What do people think about “non-trophy” hunts

[buck wild]

I am doing a nocturnal hunt next month in RSA! Looking for bushpig, hyena, honey badger, serval, caracal, genet and porcupine and anything else that shows up at night that I don't have. I even bought a thermal monocular to assist in finding the animals once shot (and to hopefully help me get a coyote back home at some point).

This will be my first time doing some serious night hunting (only tried once before with zero success).

I might be wrong but I was fairly certain it is illegal to transport a thermal of any type from the US to RSA (or any where outside the US for that matter). JH has access to one over there.

 

[daawg1963]

I recently had a chance to spend some time in a great camp in Zimbabwe. Around the camp fire, the property manger and I got into a very good discussion about “non-trophy” hunts. He and the PHs that hunt the property have had some trouble booking “non-trophy” hunts. In there case, “non-trophy” mostly means low scoring, but still old and mature animals.

Many people seem to view African hunting as “way to expensive.” I disagree, but that’s not the point. Many great PHs and camps offer some great “non-trophy” hunts at great rates.

So, I thought it was a good question to ask the AH community.

Is there really a lack of interest in these hunts, or are folks concerned that it might be substandard trip, or is it that once you commit to Africa you are targeting specific game and are committed to the cost? Or is it a marketing issue. I am genuinely curious.

Admittedly my “sitting room” is pretty full of taxidermy so the next trophy mount is not something I really do anyway, but I have really enjoyed the non-trophy hunts I’ve been able to do. I have also found them to be great for kids and new hunters to get a lot of very good hunting experience at very affordable rates.

Thoughts?

Hey a hunts a hunt , trophy rooms are nice but the Experience is it for me ... rather spend it on hunting

 

[daawg1963]

So true. Doing my first elephant hunt in 23 and cost made it a tuskless which was $10,000 less and living in US too much trouble to import anyway

Indeed

 

[buck wild]

This reminds me of driving through Texas and seeing all the signs saying "Hog Hunters Needed" and then they want to charge you $300+ a day to hunt their property.

I've been all over Texas (lived here all my life is prime hog areas) and can't ever remember seeing a sign off the roads saying "Hog Hunters Needed"

Out on a limb here but I call BS on most US pig hunts. I am also flabbergasted at the rates to exterminate the "crop damaging scourge" that pigs are supposed to be. If you want them gone, don't feed them at feeders, charge me a cheap per pig rate, trespass fee, let me stay in motel/hotel or on ranch for low rates and I will gladly help reduce your pig problem. The rates for pig hunts are almost same as game hunts. Defeats the point in my eyes, or BS and way to capitalize on the scourge that's maybe not as real as portrayed.

That way of thinking has not hit the African safari industry in my eyes. TF for non trophies seam like a bargain in my eyes. All outfits have given me free animals at their discretion if I want to shoot some more.

MB

Yeah, that sounds like what the sign should say is "Customers needed for my hunting side business"

We have covered this topic on another thread and although there are a few outfitters profiting from hog hunts, the vast majority of landowners are not AND the damage is real. The MAIN reason why no one is going to let you just come roam their land mowing down hogs is LIABILITY and IDIOTS ! I covered the actual break down of these "free hunts" in the other thread. Turns out they aren't so free to the landowner after all.

 

[buck wild]

I have seen some great deals on tuskless elephants. I would recommend that as they are going to be exciting. The tuskless ellies are really aggressive. Also, maybe just export the skull and do a euro mount, which is cheaper as well. What I wonder is if it is possible to put replica tusks on an elephant skull (tuskless or otherwise).

I don't think any part of an elephant is exportable to the US. if you can get the skull into the States, you can get the tusks bc it meet the new guidelines, which apparently very few actually have according to USFW.

 

[Sika98k]

My ideal buff is a scrum cap. Most would consider that a non trophy. To me it's the ultimate trophy! Curled horn gemsbok? Trophy in my book. Broken horn animals I have no problem harvesting as long as they are old animals.
I keep the tape in the truck.
I see cull hunts offered and they sound like a lot of fun. I will look harder at those offers, after all, you're still in Africa!

You’d have enjoyed taking this one then I think.

 

[Sika98k]

I might be wrong but I was fairly certain it is illegal to transport a thermal of any type from the US to RSA (or any where outside the US for that matter). JH has access to one over there.

I think you are correct in what you have stated. In Europe you cannot sell them across border without an export licence. Nor as a private person May you take them out of your country of residence.

 

[Hunt anything]

I don't think any part of an elephant is exportable to the US. if you can get the skull into the States, you can get the tusks bc it meet the new guidelines, which apparently very few actually have according to USFW.

I may be wrong but USFWS recognizes elephant from Namibia, RSA and Zimbabwe. Can’t import from Mozambique, Tanzania and maybe Zambia. I do know it’s a lot of hoops and hurdles to import, like leopard, bontebok and lions.

 

[mrpoindexter]

You’d have enjoyed taking this one then I think.

Looks like a Gemsdu.

 

[BWH]

It’s all about the experience…. I’ve taken my daughter to shoot doe & Turkey. Those are some of my favorites… I’m a waterfowler, each hunt is a great trip, for a duck, goose or crane. It’s the experience, not the horn length. Enjoy your time!

