Hi Folks,
I'm going to hunt RSA this year and I'm planning on hunting cape buffalo next year. I'm starting to find that they are really expensive! So I got to thinking "why are they so friggin expensive?" I live out in farm country and there are a lot of dairy and beef cattle. Now my back yard neighbor has 350 acres and has a whole bunch of cows so if someone had say 3500 acres you could possibly have 10 times the cows right?
So if a cape buffalo is a great big mean and nasty cow (I know it's not really but let's pretend) why the heck does a cape buffalo cost 20 times as much? I understand in RSA the whole TB thing but you would think someone could get a few thousand acres and raise a whole bunch of baby cape buffalo and let them grow big and then let me hunt them!
I still plan on hunting cape buffalo but I just thought I'd get some of you folks opinions. I know it's not as easy as I make it sound but why couldn't it be?
Thanks Joe

Because everybody wants them.

With all due respect, let me know how you feel about buffalo after you've been in the tall grass... and if the price was too high. I'll bet you'll be glad you spent every cent you forked out.

Cape buffalo are expensive everywhere, but especially so in RSA.

Check the prices in Zim or Mozambique, which are usually more reasonable (and you won't be hunting behind a high fence).

George

Yup, spend a little time in the long grass and you will know why. Were I the PH and got to put my but on the line to take my chance on bumping into a lion that is after the same buffalo that I am, Hmm.... Or the client dings a big dagga boy and I have to wade in there and sort things out, Hmm... I gotta worry about whether my client gets his self black mamba bit!?!?!? If I was the PH they would be more expensive yet. I have only hunted buffalo once but I will hunt them again. Wow what an exciting ride! Daddy can we ride that ride again? Good hunting.

quote:

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Originally posted by JudgeG:
With all due respect, let me know how you feel about buffalo after you've been in the tall grass... and if the price was too high. I'll bet you'll be glad you spent every cent you forked out.

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So true.
I think many would agree that if they could hunt only one critter for the rest of their lives, by some supernatural edict, then cape buffalo it would be, and no regrets.

Whatever the market will bear, and the market is a seller's market.

Let us be thankful.

Long live the buffalo, and the buffalo hunter. Amen.

dangerous game is always more expensive than plains game. You pay more to put your life on the line, sounds funny doesnt it. Camps are more remote and more costly to service.

I feel that with the other dangerous game costing what it does, the buff hunt is a real deal. Especially if you hunt more than one on the hunt.

I agree with Mims; I would be happy to hunt only buff from now on. It's addictive!

Shop around asking about some of the larger Buff hunt countries.

All the best,

Sam

Hey Goosejoe,

If you think planning for your first cape buffalo hunt is expensive...wait until you're planning for your third, fourth or fifth trip. I understand the question, especially if you haven't done this before. But you ain't seen nothing yet.

If you can afford to hunt buff in RSA, then money really isn't a problem. read the other posts...there are plenty of less expensive hunts available. Do your homework ask the right question and check references. If you do this, you can get a good hunt at a resonable price. There are plenty of 7-day hunts out there. In fact, some outfitters even advertise 5-day hunts. Just remember, you usually get what you pay for.

Screw the money...that's what home equity loans are for. If you come home from the long grass, you can still make payments. How many Wells-Fargo trucks have you ever seen following the hearse in a funeral procession?

Bull1

Goosejoe, I sympathize with your sentiments, however, I believe that Cape Buffalo is probably the best combination of least expense and best chance of succeeding, dangerous game hunt. Lion is out of sight. Elephant is a little more reasonable, leopard is expensive, but, somewhat iffy in terms of success. I think these reasons are what make Buff hunting so popular.
Peter.

It's like the man said about something else that costs a fair bit of change:

"Why are divorces so expensive?

Because they're worth it."

goosejoe

You are trying to confuse us all with making an analogy between cows and buff and a few buff and lots of buff

WELL

It the same as saying (A Married man) can get free sex at home with his dear beloved wife BUT if he strays into the big city where there are many prostitutes and pimps he can still get sex BUT it will cost him more than at home.

It might be the wrong analogy BUT therin lies the point, you are not comparing apples with apples you are comparing cows with buffalo. The wife might be a meek cow but the prostitute might be a wild woman whom can buck and kick like a mule

quote:

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Originally posted by Balla Balla:
goosejoe

You are trying to confuse us all with making an analogy between cows and buff and a few buff and lots of buff

WELL

It the same as saying (A Married man) can get free sex at home with his dear beloved wife BUT if he strays into the big city where there are many prostitutes and pimps he can still get sex BUT it will cost him more than at home.

It might be the wrong analogy BUT therin lies the point, you are not comparing apples with apples you are comparing cows with buffalo. The wife might be a meek cow but the prostitute might be a wild woman whom can buck and kick like a mule

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You obviously did not meet my ex wife.

The price of something is always what the customer is ready to pay. There is a limited supply, and demand is certainly not declining as 1st World hunters grow more affluent.

High prices can be seen as a result of high expenses. It is expensive to offer first rate (luxury, even) service in areas that can only be serviced with aircraft or trucks over horrible roads. Infrastructure must be paid for, even though the value may not be immediately apparent for the visiting hunter. In addition, govenrments take their cut - or better, a cut of the proceeds must be passed onto the local population (like in Zim Camp Fire areas), which in turn should make them more interested in conservation.

