Hunt value Africa VS North America

[Shaky]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Nut:
C'mon Flipper I was only born here. My parents came from SE kentucky and are cousins. MY family tree doesnt have many branches.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Nut,

You were born? Danged Moosie lied to me then, he told me you were hatched.

Basically a $5,000.00 Safari costs around $10,000.00 from what I can gather from these posts.

Have a good one,

Don

 

[JJHACK]

I think some realistic ideas should be considered when we talk about the cost of a simple plains game safari. The cost of the safari is not the cost of the entire life experience. I see a lot of interest in the cost with all the additional expenses associated with ownership of the trip, but which have nothing to do with the hunt.

When you buy a new truck, that you will own for 10 years do you add in the ten years worth of fuel and insurance and maintainance to the original purchase price? Heck no! Yet this topic has escalated into adding the cost of taxidermy to the cost of a safari. Those two are completely seperate issues.

I often go on Guided fishing trips in Canada but have never priced a trip and considered the cost of a mounted fish. The Fish we catch must be released as it's a trophy fishing lake only. The cost of a mount reproduction is expensive. Yet it has nothing to do with the trip itself.


Remember that no taxidermist is going to hand you ten shoulder mounts a few months after you return and expect full payment on the spot. If you're going to have the taxidermy done on all the game it will likely take any good quality taxidermist a couple years to complete it all. During which the payments can be spread out with no interest. Depending upon the Pack and dip you use, it will take anywhere from 5-10 months for your trophies to get into the USA. Then the tannery will have them for another 4 months, or more. Before the taxidermist even sees them your in over a year. Then you have them fit into his existing schedule and you have 4,5, or maybe 10 animals. If you have chosen wisely and a quality African experienced taxidermist is doing the work it's gonna be at least another year to get back all the animals.

More important then anything is the memory you have each and every day when you wake up and replay the events of the trip. There is not a day that goes by that you will not think at least for a moment about the experience you had there.

Where else can you stalk an animal and spook 3-4 huge white rhino within a stones throw? See a herd of Cape buffalo causing you to give up the stalk for risk of a charge. How about glassing through the trees and bush, but seeing them moving only to realize they are the legs of a giraffe who is looking right down on you. The bird calls and the noisy zebra's the exotic tracks and small game. The evening at a waterhole to see the game visiting for a drink.

Value for the dollar??? Noplace can compare with the memories and the trophies available. Believe me. I live in what is arguabley the most beautiful of all the lower 48 states. I have worked in Alaska for 20 years where the wildlife and trophies are unmatched in North America. When I moved my business to Southern Africa I was stunned at just how much effect it would have on my life.

I don't know a single hunter in my camp who has not started thinking of the second trip before the first was finished! Value for the dollar? unmathced on this planet!

 

[Nut]

Do some hunters go and just want to have the pictures that are taken as their trophies?

What then happens to the heads if they do that?(horns,etc)

What does Pack and Dip actually mean? (I have read this and don't quite understand)


LOL Shaky

 

[JJHACK]

The trend over the last few years is to have high quality photo's done. I think much of this has started because the cost of the shipping, brokers, tanning, and taxidermy are nearly equal to the cost of the hunt in some cases.

Many of the guys would rather hunt there more frequently and not bother with the trophies. Can't say I blame them! After all I'm a hunter first and formost not a museum or collector. The experiences and the photo's are much more important then a mounted head.

Since the popularity of digital cameras you can actually see the photo's and be sure they are perfect when you take them. My simple 3.6 megepixel camera with photo paper makes just as good a photo as any I have seen. I have had several dozen printed in Magazines with my articles from this camera.

Each guy has to sort this out himself. I'm not saying one is better or worse. Goodness I have a whole lot of Taxidermy in my trophy room. However I do it myself so The experience was good for me and the cost was low.


PAck and dip referes to the processing of the trophies so that they can leave the country they are in and arrive into the country they are going to. Depending upon the species it involves boiling the skulls and cleaning every speck of meat off them and removing the horns and treating them with poison to insect proof them. The hides are dry salted and then soaked into a vat of insecteside ( the "dip" process) . Then all the paperwork must be done to prove by the government agent that all the work was properly completed in a certified business.

The Government of South Africa is extrememly strict about this. The last thing they want is hoof and mouth being introduced into the USA which would shut down completely the trophy shipping and then soon to follow would be the whole hunting industry! Countries like Zimbabwe and Namiba don't give a rip about this part of the business. One day they will pay for their lack of interest. When a contaminated animal part enters the USA from one of those countries they will be shut down and there goes the business for everyone.

I see hunters boasting about packing the hides and horns in bags and boxes to bring home with their luggage. Holy smokes that is asking for trouble. Get the wrong customs agent and it will be quarantined until who knows when and at what cost to you to figure out! There is good reason Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa are so careful. They want to remain in the safari business!


The hides are sometimes kept and sold to gift shops, or given to anyone who wants them. Same with the horns. They have little if any resale value. It's not like you can sell them back to the safari company. I have a small building with several dozen if not 100 hides and capes salted as "spares" for poor quality capes and or head shot game. Sometimes after the animal is shot less then perfect late in the day, he runs off and is not found until the next day. If the jackals and hyena's get to it the hide will be ruined. We keep them as spares for those situations too.

