Want an African hunt?

[Judson]

One of my customers got a hunt at a SCI auction that was for 7 days 8 nights for two hunters and included the taxidermy and trophy fees for 1 Impala and a Blesbok for $1000. This hunt is with the Land owners Alliance and is meant to be really great. Problem is my gunshop customer can not go due to heart problems. If you know some one who would like to go and share it with a friend please call me, now you would be expected to get more then the two animals but the hunt is valued at $5660 so $1000 is a deal even so especially for two at 500 each. I am trying to help the guy out, I make nothing but I do not want to see him loose $1000. If you are intrested give me a call or Email. Phone # is 207-938-3595, Email is theworkshop@tds.net

 

[jjhack]

Last evening a couple friends of mine who belong to the local huntng club were talking about a fella who won an auctioned hunt. The hunt included the airfare and a safari in South Africa. He paid 1500.00 for the hunt which means it's actually free because the airfare alone will be about that.

For starters there will be tax due on this hunt which will be based on the actual value not the price paid. That was news to me. I thought tax was always paid on what you spend not the actual value. However there is some kind of IRS law thats creates this set of circumstances. One of the two fellas visiting works for a brokerage firm and he knows about all this stuff( I sure don't). This hunts advertised value was 6000.00 with the included airfare. It's also only available in March or April which is a very rainy and poor choice of hunting dates. The bush is lush and green and very poor visibility. It's also very Hot during the day often near 100 degrees in March

The hunt included as stated Airfare, 5 days and 3 animals. Any additional days were charged at 300.00 per day and additional game at the standard trophy fee levels. The three included animals are Kudu, impala, and steenbok. The hunt days also included the day of arrival which is typical but with only 5 days that's cutting into the hunting time a lot.

So the hunt was purchased for 1500.00, he will owe about 1200.00 in taxes making it 2700.00 and if he stays the typical 10 days another 1500.00 for daily fee. he now has 5700.00 into this for three animals. Lets assume he shoots an additional 2 animals for 1600.00 total and he is now up to $7300.00 for the trip to shoot five animals including airfare.

What a great deal, NOT!!!

Be careful of the "deals" out there. Had he just booked a hunt he could have saved himself at least 2000.00 over this "special auction" hunt. He would also have been able to hunt during the prime rut not the "pre" season during the rain and heat. I have 10 day 5 animal hunts for 4500 plus airfare of about 1500.00 and there are no steenbok Which are small and inexpensive in my package, although you can shoot one as an extra if you like. My Package is all bigger animals.

The two fellas asking me about the prices were with the guy at the auction begging him not to bid on this without talking to somebody about it first. He bid on it anyway and thought he had a great deal on a Safari in Africa for 1500.00 bucks. I suppose if you only stay the 5 days (and hunt for 4.5 days) it's cheap. However who goes that far with that amount of time change and only stays five days? With free airfare why not shoot more game?

That's what the outfitter is banking on. He will make his money one way or another! As a side note they said the outfitters donating these hunts had about a dozen auctioned and they all went for 1500-2000 bucks! These outfitters want to sell the pre-season time period which nobody will book anyway.
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www.huntingadventures.net
jjhack@huntingadventures.net

 

[Judson]

My wife and I have done two auction hunts and we never had to pay taxes on the total value, I have never heard of that. We did extend both hunts so we ended up with a 29 day trip. The first hunt was a good deal but the second was not so good. High trophy fees and not as good hunting also the second guy had an attitude problem. The hunt I mentioned that is available is with Johnnie Viver and The Land Owners Alliance and I have talked with them. It can be taken any time in 2004 but they do expect the hunters to get alot more than the two animals.
My wife and I are planning another trip and this one we are going through the outfitter so it is taylored to just what we want. You brought up some very good points and our experience with the second outfitter proves them. One other point I want to make, GET REFERENCES! We could never get any from the second outfitter and that was back in 2001. We are still trying to get the paper work from them so we can get our trophies. It seems they are very lax on this as the taxidermist has contacted them many times with out results.
The first outfitter Numzaan Safaris dropped off the necessary paper work at the same time the capes were taken to the taxidermist the way it should be done!
I am sure that alot of you have more experience than I do about African hunting, got any suggestions as to how to get this dead beat off his butt and submit the papers? Any help would be much appreciated!!!