This is not an attempt to cut into anyone business. I know Texas is not Africa, but I don�t think I will have enough money to do an African hunt (10 to 20 thousand dollars).

If I settle for a Texas hunt what are the good and bad points.

So far on the good side I have:
1. Less money
2. Able to take the meat home

On the bad side:
1. It is not Africa (BIG POINT)
2. If I shoot a true trophy, it will never be in any books (not a big point in my mind).
3. It is not Africa!!

The down side is that you can't take any of the Big Five, and everything will cost 20-30 times as much in Texas as it would in Africa (777 Ranch charges $3500 for springbok and impala, which can be had for $100 in many African countries).

George

George is right. Don't shoot any African animals on your Texas safari. Save them for real Africa.

Concentrate on European, Eastern and Indian animals. Axis, Blackbuck, Fallow. These are fairly inexpensive in Texas.

With the exception of scimitar oryx. I don't think you can shoot them in Africa?

In my oilfield work I've been within twenty feet of "Texas" gemsbok and five feet of fallow deer. I thought the fallow was injured, turns out he was just bored and used to the traffic.

I wouldn't spend a dime on Texas exotics.

Having said that, I have shot both axis and sika bucks on low fence whitetail hunts near Junction. They were just as wary as any Texas whitetail.

South Africa is a cost anomoly. I hunted northeastern New Mexico on a trophy elk hunt in 2000 for five days, bagged and mounted a 6x6 bull. This year I hunted RSA for ten days, bagged and mounted a 56" kudu and a 40" gemsbok bull. I spent the same amount of money even after throwing in the roundtrip air fare. Unreal.

Take a hard look at RSA. Try to pick up someones cancellation. That's how I cut my daily fee in half.

If you have to settle for Texas exotics. Talk to as many references as possible, otherwise you might end up with a canned hunt where you have to drive the other way to put distance between you and your trophy so it "seems" like a hunt.

My sons and I shot eight plains game animals in RSA in 1996. Total trophy fees ran about $5000.

When I got home, I searched out the same species on Texas exotics ranches and compared the prices.

It would have cost me about $20,000 to shoot the same animals in Texas.

The only real difference in cost is airfare.

Best way to compare is on a per-animal basis. Figure in all costs associated with an African hunt, then divide by the number of animals you expect to take.

Now do the same with a Texas hunt.

Like some commentators above, I would certainly go to Texas for Asian exotics or other animals not available in southern Africa. And I have hunted south Texas for white tail. The experience is worth the money, in my opinion.

But not for African plains game.

Let's not be too quick to trash talk Texas exotics - I know Texas is not Africa, and I know that I will likely never get to Africa, but I and my son have taken some fair chase hunts in this state that I enjoyed very much. Eland, Wildebeest, Oryx, Axis, Fallow and Red deer all were wary and we did not pay more that $1600 for any of them. There are also truly wild Nilgai and Aoudad hunts available for quite reasonable prices. BTW the 777, YO and other ranches can get VERY expensive fast, you have to shop around to find an operation that suits you as to cost and wariness of the animals etc.

[ 12-19-2002, 18:14: Message edited by: Long Pig ]

for what it's worth
Texas exotics can and are and nearly always have been booked in SCI(n.a.), and used to be in ROE, for north america. There are distinct sci books for africa and the rest of the world.

Is it a deal in package? Nope, but if you are burning up for a zebra or kudu or eland, and don't want to fly to zim for fair chase, (and meet bobbie's troopers) then the price of a flight to texas, spending a weekend finding YOUR zebra (and axis doe to EAT) you can simply do it on a number of 10,000+ acre places.

Do I think it's the same? No.. do i want to go to Zim tomorrow? HELL NO!!

jeffe

Jeffe,

I book African trips and guide Exotic hunts, so I think I have a pretty good perspective on both. Costwise, you can't beat Africa for most Africa game. Exceptions are Addax, Scimitar Oryx, Eland, and Aoudad, which can all be hunted quite reasonably in Texas.

Just be sure you find a reputable outfitter if you want to hunt exotics. Most are happy to shoot from the truck and hunt small places. I try to hunt larger ranches with a lot of cover, and we do all spot and stalk hunting. Some people knock all high-fence hunting as unfair, but it is what you make it. Stalking animals on a 2,000 acre ranch with a lot of cover is far more sporting than chasing down a Pronghorn on a million acres in your F-250.

Drop me a line if you want me to send you some info on my exotic hunts or my South African safaris. I have a 6 day, 7 night, 5 animal (Kudu, Impala, Springbok, Bushbuck, and Duiker) package in South Africa for only $2,500.

I can send you to africa for 10 days, all inclusive including trophy fees paid for 7 nice animals and include your round trip ticket for about $5000. that is less than the cost of a good texas whitetail hunt, much less and exotic hunt. I can probably get you a Sable for the same price in Africa as you will pay in Texas...again including your airfare...

That said, I have no problems with the Texas hunts as long as the area is large enough for a fair chase hunt...Texas ensures the survival of many species that may soon be depleted in Africa unless someone takes a stand before it is too late....

Pressures should be put on SCI and our Govt. and SCI should use their powerfull enfluence in Washington for something other than what they normally use it for, to ensure the survival of the animals in Zimbabwe as we speak....

I'm one of those Texans that thinks that Africa is the best bargin around! Why pay a bunch of money to go freeze your butt off on the side of some mountain or dropped off in the wilderness and to just shoot one animal. Africa wins hands down, game over.

Having said that, the thought of going to some place like Camp Cooley Ranch and shooting an Eland cow or an Axis deer for the meat is appealing to me. I know Johnathon at Camp Cooley and some of these exotic ranches will offer seasonal discounts. I wouldn't try to shoot a trophy exotic, but Eland and Axis on the plate is awesome!

When I hunt for African trophies, it will be in Africa!

Rusty
We band of brothers!

Tarbe (Tim)
You always have to pay the shipping and import costs upon receipt of the trophies...It is not required to bring home anything, that is up to you, some folks just take photos and save the bucks...or bring home the bleached skulls and horns whic isn't too expensive...I figure about $100 per animal delivered to my door as a rule of thumb and that is payable about 6 months to a year later when the trophies arrive..and that gives you time to hair up and heal over from the safari costs..

Rusty you and I think alike. For the last two years I have taken cow or young bull eland for my main meat for the year. Not a bad hunt. Prices weren't that exhorbitant. Can't beat that eland venison. That said, I plan on hunting buff in Tanzania for my big hunt of this year. Good hunting. "D"

D Hunter - what are the latest prices? My son and I took a young eland meat bull about 2 1/2 years ago for $750. I can't get Jonathan to return my phone calls......

Eric,
I just got off the phone with Jonathon here is his cell phone number 979-777-7564. He said to give him a call. You can still get a Eland cow for that price. If you have problems getting hold of him let me know.

Rusty
We band of brothers!

Thanks!

Camp Cooley was running an ad in the Chronicle a few weeks ago for eland hunts, somewhat reduced with a reduction for a buddy hunt. We had a great hunt in February and took a young male. Good experience and great venison. Bob

Eric the ranch where I have taken my eland was the Yturria ranch but it seems they have less eland and Danny has no more eland on offer right now. Maybe in years to come. I will tell you that the prices you see above beat Yturria hands down. I will be looking into the Cooly ranch myself. Yturria offers a good hunting experience. Big ranch. Any ideas on doe axis? Oh, did I forget to say on the cheap? "D"

The only thing I have hunted in Texas was Nilgai. For about 1200 you can go shoot one and they are pretty good on the grill. Fun to hunt too. I would not go down to Texas to shoot african game, hell its less money to go to Africa.