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Originally posted by Gatogordo:

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Originally posted by RichardAustin:

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Originally posted by Gatogordo:
RichardAustin wrote:

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cost of a euro

You really don't know what you're talking about.
A year ago the Euro was worth around $1.30, not it's just over or around $1.10. Try to keep up.

Sure wish I had met you sooner, I guess you've made a fortune trading currencies and stocks. For the less astute such as myself, sometimes as much as 5 years is needed to determine financial trends. 12 months, what do you consider short term, next month?

You apparently don't know the first rule of holes, as you keep digging yourself deeper.

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I was on a Cape Buffalo hunt with HHK in Zim. Spent a day bird hunting after shooting the buff and at the end of the trip I was charged $1 for each dove I shot and $3 for each Franklin. Pissed me off and I've never hunted with HHK since.

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How did you do on your buffalo sir?

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Originally posted by Heym 450/400:
Naw Ted.. U got a couple more in ya! Not sure if your interested in Namibia but they have some great hunting at very reasonable prices.

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Originally posted by Beretta682E:

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Originally posted by ledvm:
We have to just face the facts. The Safari Hunting Business is a predominantly US fed industry.

The current administration in the U.S. has drained the pot of expendable income in the U.S. population.

Meanwhile...the "Africans" have continued to increase prices to feed their corruption.

Cost has surpassed the means to afford...pretty simple equation.

Vote Republican in 2016 if you want the industry to live to fight another day.

Lane as much as we hate the policies of the Obama administration lets be realistic.

Obama has not increased hunting prices - the african governments and outfitters have.

Obama did not caused the decline in energy prices in 2014-2015-dont known when it ends. The industry, global suppliers and markets have done that.

Obama has raised personal income taxes 500 bps, put the obama care tax of 300 bps and raised long term gains tax 500 bps. All those suck for me and every other us personal who is a african hunting client.

Stock market in aggregate are much better - a lot more credit for that to federal reserve.

A portion of hunting group was fine till 2014 - till energy collapsed.

But how ever much we dislike obama or electing s republican in 2016 ain't going to change energy sectors (will adjust as markets do).

A lot things happen good and bad to stock prices regardless of republican or democratic administrations.

The issue is african hunt prices have gone up significantly - their adjustment has to come at that level.

Mike

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Originally posted by Russ Gould:
Airfares actually cheaper now (SAA) than they have been for a very long time. I see daily rates on PG as low as $300 and that's not expensive by any yardstick considering you are hiring an entire building or two, a vehicle, an entourage of people (some seen, some unseen) to keep you entertained, fed, watered and clean, and several thousand acres of private property as your exclusive playground 24x7. Trophy fees on the common PG species not noticeably different than 5 or even 10 years ago in some areas.

What has gone up? Kudu and Nyala trophy fees generally higher due to demand. Sable due to decimation in Zim. Cat hunts due to limited quotas all over and bans in some countries. And Zim buffalo hunts (the latter due to gov't imposed price hikes but they were cheaper than the other destinations for a long time due to the Bob factor).

Those complaining about paying $3 to shoot a francolin should avoid the UK at all costs. There you pay circa $30 per bird released, not per bird shot. Someone is offering a "discounted" UK bird hunt, 4 days shooting incl accommo and meals, for circa $10K per gun. And horrors, you WILL be sharing "camp" on this hunt.

Those praising fishing as an alternative ... a standard guided bonefish outing runs $750 per day in the Bahamas ... and that is 8 hours on the water, not a minute longer and count yourself lucky to get a sandwich and a soda thrown in. Oh, and accommo is an additional $200 per day.

Imagine if you hired an entire ski area for you and your friends for the day. What would that run? I surmise it would be $10 to 50K PER DAY. That's the closest analogy I can think of to a hunt in Africa.

I think some are used to the "free" self-guided hunting and fishing we enjoy here in the USA on public lands and can't figure out why Africa is not the same. Even then, price a trophy whitetail in TX or elk in CO, or a grizzly hunt in AK and I think you will reconsider your position.

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Originally posted by ledvm:

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Originally posted by Beretta682E:

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
We have to just face the facts. The Safari Hunting Business is a predominantly US fed industry.

The current administration in the U.S. has drained the pot of expendable income in the U.S. population.

Meanwhile...the "Africans" have continued to increase prices to feed their corruption.

Cost has surpassed the means to afford...pretty simple equation.

Vote Republican in 2016 if you want the industry to live to fight another day.

Lane as much as we hate the policies of the Obama administration lets be realistic.

Obama has not increased hunting prices - the african governments and outfitters have.

Obama did not caused the decline in energy prices in 2014-2015-dont known when it ends. The industry, global suppliers and markets have done that.

Obama has raised personal income taxes 500 bps, put the obama care tax of 300 bps and raised long term gains tax 500 bps. All those suck for me and every other us personal who is a african hunting client.

Stock market in aggregate are much better - a lot more credit for that to federal reserve.