That said, Africa is certainly not known for its adherence to unified prices. Pray that you never have to share a camp with a client from SA, who can tell you that he only paid half the price for the hunt you bought in Europe or in the States. Kind'a unsettling . It probably works something like this: owners and operators of safari areas would in principle like to sell all their hunts directly (no middle men, no cuts to be handed over), and so they attempt to peddle their merchandise through websites, word of mouth, advertisement and shows. However, most (all?) also offer a certain percentage of their hunts via agents - handing over a cut of the pie to the agent in the process. The agent negotiates a price (including his mark-up) he believes he can sell the hunt for. This price may well depend on the market it is intended for (e.g Europe vs. the US), and currency fluctuations also play a big role in how much $$$ the operator sees in the end. The operator gets less, but he hopes to be able to sell more hunts. Finally, there are end-of-season hunts, cancellations or other hunts that for one reason or another were not sold. They are offered at discounted prices - either in the US/Europe or to customers who are not willing/able to pay the full price the company would like to charge (e.g in SA). So we end up with a whole bunch of differing prices for basically the same hunt.

The advantage you get for paying the full price, is that if you plan ahead, you usually get a better choice in terms of area and species available. If you would like to save a few $$$ (and who would not?), your choices can become a bit more limited.

Buffalo hunting is South Africa is particularly expensive (at least as far as trophy fees is concerned), because buffalo on these properties are bought at auction, and the prices are high. Buff in areas such as the Zambezi Valley, Zambia, Northen Botswana, Tanzania and Mozambique are an indigenous resouce, that with sensible management can offer a sustained income (for operators and locals) for decades to come.

- mike

"Nothing in life is more exilirating than to be shot at...and missed." Winston Churchill. I can certainly validate that statement and it's probably a good way to look at buffalo or DGR hunting in general. Hence, the folks that do it for a living charge accordingly. RSA is a whole different ball game. NOBODY hunts buffalo there that I know of.jorge

If you think Cape Buffalo are expensive, try hunting sheep with an outfitter in North America.

Its all about supply and demand. And in addition to that I am sure there are significant costs to run a quality hunt in the remote parts of Africa.

Cheers,
Canuck

Some things are truly difficult to put into words, so example or comparison is often used to bridge the gap. This was the case for me when trying to explain to a whitetail hunting fanatic what hunting Buff" is like. I said: You know the thrill you get when the big racked monster steps out of the bush? Well that's what it's like to get up in the morning the day you will hunt "Buff." Then it gets better!

I don't consider Cape Buffalo an expensive hunt..

You can go Buffalo hunting for $10,550 in Tanzania 2x1 plus $200 per gun or use camp gun free, tips are optional, no other costs. You can shoot Zebra, Wildebeest, Hartebeest, Warthog, Impala and a second Buffalo on that hunt for very cheap trophy fees...

That is less than than the average plainsgame hunt I sell is, although its a week as opposed to two weeks on plainsgame hunts, so its dooable I think for about the same dollars, but not in RSA where Brucilosas clean herds exist and that has run the price up a good deal....

Also most of RSA buffalo are fenced if that is a question to you...

Also I realize that there are a lot of plainsgame hunts that can be had for $6000 or so, but were I going around the world, I'd opt to spend the extra $4500 if I had to sell my double rifle, wife or mother in law...

quote:

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Originally posted by Canuck:
If you think Cape Buffalo are expensive, try hunting sheep with an outfitter in North America.

Its all about supply and demand. And in addition to that I am sure there are significant costs to run a quality hunt in the remote parts of Africa.

Cheers,
Canuck

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Having taken my first dall sheep in NA I can
concur with Canuck 100%...Further let me add
that the sweetnest of low price is long forgotten after the bitterness of poor quality
remains.

Re-think your priorities when looking into a
hunt.First decide where you want to hunt.For
me "real wilderness" whether in NA or Africa
trumps all.
Next decide on the Type hunt you want.ie
spot/stalk,float hunt,horseback,traditional
African tent camp safari ,etc.

Price the experience,compare outfits.A few
bucks not spent to go 1st class will mean little
if you spend less and have a terrible
experience.


Further the money I spent to hunt sheep was
one of my best purchases.

Ray's buffalo hunting formula is a great way to go if you are primarily interested in hunting buffalo, plus a bit of plainsgame at a fair price.

Buffalo are much too expensive to hunt in South Africa, but just about everywhere else they offer an exceptional value in true dangerous game hunting in its purest form.

AD

Thanks everyone, I appreciate your input. I agree for sure about not hunting buffalo in RSA, I was just using that as an example. I really think buffalo should be hunted from a tent camp.
Anyhow I kept thinking about this and I also thought that if buffalo were a lot cheaper then hunters would probably just hunt more than 1 or 2. I guess if I was already hunting in buffalo territory and trophy fees were like a thousand dollars I'd probably want to shoot 10 of them!
I also forgot to add in running the camp and getting equipment together which would be in the daily rates. Thanks again everyone and good hunting!
Joe