It goes way beyond the fee increase in comparison to the cost of the hunt. As years have gone by we have found that many things that were included in years gone by, now have fee attached. Then the fees have continued to increase and they find new and wonderful ways to add in extra fees and taxes for all sorts of things that were never in the picture in any shape or form previously.

All this crying about North American fees and rates........ and yet we are paying staff and guides WAY more money than staff in Africa. If we tagged on a fee to deliver trophies to taxidermists people on here would have a haemorrhage, but it is fine for Africa. Dip and pack use to be included but not now.......no extra fee. Say why don't North American outfitters charge more for getting things beyond the initial skinning?

How about if every state and province charged a big firearms fee, an extra hunter fee per day, an area fee for certain parts of said province or state. No YOU GUYS WOULD SCREAM BLOODY MURDER ABOUT IT...... but you just pay it in Africa cause you need to go there to feed the illness.

How about Europe. Maybe I should charge a sliding scale on black bears, depending on size.
Moose outfitters should charge a sliding scale on antler score. The screams would be heard in Alaska.

You guys pay trophy fees on African game per head that covers the cost of the ENTIRE hunt in North America.......... ya you know where the guides are getting $150 or so per day instead of per month and equipment and supplies cost just as much to fly into the middle of nowhere here as to get into the middle of nowhere in Africa.

Hell a couple years ago I was managing a lodge in northern Canada in the summer between my spring and fall hunts. The flights in and out of the lodge from the charter base were $6000 per flight. Fuel came in on a plane or on a winter road........ the winter road, plowed by cats, would set the operator back about $75,000 for opening it and getting a few trips in and out.

Much of northern Canada and Alaska is far more remote than most of Africa's "remote" areas. Year in and year out the operators have to get everything in and out with planes. No roads, period.

Even with the easily accessible areas the costs for staff and fuel and supplies are still steep. So when I see people paying $3,000, $6,000 and more just for trophy fees on plains game I shake my head.

They have seen us coming for a long time and they are busy bleeding the golden goose dry. Time people sat back and do a bit of critical thinking on things.

The other issue that has always pissed me off and few talk about is the padding on trophy fees. Government sets a trophy fee rate and then operators tack on a few hundred, or thousand, to the trophy fee to help pad the $2000 or more a day, daily rates. Few ever call foul on this and it is something that once again, no one would tolerate on North American hunts.

Moose hunts............ non-resident moose licence is $350, so the outfitter then jacks it up to $1,000. You guys would be like a lynch mob, but when it is routinely done by operators in Africa you just ignore it.

To those of you running great outfits without all the tack ons with fees and such...... that are other than dictated by government........ you know who you are and I thank you for being straight shooters.

I have to agree Skyline and said it before
We would never put up with that kinda stuff here in US and Canada.
Problem is, when you get addicted, there is no way out and there lies the problem

Traveling with guns is getting harder and harder and more stressful every year. A lot of guys are starting to rent guns instead of bringing them. I am now seeing rifle rentals for $50.00 to a hundred dollars a day. I can see this for a shotgun rental in Argentina when you might be letting out more than a thousand shells a day but for a rifle where you might be taking a shot or 2 a day?? Fees are adding up to more than just a hassle, but it's becoming big money and becoming extremely annoying to the point where we are being taken advantage of.

Zambia is still a great option and most here tuck firearm import costs, meet & greet, taxes, government fees etc etc into their daily rate.

I am presently in Mozambique and i heard this is solved as today and in the next few days we will have official information .
The government has understood the reasons for not increasing the licenses.
So very good news for those who will be hunting this excellent destination.
Cheers

Good news.
Now if the usd$ would just collapse it may start to appear affordable for some others

Dead eye gotta agree with you on the exchange issues with a 30% increase in safari costs for Canadians!!

http://s5.photobucket.com/user...tqbzo.jpg.htmlBottom line is Buffalo hunting not so long ago in Zimbabwe was going for 12g 10 days inc. and two buff to 12g one buff and now 15g one buff. Just gotta say it people who are willing to paying for the new fees are killing the rest of us.

Something needs to change and I don't mean winning the lottery.

quote:

I am now seeing rifle rentals for $50.00 to a hundred dollars a day

Gotta say I agree with bill collector on this one. When I see stuff like that I just move on to another outfitter. Makes me wonder about the outfitters integrity. $50-$100 a day for rifle rental is ridiculous. Won't take long, at that rate, to have the cost of your rifle covered.

I think it's just plain poor marketing to do this. If I were an outfitter I'd be happy to let a paying customer use one of my rifles for free.

When I went on my first Elephant hunt I didn't own a big bore and that was a consideration when I was looking at outfitters. The PH I booked with lent me his 458 Win Mag for free. He only asked that I pay for the ammo I used. That was certainly fair. When it came time to settle up at the end of the trip I asked him how much I owed for the ammo I shot and he said "don't worry about it." Of course after my first Elephant I was hooked and soon after I got home I bought a 416 Rigby.

Any updates on whether this increase is being enforced or not

Just returned from Moz..... the PH/Outfitter Infinito Safaris charged me the original quote of $300.

I believe the increase was rescinded.

quote:

Originally posted by Labman:
I've hunted in RSA, Zim, Botswana and Namibia. Mozambique is now off my list. I just won't pay this kind of $$ just for the priviledge of bringing my rifle into their country. Sure, I could afford it, but I hate being ripped off.

I spend quite a bit of time working up loads for my various rifles and I want to use my guns/ammo for the hunt.

................................................................AMEN! Moz can do without my business!

Mac,
Don't write Moz off yet, note that my cost to bring 2 rifles into the country was $300.00.
Not terrible these days....

quote:

Originally posted by doubleboy:
My outfitter just advised me the Mozambique rifle import fee tripled !
From $300 to $900.

Ouch

so much for bringing a back up rifle, just can't justify $1800.00...

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Yes! $1,100 for first rifle $700 for the second up from $250 each. Mokore is trying to fight this in court.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by doubleboy:
Mac,
Don't write Moz off yet, note that my cost to bring 2 rifles into the country was $300.00.
Not terrible these days....

I have no idea when you went to Moz, but if my math is correct, and the info above is correct, we are looking at $1800 us to import two rifles, plus $1 per round for the ammo you bring! In my case that would add another $80 us ! I flat refuse to pay $1880.00 us to bring my own rifles and hand-loaded ammo to hunt in Moz. My opinion would be the same if I were a millionaire, which I certainly am not!


.....................................................................

I leave in two weeks and from what I have been told is that the govt will charge the new excessive fee, if not by the time I get there, retroactively after I get home. The outfitters are not pleased either.
If you think 1800usd is bad, it converts to 2400 cdn. Which is more than I paid for my flights

Real simple.... got back from Moz 4 days ago, $300.00 for 2 rifles, no per round fee and I bought along 40 for each.
Did the PH/Outfitter eat it ? Don't think so as I believe he would have at least said something to me about it.

Maybe a Moz outfitter can chime in.

Doubleboy,

Nothing was rescinded as of two days ago. Charl unfortunately may very well have to eat the increase if it officially goes into effect.

Mark

Mark,
Thanks for pointing that out... you could be right as Charl is a first class gentleman and I should have figured he ponied up the additional green and kept it to himself.