An aquaintance called to tell me about a RSA package hunt he was seriously considering. First, he was told it was on a 700,000 acre property. It was for 10 days and included 10 "guaranteed" animals, all for $5999. The ten animals list included hyroks (sp? aka dossies), springhare, jackal, and a baboon. The next four were the usual $200-300 stuff; duiker, steenbok, impala, and warthog. The remaining two animals were a bushbuck and an eastern cape kudu.

To my way of thinking, that is a six animal hunt and not a particularly good deal.

If it's a really nice facility let's make some assumptions and add them up:

10 days @ $350/day = $3500 (assuming 1x1)
Eastern Cape Kudu = 800
impala = 300 (your figure)
warthog = 250 (cheap)
bushbuck = 500 (a steal)

Total $5300 plus or minus a couple of hundreds??? not to inclued other game??? which should result in a refund if not taken and guaranteed????

700,000 acres is the real questionable figure, (I don't think 20 folks have exclusive control of that much dirt in RSA) but adding the game animal and paying a higher end daily rate for good accomidations and 1x1, it doesn't sound so bad to me.... but only if the game is there in quantities and quality sufficent whereby one would expect to take the entire package. Springhare, hyroks, jackals don't usually count.

I haven't been in that market for a while, but am contemplating a hunt in 2006 (this summer) for my 16 year-old daughter to do something like this... but will have a black wildebeest and a gemsbok for me.. who knows?

Save your money it's not hunting in the Eastern Cape. Anytime you have "guaranteed animals" your getting sucked into a scam. Save the difficult airtravel and just hunt in Texas. The aniamls there are not indiginous either!

700,000 acres is very likely what is owned in this dirt cheap habitat, the bigger question is what does the land owner have to hunt on. Countless people there have insane acreage but limited areas to hunt.

That 700K might have 500K in Agriculture including orchards and vinyards that he leases out. Then you might have another 150K in livestock, and dairy. Then another 5-10K in roads and water course. Which leaves you to 5-10K in a high fence hunting operation that is pre stocked with the game you want before you arrive.

If you want to "target shoot" animals it's a great choice. If you want to hunt for wild animals that life in natural habitat indiginous to their area............well you better look a bit further north of there!

For this kind of money one can go to Namibia and shoot a 50"+ kudu, eland, a couple gemsbok, springbok, and warthog.

JJHack:

I tried to be a bit more diplomatic and get the guy thinking... but I think you're most probably right. The offer is possibly a good deal, but you'd better be sure where you go and with whom... again, it may be great, but I'd do some serious verifining.

Still, where in RSA isn't a fence an issue to some... not necessarily for me, but please give me your thoughts on RSA vice Namibia.... It's usually cheaper, I believe??? But then transportatin may be more?

What a prospective hunter needs to do is listen to refereneces like Saeed and Don G have given to you... That's the way to go. Listen to folks you trust.


Ernest

quote:

hyroks (sp? aka dossies), springhare, jackal, and a baboon. duiker, steenbok, impala, and warthog. The remaining two animals were a bushbuck and ana Cape Kudu

Rock Hyrax or dassie

I really don't think that's any kind of deal!

Matt

Is this for real OR are you just doing a basic wind up of the guests

Reason I ask is for a start that is in Africa Terms truly a basic (6-animal hunt) as I see it, NOT a 10 animal hunt. If it is sold as a genuine 10-animal hunt then I personally believe it is bordering on false pretence marketing !!!

I dont class dassies springhare jackal and baboon as true game species per se.

Dassie and springhare are as close to rodents as makes no differance, and baboon & jackal are scavengers and (very very low cost species) proberbly $50 max each. Some operators might throw them in for free on a basic plains game hunt.

IMHO it is basically 6-animals for 6K which is reasonably OK price wise if it included say 3 of the larger plains game animals, but is really only includes 2, being kudu and bushbuck, with the three small being Duiker Steenbok & Impala, with a warthog.

So in summary I dont say it is a rip off but it is using (creative marketing terminolgy) which might be OK to hook a first time uninformed Africa hunter, but I dont believe the seasoned Africa hunter would like it a lot

Cheers, Peter

Matt,
Could you please contact me at rkmojo@aol.com

Matt,

It would be interesting to know who the outfitter is and where they are located.

The $5999 is a common "sticker price" these days but the trophy list is rather puny as others have noted.

For ten actual hunting days, plus the arrival and departure days, including airport pick ups/drop offs, no days lost to extensive travel, assuming a decent lodge and provisions, it isn't a "bad deal" - but there are better packages out there.

And if it is in the Eastern Cape [in spite of Mr. Hacks comments above, there is hunting done there!] it is also Malaria free so that's one thing removed from the "worry" list!

A little internet research, or comparing the packages offered or referred here on AR will probably find a better list of trophies for a similar or better price. We all have our favorites, but you must compare them and listen to the references!

