Most Expensive Hunts Worldwide

[Velo Dog]

Hi VeloDog,
I fully agree with what you are saying, although what surprised me with these governor tags was how the government in rich and developed countries would allow a select few rich to hunt when nobody else can this is unacceptable imo. Almost reminds me of how only the nobility could hunt in feudal Europe... Now if that person chooses to hire expensive guides and go throughout the world and rub it in people's face well they're compensating for something but I really don't care that's their problem. Another thing with these people is that they often want to just be shooters and shoot the trophy animal that they want and the whole experience of the hunt orhunting is often secondary.

On the flip side there are some true master hunters, many of whom hunt just to put food on the table, they see and occasionally harvest some real monsters and they're entirely uninterested in trophies they often even toss the trophy part i.e. the skull or antlers. These guys are the true masters of the trade spending most of their lives in and growing up in the bush. They also know the animals they hunt like the back of the hand.

Truer words never spoken, and you can rest assured that all Governments/each and every individual politician inclusive, are corrupt.

 

[Diamondhitch]

...what surprised me with these governor tags was how the government in rich and developed countries would allow a select few rich to hunt when nobody else can this is unacceptable imo...

At first in Alberta there were no tags available for residents during this time unless they could win the governors tag bid. This changed as a result of public outcry, the size of trophies taken on the governors tag immediately dropped as did the average price that people are willing to pay for it, this money goes directly into conservation. Definitely a win-lose situation since the whole point of the governors tag was to raise funds for conservation which it no longer has as much power to do.

If you want the real scoop on how hard done by residents in Alberta are try "coping" with a general over the counter sheep tag that can be purchased every year and "only" entitles us to hunt sheep for 9 weeks per year. Our $50 tag fee goes directly into general revenue, none goes back to conservation. I think we had plenty of room for a governors tag without "violating" residents rights.

I will say though that non-residents can hunt many species far more frequently than residents due to the draw system. To make this fair residents should be allowed to buy hunts from outfitters the same as non-residents using the same outfitter allocations they would have sold to non-residents. Few residents would do this but at least if the option was available we would have an equal opportunity to hunt our own province.

 

[Bert the Turtle]

I'll be the odd man out here and say I have no problem with a governors tag going to the highest bidder. 250000$ for a single animal hunt is a pretty good deal for the wildlife.

If it were the case that all tags were auctioned I could see the problem. But a single tag out of how many issued fairly by lottery? I see only benefit. If the money raised by that one tag were spread out over the lottery tags how much would they have to charge? If anything the rich guy is helping to ensure that the average guy has a chance at all.

 

[vette447]

The hunt you go on that is "the last straw" and causes your wife to divorce you. That would be an expensive hunt!

This!

 

[Velo Dog]

Hi VeloDog,
I fully agree with what you are saying, although what surprised me with these governor tags was how the government in rich and developed countries would allow a select few rich to hunt when nobody else can this is unacceptable imo. Almost reminds me of how only the nobility could hunt in feudal Europe... Now if that person chooses to hire expensive guides and go throughout the world and rub it in people's face well they're compensating for something but I really don't care that's their problem. Another thing with these people is that they often want to just be shooters and shoot the trophy animal that they want and the whole experience of the hunt orhunting is often secondary.

On the flip side there are some true master hunters, many of whom hunt just to put food on the table, they see and occasionally harvest some real monsters and they're entirely uninterested in trophies they often even toss the trophy part i.e. the skull or antlers. These guys are the true masters of the trade spending most of their lives in and growing up in the bush. They also know the animals they hunt like the back of the hand.

Your last paragraph accurately describes many Alaskans (not all but, many).

 

[270Buck]

The suleiman markhor and Kashmir markhor have got to be high up the list. Rumour has it over $100,000 each for trophy fees alone. Plus costs/back handers!

There are some great videos on YouTube. Generally there are over 20 ak47 toting guides clambering over the whole mountain range looking for big males. My fear would be being mistaken for Taliban or IS and being taken out!! Or possibly worse, being taken hostage whilst out hunting. If they know you can afford $100k to hunt a smelly goat then you would be worth good ransom to the captors!!

