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Main Boards => The Dark Continent => Topic started by: jonsimoneau on March 07, 2007, 02:31:00 PM
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Since I went to Africa last summer, I have had a million people ask me how much money it costs to go there. I've even had people accuse me of having my father pay for it! How offensive! I saved for Africa for 7 years, and I'm a construction worker. In short, I work hard for my money, just like most of you.
Here is the thing about Africa. Airfare will cost around $2,000. Daily rates for a 10 day hunt will cost around $3,000. But after that....it will be up to you as to how much money you spend. You don't HAVE to shoot every animal that gives you a shot. I went there with a specific list of animals I wanted to take, and I stuck to it. I ended up shooting bringing home only 3 animals, and it did not cost that much. Set limits and abide by them. One guy over there shot like $20,000 worth of animals. I can't do that...but I still had an awesome hunt. Sure there were a few animals I passed on that I now wish I had shot, but you can always go back. Just being there is worth the money.
In the mean time, I have had a number of guys tell me "Oh, it must be nice to be able to afford that. I could never afford to do something like that." BULL! It is a matter of priorities. The same guys that tell me this are driving around in $45,000 trucks, while I continue to drive my piece of junk with no heat, air, power windows etc. If you really want to do it...you will find a way. And if you are thinking about doing it, I suggest you take the plunge.
Then there is the issue of taxidermy. Sure, that could be expensive. But you don't absolutely HAVE to have your animals mounted as soon as they come home. Do the ones you can afford and store the others in a freezer. You can wait awhile before you have them mounted, and you will have pictures and memories to tide you over until then. Not only that, but what is wrong with a skull mount?
I guess my point is that anyone can make an african hunt a reality if they put their mind to it. If you want to do it...stop making excuses and make it happen. You only get one chance at life!
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You are correct Jon that we only go around once in life. I've always wanted to go "off" and bowhunt. Meaning I day dreamed about going and never went. The summer before 911 I decided that I didn't care about the money anymore and I would go somewhere. I started working a second "fun" job which helps and I save my pennies. I went black bear hunting in Arkansas 3 straight years, to North Carolina after bear once and to Kansas after big deer. These trips really were not that much money. The memories are priceless!! I did find that once I became serious about saving for my trips; they seemed to fall into place. I leave for British Columbia in May after black bears and then to Kuduland in July. Sure I could invest the money for when I get old, but why get old if I have nothing to remember? Plan your work and work your plan. People have to do what I did... Make these trips happen.
John III
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I agree wholeheartedly. I worked 48-60 hours a week and saved money for 4 years to go to Africa in 2005 and then Australia in 2006. I am a registered nurse and while I make good money for Montana I am far from rich. One thing my job has shown me and the point has been driven home hundreds of times since I became a nurse is that you shouldn't wait to do something you want to. I have heard the same thing from hundreds of people who were on there death beds, "I wish (insert whoever is appropriate here, I, we,) had done (whatever) when we first thought of it instead of waiting. That is my only regret." Or we were going to do this when we retired and then (spouse) ended up in here with a stroke, heart attack, etc. I am getting married in September and we are already planning trips to Australia, Ireland, and Africa. It can be done if you are willing to do without a few simple things. Like Jon said, do you really need that new vehicle? There is life without cell phones. We just got Cable TV again after 2 months without it because of moving and I am already starting to wonder why I am paying for it considering what has been on it so far and how little of it we have watched. There are a lot of things that cost money that you don't even think about anymore because you have been getting them for so long but that you can do quite well without. :) Joseph
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Amen, guys! I've never been to Africa, although I plan to some day. I just booked a black bar hunt for Alberta for 2008, so I'm starting to do instead of just dream.
The guys at work couldn't understand why I drove a beat up little Nissan pickup. Because I don't want or need a $400 dollar truck payment! I did just buy a used truck with low miles for half of what I'd pay for a new one.
I guess my point is that it is frustrating when people say "I can't afford to go there..."
Give up the chew or cigarettes, slow down on the beer guzzling. It's within most everyone's reach if they prioritize like Jon said.
I hope you guys who are going after your dreams have great experiences. I'm happy for you!
Jaz
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I agree, don't know if I would go so far as to slow down on the beer though, that's going a little too far.
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Thomas, I for sure would not go that far! Taking a second mortgage out on your house is one thing, but cutting back on the sauce......that's getting a little out there!
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You guys are too much!
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Just messing with you Jaz, and I agree with your post.
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Like I always used to say "If I had half of the money I've spent on booze and women I'd be a rich man" :D Probably would have had a boring life but heh, it's all about the trade off's. :knothead: The thing about Africa is it gets in your soul. I have watched my Dries Visser DVD's so much I think I am wearing them out. Australia is the same way! Joseph
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Cool thread.