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 02-08-2003 18:11: Message edited by: JJHACK ]</font>

 

[Shaky]

OK Guys, add it up

Lets say you went on a 10 Day Safari and it was a package deal. Lets say the following animals were included in the "package": Kudu, Gemsbok, Zebra, Impala, and Warthog, just to pick 5 animals. Lets say this "package" cost $5,000.00 US

Package - $5,000.00
Air Fare - $1,200.00 in the off season
Air Fare - $1,500.00 in the peak season (our summer months)
Hotel & meals before and after the hunt, in Africa - $200.00
Dipping and packaging - $1,000.00
Shipping - $800.00
Taxidermy - $2,000.00 to $3,000.00
Tips - $500.00
Airfare to Atlanta from your home airport - $400.00

If you go in the off season and get your taxidermy work done for 2k your looking at $11,100.00

If you go in the peak season and you get your taxidermy work done for 2k your looking at $11,400.00

If you go in the peak season and your taxidermy work is 3k your looking at $12,400.00

These are total costs and not to far off from your real costs.

So, when I say a $5,000.00 "package" hunt will cost you $10,000.00 one can see its not a reach in total costs.

Sure you could skimp on the taxidermy work and save some $$$ but who wants to go to Africa and NOT have the heads mounted?

Is Africa a "Deal"? I would say YES it is, but don't be fooled into thinking that the ONLY cost is the price you pay for the "package". You MAY be able to spread the taxidermy costs over a period of time but you still have to PAY it.

Have a good one,

Don

 

[FLIPPER]

DITTO....Shaky

Bottom line is the overall $$$ spent...no matter how you justify the total experience

BTW...I think you figured at the low end on the taxidermy work.

 

[Lochi]

JJ Hack says:
"The trend over the last few years is to have high quality photo's done. I think much of this has started because the cost of the shipping, brokers, tanning, and taxidermy are nearly equal to the cost of the hunt in some cases."

I agree wholeheartedly with that. I have a client hunting with me coming May, who has 8 animals in his "package". Of these, he is having only the kudu mounted, all else are skulls and rugs only. However, we will make extensive use of video and still cameras.
I am even doing him a little private web site of his safari, complete from the dream through the preparations phase, the safari itself and the aftermath. I take a digital camera with me and upload pictures onto his site every time I get to a phone line. That allows his family at home to follow the proceeding blow by blow. Once he gets home, he tells me at leisure how he wants his site modified, sends the URL to all and sundry whom he would like to share his experience, friends, hunting forums, work colleagues,…

From Shaky's figures it seems that taking trophies doubles the total cost, so why not hunt double as many animals rather!
Me personally, I have never had a trophy done.

Lochi.

 

[Shaky]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by FLIPPER:
DITTO....Shaky

Bottom line is the overall $$$ spent...no matter how you justify the total experience

BTW...I think you figured at the low end on the taxidermy work.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Flipper,

My figures for taxidermy work may very well be on the low end. My intentions were/are not to discourage anybody from going to Africa and experiencing all Africa has to offer such as a new culture and the experience of it all. I have been very fortunate to have traveled extensively around the world and I wouldn't give up my experiences for anything.

Personally I would have every animal mounted, except a warthog. I never have anything mounted as ugly as me

Thats not to say that "every" hunter feels the same way.

I merely posted the "made up" figures so all could see that the "hunt" cost is not the only cost involved.

I recently was in Texas on a hog hunt. The "hunt" cost was $379.00
If I break down ALL the costs for that 2 day hunt all can see it costs a lot more then the "hunt" cost.
Hunt = $379
License - $35
Hotel before the hunt - $65
Hotel after the hunt - $65
Air fare - $300
Car rental - $300
Meals - $100
Gas for the rental - $60
Thats $1304 total
Lets add the taxidermy, since I am having a hog mounted - $550
Grand total is - $1854.00
Tips - I won't add this since this is personal

Now, the "Hunt" cost was $379.00 which figures out to be 20% of the total cost.

No matter how I slice it, my total cost for this trip was $1854.00 and all but $300 of this trip was paid for before or during the trip. I owe a balance of $300 for the taxidermy work once the shoulder mount arrives at my place.

I don't like supprises and I always try to add up ALL my costs before I book "any" hunt.

Book a Safari to Africa once you can pay for it and enjoy a new culture and all the other new experiences. Have fun and return home safe.


Have a good one all,

Don

 

[dgibson]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>I don't like supprises and I always try to add up ALL my costs before I book "any" hunt.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>That's all I'm saying. I have no doubt that the experience is worth every penny and the memories will last a lifetime. But, if the total cost is $100 and I only have $75, then it might as well be $1000. Talk about how great it was won't pay the bill when it arrives. Now that we've had our lengthy discussion, I have a better idea of what we're looking at from soup to nuts and can plan accordingly. Thank you all for your information!