Best Bang For The $ Hunt Of A Lifetime?

[Sytes]

Over the course of years w/in Hunt Talk we've seen some epic adventures worldwide! My hunting partner's health is maybe reaching that point where a hunt of a lifetime is befitting our interest.

We've had many years of great hunts and likely spoiled as residents of one of our great western Rocky Mountain states. Black bear to Elk... Elk at most, fairly weak 6x has been the pinnacle of success / excluding MANY tag soup great hunt memories. We're looking to step out of Montana. Something out of state and maybe out of country(?). Money dictates and half arse $ is not a reasonable play to support a lifetime type hunt.

I don't want to say out loud time is finding limits though...

Of the adventures here - and say a maximum (I don't believe that is even possible though for discussion sake) $10k complete hunt for two, who can still reasonably hike (walk, not climb)... Where would you place your $ for that lifetime memory hunt?

From Yukon / Alaska Caribou, Moose, Kodiak bear / wolf, to possible New Zealand stag?

I recall Schaaf's bush plane drop off and kayak hunt... That sounds like an epic memory driven hunt!

Thoughts?

 

[LousyResident]

$10K for 2 seems really difficult nowadays. My gut reaction was going to be a remote fly in moose hunt in Newfoundland because that's on my list. But I that's outside the price range by nearly 50%. You could still do the non fly in version though.

 

[cgasner1]

Audad haven’t gone yet I go next month but your price is low for 2 guys by the time you do all expenses 2 moose tags are 1800ish with licenses plus paying someone to fly your out and getting those beasts home. Another factor with this you may wanna consider is time. I’d rank that pretty high on the concern list even kodiak boat hunt is a few years out now

 

[Speeddmn]

Id start with one of two questions first, what species or what location is the “bucket list” then go from there. If just a adventure, do you want to work for it or maybe just want memories with out the worry of getting lost in the bush.

 

[mevertsen]

$10k seems impossible with the parameters you have set.

 

[cgasner1]

Really just depends on a lot but I’d think it’s do able but the time frame would be a huge concern for me due to how booked out almost everything is now days

 

[Hawk Tuah]

Africa plains game safari.

 

[Werty]

You can easily do a diy caribou (Haul rd) moose and black bear, AK for that price.

Might be able to do a Africa trip, but you wouldn't be bringing trophies back with you, just pics.

 

[elkrchr]

How about a spring British Columbia black bear hunt. You could drive to the destination and would have enjoyable, relaxing hunt while seeing lots of bears every day. Definitely could do it for $10K.

 

[Sytes]

I received a message from outside HT for this as a good platform to evaluate pricing and options... Anyone use?

Hunting trips directly from outfitters worldwide

The first worldwide online booking platform for hunters. Great variety of hunting trips directly from outfitters. All with a Best Price Guarantee.

www.bookyourhunt.com

due to how booked out almost everything is now days

I've heard something similar from another who did an Australian Sambar hunt.

 

[Werty]

Africahunting.com is a great site fir international hunt info.

 

[Sytes]

Might be able to do a Africa trip, but you wouldn't be bringing trophies back with you, just pics.

I'd imagine, if we did something of this sort, I would be able to travel along as a client and he would be the hunter. Save some money and I would have a blast either way.

What's the ballpark for a shoulder mount sent back? Say an Impala?

Someone PM'd the Africahunting.com website as well. Good to know. Thanks.

 

[Werty]

I'd imagine, if we did something of this sort, I would be able to travel along as a client and he would be the hunter. Save some money and I would have a blast either way.

What's the ballpark for a shoulder mount sent back? Say an Impala?

Outside of your flights and shipping trophies, Africa is really cheap to tour around, even doing a cull hunt.

Shipping an Impala, to many variables, but guessing at least a $1000 and up.

If you do go, don't hesitate to hint me up if you have any questions.

 

[Bambistew]

I've done a lot of trips and have a lot of memories. My two favorite hunts were South Africa(x2) and hunting above the Arctic circle (before the closures when you could have 100square miles to yourself). The cluster f that is going on up there now isn't worth it anymore, IMO. Fly out trips here are getting stupid expensive. Eastern Brooks would be very memorable, but it's $4-5k a person for a bush flight pp.

2 guys door to door in AK is possible for $10k, but once you add in all travel costs it adds up fast. The hunts you can do for cheap are generally low success and or high effort. You can get a boat based deer or black bear hunt for $4-5pp plus travel. There are very few transporters in AK, and average cost is $3-4k pp for about everything theses days. Most are more, few are less and the waiting list is long, of you can get on one. Plus tags and getting here and back. You're in the $6-7k range pretty easy unless you know someone. You're not hunting Kodiak bears for less than $30k.

I would definitely look at Africa. It's an absolute awesome adventure low pressure and reasonable prices. you can go as an observer or just hunt a few inexpensive animals. Look at non profit orgs that are auctioning off trips. You can pick them up at for really good deals, usually for 2 people. $10k may not cover it all if you want to bring trophies back, but it will be close travel costs are about $1500-2k pp. Shipping and brokers, you'll be into $2500, easy. I would look at the Limpopo region in RSA Bots and Namib, or other places in the last two. Shipping home trophies can be expensive. I would go euro mounts and take lots of pics. The trophy is just a small part of the experience.

NZ is a great option, but I'm not sure on logistics it's been a while since I looked into it but I believe it's doable in your price range and you can bring trophies back on the plane, I believe as well

Make it happen and raise the bar a bit. Its OIL hunt.

 

[Kiwi]

New Zealand DIY tahr hunt. Only cost is getting to NZ, car hire and chopper.

 

[MaddH]

How about a free range bison hunt on the Crow ? Probably a little more than $10,000 but would be an epic hunt with less travel expenses since you live in Montana

 

[GoGriz]

New Zealand DIY tahr hunt. Only cost is getting to NZ, car hire and chopper.

What do you figure is a good rough plug cost for a car and chopper? Always good to have a finger on the pulse of costs just in case a guy wants to put something together and sell it to his wife in concept.

 

[Mallardsx2]

New Zealand DIY tahr hunt. Only cost is getting to NZ, car hire and chopper.

My wife and I looked into going to New Zealand and the flight costs were so ridiculous that we gave the idea up quickly.

 

[Kiwi]

What do you figure is a good rough plug cost for a car and chopper? Always good to have a finger on the pulse of costs just in case a guy wants to put something together and sell it to his wife in concept.

Flights have been expensive since COVID but dropping slowly now with more airlines flying US - NZ. So maybe $US1500 depending on the normal variables. Car rental around the same as US.

 

[devon deer]

@Sytes I believe a fellow Huntalker has just completed a UK guided hunt

He will have an idea of flights/car rental/accommodation.

But guide prices vary greatly depending where and what you hunt.