I was looking at some hunting numbers and most say the U.S. has about 12.5 million hunters. This is a person that is 16 years and above that hunt all game. Of these, 10.7 million hunt big game.
I'm curious of these 10.7 million big game hunters, what percent go on an African Safari?

Like I said, I'm just curious

MauserK98

I couldn't even venture a guess, but it has to be a minuscule number. The vast majority of people, including hunters, are just trying to keep the bills paid, much less worry about something as insignificant as an African safari.

I completely agree with JGRaider.
The percentage would be very very small when compared to the total number of American hunters.
Most hunters are finding the best they can do is a deer hunt and a few birds each year.
Time and money are certainly the largest limiting factors!
Zeke

Less than 1% would be my guess.

Most do not know that for the cost of a guided elk hunt in Colorado or NM, they can go to South Africa or Namibia and shoot 4 to 8 great animals and have a great hunt.

Those who hunt Africa regularly probably number in the hundreds, not the thousands. Those who have done it once maybe push it into four figures. I'm guessing very few in total, probably less than 10,000.

A very small fraction of 1% at best!

quote:

Originally posted by dogcat:
Less than 1% would be my guess.

Most do not know that for the cost of a guided elk hunt in Colorado or NM, they can go to South Africa or Namibia and shoot 4 to 8 great animals and have a great hunt.

Let's be honest.....most people don't have $8-15,000 to waste on a hunting trip for anything.

Of the percent that do hunt Africa, what percent post here?

quote:

Originally posted by JGRaider:

quote:

Originally posted by dogcat:
Less than 1% would be my guess.

Most do not know that for the cost of a guided elk hunt in Colorado or NM, they can go to South Africa or Namibia and shoot 4 to 8 great animals and have a great hunt.

Let's be honest.....most people don't have $8-15,000 to waste on a hunting trip for anything.

Waste? Seriously? A pack a day smoker spends $3,600 a year. Few of them think it's a waste until they are diagnosed with the result of their smoking.

I'm not debating that many do not have $8,000 - $15,000 they view as discretionary spending but many of them also spend money on unnecessary items throughout the year that could easily add up to a safari every three years.

I guarantee some of those people that have been to Africa got there because they realized exactly what I did. You have to work towards it like any other goal.

Of those that go, few would argue the trip wasn't priceless.

quote:

Originally posted by JGRaider:

quote:

Originally posted by dogcat:
Less than 1% would be my guess.

Most do not know that for the cost of a guided elk hunt in Colorado or NM, they can go to South Africa or Namibia and shoot 4 to 8 great animals and have a great hunt.

Let's be honest.....most people don't have $8-15,000 to waste on a hunting trip for anything.

Checking in to say that I piss away $15,000 every year on an African safari. Probably should stop doing that and do something useful with the money.

I INVEST as much of my money as possible in yearly trips to Africa or South America. I piss away the rest on food, mortage, car payments and health insurance.

Works for me.

I associate with 35-40 hunters on a regular basis, outside hunting forums. None have been to Africa, most want to. I've been lucky to go a handful of times but one really has to put their priorities in order.

At at about $250k per kid (not counting any college), my high income neighbor is looking at least $1,000,000.00 he will not be able to hunt with. He says Africa is only for the rich. Poor guy doesn't understand math or economics or both.

On the other side my logging friend has multiple trips to Alaska, plus NZ an AUS, and several trips to Africa, his last for a Zim Lion.

I would suggest that almost anyone who is willing to sacrifice a bit can hunt Africa at least once in their life.

quote:

Originally posted by Navaluk:
At at about $250k per kid (not counting any college), my high income neighbor is looking at least $1,000,000.00 he will not be able to hunt with. He says Africa is only for the rich. Poor guy doesn't understand math or economics or both.

On the other side my logging friend has multiple trips to Alaska, plus NZ an AUS, and several trips to Africa, his last for a Zim Lion.

I would suggest that almost anyone who is willing to sacrifice a bit can hunt Africa at least once in their life.

Are we equating having less kids (household expense) to having more money left over for hunting in Africa.

Hunting in Africa or any high end trophy hunting is just a very discretionary expenditure. It is just like a very expensive vacation. We can try and make it out to be something more but at the end of the day it is just a very expensive vacation. It is purely discretionary activity.

For a cheap/frugal person like myself (I think of myself as a value investor so being cheap/frugal is hopefully a occupational positive) I spend an awful lot of money in relative terms on hunting-vacations. This habit does seem strange and peculiar to people who know me and even to myself at times.

All that said I am going to Burkina in 9 days.

Mike

First career is over. Retirement income is for living expenses. Paid for both kids through college. Both cars are paid for. The house is 1/2 what we could afford, but we chose to "downsize." Post-retirement job is almost all about "living;" travel, giving generously, drinking wine, and making up for years on the road, etc...

When, God willing, I'm old I'm going to sit in my easy chair by the fire, look at my African and other trophies on the wall, and let the memories wash over me like the smooth whiskey I'll be sipping. Now and then me and my gorgeous bride will talk about our last trip and plan our next. That's a wise investment of my money...in my world.

