Every time I get a new Guns and Ammo, or other magazine, and Boddington or someone else is there talking about how "affordable" African hunting is, I get a knot in my sphinctor. I am starting to hear stories from salesmen who call on me, about how so-and-so just came back from a S-A hunt (which starts me on a whole other safari-snob thing).

I just wish they'd stick to white-tails and turkey in the hunting rags and leave the safari stuff to SCI, African Hunter, Gazette etc.. We don't need more people headed over, or am I just being selfish?

Yes, You're being selfish but I feel exactly the same on this issue. Once you've taken most of the plains game the other hunting opportunities are dwindling IMO. We must go while we can. The tidal wave of hunters going to Africa is only beginning and DG prices are going nowhere but up.

Guys,

I know this will sound self serving but what if in the next few years there are way more people wanting to book safaris than are available? If that is the case I think you'll find safari companies taking on new areas and revitalizing concessions that have lain fallow for years. Expansion takes money and increased demand means money. The opening of new areas equals increased opportunities for us all.

Last year I hunted the old Safrique area in Mozambique. Basically nothing had been done there since the 70's and the game was descimated. Mokore took over the area and after just a few years has a core area with fantastic hunting. With more demand they will continue to develop the other 700,000 acres they have there.

Safari hunting is a supply and demand business and like anyother business demand will be good for everybody.

Now if you guys are bemoaning the fact that increased interest in safaris will somehow infringe on your personal experience and increase prices you maybe right. On the other hand in the long run you may have better hunting and more varied choices than ever before.

Mark

Times are definitely changing but I still see a lot of opportunities. There is much more available than I can personally do. I see deals all of the time that are interesting.

Sounds like the green eyed monster has hold of you..Your jealous beyond belief in that you resent others successes.

I see nothing snobish about folks that go to Africa and I know for a fact, that many that go are less afluent than you might think, but they are willing to give up the new car or don't live in an over financed home and save for years, and use their hard earned money to fulfill their lifes dream of going to Africa...others choose to drive big cars, live in a big house, and spend the same money on other things, and I hold no contempt for them.

All I know is , that I am leaving tonight for my third trip to Africa
I am so excited I can't concentrate on work

I kinda feel just the opposite.
I wish more folks would go to Africa, then maybe drawing a western states tag would be easier. Africa is easy, just book a hunt in whatever year you want to go, write the check and get ready. Getting into prime mountain game areas is getting more expensive every year, plus a guy might wait for 10yrs to draw the tag!

Reminds me of an anecdote told by Elmer Keith or Jack O'Connor about a postman in Idaho. He had a passion to go to Africa, so built a house in his spare time, sold it and went. He did this several times.

Of course, those were different times, but I think people generally manage to do what they deeply desire.

I hunted Colorado,Idaho, and Wyoming for 30 yrs (thanks in part to being employed by an airline). Then every year brought more and more nimrods just like me looking for something more exotic than a whitetail deer. Good areas were either overrun or had hunting limited. Then except for private ranches and real wilderness the four wheeler took the place of stalking.

I don,t have a lot of money but , but probably have more than I do time left. We leave for Zim in late May(hopefully) for Our 9th trip. The wave to Africa is well under way and even a real African junkie like Me can see that more good opportunity is being lost than added. Most of the really good areas and outfitters are already booked a year or years in advance. (I haven't run into a bad one yet!) At any rate I am truly thankful and humbled by the opportunity to experience Africa.

I'm running out of time and money. In a couple of years, I won't be able to chase some 28 year old PH through the bush. Can't do it now, really, but I'm going back next year to try. Luckily, I'm going as the guest of a wealthy friend, so I'll get what is likely my last shot at buffalo in Masailand. If I'm still around.

quote:

Originally posted by Adrian Parham:
Yes, You're being selfish but I feel exactly the same on this issue. Once you've taken most of the plains game the other hunting opportunities are dwindling IMO. We must go while we can. The tidal wave of hunters going to Africa is only beginning and DG prices are going nowhere but up.

