Bang for the Buck on Guided Hunts

[postoak]

I am thinking 2010 may be the year I spring for a guided hunt somewhere. Problem is, since it will be a once-in-a-lifetime deal, I don't want to go and come back empty-handed. (I want to be presented with a shot at an animal.)

So, I was comparing various places and the bang for the buck. I can hunt on an 18,000 acre Texas ranch and be pretty much assured of an elk bull for $4500. (That's a "management bull".)

That's about the maximum I would want to spend on a trip, including airfare and any other fees except taxidermy. The Texas hunt has the advantage that I can drive there.

What can I get in the way of a moose hunt for that price, including air fare? Where would it be?

What about Africa?

[Altjaeger]

Unless you are wanting horns for the wall I think you can get a cow elk hunt in New Mexico at half the price including travel and lodging. Then you could go two years to the mountains.

[postoak]

I think I do want horns.

Anyway, Alt, after comparing prices, I think Africa is probably the better deal (actually, the best deal is probably hunting exotics in Texas, but there's the canned hunt factor and I wouldn't get to see Africa!). See the thread I posted in the Africa forum.

[ncboman]

I understand some of the African hunting is secretly canned also so you might want to do some research before plunking money down.

[Hi Ball]

Postoak......You can go to Africa and I think everyone should at least once in their hunting life! The prices and quality of game are beyound beliefe in most cases. The small farms or ranches are at least 5 thousand acres (South Africa) and the big one's range from around 50,000 to 150,000 or more. Yes, there is a 12 ft fence around those properties but one seldom will ever see that fence.....Speaking of South Africa hunting.

The airfare the last time I went over was $2100 dollars round trip from New York to JoBerg. and the flying time 21.5 hours to touch down, coming back it was a mere 18 hours. We caught a tail wind you might say.

Those hunts that are advertized for say $5,000 dollars (5 head of game) are for the hunt, your place to stay and meals, washing your clothes too. You will pay additional for Ship & Pack to the USA. You will also pay a fee to to a brokerage company for clearing your capes through customs. I would figure an additional $500 to $1,500 depending on number of your trophies.

Then you have the cost of mounting your animals in the USA by a good taxidermist and African mounts are not cheap by the way. You can figure at least twice what a whitetail deer would cost to mount, compared to mounting Impala or gemsbok. Great place to hunt and the game is plentiful.

[postoak]

Thanks, Hi-Ball!

I've already booked my hunt for arrival on next May 12th. BTW, airfares are good right now. RT from Houston to Joburg (I'm beginning to speak the lingo now. ;) ), was only $1186.

I am not going to keep the heads -- don't have enough room to mount them on the wall, anyway. I'm just bringing back photos and memories.

[postoak]

BTW, guided hunts for elk were almost as much as an African hunt. Moose were more.

[SeniorCoot]

I thougbt you said a HUNT? Texas Hi fence may be fun and get meat BUT it ain't much for hunting-Africa plains game hunts are reasonable BUT then you must add in trophy fees- dipping- taxidermist work- shipping- airfare etc. I unfortunately have been very unhappy with my last 3-4 guided hunts in ID- BC-MT Great country to look at- ok horses camps etc BUT no game seen not by me or anyone else in camp- tough to justify hunts like this- I do not expect to fill all tags BUT would expect to at least see something----
So his year wife & I have leased a home in MT near friends for 2 1/2 mos & 1/3 of cost of last Guided hunt and drawn quite a few tags.

[postoak]

If I went the Texas hi-fence route, I can be guaranteed a 400" elk for $8500, or so.

This public-lands hunt is for "trophy elk". I can't see how it can be guaranteed in any way, yet is $3100, and that is one of the lowest priced hunts of this type I've seen. You take horses back into the hunting area.

http://www.garywebbguide.com/elk.htm

[SeniorCoot]

I suggest you do yuor homework on ANY guided hunt- check references of successful ansd not hunters- check where they hunt- experience of guides etc. Cheap may not be worth anything

[Bushman]

Reminds me of the conversation overheard in town when we were do it yourself elk hunting in CO. A few guides were talking among themselves lamenting that they were taking 3k off their clients for horseback hunts and they had not even seen an elk. If the elk aren't there, any amount of hunting isn't going to get you one guided or unguided.

