South Africa: Hunting too expensive for citizens/residents

[Bushpig4Ever]

I'm a South African permanent resident since 35 years. Forester by profession, home country Germany.
Years back hunting was affordable. I hunted on open farms and for a kudu bull, venison plus trophy, I just paid R 350. Now all farms are surrounded by high fences and hunting became too expensive for citizens and permanent residents.

A lot of local hunters are selling their guns, they just can't afford hunting anymore. All my rifles I moved back to Germany, except one, a double barrel in 9,3x74R - and that rifle I gonna transfer to Germany too. No hunting in South Africa anymore I arrived in South Africa in 1983, then I was employed by the department of forestry. As a coordinator for wildlife-management I have had plenty of hunting oportunies. And often farmers called me when bushpigs were causing problems. I shot lots of bushpigs, because of that my nickname was bosvark (Afrikaans for bushpig) I hunted them mainly in mealies and oak forests, never used dogs nor artificial lights - the bright moonshine and my big excellent German telescope was all I needed. I'm dreaming, sorry...

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Sorry to hear that. The second bushbuck from the left.....monster!

 

[GuttormG]

Sorry to read this. Hunting should get available for the country's own residents, for many reasons. One of them is needed in order to keep hunting an activity people accepts as natural, necessary and a good thing.

Must admit that I have heard from other residents that hunting opportunities are plentiful and relatively affordable.

 

[wesheltonj]

RSA is not the only country with that problem. It's alive and well here in the USA, unless you are lucky enough to draw a tag for some public land and then you are competing with every other tag drawer too. Lucky to be a landowner, however even development is occurring near me and not sure how much longer it will be before hunting is impacted where I am at. Thankfully my place is 3 miles from the highway.

 

[mdwest]

+1... this is quickly becoming a problem in certain parts of the US as well..

As a kid all I needed to do was call up a local farmer and ask if he minded if I put up a stand near one of his bean fields and hunted whitetail, and I was set for the year.. as long as you were respectful and didnt damage property, etc farmers were happy to let you take out a couple of the local crop thieves.. Those opportunities just dont seem to exist much anymore..

Deer leases and guided hunts are now pretty big business.. and in certain states (TX especially) access to public land is extremely limited.. in other states getting out of state licenses and tags can be very expensive..

I feel very blessed to be a landowner (small parcel.. but big enough and rural enough to hunt on) in Colorado.. and am considering buying something similar here in TX next year as well.. Otherwise hunting would be a considerably bigger challenge at "home"..

 

[lwaters]

Yes hunting is expensive but I have seen hunts for cow elk that were reasonable. If you really like hunting can look at management hunts just for the meat. That the type of hunting that I did for years.

 

[mdwest]

Recordbuck Ranch is actually running a cow elk special right now for $1250 that includes lodging, meals, etc... not too bad for a meat hunt...

 

[lwaters]

May not have the big trophy on the wall but there meat in the freezer

 

[CAustin]

As with many countries it is all in who you know. It's the same for me in Kansas. I don't know anyone with huntable property that I can get on so I would have to get a guide to take me and that will be costly.
You obviously had connections at one time so that you could take the trophies in you photo. Hope you can re-establish some of those former connections with farmers. You may still pay but it would be less than the foreign Hunter.

 

[lwaters]

I have trouble here in Kansas also. Just bow hunt my timber and hope for the best. Farm here are smaller and people have family.

 

[IdaRam]

@Bushpig4Ever , as others have said, this issue is certainly not unique to South Africa. Many hunters here in the U.S. struggle with affordable hunting opportunities.
As our human populations continue to expand, challenges will grow as well.
However, on a number of properties that I have hunted in SA (Limpopo) local meat hunters have been welcome. No idea how cheap or expensive it may be?
There also seems to be an abundance of birds available for hunting and very few people interested in them...

 

[mark-hunter]

@Bushpig4Ever: Pardon my ignorance:
Are there any hunting clubs in South Africa that manage their own hunting areas, to consider membership?
Is there any public hunting land, or is it all private land, on commercial farms?

