We have aquired some new areas in Tanzania that have lots of buffalo allowing us to sell some short hunts.

One area is L1 in the Selous and the other is the huge Tunduru area between the Selous and Mozambique. Both areas are wild as can be but camps are excellent and all hunts offer camp and area exclusivity. This also applies to our other LU5 area of the Selous.

Since the areas are new for us the schedules are fairly open right now so you can pick what dates work for you. August-October should offer great hunting.

Pricing:

1x1 7 days $12,900
2x1 7 days $10,900
1x1 10 days $18,900
2x1 10 days $14,900

Companion hunt fee applicable to 10 day $10,900 This allows two hunters to legally split the bag on a 10 day 2 buffalo hunt.

Trophy fees:

1st buff $2500
2nd buff $2800
Baboon $200
Bushpig $600
Hartebeest $1000
Impala $700
Warthog $685
Wildebeest $1300
Zebra $1500

Extras:

Observer $400 per day
Charters
Hotels before or after the safari
Gratuities
Insurance
Interantional flights and trophy shipping
Visa and departure tax

Contact me anytime with questions.

Mark

quote:

Companion hunt fee applicable to 10 day $10,900

Mark,

What does this mean?

What is expected charter cost??

Saeed,

Going back and looking at the ad I can see that the Companion hunt fee is not clear. This allows 2 hunters to legally split the bag on the 10 day hunt as each will have the appropriate licensure etc. So one hunter pays full price and a second hunter pays the Companion fee but they hunt one bag.

Mark

Matt,

Charters are always expensive and we don't have a quote from the charter company for 2011 but a guestimate with Caravan is $4,000-$6,000 RT dependent on destination.

Mark

quote:

Pricing:

1x1 7 days $12,900
2x1 7 days $10,900
1x1 10 days $18,900
2x1 10 days $14,900

Companion hunt fee applicable to 10 day $10,900 This allows two hunters to legally split the bag on a 10 day 2 buffalo hunt.

Mark,

I am still at a loss to understand what you mean.

2x1 shows $14,900, so where does this money go?

I offered a hunt like this last year and it sure got interesting.

quote:

Originally posted by SilentT:
I offered a hunt like this last year and it sure got interesting.

How so? Please elaborate.

Jeff

Saeed,

Here's an applicable scenario. A husband and wife go on safari in LI. The husband books a 1x1 10 day safari at $18,900. His wife decides she might want to shoot SOMETHING. She can do this legally if she pays the Companion hunt fee. As a straight observer it is not legal for her to shoot anything. If your confusion is associated with the total cost I agree that the 2x1 is a better deal and it would be my recommendation but there will be people who have no interest in shooting two full bags.

Mark

There are 3 different ways of doing it. Two are perfectly legitimate and the other isn't.

Before I start I'll explain that the game dept charge a fee for every day the hunter in in the reserve and a lesser fee for every day a non hunting observer is in the reserve........ which is the main reason the game acts don't allow shared licences because it gyps them out of money.

The first way is for each hunter to have a licence each and all the animals that are available for that licence listed. That way they can take 2 Buff each etc. This is perfectly legal and above board.

The second way is to have one licence with one hunter's name on it and the other hunter listed as a non hunting observer and they split the animals between them. This is illegal.

The third option is more complicated. Whilst the species available on any TZ hunt are based on the length of licence purchased, an outfitter is free to apply for less animals per licence. These hunts are often of less hunting days and it sounds to me as though this hunt is probably this (perfectly legitimate) option.

The advantage of this (third) option is that the outfitter can spread the animals he has on quota over a larger number of hunts and therefore make more money both for himself and the GD and also reduce prices for the hunter. This one goes by a variety of names, including companion hunt etc. It's perfectly legal but of course the hunter gets a reduced bag albeit at a reduced price.

Largely its a matter of horses for courses and the third option is a good way to allow hunters to hunt areas such as the SGR at a reduced price but for the obvious reason, they need to be sure which option they're getting.

FWIW, basically there are 4 game acts that apply to TZ sport hunting. 2 are in English and 2 in Ki Swahili. All contradict each other to some extent and the Ki Swahili acts state that in the case of contradiction, refer to the English acts as being correct.

In the case of the Wildlife Conservation Act of 1974 for example, in part IV 25.1 it states something like: game licences may be issued to an applicant etc. (it doesn't say applicants) The other (English) act says something about each hunter must have his own licence etc.

Anyone who's ever hunted Tanzania will probably have noticed the first thing a PH does when he gets his hands on the licence is to look it over to check all the details from his and the client's name are correct to hunt dates to species listed. The reason he's so keen to check it's all correct is that if it isn't he could well be dropping himself and the client well and truly in the smelly brown stuff.

There are (incidentally) new game laws in the offing but the last version I saw was a stuff up and as far as I know they have not been enacted yet.......

Can some tell us what the cost is of obtaining the different hunting licenses in Tanzania?