A portion of hunting group was fine till 2014 - till energy collapsed.

But how ever much we dislike obama or electing s republican in 2016 ain't going to change energy sectors (will adjust as markets do).

A lot things happen good and bad to stock prices regardless of republican or democratic administrations.

The issue is african hunt prices have gone up significantly - their adjustment has to come at that level.

Mike

Mike,
Diesel was cheaper in 2006 when the Safari Business thought it would never see another poor day. Have been around the oil patch my whole life...this down turn is pretty much par.

As far as what Obama has done...is the increase in income tax and and increase in healthcare cost...the difference in what I pay for those two things now as opposed to 2006 per year...would pay for a buff safari.

Besides that...another aspect of my Republican plug...is ele hunting. Clinton Foumdation is squarely behind the ivory ban.

I agreed with you about the cost increase.

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My swahili is no doubt a bit rusty ....... Tanz-PH was basically saying he felt sorry for you

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Originally posted by GOB:
That is still a lot of money for nothing but a photo and perhaps a elephant hair bracelet.

Just shot a record book leopard which I can bring home for not a pile more.

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Originally posted by Bama15:

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Originally posted by GOB:
That is still a lot of money for nothing but a photo and perhaps a elephant hair bracelet.

Just shot a record book leopard which I can bring home for not a pile more.

Well, I guess that's one way of looking at it, but to me, I got a hole lot more than a photo and bracelet. Actually, I didn't get a bracelet, the bull was so old he didn't have any hair on the tail. I got the full experience of elephant hunting. I've hunted elephant seven times where as if I went on trophy hunts I would only have gone on one. The experience is the most important part to me. But, each their own.

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Originally posted by TANZ-PH:

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Originally posted by Bwana1:
About six years ago, I went on a 14 day safari to the Selous with a very well known safari operator. At the end of the hunt, it was time to settle up. The ph produced a bag full of beer and coke bottle caps, and said I owed for all the beverages.
I paid, but will never go with them again!

Pole Sana! But that's absolute rubbish. (I'm surprised he didn't try charge you for ice cubes too! We don't, (and never, ever have) charged our clients a single cent for any drinks; be it: bottled water, Soft drinks, wine, beer, hard liquor & even Champagne!

We always have plenty bottles of Jack Daniels, Beefeaters gin, (or whatever is your requested favorite) stocked in our mess bar. Karibuni!

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Originally posted by ted thorn:
My American Outfitter/Broker for my African PG hunt was Wade Derby from Cross Hair Consulting

He was beyond great....words can't describe how satisfied I am with him..... A+

We used Steve Turner of Travel With Guns to sort out our flight and travel details

Another top shelf guy I highly recomend

My African host/outfitter was Andrew Renton of Kie River Safaris

Andrew matched my wife and I with a great PH that was a joy to spend 12 days with and you can and should use Andrew if you want a fabulous vacation hunt....A+ also

The host families at each property were also great people and helped make our trip feel presonal

Why am I saying this?

Because not all is bad in SA

I watch prices soar and fear I will never get to go back

I took out a loan to do this trip and will have it payed off in 2018...

Can I take out yet another loan and do it again?

Not if the cost keeps going up at the rates they have in the past 3 years over the next 3 years

My first may very well be my last....sad but true

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Originally posted by cooperjd:
This is a very interesting read, and one of the reasons i'm grateful for finding this website so many years ago.

I leave in exactly one month for my first ever trip to RSA. my "hunting" savings account is not likely to grow anytime soon, as my wife and i are moving to denver in 2 months, then buying a house in a year or so; i'll need all of my available income.

since my hunting fund is finite at the moment, i believe i will leave all of my trophies in africa, and only shoot the few animals on my package hunt (SCI auction, very good price hunt). I will film my dad shooting his animals, and hunt with him, for the experience of hunting more animals.

once i started adding up costs for dip/pack, VAT tax, crating, shipping, etc. etc... it quickly became expensive. i really hate not having my trophies, i LOVE having mounts on the wall. Reading this generally makes me wonder if i'll ever make a 2nd trip to africa (i'm only 34) once my income level is better and shipping trophies is more in my budget....but i wonder if the hunting in general over on the dark continent will be even remotely affordable by then...

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Originally posted by Fjold:
In 2008, at 7.5 Namibian dollars to the US dollar I paid $600 for a kudu, $500 for Gemsbok, $250 for Springbok and $300 for a warthog.

This year, at 12.4 Namibian dollars to the US dollar, I was quoted Kudu from $1400 - $1900 and Gemsbok $800 - $1600, Springbok at $600 and Warthog at $600

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Originally posted by Fjold:
In 2008, at 7.5 Namibian dollars to the US dollar I paid $600 for a kudu, $500 for Gemsbok, $250 for Springbok and $300 for a warthog.

This year, at 12.4 Namibian dollars to the US dollar, I was quoted Kudu from $1400 - $1900 and Gemsbok $800 - $1600, Springbok at $600 and Warthog at $600