Africa, best bang for your buck if "horns" are your goal ?

[rjthehunter]

Same here. Husband more than I, and nothing exotic.

We do dart the Polar for research and for our protection when they are in town, but most "darting" is from a helicopter.

To each there own and if some here prefer Green to Trophy, so be it. But I just dont get it. You actually pay to dart an animal with a dose of vitamins and then a veterinarian darts them, so you can touch them ? Admittedly, I am an Indian and a woman, so I have two strikes against me, but I dont view this as "hunting", as in a "Green Hunt" However, as has been mentioned, this method of hunting ( Green ) has been floated up here by the "anti's".

Several here will be able to respond with far more knowledge than I, but if I understand correctly, in Africa the meat goes to villagers and the cost to Trophy hunt helps each country and both the animals and people in those countries.

Trophy hunting in South Africa alone is huge for their economy. A quick google shows around $200 million spent annually.

A large portion of that money is used in conservation along with all the meat being donated to local villages. My grandpa talked about taking the meat there and giving it to the different villages and how happy they were to receive animals.

You don't see any of the locals hating trophy hunting. Just people over here in the US who have opinions about it. It would be detrimental to villages and their economy if trophy hunting in Africa was halted.

 

[Europe]

Thank you for the private messages and questions. I have answered each specifically but will answer in a broader term here.

Yes, we were hunting Africa at the time Kenya shut it down. However, in my opinion, Trophy hunting did not almost wipe out the elephant and rhino herds, in Kenya. That catastrophe can be laid at the feet of Ngina and her husband. Happymyles was also hunting Africa at that time, so he may be able to add his thoughts as well.

Botswana has lifted their elephant hunting ban and are now auctioning off elephant hunting permits for approx 45000.00 Which is leas than you can hunt a 50 pound elephant in other countries.

Kenya has some beautiful sights and reserves. The great migration is worth a look, as is Mt Kilamajaro.

Larry, or anyone who have dealt with them, is Kilamajaro Rifle company still in business and if so do they still make the Artemis ? The last I heard they had moved their corporate office to Hawaii ( which I think is his home there ) and the manufacturing of their rifles were being farmed out, which would not quite be the same as when they made them, in house. ?

Only for work, and nowhere exotic. Bison, elk, pronghorn, bighorn, moose were the usual fare in our office. Hunting Husband did way more than me. I also got in on a black bear immobilization once and a mountain lion once. Paint darting bison was fun…low pressure and low risk, unless they got mad

I can’t imagine how we would get around the liability of having volunteers around some of the drugs we used though.

Thank you so very much for sharing. If I may. You have "only" done Bison, Elk, Pronghorn, Bighorn, Moose. I can only imagine the number of fellows here who would have enjoyed being with you when you were darting them and taking samples from them.

Paint darting bison being low risk, unless they get mad Love it, and sooo true. If you will permit me I will share this again as I am sure I have shared it before, We were hunting lion and I was pretty excited and even comfortable with it until it was shared with me, that he was now hunting us

I again want to thank everyone who contributed to the thread.

 

[Durango Mike]

I will add this now as later today we will all be enjoying and celebrating Randy filling his goat tag !

I wanted to thank everyone who contributed to the thread, it was appreciated. Thank you

I also waned to bring you up to date on what she decided. Thanks to the above three posters, she has now decided Asia is out and she really likes the Yukon Territory, Canada hunt mentioned above, but she also still likes the idea of going to Africa. She ask me which was a more exciting hunt. Cape Buffalo or Grizzly and of course I explained to her that either can be "no adrenaline at all" to " oh sh** "

Appreciated all the replies gentlemen---and Wolverine stories!!!! --thank you

Glad to see HappyMyles back, he is definately a person to ask about variety as he has covered way more of the world hunting than I have so far. I have done most of Africa over 7 trips and several to New Zealand a few more to Canada and Alaska, Argintina. Really hard to compare price/value/experience as they are so different. I would vote for Cape Buffalo over Grizzly as you can usually get to stalk a bunch and shoot several on a trip up close and personal, gets addictive, kept me going back. Interesting no one has mentioned cats, I personally have never wanted to shoot anything over bait, but everyone has their own agenda. New Zealand fishing is a big draw along with wonderful people, unfortunately really big red stag seem to be limited to high fence operations, probably the result of year round hunting on available land as many farmers consider them pests. Tahr are way more interesting as challenging trophy's go. The most important bit of advice I can give is DO RESEARCH on both the PH and the outfit. The best hunt I ever had was with Tony Henley of Safaris South for a month in Botswana in the early 90's, the worst was ten years later in Tanzania when the outfitter switched the PH (one that I had spoken with 6 past clients about) at the last minute and put us in a camp that was short food and had a young PH who really wanted to be home with his wife and new child. I wound up shooting at least 25-30 head of plains game just to feed the camp (no trophy's just culls for meat), and a nice Sable and lesser Kudu (both lost by the outfitter and never shipped, adding insult to injury). I would emphasize variety of opportunity for a first trip anywhere then focus on specialty trips with a single trophy focus. I like the double rifle request as well, although I shot my biggest Buff with a 458 Lott at 20 yards (definately a faster second shot would have been welcome!)and it is the one rifle that holds the most memories. The New Zealand red stag in my picture was taken with my bow, required 7 days of tracking, an easy rifle shot on several occasions, but a challenge with a bow.

 

[300stw]

not much to add, except an older gentlemen thats a friend of the family goes somewhere in africa every year, hes pushing 80,

his best trophies anymore, are, baboons', hes fascinated with harvesting them, and the pics,, it makes me queasy viewing them,,,,

i vote marco polo for the win,,,,

 

[Salmonchaser]

Hi April, Happy thanksgiving.
Catherine and I are going to Africa the end of April, Interesting. Spiral horns and a warthog on the license. I’ll report back in late May.
Catherine says go for the Marco Polo.