Many cheap hunts vs only one very expensive premium hunt in a lifetime

[coreydb]

I can only offer my own (BH) opinion here, but being in my mid-seventies and looking back in time, consider personal finances first, then (anticipated) time on earth, then what your goals are. Patience is a virtue, but even starving vultures begin to change their minds........

 

[SCHUNTER73]

Variety is the spice of life and what is a big deal to someone may be nothing to the next guy. I think of hunting trips similar to dining out. Would I rather save all my money and go out to the finest restaurant I can find, or eat at many less expensive restaurants that offer different types of cuisine? I choose the latter. Lots of memories made instead of just a few.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Variety is the spice of life and what is a big deal to someone may be nothing to the next guy. I think of hunting trips similar to dining out. Would I rather save all my money and go out to the finest restaurant I can find, or eat at many less expensive restaurants that offer different types of cuisine? I choose the latter. Lots of memories made instead of just a few.

I like the buffets. 1 restaurant [country], multiple varieties of food [locations, outfitters and species] at an affordable price [more bang for the buck/bull/ram, culls with the savings on airfare and seat class].

Since most hunts are scheduled 1 to 3 years in advance. There's time to look into Deals and Offers, Specials, Cancelation hunts, to add-on to an already planned trip. If perchance even with the same outfitter there could be more savings with a last minute outfitter advertised hunt package as an add-on package. That would beat sitting around the lodge counting ammo after successfully getting all of the original package animals in a lot less days than expected.

 

[Longwalker]

The longer I live and have experiences, the more I have come to realize there is seldom a clear choice of "this or that" and so I'd say neither. Just choose a hunting trip that fits your dreams and your budget, and when that is done, you'll likely be planning the next. Dreams and budgets change with circumstances ...

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

During the discussion on another thread about game farming and Put and Take, it was pointed out that some hunter books repeated cheaper hunts in heavy managed areas or game farms, but complain that hunts in open wild areas of Africa are too expensive.

Should one prefer to hunt more often in Africa under not so dreamy conditions, or should one make for the same money only one expensive safari in a wild area of Africa once in lifetime?

my personal preference would be not to repeat similar hunts, the experience is never quite like the first one
so i think 1 of each type of hunt would be best, and just enjoy the moment!!!
do a cheap cull hunt
do a decent trophy hunt
do a expensive top of the range ele hunt
etc
get all the experiences you can in life, thats all you take with you in the end

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

I have read all this with interest.
If a person really wants to go on a hunt or safari, they can figure out how to do it.
My first trip was 2018, 6th trip was 2024. Several were 14-21 days. 61 animals in 6 trips. Most know what I do, work in gunshop. Not rich by any means for sure. But extra work and commitment you can make dreams come true. I took 2025 off for family issues and save for even bigger trip for 2026. Now planning on 2027 or 2028 also in back of mind how to accomplish it.
Also asking questions to outfitters and getting price quotes to find the right hunt to fit your budget with the goals you want for that hunt. My next trips will be only DG hunts so more planning is needed.
Any hunt can be accomplished with planning and commitment without sacrificing daily living expenses.
You only live once! Do what you can while you can. I learned this after some medical issues and scares. There may not be a tomorrow.

 

[Nevada Mike]

When I decided to go hunt Africa I wanted to experience a traditional safari on wilderness land, hunt from a tent camp and hunt long enough that I would not be in a hurry to check off trophies from a list. I chose a top outfitter in Tanzania and booked a 21 day, full bag hunt.

It was amazing. For the first day or two I was dazzled- sort of hunting culture shock. So many animals! So many species! So different to the hunting I was accustomed to!

It was a fairly expensive hunt. It was worth it.

I planning a trip to hunt the Selous, Niassa, or Masai Mara to see and experience hunting new species and put what I have learned to use.

 

[Safari Dave]

I would rather take several hunts, as opposed to a "once in a life time" hunt, because I don't know of anyplace you can go in Africa to be able to take every game animal in which one might be interested.

Plus, I think most first time hunters would be so overwhelmed with only one 21-days safari, that they would want to shoot the first thing that came along, and completely miss the total "African Experience."

(Almost anyone can pull a trigger)


To me, researching, planning, choosing hunts and rifles, talking with PH's, working up cartridges and loadings, and reading at least a dozen books, is (almost) as much a part of the hunt, as is the actual hunt.

To me, I would have a "hollow" feeling just showing up with an outfitter at the Selous Game Reserve with a .30/06 and a .458 WM and expecting to experience the "African Adventure of a Lifetime."

Especially, if I had to hunt with rented rifles - the safari would mean even less.


So much of the total experience of African safari hunting would be lost, unless I was the only person (or an equal person in my party) doing all of the research, planning, communication, etc.

I would have little interest in being the "bystander" while someone else made all of the arrangements.

Of course, I would go, if someone else were picking up a significant portion of the tab, because, at least, I know enough to start doing my own research and talking with fellow hunters (on this forum) who could provide guidance.

 

[JamesDaniel]

I've only been to Africa once and I'm just happy this type of choice still exists.

 

[JimP]

Without reading through 5 pages of replies here is my idea.

Certain animals are going to be more expensive. Either in preparation by the PH, the rarity of the animal, or the level of danger. All will increase the price of the hunt. None of which would decrease the actual value of the hunt for the hunter.

Then you have package deals where you can go on three or four of them for the price of a single DG hunt. It is all going to depend on you the hunter on just what you want to do.

I went to British Colombia for a grizzly and black bear hunt. This hunt cost me about twice what the going rate was for a package deal for plains game were going for at the time in South Africa. Now if I had wanted to just go kill animals then the plains game hunts would of been the better deal, but I wanted a grizzly. That along with the fact that if you want to hunt grizzly's then you have to go to where they are at and pay the price to hunt them. It's no different than going to Africa and wanting to hunt DG. For what a elephant hunt cost you can shoot dozens of plains game animals but all of those plains game animals don't add up to the experience of hunting a elephant.

