Unless you are a NM resident, it's quite an expensive hunt.

Don't they still run Oryx hunts in NM?? If memory serves, there used to be tags available on some military base. Don't know if that has changed after 9/11? In any event, Oryx is a great antelope to hunt - wary, tough, beautiful, even dangerous at times.
- mike

Kevin NY - - -

You said that perfect! Kevin!!!

I did 5 African Safaris, and once to Texas, never again to TX for African. I ended up not shooting anything in TX, it was a great place but after doing Africa nothing compares. Go to Africa!!!!!!!!! a real Safari!!!!!!!!!!!!

As always, Good Hunting!!!! Widowmaker416

I've been to Africa thrice and Texas never, though we are scheduled to go Dec. 05. Now I am an Africa addict, let there be no question thereabout, but . . . eland is the finest meat on four legs and you cannot, repeat CANNOT bring any back from Africa. You can from Texas. Not to diminish the reality of Africa but you might want to keep this in mind.

dear kbob

from personal experience, i would say try and get to africa. Texas might be fantastic for a long weekend, but 9 days is plenty of time to do a good PG hunt. I run some in RSA from the far east.

I have clients who only take 4 days, due to extreme work pressures here in the far east and we still get things done. Ok they may hunt in an area closer to human habitation and the farm may not be so big. 5000-7000 hectares, but it will still give you a great thrill. There is nothing like the african bush. I'm glad to be going back in November. I have a one end of season hunt to run and then i am doing some further research into the RSA scene.

cheers, tm.

I live in Texas. Over the past 30 years I have hunted most of the Exotic deer, goats and sheep.I have not hunted the African game, with one minor exception. I hunted Africa, late 70s in Zimbabwe-Rodesia and Namibia. The hunting in Texas is wonderful, if you hunt the right places, but it aint Africa! Africa is somewhere to go, if only once! Most exotic sheep/goats in Texas run between $500-$1000, deer $850-$2000 and super exotics are at least twice that or more. They are valuable assets to the ranchers and treated so. Most are kept in 640-3000 acre high game fenced areas. I don't want to start a fenced/freeroaming debate here because 5 square miles is a huge pasture, but many of the super exotics are watched and not hunted most of the time. This can lead them to be 'tame' at times. The harder an animal is hunted the warier he becomes. Don't get me wrong, these can be exciting hunts, but they are not Africa. My suggestion is to come and hunt an average or less than record book trophy on a ranch that offers super exotics. These should be at the low end of the prices. See for your self. One last sugesstion is to make sure that they hunt a mimimum of 3000 acres or so. my $.02, capt david

For plainsgame you can definitely do a 6 day hunt and relax in camp each night. If you want to do Buff you can do it in 5 to 7 days but it will mostly just be a buff hunt with the possibility of limited plains game if you get the bull early.

Is it possible to do a 6 or 7 day safari? I was under the impresson that african trips were at least multi-week affairs. Can you actually relax and experience africa in 6 days? Is a cape buffalo do-able in that period of time? If a weeklong safari is practical that would be the best way to go.
Thanks for the info

Hunting african game in the US is a far cry from the total experience of going to africa, you will pay more and get less. Get on the plane and go for a 6 or 7 day hunt, you really don't know what you are missing and you can do it for 5 grand including airfare. In TX you MIGHT get 1 or 2 animals for that price, in SA you could get 6 and more importantly the whole experience. When you look at the photos or mounts and tell your friends you went to TX they will yawn. When you tell them you just got back from a real african safari their eyes will light up and they will ask a million questions and you will relive the whole adventure over again every time and love it. African game in TX is false economy in the worst sense.

Hi all,
Is there anywhere in the US that one can hunt African species? I ask this because it is something I've always wanted to do however, at my current job I cannot get more than 9 days off in a row. Therefore travel time is severely limited. I had heard (read) that these opportunities might be available, possibly in Texas. Any information would be greatly appreciated. I know it won't be like the real thing but under the circumstances...
Thanks.

Do a search for exotics in Texas. It may take a few hours and you can find just about anything, only for a PRICE!!!
Jeff in Texas

Jeff is right, but look carefully at costs as a US "safari" can be 3-5 times as expensive as an African trip. Work on the boss to allow more time off and do it right, you'll never regret it.

DC300

The above posts are correct in stating that African animals hunted in the US will cost you significantly more than when hunted in their native habitat. Further, the authenticity of the experience is dubious at best.