 

[Mike P]

After 20 times to Africa all a hunt is buffalo now, and really not interested in the taxidermy. ( I have already donated over 20 mounts) So I try to book non-trophy Buffalo hunts, which are usually old scruffy kukuli bulls. The hunt is the same …usually tracking until you can catch up to them…proper hunting. Even if it’s non-trophy it’s still a great hunt for buffalo.
Even when I book a trophy buffalo hunt, I don’t bring capes and horns back to the states. I just love to hunt in Africa…. The memories can’t be reproduced elsewhere.

 

[Doubleplay]

Trophy is in the eyes of the beholder. To me trophy is the oldest animal I can find.

 

[RR 314]

After 20 times to Africa all a hunt is buffalo now, and really not interested in the taxidermy. ( I have already donated over 20 mounts) So I try to book non-trophy Buffalo hunts, which are usually old scruffy kukuli bulls. The hunt is the same …usually tracking until you can catch up to them…proper hunting. Even if it’s non-trophy it’s still a great hunt for buffalo.
Even when I book a trophy buffalo hunt, I don’t bring capes and horns back to the states. I just love to hunt in Africa…. The memories can’t be reproduced elsewhere.

I am about at this point. I am awaiting a shipment and think it will likely be my last. I like hunting a shooting the bull with my PH and hunting buddies etc. About tapped out on room for taxidermy, guns, reloading supplies etc. The struggle is real.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Personally speaking, I hunt for the very fact that I enjoy hunting. In my last 49 years of going on African Safaris, these are 3 of the only 5 trophies that I’ve bothered to actually bring back home with me (till now).

 

[geoff rath]

I met, and had a long talk with P J de Koek last night covering a lot of ground; he likes, and practices non-trophy hunting almost exclusively; primarily for the thrill of the hunt, and the benefit of meat etc to the locals. Less expenditure on the hunters part too. He's pushing me to get a good 30.06 for P/G if I ever get back to Afrika ...

 

[Cajun Hunter]

Ditto and Ditto. Sitting in Dallas presently waiting for connection to Zimbabwe for Elephant. Have no plans to bring anything home as it has been with my last several trips. Spending time in the bush is the priority and not spending money on taxidermy/shipping. Enjoyment is gained by sharing Africa with novice hunters that have been accompanying me lately.

 

[steve white]

A buffalo does not know it is not a trophy animal--it is just as dangerous as one with a 50" spread...

 

[IdaRam]

I’m headed back to Mozambique again for buffalo next year, and some PG with a bow. Not planning to bring anything home, just want to hunt and be back in Africa. Anymore, it’s about the adventure and enjoyment and every animal is a trophy. Just not going on my wall. Hopefully I’ll be able to remember and enjoy the memories when I’m too old to suffer through the flights anymore.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Always have your outfitter keep an ear open for special opportunities, especially at the end of the season. I just finished a trip to South Africa and shot three animals that were essentially management thinning. All turned out to be very fine trophies. I already had two fine impala rams on the wall but on the first day an opportunity presented to remove one from the property we were hunting for waterbuck. He is clearly the better trophy of the three so I shot him. Then before leaving we encountered a common cape springbuck ram in a herd of black ones. My PH had instructions to take it if possible. I got him and we were both quite surprised to find a VERY nice ram when we walked up to it on the ground. Almost a shame to take that sperm donor out of circulation. Then another property owner needed three gemsbuck bulls removed from a very large property. Last year I shot a gemsbuck bull off another property where the landowner wanted the entire herd taken out. Though it wasn't on my list, he made an offer I couldn't refuse. That one was "okay" but nothing special. My first gemsbuck in 2019 was a very old cow that had escaped and was on the wrong property. It was doing nothing but wasting range in a drought. Both those animals were interesting hunts on rugged property and at very good rates well below the standard trophy fee. This year's gemsbuck cutrate offer was on a large property I had harvested kudu on before so I knew the lay of the land = very rugged! Should be a fun hunt if we could find what needed to be shot. If a good freerange kudu showed up, that could also go in the truck. It took a couple of days but I eventually did get a gemsbuck bull (bugger literally walked into me as I was stalking a herd of noisy wildebeest fifty yards away). Again, I was very surprised at the quality of the animal. To be honest, I'm not sure what the final tally was for price of these three. I'll have to look. The initial offers were below rate but I won't squawk if the outfitter charged me full trophy fee. Impala and springbuck are cheap even at regular trophy fee. The management cow buffalo hunt was the primary objective but it didn't produce anything for the salt shed. However, those three days were very enjoyable. The herd was extremely wary and the property had very thick cover full of a variety of other animals to throw up the alarm during stalks. So mine wasn't a terribly profitable booking for the lodge. If I paid full fees, no big deal. I didn't plan on keeping any of the trophies this year but these were just too nice to leave behind. Another year doing hand to hand combat with freight companies, warehouses, and customs agents. Sigh!

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

We host many clieNt throught he year
About20-30% are soing non trophy Hints these days
And as an outfitter i love these guys they serve a great pirpose and bring in valuable income

Always welcome them