Les

With 4000 to 5000 safari operators in RSA, it is difficult to sort the wheat from the chaff. Your deal does not sound quite right based on my experience. Here is why -

1. There are no 700,000 ranches in RSA that are known or well known.

2. Dossies, springhare, jackals and baboons are usually "no charge" in RSA as they are targets of opportunity rather than an intended species.

3. The average going rate in RSA for a 10 day, 6 animal hunt is about $5000 to $5500 depending on the animals included.

4. Run away from the words "gauranteed". I took the bait on a Red Lechwe hunt in RSA. It was 400 animals in a 1000 acre feeding pen. Did not shoot and told the operator no thanks for that kind of hunt.

5. No mention of springbok or blesbok? Those are the core of most RSA hunts.

I would shop a little more if I were you.

LHowell, you're correct regarding my post on this topic. The way it's written after reading it this morning, does not sound as it came from my mind last night. I suppose I assumed many of the visitors already understood this.

There are a few limited indigenous big game species in the EC. Probably a 1/2 dozen that actually live there as God intended. These are truly fair game and a great hunt, no argument no issue for me. The remainder are game farmed or stocked on these properties for the purpose of shooting them.

Several of the properties I worked with prior to my “learning the ropes†back then had game trucked in based on the hunter’s desires prior to each season. These are nearly an identical hunt to a Texas Exotics hunt.

It's best to do this very simple check. Get yourself a South African animal book that has the shaded geographic areas for the habitat that each animal lives in. Look at the Eastern Cape and see for yourself how many species exist there naturally.

The EC is still popular for first time hunters because when they get back home they can tell any story they like to friends and family who have no clue how things work. Many of the hunters who have been there and actually shot these animals don't realize this happened!

Many Americans in their minds have this vision of the huge migration of wildebeest across the Serengeti when they hear the story of the hunter’s trip. They all seem to believe that all the animals live throughout the entire country.

Run. Do not walk. RUN from these types of hunts. There are NO guarantees in hunting unless they are penned. Like posted above there are no 700,000 acre ranches in the RSA. Look for an honest Booking agent, look on the internet and for God Sakes take your time. There are a reported 9500 game farms in the RSA. Go slow. Money is to hard to come by and be sure and spend it wisely.

JJHack

I'm merely disappointed that you have fallen into denouncing all East Cape hunting based on your "several" experiences there when you were learning the ropes. Is EVERY outfitter there the same? Seems unlikely to me.

I feel that East Cape hunting is THE MOST popular because they offer the best value for the money for the majority of US hunters.

Most oufitters are easy to get to, which saves a working persons time. No Malaria issue. A large selection of native and introduced species to choose from without repeated trips or days lost driving to distant hunting areas to hunt non - native species.

To say that we go there only so we can afterward "tell stories" about our hunting prowess is an insult to the majority of the hunters that go to South Africa.

We'll just have to disagree on this. I've been to Texas - it's not the same.

Les

That's why its there, for those that don't care about a full bag plains game hunt for "introduced species"

If that makes you happy then it's a good fit.

However let me also state that my Learning curve was not as a nonresident sport hunter, but rather as a resident employee in the safari industry.

The no malaria area is not a realistic selling point. You can hunt for all the speices you like where they live naturally in a non-malaria area just as easy, and with less travel.

Yes you're correct it is an insult to those who claim to have hunted for the game they shot off a farm geared to raise "introduced species" for the purpose of inexperienced unknowledgable Americans coming to hunt.

Sonuds like your offended by this, as you very well should be!

I know we as americans love package hunts, but like everyone else said take your time and look around. On many package hunts you may take one of the species listed, but it might be an average representative of the animal and not a slammer you might want. According to the PHASA, animals in a package that are not hunted are subject to VAT. Currently VAT is 14%. So you may wind up paying more then if you just picked the animals you want to hunt. Just my two cents.

I last hunted in RSA in '99, and both outfitters I hunted with on those hunts did not charge VAT.

I noticed in the International terminal in the Jo'Burg airport going out that you could apply for and receive a rebate by the government for VAT taxes paid (with documentation).

Does that still happen?

jim

JJHack,

OK, OK, I give up. I'm just happy to be able to hunt in South Africa - anywhere.

It's just so tedious hearing this same song and dance, and it's almost always from outfitters with hunts to sell elsewhere in South Africa.

You've gotten your point out there and I hope I have too - there are different opinions.

Les

Hunter Jim-

If the current regs are still correct regarding VAT in SA, you do not pay VAT on the animals you take. You pay VAT on day fees and items that you purchase. You can get a refund for the items purchased but not for services (day fees). If you buy a package hunt since services (day fees) and animals are lumped together you are paying VAT.

Of course when you go to the counter in Johannesburg to get the refund of VAT on the items you are taking out of the country, you need to show them the items. This is, of course, after you have checked your bags containing all the gifts, trinkets, etc that you are taking out!

They don't REALLY want to give you back that 14%.

Les