I'm off to New Zealand in 1 day and a wake up for a ten day hunt to the south Island after Red Deer (all wild free range to, no wire for me!). This will be my first hunt "Over water" and I'm as keen as. What all above said is true. Give up all the "wants" in life run with the needs and you'll make it happen.
In Oz, and looking forward to see Jo Jo and his new bride some day soon.
alan
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Great post! I guess I'm one of those that keeps putting it off. We have so many things going on. So many expenses. I'm "that" guy I guess.
I haven't ruled it out yet. I really want to go!
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If y7ou really want to go then make it happen. The social climate of Africa is in constant flux and you never know when you might not be able to hunt there anymore. There is no time like the present. Joseph
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Jon, good thoughts. like you and everyone else here i don't make a ton of money. enough to pay the bills and a little extra to stash away for doing the things i want. i saved for 2 years to make my trip. putting $5's, $10's and sometimes $20's in a jar as well as setting aside a little from each paycheck for my hunt fund. i you want something bad enough you will sacrafice to make it happen. just for an example if you put just $95. a week away for 2 years you would be able to go on a $10,000. hunt. i would venture to say that most of us spends that on eating out, beer, women or things we really don't need. you can go to africa for less than $10,000. easily. think of it this way. if you would spend $4500. to kill a big whitetail why can't you go to africa and just kill 1-3 animals and be happy. i had a budget of $3500. for animals and i stayed under that.
no excuses excepted, if you want to do it, make the sacrafices and live your dream.
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Listening to you guys make me feel sad as well as thankfull. I'm born and bred a South African. I spend my of weekends roaming the bush, shooting warthog, busbig & gamebirds free of charge. And some days I get upset when things doesn't go as planned....And here are a few fellow trad's that have to work their ???"s of to save a few pennys to come and hunt here. I lower my head and ask forgivness for taking all this for granted.
........Yes Gys, It is definetly worthwile to see and experience Africa firsthand.
I salute you.
May your arrows fly straight
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Bosveld, you could always have us over as your guest to hunt with you. we could repay the favor by having you here in the U.S. to hunt some of the fine critters we have here.
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Let me get this strait, first ya'll suggest giving up beer and then Rob says giving up women as well, I really don't know about that. I'm starting to worry about you guys!
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Hogdancer, i don't mean to give up the women just don't blow all your hunting funds wine'n & dine'n them. if they love you they should be happy to just spend qt time with you. besides, hunting is much more important.
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PaleFace.. my friend.
I always thought I was the only being in the universe who placed hunting on top of the list. I think me and you, we can sit around the same fire...
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I understand, my wife says that if I am going to Africa she has to go too, so we are going in July, would'nt have it any other way. She wants to shoot a zebra.
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You are all on the right track. If you want it, do it. I am heading to South Africa in June for the first time and am pumped. I figure people fall into three groups- those that say they'd like to do it and do (10%)- Those that say they'd like to do it and don't (80%)- and those that never even try(10%).I will always be in the top 10%. I work a part time job just to finance hunting. After a great DIY caribou hunt a friend said he'd love to do that. When I suggested he get a weekend job and in less than a year he could afford it, he said no way that's too much work. Sad.
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I have atrip planned, in fact since i am getting married in July I've told my wife to be I have the next 20 year trips planned. LOL For the last 5 years I've only been on yearly hog hunting tripsto Florida so i am due for a good one and Africa seems to be the ticket.
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Everything you all have said is true If you really want to go on ahunt trip any hunt trip you can do it life is to short to not enjoy what you love to do I have done this to much already I am going to Africa in August and I have heard the same thing from other people how it must be great to be able to have money to just go to hunt it's not that I am rich because I am not but I want to go there and hunt so I am going to Point is as you all have stated is that if you want it bad enough you will find a way I can't wait till august
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Hey, you guys are getting me more interested in Africa. Have a couple of friends up here who have gone and love.
My question today is- Is the rumor true that you must leave some of the meat when you shot something, I have heard that and havent had it confirmed. I know Africa , like Alaska is a big place and maybe things are different from area to area.
Thanks :confused: :campfire:
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You don't get to bring any meat back with you as that is against both African laws to export it and US lawsto import it but I can assure you that none of it will go to waste. While in camp you will eat what is harvested and anything that the hunters don't eat is usually taken care of by the rest of the camp staff. They don't even gut animals out in the field, everything comes back whole and even the insides are eaten by the Africans. Joseph
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Tom,
Like Joseph said, nothing gets wasted there. Some folks think that as much as they spend on shooting something over there that they ought to be able to bring the meat back with them, but when you do the math it would cost you a few hundred bucks a pound to get it back home. It's good stuff, but not that good :) . Eat up while you are there, then let the locals enjoy the fruits of your harvest. It's part of the reason they work so hard for you while you are there.
