Is 28 to 30 thousand to much to spend for a round trip hunt? PH said I get 2 buffalo (40+ inches plus possible) and 5 plains game. wildee, impala, warthog, hartee, and gemsbok. Thats everything possible included, from my door and back. This will be my first african hunt, any experienced hands out there to point a greenhorn in the right direction. Thanks Jerry.

Sounds like a lot but without knowing details it wouldn't be right to state an opinion. Also, there are many on this forum with way more experience than me. My question, does that amount include all taxidermy expenses and trophy shipping?

It has been a while since I priced a buff hunt to Tanz, and one of our resident booking agents will be able to advise if the price sounds right (and/or perhaps make you a better offer!). There are a lot of costs that go into that total number, which I would think does not include taxidermy and related shipping.

But the inclusion of the "gemsbok" has me curious, as otherwise is sounds like a typical Selous buff hunt...are you sure this is not a zebra instead?

You might also want to share the outfitter/PH for some feedback.

Jerry,

I don't know who you are thinking about booking with but the price is about right for 10 days plus buffalo trophy fees in the best Masaialand concessions. A hunt that expensive needs to be in the very best areas with luxury camps and offering the full East Afrcan experience. I don't know what you have been told but your not going to be allowed a gemsbok. The Tanznaian species is known as the fringe eared oryx and are only available on a 21 day license. More likely they are offering a zebra as the 5th animal.

Our areas bordering Tarangire Park in Masaialand are in that price range and offer a year in year out average of 43" with 48"-50" shot every year.



Mark

That sounds about right for a 10 day hunt in the Selous.

The animals allowed on a ten day hunt include, Two Buffalo, Hartebeest, Wildebeest, Impala, Warthog, and Zebra. (no gemsbok)

If it includes, Air Fare and local transportation, that would pretty much eat up a $30,000 bill

Yes I could have been mistaken on the animals, the PH and I talked about so many different species, But the price does include all tropies and myself with all airfare and shipping included. It is 10 days in Tanz. I have an excellent taxidermist friend who said he will do all mounts free, to repay an old favor. I'll be taking a 500 NE and a 300 H&H, the excitement is killing me.

I have never been to Tanzania, but from what I have priced it sounds like a good deal.

What area and outfitter will you be hunting with?

quote:

Originally posted by jerry mcdonald:
I'll be taking a 500 NE and a 300 H&H, the excitement is killing me.

OOORAHHH!!!

Heym 450/400, I havent got the particulars on the area yet, but have been promised it has produced several 45's and a 46'' buff, have to wait till 10/2010 to get this area, will be doin a 2x1 with a book publisher. The PH is Mark Sullivan from Alabama....... DuggaBoye couldn't have said it better myself.

Does your taxidermist have experience doing african animals? Thank him for his kind offer and get it done by someone experienced with african aniamls.

Correction my previous post should have read. If he does not have experience with african animals thank him for his kind offer and get it done by someone with african animal experience

h kittle, yes he does, I have seen a beautiful Lion and several of the plains game species. He's very meticulous.

You might want to do a search on Mark Sullivan. There are some very strong opinions about him and you should know the possibilities. Do you want to shoot your own Buff or have Mark do it for you?

LionHunter, I have spoke to this PH in great length, he seems to be very professional as well as personable. This my first African hunt, but barring a kill or be killed scenario my very green opinion is anybody shoots my animal buys it. I'll do a search, and thanks for the advice. but it is completely understood between myself and this PH, I do the shootin, He does the guiding, period

quote:

inclusion

Thats everything possible included, from my door and back.?

I would get everything in writing! Dipping, Crating. Any Clearing fees, Charter fees For some reason " All inclusive " is not a guaranty there are no other costs involved. Years ago I booked a buffalo hunt for one All inclusive fee. after the hunt I was billed $500 Crating fee for a cardboard box. If your outfitter is honest he will have no problem putting his offer in writhing.
Good luck

Thanks Mr. Johnson, I'm makin a helluva checklist...

quote:

Originally posted by jerry mcdonald:
Yes I could have been mistaken on the animals, the PH and I talked about so many different species, But the price does include all tropies and myself with all airfare and shipping included. It is 10 days in Tanz. I have an excellent taxidermist friend who said he will do all mounts free, to repay an old favor. I'll be taking a 500 NE and a 300 H&H, the excitement is killing me.

