good and bad. So I have been on a few big game hunts in North America. I have bought a couple of last minute deal hunts. One being a whitetail hunt and one hunt a wolf hunt. Both trips were unsuccessful. But when I got home the trips really never sat well with me. I dont believe you have to shoot an animal to be the only way a hunt is successful either. I just felt cheated like I never got the same hunt as I would have gotten had a paid full price. Maybe I'm wrong but have never felt good about those hunts. So I'm asking you guys out there. For a first timer. Is the last minute deal or a auction hunt worth it going to Africa. My guess is my Plains game safari would cost in total around 22-24k. Start to finish. Is 2 or 3 thousand on a 24,000 hunt worth not getting the most out of your outfitter. Or is this even a problem in Africa? I'm not one of those guys that's inpossible to please either. All of my other hunts have been more then I could have asked for. Very happy. Guess I'm asking what a newbie should do for his first trip to Africa. Buy auction hunt or wait for a bargain last minute deal. Thanks

 

[BRICKBURN]

Last minute and end of season offers/ deals from quality African Outfitters are incredible opportunities. Hands down.

Dissimilar to North American Hunts you can take a lot more species so the Outfitter has an opportunity to offer you more and thus also make a living beyond the advertising and donation.

There are also so many permutation and combinations in the auction hunts that you had better be paying attention to what is on offer. (as with anything)

ON any Auction hunt, if you would not already hunt with them based on your own research what the heck are you doing going with them anyway!

The third option is look at some quality Outfitters and just decide to hunt with them.

 

[Royal27]

Welcome

First, I've never done an auction hunt, but I don't know that I'd do one just to save money. Save money and a good cause, ok.

To me though, you have to do your homework on the outfitter and auctions make that harder. I want to find the outfitter first and make sure I'm going to enjoy the hunt. And right now between exchange rate and the overall economy deals can be had.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Oh sure, be polite and Welcome him first. Sheesh. Make me look bad.

 

[Royal27]

Oh sure, be polite and Welcome him first. Sheesh. Make me look bad.

I'm just on a roll tonight.

I still didn't beat you to the thread though!

 

[Red Leg]

I would suggest booking a hunt with a reputable outfitter for your first safari. There are some great auction deals and there are some I wouldn't do were they gifted to me. With a bit of experience under your belt, you will be able to easily cull through the "too good to be true list" and pick out the real gems.

 

[LivingTheDream]

So here is my deal on last minutes hunts, I have bought some in North America (one was bad but that was an impulse and I did not research). The last minute bargains I was offered by outfitters I had researched and was confident in, everything went amazing. Granted I had built a relationship with them and knew them and they offered me the hunt. Especially with the guys on AH, I would jump on a lot of last minute opportunities, you will see deals for Big 5 that will make you head spin. There was one just for elephant, TMS has one for Leopard right now that most of the guys are drooling over. The point being these are guys that are well vetted, you can read reports them on right here and I would have no problems buying a hunt with one of them in a heart beat.

With auctions, if you know the outfitter and trust them, it can be a great way to save some money. The outfitters that I know that would put items on auction, want you to have a good hunt and become a client for life! It isn't about a one time hunt and any outfitter that approaches probably won't be in business for long. There is a sponsor on this website that had a sable and 7 days for auction at a local show and I had to sit on my hands because it went way below what they were being advertised for. No way I could explain that one to the fiancée and still have gotten married.

 

[siml]

Welcome.

I agree with Brickburn, do research first. You will find some really good deals, but some of the donated auction hunts can be dicey, due to fact outfitters are forced to give donated hunts.

 

[K-man]

Been on several auction/last minute hunts. All except one were perfect, better than I expected. The one sour one was purchased for me. My only rule is I must meet and research the donor before bidding. If you only save 2 to 3 k on lastminute or donation hunt it may not be worth the restrictions, just do your research FIRST. Oh yeah, welcome to the site!