[Hi Ball]

Postoak, if there is but one animal that you should have mounted, it would be the KUDU in my humble opinion. You will never regrett the fact you did so. I have something like 42 heads in my home and that Kudu gets more looks than anything else on the wall and the Eland is next ok.:)

[postoak]

Well, I may be able to stretch for one head. Greater kudu is included in the package and I want to take an eland, but danged they want a lot for them. :(

Hi-Ball, you must have a heck of a large house or else a very understanding wife -- or both!

[Herne]

Postoak, there are in parts of RSA, and Namibia management hunts, mainly for the smaller antelope like springbok and impala, and they don't allow you to take heads. (not within the price) but you do get a lot of shooting - and photo opportunities.

That might be a way forward.

Trev and I did it by sharing a PH, which cut the costs, and was more fun - even if you are not shooting there is a lot to see.

Our ranch - Mayfair up on the Botswana border was, like Hi Ball said, so big you could drive for a day and never see the fence. It took a 40 minutes drive some days to get to the game you wanted, and you hadn't seen the boundary fence.

[Greybeard]

I've taken 6 guided hunts in B.C. and Alberta and shot 1 very nice 6 point bull elk and 3 bull moose. Game was not plentiful on any of these hunts, certainly not trophy animals. On 3 hunts, the guides were good and worked hard. I cannot say the same for the outfitters. 3 times the outfitters put extra clients on top of our hunts so we did not get the guides we had previously agreed upon. 2 times the guides had never even been in the area we hunted. 2 times the guides were 1st year rookie guides - at least they had been to guide school but they did not have hunting savy. I taught them how to hunt. Twice, we didn't get to hunt the area we had agreed upon. Once we were literally dumped into a cabin already in use by resident hunters. Beware of many outfitters. They do not make much money. I think many are close to just breaking even and they owe money for purchasing the guiding territory, equipment etc. So they are doing what they can to try to make a few extra dollars. I can understand their plight but I do not like being put upon by these guys. 2 in particular I would categorize as close to sleazy. And let me tell you I am not on these 2 client reference lists. Yes look with a cautious eye on the very selective client lists that outfitters send out. Greybeard/

[Herne]

I am sorry to hear that Greybeard. Its certainly true that there is not much money in guiding,but there are some good ones.

OTOH, you can only afford to be good if you charge enough....


One for Postoak and Hi Ball.

I have shot a very few in Africa...and the one I treasure above all is the Impala.

Kudu - everyone goes for. Eland - just big. Impala beautiful, very elegant, and the quintessential African animal (and cheap!).

That is the only one I wouldn't have gone away without, even if not the biggest.

And for Hi Ball - a 270 is all you need for Impala. No extra expense!!!!

[postoak]

I think you meant that last remark for me, not Hi-Ball, since he's got more rifles than a dog has fleas. :D But, I just got a call that my .35 Whelen has arrived at my local dealer, so it's a moot point, now.

Yes, I'm taking an Impala and a Warthog and a Kudu and a blue Wildebeest. I think those are on most people's lists. I'd also like to take an eland and a zebra, and one other, probably a gemsbok.

[Hi Ball]

Herne if we are going to speak of "BEAUTY" than get your act together and take a long hard look a a SABLE sir! Oh yes mate, have your account near by to hand over the trophy fee.:eek: :D :D :D

[Herne]

Yes, a sable is very fine, (and very expensive), very fine indeed. But for me its not quintessential Africa. I think the impala has great grace, and maybe because mine took a lot of getting, and if I may say so, it was quite a reasonable shot getting him in between all his girls!

They're all good fun!

don't forget the humble blesbok Postoak. Quite cheap, but quite large(ish0 and nicely impressive enough. Good stockingfiller - good vlaue IMO.

And like the impala, you can fit one into a reasonable sized house, which is a consideration. We have quite an old house with low ceilings, and the gemsbok is mounted a little above the skirting board, to get him in!!! :)

these elands and so on, unless you have an effing great stairwell, WGR, you don't realise just how darned big they are, and you need a baronial hall to mount them and still have some living space. My blesbok is mounted over the bog at my sister in laws! Sitting under a stuffed blesbok gives a new feeling of vibrance to the morning constitutional. (the bog being under the stars and having more height than average.)

[GF.]

That's pretty funny!

Once I figured out what a bog is :D (at least I think I figured out what it is...:o).

I count myself lucky for preferring Euro mounts, I guess - not that I'm thinking about where to put any Africans, but we have the same problem here with our Elk, of course - a shoulder mount on one of those needs a hell of a lot of very tall wall space before it starts looking like it's supposed to be there, and not just a trophy stuck wherever it would fit.