2006 African safari/hunt

[art2africa]

My son and I want to hunt 2 cape buffs. We'd also like to get $2500 worth of smaller game such as warthogs.

Where are the 10-day package deals? I'd like to know the bottomline costs - INCLUDING lodging, PH fees, guide/tracker fees, daily fees, food, drinks, jeep/landrover/cruiser fees, pickup/drop-off from/to airport, and other usual safari services (please indicate). EXCLUDE airfare, out-of-camp stay if appropriate, tips, and of course rifle/ammo costs.

BTW, not interested in bringing back trophies; just want to be there for the adventure.

Please respond here or email me.

Thanks,
Art

[Yukon Jack]

Art,
Unless you buy a package deal somewhere, most safari costs are quoted as Daily Rates and Trophy Fees.

If you are going to hunt 10 days, then multiply the Daily Rate by 10.  These prices include the lodging, food, drinks (usually but check to make sure), cook, PH, skinner, staff, etc...
If you have travel days when no hunting will happen, then those days are usually counted at a discounted rate or comped.
You may have air charter costs if the hunting area is extremely far from the nearest commercial airport.
If you don't want to use your own rifle, you can rent one from the PH or outfitter at an agreed to rate.
Trophy fees are quoted, basically if you shoot you pay for it.  Each species will have a different price, typically.
If someone is going with you, but not hunting, they are usually charged a reduced daily rate (they still eat, still get their laundry done, are still waited on, etc...)

So, if you are going to hunt Buffalo in an area you can drive to (the PH will pick you up from the airport) for 10 days and you want 2 buffalo:
If the Daily Rate is 1000/per hunter per day (just pulled that number out of the air check with the outfit to see what it really is), then $10,000 for the daily rate.
If each buffalo costs $2,000, then add $4,000 of trophy fees to your Daily Rate total of $10,000.
Then you shoot $2,500 worth of plainsgame (however that comes out) you are up to $16,500.
If you go someplace that the government charges a fee, or tax, you'll have to add that.  Take Zim for example, they charge 2% of the Daily Rate + Trophy fees.  You are up to $16,830.
Zim also charges a Visa Processing Fee of $30 USD, so $16,860.

There is usually a dip and pack fee for trophy care (I think JJ wrote how this is done previously).  For an example, let's say that is $600, so you are up to $17,460.  You said you didn't want to bring any home, so that cost is of no concern to you.

Basically, that is it, except for tips and airfare!

Other costs would be you buying anything you might need (clothes, boots, bug spray, toiletries, etc...
Medical Shots & prescription meds (Cipro) if you aren't up to date for those (mine were about $600 to go to Zim)
New camera?  Film?  Batteries?
Over the counter remedies for allergies, cough drops, cortizone, etc...

Take over some hard candy for the trackers/game scout before leaving on a long still-hunt or stalk.  Take some gifts (not in place of the tips) such as knives, sharpening stones, gloves, caps, etc...  These things are easy to get here in the States and are usually fairly inexpensive, while can be very hard to come by or expensive in other areas.  Don't take junk for gifts, but it doesn't have to be expensive either.

If you like to drink liquor (beer and wine are usually included in the Daily Rate price but liquor typically isn't), while in the Jo'Berg airport (or other large city airport) stop by the Duty Free shops and pick up a bottle of whatever you want.  A nice bottle of scotch or high quality gin makes a good gift to the PH also.

[JJHACK]

Do yourselves a huge favor and go hunt plains game for the firtst trip over. The Hype over cape buffalo far ecxceeds the entertainment you will have spending the same time and money hunting for plains game. I have been doing this almost my whole adult life and the majority of guys coming for a first time buffalo hunt all tell me the same thing. The commnets go something lke this:

The buffalo hunt was great but the value for the money is with plains game. We hunted every day for something different and with different methods. For the buffalo we hunted (6-9) days for one animal and when it was over we were done.

When hunting buffalo you don't shoot anything until the buffalo is down. when hunting plains game you never know what will pop out in front of you in the bush. Send me an Email or go to my newly updated website and see what we have for you. It's a dream hunt in a beautiful place. It will also get you better educated for a buffalo hunt down the road. It's just not the affordable exciting species to hunt that most people are led to believe. 99% are picked out of a herd and shot like a head of cattle. There are so few and far between dangerous situations that it's just not what your led to think.

www.huntingadventures.net

[tundragriz]

Art, I understand where you are coming from with your question but I think it is a little broad for getting specific answers.  You might want to decide what country you prefer and what style of hunt.    You need to decide if you want luxury, tent, high fence, public, private, etc.  This will be a significant factor in how the costs play out.  It would be similar to saying where are the best deals on whitetail deer in North America.  You probably would get better responses by limiting to Canada, Mexico, or a specific US region.  There are so many different options on the continent of Africa.

Tanzania offers great old-world style hunts that cater to a 2 person team.  Tanzania offers a license based on the number of hunting days (i.e. 7, 14, or 21) along with a 2 person on one license option.  My cousin and I shared a 7 day license.  This entitled us to share 2 buff, 2 blue wildebeest, 1 hartebeest, 1 impala, 1 warthog, and 1 zebra. A 14 day would add either lion or leopard(can't remember which) and a host of additional game.  21 throws in animals like hippo or elephant and a really long list of plains game.

In 2002 we each paid 5750 which included tags for 1 buff each, gun import fees, air charter, dipping and packing, all inclusive for 7 days of buff hunting.  On top of this there were trophy fees for each of the animals beyond the buff.  The buff was the last animal I shot.  I collected a nyasa wildebeest, impala, and zebra while looking for a buffalo.  We had no daily fees.

http://community.webshots.com/album/49477138iSsQfQ

I wanted an old-world style hunt.  We took an air charter to a dirt strip and then it was a few hour rough 4 wheel drive ride to the tent camp in the Selous.  At anytime of the night you could hear lions, hippo, and croc in the surrounding area.  You didn't want to stumble into the bathroom at night without a light as you might find a mamba or scorpion.  In our week we found both.

My opinion is that Tanzania offers a good value traditional hunt for a pair of buff hunters, as an individual I would choose another country.  Air charter fees are a major consideration in Tanzania as many of the hunts are very remote.