 

[Tom Hawk]

can you post some links? They would be great!

 

[Tom Hawk]

$100k is a lot, and some of it goes back to government, and they don't want to have Americans going elsewhere. AK toting guides, any questions?

 

[Tom Hawk]

In case you are looking for ultra lux hunting, a corporation that Saudi sheikhs is Otterlo Business Corporation. A name that comes up is Jeff Rann, a Botswana PH who has hunted with the king of Spainin Botswana. Jeff owns the 777 ranch in Hondo,TX. I wonder or El King of Spain will post a report here,

 

[gizmo]

In case you are looking for ultra lux hunting, a corporation that Saudi sheikhs is Otterlo Business Corporation. A name that comes up is Jeff Rann, a Botswana PH who has hunted with the king of Spainin Botswana. Jeff owns the 777 ranch in Hondo,TX. I wonder or El King of Spain will post a report here,

On a side note Jeff Rann was also Peter Capstick’s ph on several occasions including when he wrote Capstick’s return to Africa. I have a video of Peter and Jeff hunting buffalo in Capstick’s Big 5 series.

 

[Hank2211]

No one has mentioned Mountain Nyala. Trophy fee has been in the US$15,000 range, but you have to take it with a 15 or 21 day hunt at >$2,000/d.

Bongo is a bargain compared to this. Hunts are about $35,000-40,000, but the trophy fees are around 3,000 Euros.

The Mountain Nyala trophy fee has to be paid in advance, with no refund if you don’t get it. If you don’t get the bongo, you don’t pay the fee.

Lord Derby is comparable to the bongo.

So everything depends on whether you include the hunt costs or just the trophy fee.

 

[enysse]

Hank, that is very hard to swallow. A hunt were everything is paid up front! I would be a nervous wreck on a hunt like that, thinking I better not screw this shot up!
The Bongo hunt is a very good bargain compared to the mountain nyala!

 

[Hogpatrol]

The hunt you go on that is "the last straw" and causes your wife to divorce you. That would be an expensive hunt!

That's the disease known as HIDS*. I've had a few buddies that succumbed to it.

*Hunting Induced Divorce Syndrome

Edit: Highest price trophy: The Jackalope. Then again, more time and effort has been given to hunting "snipe".

 

[Red Leg]

In case you are looking for ultra lux hunting, a corporation that Saudi sheikhs is Otterlo Business Corporation. A name that comes up is Jeff Rann, a Botswana PH who has hunted with the king of Spainin Botswana. Jeff owns the 777 ranch in Hondo,TX. I wonder or El King of Spain will post a report here,

Jeff has been both active and generous with our Central Texas Wildlife Legacy organization (think of it as a splinter off DSC and SCI) of which I am a member - along with a lot of other good central Texas hunters. Unlike all too many PHs, Jeff has proven himself both a successful guide and a very successful businessman. As you note, he had the good sense to feel which way the wind was blowing in Botswana, and made the Texas investment. I am not a high fence Texas hunter, but the 777 does it about as well as anyone. I do not begrudge him any success he achieves.

 

[Tom Hawk]

Good news Botswana is open to elephants, but no kitties. Tell Hank that his report on mountain bongo was excellent! Sad that he didn't get his leopard.

 

[Tom Hawk]

On a side note Jeff Rann was also Peter Capstick’s ph on several occasions including when he wrote Capstick’s return to Africa. I have a video of Peter and Jeff hunting buffalo in Capstick’s Big 5 series.

No wonder he's so expensive! C.J. McElroy Award!
http://www.777ranch.com/

 

[Tom Hawk]

No one has mentioned Mountain Nyala. Trophy fee has been in the US$15,000 range, but you have to take it with a 15 or 21 day hunt at >$2,000/d.

Bongo is a bargain compared to this. Hunts are about $35,000-40,000, but the trophy fees are around 3,000 Euros.