"Price does include all trophies and myself with all airfare and shipping included".....hmmmmm
I would get more details and a confirmation in writing before making any commitments and request to know
which area he has sub-leased.

Jerry McDonald,

If I were you I would really make searching "Mark Sullivan" on this forum a top priority. It might be said there are some critics of his "style". I don't mean to be rude or piss on anyone's dreams, it's just that I could think of a whole pile of other outfitters in Tanzania I would hunt with first for that kind of money. Again I'm not trying to be an SOB it's just that I'd want to know if I were in your shoes. Good luck with your hunt planning. I think planning the hunt is ALMOST as fun a doing it.

Brett

quote:

and request to know which area he has sub-leased.

+1

This raises a good point. Mark will be subleasing a concession for your hunt as he doesn't have one of his own. That means he may not be familiar with it or not nearly as familiar with it as the people who actually hold the lease. I would consider hunting with a reputable company that holds the lease for a reputable concession. It stacks the odds in your favor. I've made some of these mistakes in the past and don't feel the need to see other repeat them.

Brett

PS. I wouldn't agree to anything until I knew where I was hunting.

I believe the price is obscene. I did the same hunt in 2002 for less than $10,000 not including airfare. In my opinion, these hunts are way over priced. I believe you should be able to do this hunt all in for no more than $22,000, however I do not have an outfitter in mind that can produce that in Tanzania.

quote:

Originally posted by SBT:
I believe the price is obscene. I did the same hunt in 2002 for less than $10,000 not including airfare. In my opinion, these hunts are way over priced. I believe you should be able to do this hunt all in for no more than $22,000, however I do not have an outfitter in mind that can produce that in Tanzania.

I think the price is right IF a lot of things are included, IF it's a top hunting concession, and IF it's a top operator.

Brett

I'll be blunter than others have been.

I would not hunt with that BH [sic] for half the price.

Tanzania is expensive. The only way to go is for 21 days.

No subletters or hucksters need apply.

JMHO, of course.

quote:

Originally posted by SBT:
I believe the price is obscene. I did the same hunt in 2002 for less than $10,000 not including airfare. In my opinion, these hunts are way over priced. I believe you should be able to do this hunt all in for no more than $22,000, however I do not have an outfitter in mind that can produce that in Tanzania.

Unfortunately so in the first instance and unfortunately so for the fact that you are unlikely to get a cheap deal from a serious, well established outfitter with reputedly good concessions giving you a deal as you got in 2002. The overpricing is the result of someone's recent view that Tanzania was the cheapest place to hunt in Africa and raised the concession and trophy fees to ridiculous proportions overnight.(Some clients will recall being informed in the field, in the middle of their hunt, that their Lion/Leopard was gong to cost them 4 times more).
The result being the industry lost 40% of its customers by the following morning - the current recession has made matters worse.

My advice therefore is beware of those cheap deals.

I get the impression you might need to understand a little more about how hunting in Tanzania works regarding licences & areas etc, so you might like to look at article number 16 here: http://www.shakariconnection.c...unting-articles.html. You might also find other parts of the site useful.

Remember that some areas are considerably better than others so it's a good idea to research where you're going etc.


FWIW, details of our 10 day hunts can be found here: http://www.kuduland.com/hunting-in-tanzania.htm

Kibokolambogo is dead right when he says you need to beware of any cheap deals in Tanzania. You should pay very close attention indeed to those words.

Incidentally, gemsbuck do not occur in the Selous at all.

Hope that helps

quote:

I would not pay a quarter of that price to hunt with Mark Sullivan.

I would not hunt with him if the hunt was given to me for free!

Damn Men, looks I hit the sack a little early last night, Oh well thats the life of a farmer. I dont know where to begin? I have to say I am more than a little bewildered. Seems my original question should have been.... I want to shoot a great cape buff, who should I book a hunt with and where? I know all you men are light years ahead of me on this subject and I am detecting some strong feelings about said PH that I have got to look in to. There are no gold spoons between the cheeks here, I work my ass off for everything I have, including the funds for this hunt, And I do greatly appreciate all the advice, opinions,and direction. I live in a BS free neck of the woods here, I better take a good look around, and resume this search with caution.

A wise move.

Nothing says that you have to book before going to Dallas to DSC (or somewhere) and meet a bunch of P.H.'s and (maybe better), meet a bunch of clients who have hunted with multiple outfits.

I've sent you a p.m. about that.