 

[enysse]

It's worth the research, I have bought 2 African hunts. One didn't go quite as planned, #2 will be this summer. I have my fingers crossed. The savings was too good to pass up and worth the risk in my opinion. The last safari I was on, I found on AH and the price was way too good to pass up.

 

[Scott Slough]

There is only one first Safari ... spend the time to do your research and make it right for YOU! We all have a different definitions of what we desire and you are rolling the dice on an auction hunt ... especially when the auction is at a local event. Our local SCI chapter has a long-term outfitter who donates as part of our annual fundraiser and we appreciate the money that his hunts generate. I looked at one of his hunts and chose not to bid because he hunted a number of small concessions that would require a great deal of driving between hunts. That was one of my main issues. I could have save at least $3K ... but it wasn't the right hunt for me.

The deals on AH right now are as good as many auction hunts ... and I think you can take the time to pick the one that really works for you.

... and welcome!

 

[rinehart0050]

Welcome!

As many have said... auction hunts make me nervous without proper research. Waiting for a reputable outfitter to offer a last minute hunt here on AH seems like a great option- and it seems like many of the outfitters here are very willing to work with potential clients on dates... which makes a last minute deal not so last minute, but still a great deal.

 

[twilly24]

Thank you. All great info. Honestly thought I would get a whole lot of "we have covered this topic a million times and no real answers"

 

[CAustin]

Welcome to AH Travis!
Answers is what AH is known for! All advice above is good.
I think what your asking goes directly to who will outfit the hunt? That being said as others have suggested the research you do ahead of time is very important.

Lot of great outfitters on here that can make your first African Safari a great hunt

 

[cpr0312]

Welcome aboard. Agree, many late season hunts offered in Africa, including many deals on this site are great offers to take advantage of. Lots of knowledge to draw from on this site

 

[thi9elsp]

Travis,

Here's my personal experience:

1) 2009 Bought a late season discounted white tail hunt through reputable outfitter and solid reputation guide. Turned sour. Guide himself had taken a B&C buck a few weeks before I hunted - really? Then his assistant didn't handle our ranch house and hunting well. Not sure it would have mattered late season discount or not with this guy. Home work didn't help me any in this situation.

2) 2011 bought a DSC auction hunt and saved 50%. 1st Africa safari, buffalo, plains game and fishing on the Zambezi. Hunt of a lifetime, Ann had a wonderful time. FYI - on this hunt, the staff weren't aware I was the auction hunter until I mentioned it on day 4 or 5. ie. They were treating us as any other hunter, worked hard to make it the best experience they could.

3) I was online for the DSC auctions this year. Caught a very late auction, and won it at about 65% discount for my daily rates. We're going to Mozambique in September. That's enough of a savings to cover Ann's daily rates, VAT, and trophy fees for Buffalo and Sable. I just couldn't pass it up. I'll post a hunt report once it's done.

So, you can save substantially but need to vet the firm as others have said. I'll also say, that if I had not bought this auction hunt, there have been several great deals offered here by TMS, Martin Pieters, Wayne Van de Bergh (Nyamanza Safaris), Bullet Safaris, etc. If I had won the lottery I would be buying and going on one of those this year as well.

One last item. 10% wouldn't move the needle for me. I would rather spend that money knowing I had my schedule, my animals, and was fully invested with the outfitter. I had an opportunity to save about that much on a New Zealand hunt last year, but stayed with the outfitter I already had chosen and am glad I did.