You will be right for about 5 more years although the recession will cool things.

I always find it interesting how momentum sways peoples opinions. Something going up will always go up, etc. Reminds me of some sayings about real estate and some garbage about not making anymore.

The truth is that demand for Safaris is being heavily driven by baby boomers right now. They finally have some extra money, extra time, and want to get some adventure in while they still can. This is at most a 10 year window that probably started 3-4 years ago and is most likely peaking right now.

The number of people hunting is steadly dropping yet the amount spent on hunting is going up. Again this is baby boomers, but this window is limited. The vast majority of BB have not saved enough for retirement and their health is a closing window.

Less hunters equals less hunting trips anywhere in the world in only a 5-10 more years.

For safaris, this is the new and possibly last golden age. The demand has opened up great areas and supported a huge industry. The deals will come at the end of the boom as countries and outfitters struggle to survive and then many will go under.

Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING the baby boomers have done from buying gerber baby food to McMansions in the last few years has been a boom then bust scenerio and this will be no different.

You can do the numbers on anything hunting related too. What do you think the market will be like 10 years from now when for big bores and doubles when baby boomers are no longer going to Africa? Less hunters with less money and less trips to Africa equals plummeting value. You can bank on that.

The only thing for sure the that baby boomers will convince themselves that this time it will be different, and again it won't be.

Very good points Geoff. The market is global though. The influence of the Baby Boomers (USA) migt not be that important when compared to the new demand that will begin to be felt from places like Rusia and China. Did you know that the city with the most Billionairs is Moscow?

quote:

Originally posted by JohnAir:
Very good points Geoff. The market is global though. The influence of the Baby Boomers (USA) migt not be that important when compared to the new demand that will begin to be felt from places like Rusia and China. Did you know that the city with the most Billionairs is Moscow?

The US has far an away the largest population of hunters and makes up the majority of Safari goers. Also the above mentioned scenerio is only worse in most other countries. Just look at England who has basically banned all firearms. The hunting population there falls off a cliff. Canada and Australia haven't been much kinder to gun ownership.

As for other countries taking up the slack and having the finacial resources, most don't have hunting and gun cultures an even if they do they don't have the funds. Per capita income in China is $2,458 and Russia is $9,096. The US is $45,793.

It is going to take a lot of growth in those countries to get in the game and even if they did I'm not so sure they'd spend any of the money on hunting.

I can handle another 10 years of Golden age of safaris followed by a decade of bargains. With currency flucuations my price is now half of what it was just a few years ago. The mental picture of aging baby boomers with inadequite retirement funds dumping their double rifles for a song is just iceing on the cake.

ATKINSON

You obviously misunderstood my post. Those pictures are of ME. I have been, and will go again, and I forgo a lot of luxuries to finance it. When I referenced snobbery, it was ME I'm talking about.

You make your money sending people over. I make mine when they stay home and fix their teeth!

Interesting post from Geoff and that is his area of expertise I believe. That being the case, I should be able to enjoy the next 30 years if there are no health issues.

I'm about the same age as you Yukon. If his predictions are correct, we should have some good hunting later!

If you are interested in hunting Africa, then the mags with those stories will sell. However, I don't trust Boddington. That is because he puts his name on just about anything/everything. I don't care how many hunts he has been on. When I see an article of his in any mag or SCI publication, I avoid it and would not buy a product just because he endorses it. That does not mean I wouldn't buy the product, just wouldn't buy it on his endorsement alone. Just my opinion.

I looked at guided hunts in the USA and the prices are rediculous to me. When you compare them to what you can get in Africa I think Africa looks like a bargain. I am well below the six figure income, but I can afford to go. As someone already said, it just depends on how bad you want to go and what you can give up to make it happen. I had planned to go in 2008, but health issues prevented it. I pray I can go before I'm dead. Things are improving, so now I'm planning for May of 2009. For those of you who have been there, good for you. For those who are thinking about it, do it while you still can.