Jerry,

Craig Boddington once wrote that 'you should never judge a Buffalo hunt in mere inches'.

Never has anyone written a truer word. A Buff hunt should be judged by the experience of the hunt............. that might sound strange, but once you've hunted your first Buffalo, you'll understand what he meant!

quote:

I better take a good look around, and resume this search with caution.

an absolutely sound idea

Jerry, PM sent.

Shakari, Words of wisdom I wont forget....Thank You.

jerry,

I can recommend, with conditions, the hunt Mark Young wrote about. Why I say "with conditions" my wife and I hunted that area in 2007 the year I call the end of the "average guy" in Tanzania. We hunted 10 days and I shot two Buffalo and 4 plains game, and passed on two others that were available. At that time our cost was in the 50% ballpark of what your talking about. Certainly things have changed since then but it's a great East African hunt, I would strongly recommend hunting in mid to late July. Good Luck!

Unless your heart is set on Tanzania, i would look around. There are some absolute STEALS out there in the hunting market right now. Buffalo, leopard, tuskless ele's all going for drastic discounts.

quote:

Craig Boddington once wrote that 'you should never judge a Buffalo hunt in mere inches'.

I would never measure a ANY hunt with mere inces!

I love hunting buffalo more than anything else, and I have hunted quite a few.

The biggest buffalo I have ever shot has a spread of 49 inces, with one horn broken.

But, it wasn't much of hunt at all. As we were driving to a leopard blind, and saw two bulls running about a 100 yards from us.

I jumped out of the truck, and shot both of them!

End of story

quote:

Unless your heart is set on Tanzania, i would look around. There are some absolute STEALS out there in the hunting market right now. Buffalo, leopard, tuskless ele's all going for drastic discounts.

Also in Tanzania are drastic Discounts on the market...with Top Outfitter.
You only have to look around in this Forum.

Seloushunter

Since this is your first safari I would highly suggest that you go thru a booking agent to set it up. There are several who post on this sight who have excellent reputations. You will have a slew of questions as your hunt nears many of which you can get answered here but some you will need to pick up the phone and TALK to someone who is familiar with your wants, wishes and needs (as well as the specific area you are hunting). They don't cost you any more and they can really help smooth out the bumps that you may encounter.
Good luck, you will come back a changed man.

quote:

Originally posted by Blacktailer:
Since this is your first safari I would highly suggest that you go thru a booking agent to set it up. There are several who post on this sight who have excellent reputations. You will have a slew of questions as your hunt nears many of which you can get answered here but some you will need to pick up the phone and TALK to someone who is familiar with your wants, wishes and needs (as well as the specific area you are hunting). They don't cost you any more and they can really help smooth out the bumps that you may encounter.
Good luck, you will come back a changed man.

That's good advice. Very good, in fact. A booking agent will offer you a service that you won't get through a straight PH booking, and he can help you pull your irons out of the fire if you get hung up. Same goes for a good travel agent. Gracy Travel in San Antone is excellent and many have booked through Kathi Klimes who posts here.

Check out shakari's website for some good information.

I've booked a 21day hunt through one of the agents who posts here and he has been tremendously helpful. Same with the travel agent.

Good luck!

What is interesting about this thread is that lots of us don't want to hunt with Mark, but I've yet to hear from anyone, anywhere, who has actually hunted with the guy and has a similar sentiment.

Still, regardless of how Mr. Sullivan "really" is (and hunts), the Sullivan "Death" videos are a deal-breaker with me. It's kind of like a big, suppurating sore on a beautiful woman's nose. I just can't get by what he sells and depicts as the "safari experience". If the videos are a sore on his nose, where else is the infection? I don't want to find out!

Secondly, I know several P.H.'s who have exclusively hunted on the same concessions in the Selous for years and years, even though, technically, someone else "owns" them. It seems that Sullivan is always moving. That gives me pause.

As to using a booking agent, like anything you buy, the seller is mighty important. We are blessed here with a half-dozen folks who you can trust to treat you right. Agents do all kinds of stuff behind the scenes and are immediately available for answers to questions and fixing last minute problems. I can see no downside.

Sorry for the late reply to all of the kind offers and real world advice and experiences, It is very much appreciated. I have a nice list made on proper procedure for safari. Its gonna take some time as I am a computer idiot. I cant say enough about the kindness of the members of AR to take there time to help, basically a total stranger.

Jerry, you have a PM...