Time for africa is now.

[billc]

I have been hearing from more the one outfit and Ph. It looks like prices are starting to go up. The drought has made in were they have been taking extra animals off of areas. There is a shortage of some animals and they have slowed the breeding of others. It is really going to be plains game hit the hardest. I think some are just trying to up prices since covid. There is always some that charge less but a standard plains game hunt is going up. If you have been thinking of going 25 will be a great time.

I have heard numbers like 4500 just for a kudu trophy fee sable back to 5000 or more. Just your common wildbeest 1200 oryx 1400. This is mainly Sa hunts and they get greedy from time to time but learn fast once the price point is to much guys just stop shooting certain animals. I think they are miss reading the market but time will tell. Once they learn why more sable got hunted when they came down to 3500 to 4500 not the 6500 or more they use to be they will get each animal has a price limit for most guys.

All I can say if your thinking of africa sooner is better then later it seems.

 

[Betterluckythangood]

Even if prices go up, it is still a bargain compared to most all guided hunts here in the states.

 

[billc]

Even if prices go up, it is still a bargain compared to most all guided hunts here in the states.

yes it is but for guys on a limited budget they will be getting less for what they spend. I have been going to africa for 13 years now. I have watched the ups and downs and keep track of the market there.

This is just a friendly message saying no time like now to go.

 

[Adipose]

Yes, the time is now as prices are certainly going up. I booked a hunt in 2023 for june of this year. I have been bowhunting Africa for the past 30 years and things are changing. One bit of advice I can say is read the fine print on the contract, and double check the trophy fees. At the end of our hunt this year we noticed the trophy fees were 500-2000 more per animal than the price list given to us. We were given a price list in 2023 when we booked the hunt, but were never told there is a line on the signed contract that says the animal fees would be at the 2024 prices until after our hunt and we questioned the bill.. This was the first time I had ever seen that, and we were never told or given a new price list. the hunt after fees tips etc and airfare was over 115K, but about 8k was the higher animal prices. The hunt was outstanding, but these undisclosed things sometimes make you feel like you are being taken advantage of. So just confirm the price lists before you shoot, but you can see the trophy fees are going up quite a bit every year.

 

[Mallardsx2]

They seem to be pretty desperate for hunters from what I have seen.

I made the mistake of asking about pricing on an African forum and almost had to change my email address after 2 weeks......

I pulled the post down because I was getting 20 emails a day....I felt like I was car shopping.

 

[lhrbull]

or find a PH you can trust and stay with them even if you have to travel to hunt the game you desire

 

[billc]

Yes, the time is now as prices are certainly going up. I booked a hunt in 2023 for june of this year. I have been bowhunting Africa for the past 30 years and things are changing. One bit of advice I can say is read the fine print on the contract, and double check the trophy fees. At the end of our hunt this year we noticed the trophy fees were 500-2000 more per animal than the price list given to us. We were given a price list in 2023 when we booked the hunt, but were never told there is a line on the signed contract that says the animal fees would be at the 2024 prices until after our hunt and we questioned the bill.. This was the first time I had ever seen that, and we were never told or given a new price list. the hunt after fees tips etc and airfare was over 115K, but about 8k was the higher animal prices. The hunt was outstanding, but these undisclosed things sometimes make you feel like you are being taken advantage of. So just confirm the price lists before you shoot, but you can see the trophy fees are going up quite a bit every year.

what place did that to you? would be great to know because that is just wrong

 

[billc]

The problem is really on what is trying to be done over there. They see are prices on hunts here going crazy and they want a piece of the Pie. They will price themselves out and then some will lower prices as normal. There just seems to be a big push by landowners to get prices up and less animals being breed now.

Sa will push guys to places like zim and namibia with there goal of raising prices. For sure make sure your quote is for the year your going but they all have the small print price subject to change. Only once in over 10 trips have I had some try that price increase bs but it does happen. It is always best before heading over to get and update and see if anything has changed.

 

[Betterluckythangood]

After driving from Johannesburg to Limpopo, I have a hard time believing that all these property owners are booking enough hunts to turn a profit. I could be wrong but there are a lot of properties!!!

 

[billc]

After driving from Johannesburg to Limpopo, I have a hard time believing that all these property owners are booking enough hunts to turn a profit. I could be wrong but there are a lot of properties!!!

not all thise are hunting places. Some people have ranches but dont hunt them other then family and friends. Some also just have game and when they have to many they catch and sell the game off to others to be hunted.

Then you have some that may have been hunted but turned to cattle ranches but still high fenced.

I have not looked lately but at one time over 10,000 clients came just from the states to sa for hunting. Then you have local and hunters coming from other countries.

 

[MountainSqwabler]

They seem to be pretty desperate for hunters from what I have seen.

I made the mistake of asking about pricing on an African forum and almost had to change my email address after 2 weeks......

I pulled the post down because I was getting 20 emails a day....I felt like I was car shopping.

Poor thing.

 

[Bushwack]

yes it is but for guys on a limited budget they will be getting less for what they spend. I have been going to africa for 13 years now. I have watched the ups and downs and keep track of the market there.

This is just a friendly message saying no time like now to go.

Bill,

SA still has a lot of special places to hunt for bargains...Not always better to go for bigger outfits, try smaller ones also...some of us in the industry are doing it not commercially but as family businesses...

 

[Bushwack]

not all thise are hunting places. Some people have ranches but dont hunt them other then family and friends. Some also just have game and when they have to many they catch and sell the game off to others to be hunted.

Then you have some that may have been hunted but turned to cattle ranches but still high fenced.

I have not looked lately but at one time over 10,000 clients came just from the states to sa for hunting. Then you have local and hunters coming from other countries.

Now a days, 4-6 000 clients all over the world, use to be 18 000 hunters in 2008...what caused this? color variance animals at high prices, open hunting areas made into smaller camps to accommodate these color variation animals, business men seeing the strategic 10 year plan on them...2018/19 the Ponzi scheme plummeted...better prices and more open areas erupted. Even Local hunters is worried on the future of game farming in SA, after all they are the "bread and butter" to the game farmer...