ladies and gentlemen ,
i thought i would paste in the questions page from my website as you gear up for reno ...many people right here on AR are talking about their first trip there ...this should help you decide ...never be afraid of asking too many questions ...thats how you find out what you need to know ...

• Have you been to Africa on a hunt like I am proposing to book?
An agent that has, will be well able to answer your questions with a lot more detail than one who hasn’t. You will be able to ask him details about the outfitter and experience that he would not know from hearsay.

• Do you have clients who have been on a hunt like I am proposing to book? if so, could I please have their contact info so I can contact them as references?
He should have a list of people he has booked. Except in extreme cases or very different hunts, you don’t want to be the first he has ever sent.

• Is there a choice of operators that you use in the area and if so what are the differences?
They may not know of other operators and there may be better operators that they simply don’t know about. Also, they may only work with operators that give the best commissions, not necessarily the best hunting.

• What factors have you used when choosing the operators? Is it service, cost, or trophy quality?
Again, make sure that they have chosen the place with the best experience, not just the place that gives them the best commissions.

• Can I see photos of my key animals taken in the area that you are about to send me? Also, please include the hunters name and date.
The outfitter should have a bunch of these. Some will be likely to send the best of the last five years. Make sure that there are some medium to low quality trophies in the mix!!

• How many of this particular animal are taken in the area each year where I will be going?
The importance of this question varies with the species. Regarding buffalo, an area that can support removal of 50 bulls may only be able to support removal of two lions.

• Is the area fenced or free range?
Very important...a ranch adjacent to a great game reserve means nothing if its totally fenced.

• If the ranch is fenced, how large is the property we will be hunting? Are there internal fences, and is the camp inside the area we will be hunting?
Some outfitters will tell you that they hunt 100,000 acres. This may be true, but the acres may be split between 10 properties, which is less than ideal. You can find yourself doing more traveling than hunting.

• Will I be the only hunter in the CAMP?
This is a key issue with smaller areas. Some areas of over 1 million acres its not a big issue. It comes down to personal preference.

• Will I be the only hunter in the AREA?
Again, importance is relative to the size of the area, and also to the species being shot. A leopard hunter will in no way effect an elephant hunter.

this is by no means a comprehensive or exhaustive list ...hope it helps , good luck and enjoy the show ....

That is a pretty good list. If you look in the African Reference and Information Board here, you will see Terry Carr's list of questions for the outfitter/PH/references as well.

Ivan, in your spare time, find me a 5-day bull elephant hunt where the outfitter can guarantee me 100 lbs., or maybe 90 if nothing better comes along, for no more than $500 daily rate, that includes any surcharges, fuel charges, hard alcohol charges, the trophy fee, dipping and packing, any ground transfers or air charters, and any PH tips.

do you want a polar bear with that because that will add $40 to your daily rate , of course we guarantee bears ten foot and above trophy fee on the bear is an additional $270

oh and by the way from what i hear you never did figure in a tip ...you are softening

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
Ivan, in your spare time, find me a 5-day bull elephant hunt where the outfitter can guarantee me 100 lbs., or maybe 90 if nothing better comes along, for no more than $500 daily rate, that includes any surcharges, fuel charges, hard alcohol charges, the trophy fee, dipping and packing, any ground transfers or air charters, and any PH tips.

I'll go $600.00......and happy with 80 lbs

WHERE DO I SIGN ?!?!

Will,

For that Price I want a Merkel in .470 thrown in. There has to be some incentive to pay that much!

IVan,

I saw an interesting show about a lady artist and her experiences in Africa. In many of the shots I could see you there, getting her close to the game so she could make sketches and seeing detail she would have probably never seen through binocs. Very impressive.

_BAxter

thanks baxter , yes we got very close , it was filmed over seven years ....we actaully traveled through several countries in africa making that film ...

What to ask for? How about a Bushmills straight up? And then we can talk a bit about arrangements for my $600 per diem elephant hunt...