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Very interesting! I didn't know all this. I do love to eat fresh meat in camp. What are the hoops to jump thru to bring the trohpies home?
Thanks :campfire:
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Tom,
To answer your question about getting trophies home.
They must first be taken to a facility where the hides and capes are dipped and then they are packaged along with the horns for shipment to the states. The outfitting company you book your hunt with takes care of this and there is a per animal charge. Your trophies are then sent to an exporter who then sends them to a customs broker in the US. From the customs broker they are shipped to your taxidermist which you normally have pre-arranged before your hunt.
I only took four animals when I was there in 04. The outfitter I booked my hunt with owned his own dipping and crating company and included that in my hunt price. The cost to ship my crate with my trophies from Africa to the Chicago customs broker company my taxidermist uses $746.94. The cost of shipping and handling fees along with customs fees to ship to my Michigan taxidermist $512. My hunt took place in August my taxidermist received my trophies in June and amazingly had them completed in early August.
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Thanks for the info
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Is getting the heads back into the states in good condition a problem? I talked with a taxidermist that was working on a warthog. He said it was in real poor condition when he got it...hair falling out, etc.
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Snag, from what I can gather that is 100% dependant on the taxidermist handling the dipping & shipping. I've seen some world-class mounts done in Africa or dipped & shipped from Africa, but I've seen a fair few bald animals. The guys saving the skin don't always pay attention to what they're doing and can scrape out the folicles. Unfortunately, it's a risk you take. I was advised that I'd be less likely to be dissappointed if I had the stuff shipped to England & then mounted here. It's always going to be a gamble.
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I got invited to go bowhunting with guys who are locals and hunt the Limpopo regoin, I'm going there next summer for my senior trip, the only things I have to pay for are flights and trophy fees, and when I come home, I'm getting skull mounts, accept for the gemsbok, gonna save up later on and have him mounted
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Skull mounts are the way to go if you are hunting on a budget. I just got back from Visser's and had to really reduce the number of animals that I had planned on taking due to some financial situations arising before I left. There are plenty of excellent (and challenging) animals that can be taken at reasonable prices. I opted to ship only the skulls and horns back to the States and plan to mount them European. If you change your mind in the future you can always purchase a hide for taxidermy purposes.
I should say that the trip is definately worth the money spent. It can be done on a restricted budget, but you just have to stay firm on what you want to spend your money on. The flight and the hunt itself are the most expensive. Trophy expenses are determined by you. Work hard, save a little each month, and you will be sitting in a blind in no time. Best of Luck.
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It is amazing how much you can save if you make a few sacrifices. I have been saving for 3 years to go to Namibia this August. The biggest part of the savings came from cancelling my cell phone and believe it or not, quitting smoking!!!!!
I had tried quitting smoking for years. The thought of hunting Africa made me quit.
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Jon and Joseph, you've inspired me in many ways from reading your posts. Your comments are so true...thanks for the inspiration and eye opener!
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You are welcome. There will be setbacks as you save but if you come up with a plan and stick to it you can get there.
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Originally posted by Joseph:
You are welcome. There will be setbacks as you save but if you come up with a plan and stick to it you can get there.
It's all in what you want and where your priorities are just like what was stated. I would love to go to Africa, but my true desire is to get to Alaska. I've always wanted to hunt there for Dall sheep since I was young. If I do things right, I can acheive my dream of hunting both though!
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Yep, just do it. You will never regret going on trips
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i've come to canada for a hunting experience of a lifetime. but not being able to find a job anywhere has thrown that out the window. at the end of the day you still need the money to do it. when you've run out of money and now living off the house deposit savings i've worked hard to put away, it's hard to justify having any leisure time. it's hard to see something you've worked hard for slip away because of something you have no control over. such is life. :banghead: vented
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I feel for you mate. You had a good plan but unfortunately the rest of the world didn't want to cooperate. The thing to do is know when to cut your losses, the plan may have slipped away for now but it doesn't have to be for forever.
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yeah i've got a job in the spring as a bear guide, so i just need to hold out till then. then comes the fun.... i hope!
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I hope things work out for you :thumbsup: Joseph
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My wife and I opened a special savings account about six months ago after deciding that we wanted to do this in our lifetimes. We're hoping to build up funds for a 2012 safari and we're on track to make it happen. Jon is right, create a realistic plan and work to make it happen. I wish I didn't have to wait that long, but it's what's realistic for us.
In the meantime, I love reading the threads of others and pondering the who, what, where and when. Thanks to Jon and all of those who take the time to post their stories and pics, you're an inspiration.