 

[Bushpig4Ever]

A ManMagnum magazine editor's opinion: "I understand how you feel about the situation in SA and the cost of hunting which is now beyond all but the very wealthy. The incredible rise in the cost of hunting has resulted in large numbers of local hunters selling their rifles, so the market is flooded and prices are low.” Well, if you are in the market for another rifle, now is the right time to do some shopping...

 

[enysse]

All good things unfortunately come to end....................I'm in the same boat here in the USA.

 

[mark-hunter]

It is interesting to compare local and international perspective.
Obviously, on local level it becomes expensive to hunt.
On international level, hunting in Africa in my view was never cheaper, now in the reach of blue collar class for USA and EU citizens who fly economy class. Average plains game hunt today with all expenses - costs less then hunting gold medal red stag in my country (EU)

I dont think it was like this, ever in history.
Only 100 years ago, it was only for colonialists elite, and wealthy royalty. At that very same time, hunting game was free and cheap for locals. Travel by boat or even by plane, bringing equipment was expensive.

Now, it becomes opposite as it seams.
Times change.

 

[Shootist43]

What about cull hunts. They are much cheaper? Where do the biltong hunters go for their game? Many hunters in the U.S. lease hunting rights from farmers that own the land. Is that something you might be able to pursue on a primarily cattle raising operation?

 

[Velo Dog]

I live in Alaska and now only hunt grouse, hare and ducks here, because the cost of hunting hooved / antlered game here has become too expensive for me.
Up here, the high price is primarily transportation to the wild places where there are still animals in huntable numbers, and the high price of getting game meat back to the city where I live.
First, you fly in a jet to one of the larger villages (Kodiak, King Salmon, Dillingham, etc.
Then you put your camping gear into a small propeller type "bush plane" and fly another 50 to 100 kilometers out into the bush, where you pitch your tent for a week minimum (if you expect to find your quarry, two weeks is better).
If successful, due to the weight of meat and / or a bear skin, you will have to pay for an extra "meat flight" just getting your prize to the village where it can be chilled, placed in leak proof containers loaded into the jet, for your return to Anchorage or Fairbanks.
All the while bush pilots and commercial airlines racking up your bills for all of this.
I'm finished with it and now just thankful that I was here 35 years ago when it was affordable to the blue collar working class hunter.

 

[BRICKBURN]

It comes down to that money thing for many farmers.
International prices or local prices.

There are some groups/associations that try and develop hunting access for members. However, it does not take long for the Outfitters to solicit the properties away with higher prices being paid.

There are still farmers in SA that have opportunities at reasonable local prices, but they have certainly become less. Now with Cull hunting being marketed to International hunters I expect the prices on those opportunities to be rising as well.

All in, the local hunters still make up the vast majority of hunters on farms in RSA. Now you have to hunt for a place to hunt.

Here in Canada pretty well every Outfitter charges in USD. When the exchange rate is even no issue. But...

 

[lwaters]

I live in Alaska and now only hunt grouse, hare and ducks here, because the cost of hunting hooved / antlered game here has become too expensive for me.
Up here, the high price is primarily transportation to the wild places where there are still animals in huntable numbers, and the high price of getting game meat back to the city where I live.
First, you fly in a jet to one of the larger villages (Kodiak, King Salmon, Dillingham, etc.
Then you put your camping gear into a small propeller type "bush plane" and fly another 50 to 100 kilometers out into the bush, where you pitch your tent for a week minimum (if you expect to find your quarry, two weeks is better).
If successful, due to the weight of meat and / or a bear skin, you will have to pay for an extra "meat flight" just getting your prize to the village where it can be chilled, placed in leak proof containers loaded into the jet, for your return to Anchorage or Fairbanks.
All the while bush pilots and commercial airlines racking up your bills for all of this.
I'm finished with it and now just thankful that I was here 35 years ago when it was affordable to the blue collar working class hunter.

That's why I choose Africa over Alaska. It's moore game for less money.

 

[BWH]

Sorry to hear that. The second bushbuck from the left.....monster!

That's what i'm talking about! Bruiser!