Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Thinking about a buff hunt in 2016?

Tanz is up over $15k for a 7 day 2 buff hunt.

I think the thing with RSA being considered expensive for buff, is that the hunts (i.e. daily rates) are quite reasonable (sometimes less than $500.00 a day), but the tariff (i.e. trophy fee) for shooting the animal is more expensive (say $8000.00 instead of $2000.00).

I agree that RSA is probably the most efficient in terms of time and overall cost than most other countries, but you are not really getting the full exposure of being out in the African bush with free-roaming lions, leopards, rhino, etc. like you might in some other countries. JMO

$15k for 2 buff in Tanz seems like a bargain (although I understand you may have to spend another $1-2K on a charter flight).

$11k for for 3 buff in RSA seems like a pretty good deal as well, although I wonder what size buff you would probably wind up with? I have two currently both in the 34-36 in range (although both have nice bosses) and from what I hear it is quite common to have a sliding trophy fee in RSA based upon the size of the horns. I wouldn't do one of those hunts, just on principle.

BH

Just to clarify, it's not 3 buff for 11K. They are 11K each. We just have three of these buff available at that rate. I also think that you are a little off on the charter flights in Tanz. You looking at closer to 3.5K.

Size on this deal is up to 40".
If we say 39" and it's 41", it's your good luck.
I will eventually shoot one for myself, I guess,and when that time comes, it will be a 33" worn down, no hooks, knarly cracked boss, white faced dagga boy, rather than just a 40" hard bossed bull. But, that's just me.

We don't work on a sliding scale for any animals. Buff are below and above 40" classes. That's it.
I actually saw an excellent explanation for the sliding scale by an operator in Namibia once. Someone asked him, why he chooses to have a sliding scale, and his response was as follows. If someone requests a 40"+ Oryx, it might take him 3 days to find such an animal. That is 3 days of time, 3 days of fuel used and 3 days of effort required, possibly numerous stalks to find one animal. Therefor, those animals carry a higher price tag, so I understand the logic from the operators side.
Some might say, what if you find the animal around the first corner? Well, what about those who search for 5 days and never get it? Who loses out then?
It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't scenario.

Marius, will you be coming to DSC?

That doesn't include travel and charters of around $6,000.00, trophy care and shipping, logistics here through customs, etc, shipping to a taxidermist, tips, bribes...and so on.

It gets right on up to $25,000 in a hurry, and the second buffalo is around $2,800.00, I believe.

Still, It's a once in a lifetime experience for many of us, wherever you go.

Hi Jorge,
I'm only attending a show in Buffalo, NY in 2016 during March. Two days ago, they sold a DSC booth at the PHASA convention for $15,5K, which is just ridiculous.

YIKES. that is ridiculous.

KMG,

Thanks for the clarification. So for an $11k buff, I assume that is just the trophy fee (or does that include the daily rate as well)?

BH

On my last safari (way back in 2004) I was really disappointed on how the South African Airlines service had degraded (apparently the airline was nationalized).

I was also hit up for "beer money" by the airport gun inspectors on my way out.

And to had insult to injury, the zippers on my luggage were destroyed by Airport security (rather than cut the locks, they just ripped out the zippers).

I've also heard a lot of stories about travelers getting cameras and so forth, stolen by either airport security or luggage handlers.


Has all of sub-Sahara Africa turned into nothing but a den of graft, bribes, and thievery?

Just wondering.

BH

BH63,

Either we had the same gun inspector, or they are all a bunch of thieves. I was also hit up for "beer money" by a gun inspector when transferring from a flight from Bloemfontaine, RSA to Windhoek, Namibia, and passing through Johannesburg.

BTW, I killed a nice Buffalo in the Free State this August and the trophy fee was $13,200. If it weren't for a friend being my PH, I would have gone to Mozambique.

donsm70

Trophy fee + Daily Rates.

I went to this show last year. It's a bottom-feeder show, in my opinion. If you want to shoot a buffalo on a game farm, there are plenty of options in Denver. If you want a real hunt, which you've said that's what you are wanting, I would go to Dallas SCI or to Vegas for viable options.

BH: Highly recommend Corris Ferreira at Track-A-Hunt Safaris Gache Gache Campfire Area on Lake Kariba. PM me and I will send you some pictures.

There is no doubt that South Africa is still one of your most stable choices. Why not hunt one of the unfenced reserves to the park?

A very rude thing to say IMO. I have seen some big name outfitters at the Denver Sportsman Show.

I've been told that the SCI show in Reno is the biggest and the best.

BH63

In my experience biggest and best are mutually exclusive. I think DSC is the best.

Well I haven't been to either, so I'll have to take your word for it.

BH63

Anyone ever hunt with JVZ Safaris?

BH63

I've been to both, and they both are really, very good.

DSC is about the size the SCI was in 1990. Big but managable.