The Mountain Nyala trophy fee has to be paid in advance, with no refund if you don’t get it. If you don’t get the bongo, you don’t pay the fee.

Lord Derby is comparable to the bongo.

So everything depends on whether you include the hunt costs or just the trophy fee.

So all the costs? Then yes, I have found a way for you waste money: A Roosevelt expedition replication! Or go to a super lux camp in the best concessions like OBC. That or a high scoring red stag in Monaco. Btw I found another. Telal resort in UAE. So while the wife is shopping in Dubai, Head over here: http://telalhunting.com/en/home/

 

[Hank2211]

Hank, that is very hard to swallow. A hunt were everything is paid up front! I would be a nervous wreck on a hunt like that, thinking I better not screw this shot up!
The Bongo hunt is a very good bargain compared to the mountain nyala!

Right. And I did screw the shot up! But when the hunting Gods are with you . . .

 

[mrpoindexter]

Some people think governor or minister tags are "truly" beneficial to conservation, because the avg. joe can't afford to put up that kind of money....which is true. But to me it's just pure BS. What it truly is in truth, is a system for the rich to buy public land wildlife.
I think there are better ways of running government, without the rich buy public land resources.

If you feel that way, then think of how many people in Africa feel that way about us. And then think of how many anti-hunters feel like we are all just those same people you don't like here when we go to Africa to hunt.

Maximizing the revenue from the animals is what can bring the most revenue and value from them. I am not going to complain about the hunts being auctioned when there are still free or super cheap tags via lottery. Sadly, I am unlikely to win that draw lotto, but putting one more tag in the bucket is unlikely to change that.

What would free range markor or takin cost?

I priced a Markhor hunt. There are three different species of Markhor that can be hunted in Pakistan and they are over $100,000 EACH and that is just the tag. They have only a few each year, like 4 I believe. Back in the day, some outfitters got in a pissing match and bidding war to get them. Little did they know at the time there was a clause in the Pakistani constitution that stated when a public asset is sold at auction, it can never again be sold for a lower price. They are now locked at that level or higher for perpetuity unless they amend that law.

Hank, that is very hard to swallow. A hunt were everything is paid up front! I would be a nervous wreck on a hunt like that, thinking I better not screw this shot up!
The Bongo hunt is a very good bargain compared to the mountain nyala!

That is the way all of Ethiopia's tags are. At least with the Mountain Nyala, you are looking primarily for that animal. Imagine the tags you would be buying for animals of opportunity, especially the ones that are not so common. You might pre-pay the $15,000 Mountain Nyala tag because that is what you are specifically going for, but are you going to pay $6000 for a tag for the Menelik's Bushbuck just in case you see one while you are out there?

 

[enysse]

If you feel that way, then think of how many people in Africa feel that way about us. And then think of how many anti-hunters feel like we are all just those same people you don't like here when we go to Africa to hunt.

Maximizing the revenue from the animals is what can bring the most revenue and value from them. I am not going to complain about the hunts being auctioned when there are still free or super cheap tags via lottery. Sadly, I am unlikely to win that draw lotto, but putting one more tag in the bucket is unlikely to change that.

No, I have not softened my stance on the subject. If anything I'm sick of the "entitled" people of buying tags at auction and using public resources like it's their private land every year!!! I have follow the subject for a while and the same people continue to contribute greatly to conservation every year because they are spending a very tiny amount of their large fortune. If it was on private land, I'm all for people buying a hunting opportunity but public land is unfair.

And you are not comparing apple to apples when you talk about a USA citizen hunting in Africa. A lot of times the hunting there is offered at the same price or cheaper to the citizens. So that's a head scratcher for me. I do feel bad about the economic opportunities not being there for the citizens but unfortunately there is very little I can do about it. There is very little that I can do for the badly run governments over there too!

I am tired of every state in the USA trying to fleece non-residence citizens of hard earned work money to apply for a tag to hunt in their state but that is subject that is long winded and to be honest something I don't want to waste my breathe on anymore.