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Curt, you've got the right idea man! It took me 7 years to save up for my first trip. Surprisingly, I went back the following year, and it hurt financially, but was worth every penny! I'm hoping to get back next year. Save the money, and stay as long as you can. 10 days of hunting is great, but 14 is even better. I'm just a union laborer. I make decent money, but it's just average at best. It's all about priorities. I'll tell you this...everyone you talk to will want to hear about it whether they are hunters or not. Everyone loves to hear about African adventures. Good stuff.
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Curt have to say Jon is perfectly correct, the airfare may seem steep but once you are here the longer you stay the cheaper the flight will be $/day. I grew up travelling lots then with life kids and work trips became harder and harder to do until I made a decision. I found myself in Botswana & Namibia twice river rafting and on wildlife safaris, also Cape Town and even to Canada twice in the space of three years. All with my kids. Not hunting though! I worked harder than ever and got the rewards cause I was working for a goal.
Good luck and read plenty! I have my eyes on a book called 'The Hunting Blackbeards of Botswana'- Three generations of professional hunters. Editor is Brian Marsh, one of the last of the old PH hunters from East Africa, Rhodesia and Bots. It's a Rowland Ward book, you might get it on order.
chrisg
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Truer words were never spoken, all you guys are right. I worked hard all my life, ever since I started hunting 35 years ago my goal was to get to AK, on my 50th birthday I went, I didn't quite have all the money but had the house paid for so I took out a small mortgage that I paid off after the fact.
Never regretted it for one second as a matter of fact I have saved almost enough money to do it again. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
If you really want to go, there is a way to do it.
Thank you all for the extra inspiration.
Bert.
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Trophy fees? anybody have a list of animal prices, or even a web site of a good inexpencive guide.
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Trophy Pricelist
Baboon $ 100
Blesbuck $ 350
Blesbuck white $ 750
Blue Duiker $ 950
Bontebok $ 2560
Buffalo Cape $ POR
Bushbuck $ 950
Bushpig $ 350
Common Reedbuck $ 950
Eland $ 2250
Fallow Deer $ 850
Gemsbuck $ 1200
Grey Duiker $ 350
Giraffe $ 3000
Impala $ 350
Jackal $ 100
Klipspringer $ 1250
Kudu up to 55' $ 1950
Kudu 55' and over $ POR
Lechwe $ 3000
Leopard $ POR
Nyala $ 2800
Oribi $ 900
Ostrich $ 700
Redbuck Common $ 950
Sable $ POR
Springbuck common $ 350
Springbuck black $ 950
Springbuck white $ 1350
Steenbuck $ 350
Suni $ 3000
Red Hartebeest $ 1000
Warthog $ 350
Waterbuck $ 1800
Wildebeest Blue $ 900
Wildebeest Black $ 900
Zebra Burchells $ 1250
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I have said it all over the place, but will repeat it here, particularly after seeing the trophy fees above: Check out Makalaan ranch in Namibia. You will be pleased at what you see.
Steve
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Also, to those of you looking into hunting in Africa, I implore you to look at Namibia. I have been to South Africa twice and Namibia once. South Africa has a wider variety of species but is much more civilized. If you want to hunt "way out there" in truely remote country consider Namibia. The next time I go to Africa, it will be with Allan Cilliars. However, if you want to go to South Africa, You cannot go wrong with Driess Visser safaries. They are top notch.
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ONe day i hope to head to africa!! but for now i'll stay in the cont. US...maybe to alaska soon!!
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I agree. I went there with my dad on an auction hunt and came home with 4 animals and the whole thing was around $9k.
One bit of advice is that when hunting with the stickbow your opportunities may be limited. For example, if you have your heart set on a Kudu and you don't get one then when you get home you'll be wishing you had shot that big waterbuck or other animal that you passed up.
Bottom line, be flexible...
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Im saving as we speak, I really want to go to Africa
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Now I AM going! This August 2017.
Money is just something you have traded your limited time on this earth for.
The only way you really see any return on it is to go spend it on spending time doing what you love.
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It's finally here!
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I totally agree that if you want something bad enough, you'll figure out a way to do it. My only comment would be don't wait too long, if possible.
The recent political developements in SA might affect your ability to hunt there.
I regret not booking another hunt with Jack Hume to hunt caribou when I had the chance 2 years ago, and now, because of politics, I'll never be able to.
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I going in Aug. 2018. Can hardly wait. Every few days I am going over my packing list and purchasing a few items.
I did get the electrical plug for Africa and also the inverter. I didn't think just the plug was enough as they are on 220 V, so think the inverter is necessary. Hope I was right.
We are going to Namibia with Makalaan Outfitters. Everything I have heard is they are very good and bow hunting only.