Kudu Pricing?

[Corylax18]

Not all SA operations are "solely" put & take... perhaps the original breeding stock was trans-located, but in many larger concessions, the game was born and raised right on the property. Truly wild free roaming game is more likely to be found outside of SA however, and ironically those prices are likely to be lower.

Makes sense, if you aren't paying for stock, feed, etc. The outfitters cost basis should be lower.

That is correct though. All game at the ranches are treated as livestock, that is not something new. Not much different than elk and deer high fence ranches here in the States.

As @hoytcanon said, I think there are degrees of it. The president of PHASA mentioned he leases 2,000 acres and hunts it all year, every year, dozens of clients a year. Even rabbits would have a hard time keeping up with that kind of hunting pressure. That kind of operation is pure put and take. In my opinion, its hard to call that a game ranch. Shooting Gallery seems like a more accurate description.

I know there are other outfitters with leases/ownership of much larger properties, that are not hunted as aggressively. 15,000, 20,000 acres. Still not "free range" as a we're used to in other countries, but if managed properly, a lot closer than the example above.

I'm aware of high fence deer and "exotic game" ranches down in Texas, but I wasn't aware Elk could be farmed in the same way. I know there are some amazing Private Elk Ranches here in Colorado, but they are amazing because of where they are and the fact that wild Elk can come and go freely. Living in, Colorado, I have never even thought about paying someone to Hunt Elk on a game Ranch. Is that really a thing?

 

[Tanks]

I have never even thought about paying someone to Hunt Elk on a game Ranch. Is that really a thing?

Yes, it is.

Guided Trophy Elk Hunts | High Adventure Elk Hunting Ranch

High Adventure Ranch offers a variety of guaranteed trophy elk hunts all backed by a No Game, No Pay Policy

www.highadventureranch.com

 

[Corylax18]

Yes, it is.

Guided Trophy Elk Hunts | High Adventure Elk Hunting Ranch

High Adventure Ranch offers a variety of guaranteed trophy elk hunts all backed by a No Game, No Pay Policy

www.highadventureranch.com

I had no idea. You learn something new every day.

Those prices are even crazier than what we've discussed in this thread. And only 2 hunting days/nights included. Thats Killing, not hunting. Some times it takes two days just to find the herds in places I hunt regularly.

 

[Hunt anything]

Last year I visited a game breeder just to see what it was all about. I’ve raised cattle for a little while and just wanted to check it out.
He was really straight forward and was honest about the put and take operations that bought his animals offspring.
One thing he did say was if I wanted a big kudu in South Africa shoot it soon. I’m totally satisfied with my old eastern cape bull so I haven’t shot another. Prices were going to skyrocket. It seems during Covid a lot of farm owners were needing income so they allowed locals to come out and shoot way too many immature bulls that in a few years would have been fabulous trophies. So that created a huge supply problem, the supply should catch up with the demand for good kudu bulls soon but prices rarely if ever come down.

 

[3chunter]

2022 east cape:$1800
2024 Namibia greater:$1550

 

[Sailfish9453]

Southen Greater Kudu are more money than Cape Kudu. Can't compare those prices.

Well that may be but I am very happy with my Eastern Cape Kudu which scored Gold on SCI.

 

[fourfive8]

Looking at some of these prices for kudu is giving me a nose bleed! Rapidly escalating demand obviously is driving these ridiculous prices. Almost Ike the bucket list tourism business. Also reminds me of some of the demand driven pricing for species like sable in the past. If I were just starting out and wanting a kudu, numbers in the $5000 plus range would tend to drive away from the long-standing kudu “hot spots” like Limpopo RSA. I’d start digging into lesser known areas or areas outside RSA for kudu. Or even shift emphasis toward looking for a good oryx bull or eland bull plus other quality PG in Botswana or Namibia. Where taking good a kudu is also realistic and could be considered a bonus while looking for oryx or eland.

 

[migrabill]

Well that may be but I am very happy with my Eastern Cape Kudu which scored Gold on SCI.

Fina animals. I didn't mean to besmirch your take. I was just saying that the OP inquired about Southern Kudu prices and you responded with Cape Kudu pricing. Apples and oranges.

 

[Philip Glass]

Smaller yes, relatively, from what I understand. My first was 50". Zero complaints from me.

View attachment 751934

Wow!

 

[Philip Glass]

Yeah, I'm seeing $7,500 to $8,500 hundred for 58"+ and "POR" for 60"+, which makes me concerned that the bull would be Put and Take. I have no interest in shooting a farm animal.

Those are put and take on small acreage. Stay away

 

[Philip Glass]

Yeah, I watched a Video linked in another thread where the president of PHASA was blowing hot air for about 30 minutes, pretty much stating that ALL PG in SA is bought at auctions and stocked. Because it HAS to be that way for Outfitters to make money. I'm sure it's not like that on every property with every outfitter but I would hate for an anti hunting lobby to catch wind of that video. His statements make the whole "conservation" argument pretty hard to win.

