Poster: 8x56mn
Subject: Re: Hunting in Australia

I was not trying to be a smart ass, just was expecting it to be cheaper some how.

I was trying to be a smart ass.

It is important to consider that Australia is a Western First World country. Labour is not cheap. Most Top End outfitters do not have 12 to 33 low paid or no paid workers to do stuff, the PH and maybe a single camp helper does the lot.

The local people (Aboriginals) do not have to work unless they feel like it as they live off the land and government hand outs.

Arnhemland is a remote area. There are no corner shops. It costs a lot of money to equip a camp as everything must be brought in by 4WD.

Do the outfitters have the to pay the land owners or someone for the animal to hunt or are they all free roaming. I know labor is higher, but what really generates the cost? I can't believe that the support people are making much more than 100. 00 a day. I know you have gas and a truck, but!

Yes of course the land owners have to be paid. They charge most of the trophy fees and often some of the daily rates as well.

Workers in Australia earn a lot more than $100 a day. Diesel and trucks. You might be a day's drive from the nearest town or more. The 'town' might be a single building with a shop and fuel station. You have to run generators and fridges and freezers. Clients like fresh food and cold drinks. The fuel bill for a generator can run into many thousands of dollars per year alone. The country is rough and R&M costs high.

Unfortunately the cost of hunting here in the states has gotten really steep. My buddy is always saying "yea here you ride around on the back of a horse and get skinned up, and thrown off down a mountain in the dark, eat cold food,, sleep on the hard ground in cold tents and wet clothes and sometimes can't get dry, all in hopes of seeing and perhaps shooting one animal if your lucky for $7-10,000". You got to love it right?

The Top End hunting operations are more at an international standard similar to what you would expect in Africa than the USA standard you describe above.

In Africa they treat you like a king , you sleep in a comfortable bed, eat all the great food and drink you could ask for, have your clothes washed and pressed everyday, you see tons of game , shoot 6 or more animals including a Buff for around 6-10,000. I know this because I have done both. Just my thoughts please don't take offense.

A buff hunt in Africa would cost $6-10,000 most likely more like $10,000 plus as I priced them last month, plus charter fees and all the trophy fees except for one buffalo trophy fee.

As 470 Nitro said they are different experiences and I too like hunting Africa, hunting the Top End is a great experience in itself.

I am not an outfitter nor an agent so if you are seriously interested you should contact some outfitters. They sometimes can do deals which are cheaper than an Arnhemland hunt eg hunting on cattle stations, or cull hunts. Some cull hunts I saw advertised were more like $3500 to $4000 but if you shoot a trophy sized animal the trophy fee is a lot higher than the usual $2000 to $2500.

PS I had the same arguments with African outfitters, why they think they can charge so much for a cape buffalo hunt!

Especially as I will already be there hunting elephant cow and already paying a daily rate. They want a whole new seven day booking! Supply and demand unfortunately.

OOPS forgot. Check out this thread for an idea on how the buff hunts are.