There is one African species in the US that can be hunted under truly fair-chase conditions and is rarely hunted in its native African habitat. If you were to hunt the Barbary sheep or Aoudad in Sudan it would cost you about $12K but in West Texas the hunts run about $2500-$3000. If you have an itch for Indian game, there are also free roaming Nilgai hunts to be had in Texas for under $2K I believe. I am actually considering a Barbary Sheep hunt in January. Damn I wish I could hunt them here!



Best,



JohnTheGreek

You know many huntable African species are available for hunting in the US except dangerous game. The one thing that has always struck me is that I can't recall the pygmy antelopes being offered (duikers, steenbok, grysbok, oribi, dik-dik, klipspringer, etc.)

kbobb: You can hunt about any of the African game, except Dangerous game in Texas. Some of the prices aren't as bad as they would lead you to believe. I've seen good prices on non-trophy Eland and a few others. You can also hunt free ranging Gemsbok in New Mexico. I have not hunted African game in Texas, but I did shoot a Nilgai(Indian).

kbobb:
While some of the purists would argue that hunting on a fenced ranch in Texas is not fair chase, there are some large ranches in S. Texas offering African game hunts.

Due to age/health constraints, will probably never get to Africa so did the next best thing and took this eland on an 11,000 acre ranch w/normal cattle fences. Since the eland is capable of jumping (and quite often does) these fences, I would argue the fair chase aspect of such a hunt.



This ranch has ADDAX, Waterbuck, Lechwe, Scimitar horn Oryx as well as Nilgai.

Would I rather hunt Africa, sure, but S. Texas is not all that bad either.

Regards,
hm

HM How is Fred? I have a similar picture at the same gate in the fence. Nice hunt they put on. All booked up next year I understand. We hunted there for a number of years running. Good hunting. "D"

D:
Fred's doing fine. He is a ball to hunt with, isn't he.
I do understand they were booked up solid when I last saw Fred in April.

Regards,
hm

HM1996,
If you don't mind, what was the name of the outfit you hunted with in that photo?
Thanks

Yes, you can do buffalo for as little as 5 days, but will it be relaxing? Will it be a great African experience? Not as good as a longer hunt, say like 10 days. It's an awful long flight to just be there 5 days.

You could do fairly well with a 7 day plains game hunt in RSA. I'd steer away from packages if you want to short your time like that. I've got a great concession in Limpopo where you could do very well. If you are interested, please drop me an email.

aspenhill@triton.net

kbobb,
kevin & ann have both given very accurate responses above.
you can do an either or scenario in 5-7 days. but not likely both. as far as "the entire african experience", i don't think you can do that on just one trip anyway, thats why we keep going back (or trying to anyway)!!

i jumped on a "buff special" last october, i shot a really nice dugga boy on the last morning of the hunt, didn't shoot any plains game, but i have "been amongst them", yes i am going back, yes it will be for a longer period of time & will be able to do much more of the relaxed hunt approach (with the limited time frame, we camped out in the bush, live lean, pushed hard, got sick but hunted thru it).
BUT my personal priority was the buff, the rest of it will come as i get the chance, so i do not regret going on a short hunt at all. in fact i was advised (well meant) to just save up for another 6 months & go this year on a longer combo hunt. due to a business partner shall we say screwing me over, the situation has made a full 180 degree turnaround & my financial state has taken a backwards turn to the point that it may be several years before i am able to get well enough to go back & wouldn't have been able to go this year.

plus i have flown nearly as far several times to asia & spent as much to hunt just one critter.

this is the nice thing about having options, what my priority was might not match anyone elses, but i am darned glad i jumped on the chance that i did.
mike

I went on my first African hunt to Namibia two years ago. It was for six days in the field. With carefully planned travel arrangements, you can go and return inside of your alloted nine days. I belive I took ten days from my house and back.

I killed a kudu, gemsbok, blesbok, two springbok, blue wildebeest, steenbok, zebra, warthog, doves and guinea hens and finished all in five days. The sixth day, I rested, and cooked some of the game I shot. I am aching to go back, but like a poster above have suffered business setbacks that will prevent me from going again in the near future.

kbobb

Check out Camp Cooley in Texas near Buffalo. Several of the AR posters and have I hunted there. We hunted Eland and wild pigs with our double rifles. We had a good time and a good hunt. We stalked our Eland on foot. The meat is very good.

I have also heard of an outfit in Florida that hunts water buff, but I do not have any first hand knowledge of their operation.