42 ALASKA SPORTING JOURNAL AUGUST 2019 | aksportingjournal.com
CONSIDERING AN
AFRICAN HUNT?L
ike you most likely, my initial
thought when considering a safari
was simply, “Why hunt Africa
when Alaska has such great hunting?”
The reasons are many.
First, Africa is unlike any other place
in the world! The scenery, the people
and the culture make traveling to Earth’s
second largest continent a must-do
adventure for any big game hunter.
Plus, the timing of Africa’s peak
hunting actually occurs during our off-
season, when most Alaska hunters are
still dreaming of fall seasons for moose,
caribou, goats, etc. Indeed, May through
August is a great time to hunt Africa.
South Africa’s mild weather at this
time is another plus. Most of Africa’s
prime hunting occurs during their winter,
which coincides with Alaska’s summer,
when hunting opportunities are minimal.
South Africa’s winters are much
different than Alaska’s. In fact, they
are quite pleasant, offering sunny blue
skies, morning temperatures in the 40s
that quickly rise to a very comfortable
70-ish range by midday.
For any seasoned Alaska hunter who
has persevered through sideways Ko-
diak rain, Alaska Peninsula typhoons or
the froze, icy goat cliffs of Prince Wil-liam Sound, that’s music to their ears.
The abundance of game on a South
African safari is another great reason to
choose a trip there. Put bluntly, you will
never get bored while hunting Africa!
Most importantly, perhaps, is the in-
credible value that an African safari can
provide compared to other hunts. For
example, an unguided, DIY drop hunt
for Alaska moose or caribou now costs
$2,500 to $4,000 per person, just for
bush plane airfare. A guided hunt for
moose is about $12,000, while chasing
brown bear runs approximately $25,000.
Hunting in the Lower 48 isn’t much
better, to be honest. An average Mid-
west whitetail hunt will run you $2,000
to $3,500 per person and a guided elk
hunt is even more expensive, varying
from $4,000 to as much as $15,000
per person. And this is just for the hunt.
In the U.S., nonresident licenses and
tags often add another grand to the
price tag.
Bear in mind that this fee is for the
mere opportunity to hunt; a shot is
far from guaranteed, as success rates
can be exceedingly low with Alaska
or North American game. In contrast,
when bowhunting relaxed plains game
on huge tracts of land over water holes
in South Africa, the more common
question becomes, “What species of
animal will I take today?”Costs for plains game hunts with
well-known, quality outfits can run as
low as $2,995 for a seven-day/four an-
imal package. Occasionally, outfitters
will run specials or donate packages
to pro-hunting organizations like SCI,
which allows lucky hunters to score in-
credible deals on auctioned hunts. Just
be sure to do your homework and en-
sure the hunt is provided by a well-re-
spected, reputable outfit that utilizes
large tracts of land and registered PHs.
For Kendra’s safari, I purchased
a father/daughter package. I was in-
cluded as an observer. We opted to
lengthen our trip via the daily rate and
added an extra animal by simply pay-
ing a trophy fee at the completion of
the hunt. In this way, we experienced a
custom-built hunt for two that met our
personal needs exactly, without break-
ing the bank.
Be aware that airfare, transfer fees,
tips and dipping/shipping are generally
not included in safari quotes. But then
again, most of these additional expens-
es aren’t included on a North American
guided hunt either.
Make no mistake: bowhunting Af-
rica is not cheap. However, all things
considered, a South African bow hunt
is an incredible value that simply can-
not be matched in Alaska or the rest
of North America. GBKendra with her gemsbuck, one of six
different species of plains game she harvested
with a bow. (GREG BRUSH)“South Africa provides a variety and abundance of game
that cannot possibly be matched in North America, Alaska
included,” author Greg Brush writes of the kudu and other
game Kendra scored on this father-daughter adventure.
(GREG BRUSH)