Saeed,

I'm going from memory but think the current price for a 10 day licence is about US$2450 and the others aren't a hell of a lot more.

On top of that are conservation fees of (if I remember correctly) US$150 per hunter per day and less for non hunters.

On top of that are the govt trophy fees for every animal killed or wounded and lost plus a community development fee which is a percentage added onto the trophy fee.

Other fees (that spring to mind) are that a govt game scout(s) has to be in camp all the while any overseas guest is there and the outfitter has to pay a set daily fee for his being there.

As I said, a new act is in the offing and I wouldn't be surprised if some prices change when the game laws are finalised.

Current Tz Gov fees applicable until the end of the 2012 hunting season (March 2013) are:

10 day:
hunting permit - $950
Trophy handling - $400

16 and 21 day:
hunting permit - $1250
Trophy handling - $500

Then:
$150 per hunter per day for the duration of the package selected
$100 per non-hunter per day for the duration the observer is in the block

Finally, there are the Game fees which are payable for each animal wounded and lost or killed.

Steve,

Thank you.

So if two people want to hunt together, and only what is available on ONE license, they both would need to have a hunting license each?

If this is the case, where does the saving come from?

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
Steve,

Thank you.

So if two people want to hunt together, and only what is available on ONE license, they both would need to have a hunting license each?

If this is the case, where does the saving come from?

Saeed,

I bow to Mich's experience..... I was going from memory and thought thoe (licence) prices he quoted were pre increase prices but my memory obviously failed me.

Yes, every hunter needs to have his own licence and a licence may not be shared between more than one person.

As you know certain species are only available on any particular duration licence etc. BUT a leaseholder/outfitter can apply for fewer animals on any particular licence if he wishes.

For example, if he has 30 buffalo on quota and allows 2 buff per licence, he can sell 15 hunts. If he cuts that to 1 buff per licence, he can sell 30 hunts.

As I said previously, The advantage of this option is that the outfitter can spread the animals he has on quota over a larger number of hunts and therefore make more money both for himself and the GD and also reduce prices for the hunter. However the hunter gets a reduced bag albeit at a reduced price. It sounds to me as though this is what's on offer here.

Largely its a matter of horses for courses and the this option is a good way to allow hunters to hunt areas such as the SGR at a reduced price but for the obvious reason, they need to be very sure which option they're getting.

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:
What is expected charter cost??

When I flew there from Dar es Salaam in 2009, the charter fee was $8,250.

Bull1

Bull, what the heck did you fly in on?

Also, unless my math is off, the 2 on 1 and companion add up to pretty much the same amount. So why would anyone opt the latter?

quote:

Originally posted by bull1:

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:
What is expected charter cost??

When I flew there from Dar es Salaam in 2009, the charter fee was $8,250.

Bull1

Tz is well known for raping and ripping clients on charter fees. been there myself and forgot the Preparation H- very painful. i am convinced that the outfitters get a substantial kick back from the charter companies!!!!!!! even in third world countries, it doesn't cost over $1000/hr to operate a small plane and make a profit.

2x1 with two hunters $14,900 x 2 = $29,800 total

1x1 with a companion hunter $18,900 + $10,900 = $29,800 total

A charter cost 55% of basic hunt cost is a little tough to swallow. ($14,900 X 55% = $8,195)

a lot of company's will try to split flights costs with prior or the next Safari to reduce the amount paid by each hunter .
They might be prepared to offer this if dates allow.

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:

quote:

Originally posted by bull1:

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:
What is expected charter cost??

When I flew there from Dar es Salaam in 2009, the charter fee was $8,250.

Bull1

Tz is well known for raping and ripping clients on charter fees. been there myself and forgot the Preparation H- very painful. i am convinced that the outfitters get a substantial kick back from the charter companies!!!!!!! even in third world countries, it doesn't cost over $1000/hr to operate a small plane and make a profit.

And you can claim that because you have operated a charter company in Tz before, right?

Total running costs on aircraft in Africa are truly obscene and there's no getting away from that.... esp when you have to fly the aircraft to another country for major inspections etc.

Then there's the fact that the SGR (esp) is long and thin and the nearest airport is at one end of it, which means the areas towards the bottom of the reserve are especially expensive to access.

And most importantly, (for the sake of safety) it's never worth trying to shave a few dollars on this very important service....

As with everything else on an African safari, quality comes at a price and that price is usually worth paying.

quote:

And most importantly, (for the sake of safety) it's never worth trying to shave a few dollars on this very important service....

As with everything else on an African safari, quality comes at a price and that price is usually worth paying.

100% True

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
Total running costs on aircraft in Africa are truly obscene and there's no getting away from that.... esp when you have to fly the aircraft to another country for major inspections etc.

Another Bingo!!!

Just curious - how many hours flight would you be looking at to this kind of area? 2 hours each way?? or more??

quote:

Originally posted by Bwanamich:

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:

quote:

Originally posted by bull1:

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:
What is expected charter cost??