I took the advice -- if you can keep from going, do. If it is important, find a way to go NOW. There's not enough whitetail, whiskey or work that will make up for what's important to you personally. Lots of people "need" a new car and a certain house or whatever more than to go on safari. Twenty years between new cars allowed me to do a little of what was very important to me. Sorry JG, it wasn't insignificant after all.

Wink got it right. Craig Boddington told me once; "The number of Americans that travel to Africa, to hunt is around 10,000 a year."

He told me that is why outdoor television has sooo many whitetail and turkey hunts and so few QUALITY African programs.

Dont really know the number of hunters going to Africa but with 7000-9000 game farms in RSA there must be more than 10,000 american hunters going to Africa.

Looking at the attached link 290,086 people came from the USA from January to October 2013.

South African Tourism

Any guesses on how many where hunters, non hunting tourist or business people?

Jim

quote:

Originally posted by Frostbit:

quote:

Originally posted by JGRaider:
Let's be honest.....most people don't have $8-15,000 to waste on a hunting trip for anything.

Waste? Seriously? A pack a day smoker spends $3,600 a year. Few of them think it's a waste until they are diagnosed with the result of their smoking.

I'm not debating that many do not have $8,000 - $15,000 they view as discretionary spending but many of them also spend money on unnecessary items throughout the year that could easily add up to a safari every three years.

I guarantee some of those people that have been to Africa got there because they realized exactly what I did. You have to work towards it like any other goal.

Of those that go, few would argue the trip wasn't priceless.

Since the average median income of families in the USA is close to $51,000, to them I'm sure spending $8000+ in after tax income on a hunting trip would be a waste of money. That was the point.


"Checking in to say that I piss away $15,000 every year on an African safari. Probably should stop doing that and do something useful with the money." You said it Muletrain, not me.

I personally don't think it's a waste of money either. I hunt as much as I can, have taken one trip to Africa, and will go again. I consider myself fortunate, but I've also been very blessed.

Not the OP question , but there are quite a few that could afford it . But it is not as high on their list. Or not at all.

There are quite a few high end cars sold, even a Ford F 250 is bumping $65,000 . There are lots of fishing guys with big boats, and guys paying $10,000 for deer or bird leases . But that is the thing they want most. And that says nothing of the lake and beach houses or vacation homes and Las Vegas types. We all know samples from all of those.

But Africa takes a little more adventurous type.

It helps to have something other than hunting on the plan too if you are having your family on safari with you .

There is more advance planning if you are taking your family . One thing for me now is that aspect. When it was just me and one airfare and Ican blast in to hunt or fish and blast out I went more places away . But for the type of trip we take now we need a couple of weeks minimum and we have 3 or 4 or us . So we have to schedule and budget a bit more.

Well except in 2015 when we are all going for several weeks . I have to lay off and pay off for a couple of years after that LOL .

I know guys who spend more than a nice plains game safari skiing or golfing in a year or two . They hunt a bit too . But that is what they like. I am lucky as I don't care too much about skiing or golf.

But a lot of guys still just want to have fun with their buddies hunting in their state or close to home and go more times . I have tried several times to get buddies of mine to go who could easily afford to hunt in Africa. That was unsuccessful except once. But more successful on something like dove hunting in Argentina or Mexico .

But if that stops them, I really stopped them over the last couple of days. I saw Marks DIY hunt in Alaska and asked several guys about it. Not one even gave it a breath that they would even remotely consider it. LOL .

According to the book by Lytle "A short Safari Adventure Among Africa's thorny bushveld wildlife, book 2, Hunting there were 16,000 Leisure hunters to the southern SADC countries that spent $190 million and an average of$ 17.3 thousand per hunter. 60 percent were from USA

So the 10,000 holds or about 0.1 % of Americans hunting .

The per cent age is skewed by young and older persons but even if you cut it down by half and throw out for highs and lows it still is in that 1% range.

You generally need a few more experiences under your belt before Africa appeals to you . So you have to mature and maybe get a little (gasp) grey hair.

quote:

Originally posted by dogcat:
Less than 1% would be my guess.

Most do not know that for the cost of a guided elk hunt in Colorado or NM, they can go to South Africa or Namibia and shoot 4 to 8 great animals and have a great hunt.

Way, Way, Way less than 1%. It is a really, really small number.

To a certain degree hunting like investing has a home country bias. People/hunters just like being around home and hunting stuff they grew up hunting.

I am pretty sure a lot of high end quail hunters spend far more on their hunting than a lot of african big game hunters do.

Mike

after going elk hunting out west four times i soon figure out that i could go to africa for almost the same money and see so much more game. the only thing that sucks is the plane ride over there. i have ask a few friend if they would like to go but most think its to far to go hunting but will spend almost the same time sitting in a truck driving out west.

Trying to find some more numbers on Gov databases but S A alone has over. 2.5 million foreigners enter country by air and sea in 2012

Not US but found this....
Around 600,000 tourists travel from the UK to Zambia for a Zambia safari /holiday each year.

Very few of my friends have any interest in going on safari, that includes the ones that could actually afford it.
Main reasons are:
1. Too far
2. Too expensive
3. Too dangerous
I think they just lack an adventurous spirit.