John

 

[Therack]

I began watching and researching auction hunts 2 years ago and bought a hunt this past year that I will go on in September. One thing the outfitters do is pump up the values of their auction donations by adding observer fees. In some cases it is valued at $2000. For me I don't take an observer so I don't consider that value when I'm looking for a deal. Animals you don't want to shoot are sometimes in the package also. If you find a hunt for a $3000 discount and it has an observer and an animal I don't care to shoot am I really getting a deal? Nope

 

[Lrntolive]

Hi, new to the site. Amazing stuff on here. Thanks to all that have spend the time to write about there safaris good and bad. So I have been on a few big game hunts in North America. I have bought a couple of last minute deal hunts. One being a whitetail hunt and one hunt a wolf hunt. Both trips were unsuccessful. But when I got home the trips really never sat well with me. I dont believe you have to shoot an animal to be the only way a hunt is successful either. I just felt cheated like I never got the same hunt as I would have gotten had a paid full price. Maybe I'm wrong but have never felt good about those hunts. So I'm asking you guys out there. For a first timer. Is the last minute deal or a auction hunt worth it going to Africa. My guess is my Plains game safari would cost in total around 22-24k. Start to finish. Is 2 or 3 thousand on a 24,000 hunt worth not getting the most out of your outfitter. Or is this even a problem in Africa? I'm not one of those guys that's inpossible to please either. All of my other hunts have been more then I could have asked for. Very happy. Guess I'm asking what a newbie should do for his first trip to Africa. Buy auction hunt or wait for a bargain last minute deal. Thanks

Welcome Travis!
I cannot speak from personal experience as my first Namibia hunt is booked for June 2017. That being said, I was contemplating auction hunts from the start, but I decided against them for my first Africa hunt. Not because I didn't think they'd be unsuccessful or unsatisfactory, but because I wanted to be sure of who I was hunting with. I watched and researched multiple auctions this year from SCI to DSC and other local chapters here in the US. There were some great deals, but there wasn't enough time to thoroughly research each outfitter/PH.

Also, based on everything I've read on AH, you may not always get the perfect opportunity on the exact animals you're after, but you will get opportunities at various animals in Africa. I think the difference between a single animal hunt in North America is that your license is only for one animal, and it will be more difficult to get that perfect opportunity. If you have multiple targets, like in Africa, then you will definitely come away with something.

Now, my taxidermist did win an auction hunt in SA two years ago. His hunt was successful with his primary target, Kudu, taken plus four other animals. All were part of his package. He did say the auction hunt was for rifle, but he wanted to hunt with a bow. The PH was not too happy about that. I personally think they want you to take extra animals so they actually make something for their donation, but I could be wrong.

 

[Lrntolive]

Thank you. All great info. Honestly thought I would get a whole lot of "we have covered this topic a million times and no real answers"

Travis, you won't get much of that here. We're a bunch of windbags and love to repeat ourselves multiple times just to read our own comments.

Oops! Did I just post that?!

 

[rinehart0050]

Welcome Travis!
I cannot speak from personal experience as my first Namibia hunt is booked for June 2017. That being said, I was contemplating auction hunts from the start, but I decided against them for my first Africa hunt. Not because I didn't think they'd be unsuccessful or unsatisfactory, but because I wanted to be sure of who I was hunting with. I watched and researched multiple auctions this year from SCI to DSC and other local chapters here in the US. There were some great deals, but there wasn't enough time to thoroughly research each outfitter/PH.

Also, based on everything I've read on AH, you may not always get the perfect opportunity on the exact animals you're after, but you will get opportunities at various animals in Africa. I think the difference between a single animal hunt in North America is that your license is only for one animal, and it will be more difficult to get that perfect opportunity. If you have multiple targets, like in Africa, then you will definitely come away with something.

Now, my taxidermist did win an auction hunt in SA two years ago. His hunt was successful with his primary target, Kudu, taken plus four other animals. All were part of his package. He did say the auction hunt was for rifle, but he wanted to hunt with a bow. The PH was not too happy about that. I personally think they want you to take extra animals so they actually make something for their donation, but I could be wrong.

I'm in the same boat as @Lrntolive... I booked my first PG safari (this summer) directly with the outfitter... just making sure I get exactly what I am looking for. I'm sure that for future hunts I'll be waiting for those great bargains on more expensive game (read DG).