 

[Troubleshooter]

At my age and income i decided more is better. Taking Africa out of the equation I've been gong somewhere at least once a year. Generally 5k and under with airfare. Double that every couple years.

Trying to see as much of the world as I can while I can still travel easily and still working.

Exactly. About ten years ago, I started planning one good hunting trip every two years. The pandemic interfered with that, but over time the goal has become to go somewhere (on whatever continent) once a year.

I've said it here before, but you need "time, health, and money" to make it happen. Lack any of those three, and your hunt will be severely curtailed or just plain not happen. The same principle applies to other endeavors and activities as well.

Looking at double rifles for sale, I lost track of the number of times I heard "...bought it for a once-in-a-lifetime safari, but never used due to..." (insert work, health, expense, etc. here). Make pragmatic plans for the future sure; but don't forget that tomorrow is promised to no one.

 

[steve white]

Exactly. About ten years ago, I started planning one good hunting trip every two years. The pandemic interfered with that, but over time the goal has become to go somewhere (on whatever continent) once a year.

I've said it here before, but you need "time, health, and money" to make it happen. Lack any of those three, and your hunt will be severely curtailed or just plain not happen. The same principle applies to other endeavors and activities as well.

Looking at double rifles for sale, I lost track of the number of times I heard "...bought it for a once-in-a-lifetime safari, but never used due to..." (insert work, health, expense, etc. here). Make pragmatic plans for the future sure; but don't forget that tomorrow is promised to no one.

I'm with the gentleman you quoted, but with one helpful caveat: I fly free just about everywhere since I have an airlines credit card. It may not help as much with Africa/carrying guns, because it is with American Airlines, but it is nice just the same, and all I really do is pay bills with it. (just don't let a balance accrue)

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Usually I'm not much of an advocate of spray and pray, either in the field or in combat, but in this case I prefer it. The chance that a "first class" expedition can be a missed shot and go south (crappy PH, lousy weather, govt uprising, etc.) is just as great for one trip as a dozen. I'm from a humble background. It's not necessary for me to shoot a pile of animals, or any animals, to have a good time. It's rare but I have eaten tag soup and still had a fullfilling experience. I can stay in humble (very humble!) accommodations and still enjoy myself (I do every fall hunting birds solo in Montana with my dogs). In 2019 I tried the African lodge experience not really expecting I would enjoy commercial communal hunting. Sure wasn't going to spend a pile of money on an emotional/cultural crapshoot. It worked out great. Nine days is plenty. I think I would get tired of the scene by day 21 ... and my host would probably turn me into jackal bait long before that. Personally, I have no desire to climb the ladder into luxurious dangerous game hunting beyond Cape buffalo. And I guess two is plenty of them. Hope to keep going back but rather not have an agenda. Just hunt whatever I can whenever I can however I can.

 

[LWPhunt]

So many well written points of view. No right answer, the key phrase though, "make something happen, don't put it off".
One's man treasures is another mans ?
Variety can be and has been the "spice of life".

For me, finding another experience where you have a great bond or connection with who your hunting, that is unique and not as easy to find. By no means on the handful of Africa trips I have made has any of them been bad, quite the contrary but I am still looking for another "magical" feeling that leaves you hungry to go back.

 

[Muskox]

Kind of saturated now, but here is my answer.

Hunt more!

You can have a bad hunt at any price point.

You can have weather ruin your hunt.

Or a world wide epidemic.

Or a divorce.

Or a family death.

Go as often as you can go. Any other answer will leave you wishing you would have just went.


I was in camp on a shit hunt earlier this year here in Europe. Most of the guys on that he hunt had never been on a guided hunt before. The hunt was a shit show.

Was cheap.

But, 6 hunters in camp and no roe deer shot.

So I won't hunt that area again, and I am done with that agent.

For 2025 I have 8 hunts booked. The odds are good that a few of those will be good. Some are cheaper hunts, some are mid-priced hunts and two were full price expensive hunts.

 

[Muskox]

A friend of mine was a covid nurse. He reaped the benefits of that and probably made $250,000 a year from 2020-2023. He shot a leopard in Zimbabwe, caribou, moose, mountain goats, a guided elk hunt in a top area. A lot of money. Got full taxidermy on everything.

Covid money has dried up, he doesn't have a job anymore and maybe a few ranch hunts in Namibia would have been a better choice.

He waited a long time to get into the financial world where a Zimbabwe leopard was something he could do. It was also a buffalo hunt, and crocodile. He wounded and lost a croc and a buffalo on that hunt.

He also got super sick on the hunt from some kind of water quality issue.

He is licking his financial wounds these days.

The big once in a lifetime hunts are fraught with the same problems as going every year on something cheaper. But with the every year hunt you can recover, if you are not at the top of the financial market.

 

[StumpHunter]

This thread was a good read for a new guy who is dreaming of an African Safari.

Sort of a 30,000 foot view.

 

[Muskox]

This thread was a good read for a new guy who is dreaming of an African Safari.

Sort of a 30,000 foot view.

The key is to do as much as you can do as often as you can do it. That way the shit show hunts don't impact you as much.

A f'd up $30,000 hunt is a rough pill to swallow.

 

[mark-hunter]

I was in camp on a shit hunt earlier this year here in Europe. Most of the guys on that he hunt had never been on a guided hunt before. The hunt was a shit show.

Was cheap.

But, 6 hunters in camp and no roe deer shot.

Where was this?

 

[Northern Shooter]

I think the problem with the “one and done” hunt mentality that that it will most likely be so rewarding that there is no way you wouldn’t want to repeat it again.