For sure, MORE doesn't necessarily mean better, but it also doesn't mean worse.
I've gone on many multi-species big game hunts in North America, in fact usually do so every year within a half-hour of my house here in Montana, where encountering a whitetail or mule deer, elk or black bear is a distinct possibility, and there's also a chance of running into a wolf or mountain lion, all of which are legal game. But have also had tags for two or more species in my pocket during more than one hunt in Alaska and Canada--or even in other western states, whether deer and elk or deer and pronghorn. Have even hunted both whitetails and mule deer on the same hunt in Alberta. It ain't exactly painful.
I agree with you John.
I'm not sure why some on this thread are acting so dense. Its a simple concept:
1) In North America, multi-species hunts are becoming more rare and more costly. There is no guarantee that you even see a legal animal, let alone have an opportunity on a legal animal that you have licences for. I had a friend that went with a reputable outfitter for caribou in the Northwest Territories. Licenced for 2, didn't see one that they could harvest. The herd changed their route and the outfitter didn't move to the new route. I saw a recent ad in the Safari Club newsletter that advertised a 3 day hunt for whitetails in Saskatchewan for $6500. The hunter that goes on that may never see a whitetail, let alone get a chance at a buck that Saskatchewan is famous for.
2) In Africa, at least on private land, you will find a nice trophy and be able to harvest it. The animal may not be what you set out to harvest, but the opportunity presented itself and you were allowed to take it. That is a nice feature of an ala carte hunt. Opportunity is only limited by the landowner restrictions and your pocketbook.
For a price comparison, compare the above whitetail hunt with my recent safari in South Africa. My trophy fees for 11 animals was about $6500. My total hunt cost (including taxes and trophy fees) for my wife and I was just over $10,000 for 10 days.
Before you bleat about the cost of airfare check this out. If I wanted to fly from Calgary to Saskatoon for the above noted whitetail hunt, the cost is $650. I flew from Calgary to East London South Africa for $1770. Doesn't make sense does it? Given the distance travelled, the airfare to SA is a bargain.
Some of you are going on about "its game fenced". So what? I hunt every year in Alberta on private land. It is almost all fenced. It is not game fenced, but the fences DO restrict travel for some species (pronghorn) and young of the year. In South Africa "game proof" fences do not mean that all animals are restricted to that property. Hotfire had eland. The eland decided they wanted to be somewhere else, so they left. Sometimes they come back, but mostly they are gone. On the farms I was on, I found several locations where animals crawled under or through "game proof fences". Also, these fences NEVER impacted the hunting of the critters. If they are hunted, they are wild and use the terrain and cover just like a whitetail here. If you think getting close enough to a springbok, black wildebeest on the plains is easy, think again. I was belly crawling though 10" high grass getting with in range. Ditto kudu etc. You may find them and see them, doesn't mean you are getting a shot at them. Blesbok on Hotfire act more like bighorn sheep. Good luck if they are positioned on that slope and the wind isn't cooperative. Maybe some shooters could make that 800yd shot, but I doubt it in those common high winds at that altitude.
I will make one point about opportunity. In Alberta, I last held a buck antelope tag in 2008. I'll be lucky to get a tag by 2018. It took me 5 years to get a mule deer buck tag. It will take my second daughter 6 or more years to get a MD buck tag. (Alberta now has nearly 4 million people and we have had some rough winters lately) Hey, I'll go to Silver Sage Outfitters and buy one of they hunts/tags. Nope, can't do that, I'm an Alberta resident. I'm not allowed to do that. Then cost. 3 day rifle antelope - $4200. Pretty pricey.
So is African hunting better? Yes and no. Even though it is a relative bargain, it is still pricey. I can't afford to do it every year, course I never thought I could do it until I started pricing it out. Everything JB says about elk hunting is correct. I've always done it myself, usually in areas where I am restricted as to where I can hunt them. They sure do learn the sunrise/sunset tables and where they are safe. I've spent a lot of dawns watching elk that jumped the fence onto no hunting property just before legal light or watched as they waited to leave the sanctuary until after legal light.
But I am primarily a deer and antelope hunter. It chokes me that because of more big game hunters in Alberta, I seldom have a MD buck tag or ANY antelope tag anymore.
So, I came back from South Africa on May 30th. Would I go back? I'm already plotting when we can afford to go. My non-hunting wife is the same. WE can't wait to go again. Our hosts are like our new best friends. They'll be here in January for the Africa Show and I can't wait. I was going to "hunter host" him for mule deer, but we are no longer able to enter a non resident alien in the draws. If he wants a MD, he'll have to use a guide.
To me, the better value is hunting in Africa. However, I recognize that if you haven't shot an elk etc., that may be your priority and all the power to you.
If you can swing it, hunt Africa while you can.
