I've heard it's best to book African safaris by paying by the trophy, rather than paying by the day. Then the PH is motivated to get you a trophy. Is this true? If so, which PHs would you recommend? Warm regards, AIU

You generally pay by the day AND by the trophy.

Brent

quote:

Originally posted by Brent:
You generally pay by the day AND by the trophy.

Brent

Exactly what I was thinking!

1. There will be a "daily rate" which typically covers the services of the guide, the lodging, food, and most other "overhead" costs.

2. There will be a fee for each trophy killed, and in most cases, wounded but unrecovered. This is true whether you are shooting on government land (a "concession") where you'll likely pay both a license and a kill fee; as well as on private land (a farm or ranch) where the landowner collects for the value of the animal you have taken.

Only in some "package" hunts would you pay a flat fee for X-number of days of hunting. Such packages usually allow for a certain number of certain species of animals. A "package" hunt usually breaks down into approximately the same thing as the normal daily rate plus the normal trophy fee, with perhaps a little discount -- but no refund if all the allowed game isn't taken. In most instance, "package" hunts are not advantageous to the hunter and don't provide the latitude to adjust as circumstances change. Package hunts are usually marketed to novices and rarely end up being as economical or satisfactory as simply paying the daily rate and trophy fees. However, I'm sure that some reputable outfits do offer package hunts that are very satisfactory.

I prefer paying a flat daily rate + trophy fees for critters that are taken. (and a wounding counts too). Have learned to appreciate this over flat rate hunt as I feel overall you get a better quality of trophies.

AIU, "package hunts" include the daily rate and trophy fees for X number of days and X number of animals. Most are a bargain that allows first time African Hunters to get a taste of what's there. Most Outfitters will allow (and sometimes hope) the Hunter(s) will add a few more trophies (for the trophy fee only) or extend their hunt and trophies, thereby making up some of their profit they give up sponsoring a package hunt. Sometimes the fine print will say "representative animals" or non-trophy animals/females etc. Pays to ask up front. I do not offer any representative hunts, but a client is free to choose his/her own animal. That being said, our PH's prefer only mature animals are taken. It's the whole point of conservation. When I hunt Africa, I prefer to book my hunts by the days I want: 10, 14 or 21 days. I advise my PH of two game lists: my primary (most important) animals, and my secondary list, which contains animals I would consider if we encounter them while hunting other game. If they are mature, I'm already prepared to take them. I can be more selective hunting in this manner. I'm not obligated to take anything other than what I'm looking for. Sometimes I'll take animals that I already have for reasons of a good stalk, exceptional size (trophy) or I just plain love to hunt. It's a personal choice but I prefer to book my days (1x1) and let's just hunt. However, in some countries, you book on a license; Tanzania for example. The more days you book, the more game on your license per se. Choices are limited. Good hunting, David

I don't know of any outfits that only charges a trophy fee and do not charge a daily rate. The daily rate covers the expenses of getting the client to camp (transportation), accommodations, camp staff, PH fees and a margin for profit.

Trophy fees cover the cost of the trophy and a small margin. I would think that all PH's are automatically motivated to find their clients trophies as this not only puts a little more money in his pocket - it also contributes to the general success of the hunt and sending a satisfied client back home. Satisfied clients = good references and the possibility of seeing them or other people they told about their successful hunt return for another hunt.

I've been in Namibia again this year, and my hunting buddy, Giuseppe, and I hunted on package. Giuseppe and I booked the 10days-10animals-2x1 package three years ago with Tony Da Costa, but he had problems for two consecutive years. The first time his father passed, on 2006 he had the a fracture at his right hand 20 days before start. I hunted 1x1 two years ago.

Negotiating directly with the outfitter, Kalahari Hunting Safaris, because TDC, as you know has closed the activity on 2006, I saved Giuseppe's package buying a 8 animals pakage by them. At last, this year Giusepe had his first African hunt.

The great diligence and perseverance of Johan of KHS and Giuseppe in hunting produced a 57" kudu, a good Hartman Zebra stallion, very good springbok and gamesbocks (2). I had something less spectacular, but the red Hartebeest is super, but I had my privileged hunt two years ago.

We had been lucky, of course, because we left Khomasland on the third day in the afternoon to go to Klahari, when we should leave early in the morning, because we had not seen any kudu good enough. He had a super one.

We completed our packages beeing really happy.

I do not absolutely want to promote Packages vs DR&TF, my opinion is that when you are on a package hunt you must put a lot of diligence, perseverance and passion, maybe more than if you were on a DR&TF.

Any animal not bagged is however paid.

I like booking a package, as it includes some days of hunting and a few animals at a discount in price. Then I add a few extra animals, which I can choose during the hunt, depending on what we see. If a package doesn't include animals that you want, then this might not be best for you. For me, I usually will take an Impala and Warthog anyway, so a small package that has something like: Warthog, Impala, Wildebeest works well for me.

Never heard of a trophy or day only rate. I assume you may be thinking about packages or a la carte hunts. I'm also assuming you are looking at South Africa or Namibia.

I abhor packages. Why?
1. Most packages include a majority of representative animals, and possibly a trophy or two. If you are a whitetail hunter think a basket racked 8-point versus a serious buck.
2. Do you want to be the 21st hunter on a property looking for a kudu because you bought the kudu in a package before you left. i don't. Someone shows you a mature but small kudu and he says shoot. Are you going to take the inferior one just because you bought it? Are you going to hold out hoping a nicer comes along?
3. Even though the contract will say no refunds on animals not taken on a package are you going to ask for one anyway if you do not see, or pass on a representative animal?
4. Most package hunts I know of happen on a single concession. Even if that concession is 25,000 hectares do you think that the concession holds a kudu or whatever specie, in serious size, to make every hunter that wants one gets one that he wishes to immotalize on his walls? Or, do you think the ranch/farm/concession will do a liitle drop-N-shop excersize where they go to a game broker and buy you your kudu (or whatever) and release it just before you come, or even at night while you are there? Dirty little secret-- it happens.

Enough ranting-- I know there are super high quality outfits that do offer packages. Unfortunately most do not fall into this category.

My advice is to go a al carte, and then don't spit in africa's eye. If mother africa offers you a dandy of a lord bathwaits gemsdebontebuk then shoot it. If a kudu isn't offered by the grand lady, then she will certainly offer something just as grand.

Oh, by the way, I have not been burned on a package, others i know have been. I heeded their advice and have never looked back.

Half the daily rate is usually paid the day you book the hunt, and the other half is, most times, paid 30 days before the safari, or on arrival at camp! From then on the trophy fees are logged up as you kill,or wound an animal. Draw blood and you pay the trophy fee, whether or not you recover the animal. This is to be paid at the end of the hunting before you leave camp, along with the dip&pack fees if not included in your hunt. Then comes the tips for the camp staff, and the PH, which usually runs 10 % of the cost of the daily fees +/- .

The daily fees will be higher as the type of game hunted becomes more dangerous, or more rare. For instance a safari that includes lion, or Elephant may be only available if you book a 21 day safari, and the daily fees may run between $1500, and $2000 per day,+ trophy fees, while a plains game safari for the more common species may cost as little as $250 per day + trophy fees, and may be as short as 5 days.

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