True for the small acreage folks not the large ranches that have self sustaining game like I enjoy hunting. I saw that and it was not a good look however honest.

 

[Philip Glass]

Fina animals. I didn't mean to besmirch your take. I was just saying that the OP inquired about Southern Kudu prices and you responded with Cape Kudu pricing. Apples and oranges.

Yes but like many newbies he does not know what he is asking for. Just needs all the options presented to him so he does wind up on small small put and take game farm in Limpopo. Great thing about AH is the different thoughts on a subject!

 

[wesheltonj]

I will second the stay some extra days and go somewhere else and shoot your Kudu. $5800 for a Kudu is highway robbery, IMO.

 

[HookMeUpII]

From what I've seen, prices have gone way up for them in the last few years. I almost don't even want to say what I paid for mine (same as my profile pictured) in 2023.

$2300 without any size restriction. Could have been barely a shooter, or a 55" monster, it was the same price. That is what I paid.

At the time, I remember the highest I had seen with any other outfit in RSA was $3,500.

Prices these days seem to be 2-3x what I paid.

 

[Tbitty]

I've taken several hunts that were won at auction. Some were a better value than others, but all were a good time. First my advice, then some more details.

Advice: contact the outfitter and see what kind of package deal they would put together for just you that is separate from the auction hunt, or as a package price of add on animals. Tell them your list of target animals, let them know if you believe the others will be adding more or not, and see what deal they can do. Then compare the separate deal to cost of auction hunt vs package. Get it as a written quote and, if accepted, signed by both you and the outfitter.

Im guessing I know the outfitter you're going with, it is probably one I went with for my first Africa hunt. At the time I didnt think I would go back for many many years, if ever, so I added several animals at their higher prices. Now that I have done more research and even returned to Africa once plus another trip in the works for 27 or 28, I won't say that I regret the additions but do wish I'd found this site before hand to have better info.

Given that, Kudu was the #1 target on my list as well, and even though I did know they were more expensive, it was worth it to me to go for one there. As others have mentioned, if Kudu is your priority (and size isn't critical), @GAME 4 AFRICA SAFARIS offers a great package for about the price of your auction hunt single Kudu add-on. Cape Kudu are a bit smaller, but no less majestic looking IMO, and I know the rest of their price list is very competitive. I hunted my cape Buffalo there last year, plus a Kudu and more, took a couple Africa first-timers, and had a wonderful time.

 

[HookMeUpII]

Also as others have said: When your boots are on the ground there, you can make deals.

I think a mistake some folks make is trying to pre-negotiate certain stuff. Almost always, the price doesn't budge. When you get there, it's often a different story.

 

[Tbitty]

Please stay away from DU auction hunts! The list of disaster stories is a mile long. You might consider a package hunt that would be far cheaper than what you are looking at now. For an example Frontier has a 10day/12 animal safari for $9500 that includes Kudu etc. Just FYI to compare as it's always been cheaper than the bait and switch auction hunts in the end.

I disagree with this, to an extent. If you're doing the auction hunt and have good information ahead of time, they can be a great value. If you start adding $5800 Kudu and other "high price" trophies, or lots of low price ones, then I would agree its a bad deal. If you hunt the package, and maybe add 1-2 animals that make sense if you're not planning to return, they are still a good hunt.

 

[HookMeUpII]

I disagree with this, to an extent. If you're doing the auction hunt and have good information ahead of time, they can be a great value. If you start adding $5800 Kudu and other "high price" trophies, or lots of low price ones, then I would agree its a bad deal. If you hunt the package, and maybe add 1-2 animals that make sense if you're not planning to return, they are still a good hunt.

Same here. We hunted a something similar to that. Had a great experience in country. I took all 3 of my package animals which was a warthog, blesbok, and impala. My impala looks like it might go SCI Gold as well. I added a kudu and wildebeest and the wildebeest was heavily discounted and an old bull. It was in RSA and high fence properties. I know people have some opinions on that but we will leave that aside.

I am seeing some stuff I don't really like lately, though. That gentleman that won the auction for a night hunt with no daytime PG and posted on here. The daytime pricing was absurd and they were basically pigeon-holing him into forking out big bucks for anything outside the night hunt.

That one is a buyer beware case.

 

[Finprof]

The pricing I posted was Southern Greater Kudu....$1800 and $2400. You can take Roan and Sable in many places for less than $5800.

 

[fourfive8]

Have taken 5 kudu over the years, with some hunts never providing opportunity for decent or old bull. IIRC, the highest trophy fee I ever paid was about $1800. I’ve never hunted kudu in a stocked reserve. Little doubt that numbers like $5000-$7000 or more for a kudu indicate stocked trophies that were grown exclusively for that purpose. Once in Limpopo RSA, I remember driving by a private reserve with a fleet of semi trailers parked just inside the entrance. Turns out a group of wealthy Arabs had just arrived for a “hunt”.

I would feel guilty and be called a liar for posting the trophy fee I paid and size of my best kudu that just happened to be in free range area.