When I flew there from Dar es Salaam in 2009, the charter fee was $8,250.

Bull1

Tz is well known for raping and ripping clients on charter fees. been there myself and forgot the Preparation H- very painful. i am convinced that the outfitters get a substantial kick back from the charter companies!!!!!!! even in third world countries, it doesn't cost over $1000/hr to operate a small plane and make a profit.

And you can claim that because you have operated a charter company in Tz before, right?

please explain then why charter fees per hour of total flying time are 2-3 times what they are in Zim OR Moz Or Botswana. I have chartered in all 3 countries and NEVER paid ANYWHERE NEAR what I paid in TZ on a total per hour basis.. are those countries that much cheaper to operate in??

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:
Just curious - how many hours flight would you be looking at to this kind of area? 2 hours each way?? or more??

I would think two to three hours each way.

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:
Just curious - how many hours flight would you be looking at to this kind of area? 2 hours each way?? or more??

Mate, that all depends on aircraft type, load weight and destination but I guess a maximum of something like 3 - 4 hours each way. That said, the longer flights tend to be done by the faster and or larger and/or twin engined aircraft which speeds things up but obviously increases costs.

What the SGR has always needed is a service like the one in Masailand where there's more or less a scheduled service that just flies from one strip to the other to the other and the passenger then pays a ticket price instead of a charter price..... I can't imagine that happening anytime soon though.

quote:

Total running costs on aircraft in Africa are truly obscene and there's no getting away from that.... esp when you have to fly the aircraft to another country for major inspections etc.

JD, above could explain part of the difference in cost. Another could be your lease on the aircraft - varies from scenario to scenario. A further one could be the insurance premiums - local vs foreign insurance. But, maybe give us a scenario from zim or bots with total flying time, type of aircraft and actual operating cost per flying hour + mark-up charged and then I can get you the same from a TZ charter operator to compare.

I am not in aviation at all but as an operator that requires charter services, I have had price battles and have always been told comparitive operating costs are considerably higher in Tz. Most operators will offer a 10% - 20% trade discount/commission to tourism operators - which is normal of most business sectors IMO. I would not call these kick-backs and certainly are within acceptable limits. I find that operators often use this discount as a negotiating tool to close a deal.

quote:

Originally posted by bull1:

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Graham:
What is expected charter cost??

When I flew there from Dar es Salaam in 2009, the charter fee was $8,250.

Bull1

Bloody hell. I have a mate who has a plane, Cessna 210 and the all in cost of maintenance fuel etc is about $200 an hour. Our local charter companies bang on another grand plus.

quote:

Originally posted by graybird:
2x1 with two hunters $14,900 x 2 = $29,800 total

1x1 with a companion hunter $18,900 + $10,900 = $29,800 total

So on top of the $15k each, they then have to pay $2450 each for license a charter or drive and then the trophy fees on top of that for 2 buff and some plains game?
So total $29,800, $5000 charter, $4900 license, 4 buff total near $10,000 and say a total of 6 plains game at $800 each $4800.

Total $54,500 plus tips, airfare and taxidermy?

Is that right?

quote:

Total $54,500 plus tips, airfare and taxidermy?

Is that right?

Gov fees seem to be included in the original offer.

Flying time in a caravan is just over an hour as I recall. The airstrip used will be the K3 strip.

The drive to camp is about 30 or 40 minutes and the camp itself is nice enuf and well located on the Luhombero river. The river at this point is clear and winding and not very large. We encountered enuf buffalo, thousands of hartebeest, some wildebeest, a few lions,(no
shooters,) some elephant and some wonderful eland.

The area is well watered with plenty of vegetation, to include a lot of grass. Mid aug. to mid sep. was a good time to go as the grass was burned and it wasn't too hot. My experience is 4 or 5 yrs old. PM if you like.

It has never been convincingly explained to me, and so I have never understood, why Tanzanian charter flights are so expensive - compared with charters in other African nations.

A lot of good reasons here on why I have never hunted Tanz and never will.

465H&H

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
It has never been convincingly explained to me, and so I have never understood, why Tanzanian charter flights are so expensive - compared with charters in other African nations.

It has never been explained to me why I am sometimes on a Caravan by myself when a Cessna 185 will do just fine. Maybe it has to do with all the food that is on the plane...

I will say last year that Luke did a great job; I love it when the charter is included.

In Canada, or at least BC and the Yukon, the charter is a fixed (flat) rate. They keep trying till they get you in. And it is a lot cheaper than Tanz.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
It has never been convincingly explained to me, and so I have never understood, why Tanzanian charter flights are so expensive - compared with charters in other African nations.

Sure would like to see the explanation.

quote:

Originally posted by JBoutfishn:

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
It has never been convincingly explained to me, and so I have never understood, why Tanzanian charter flights are so expensive - compared with charters in other African nations.

Sure would like to see the explanation.

Because there are enough folks that will pay it.