by Keith Wood - Monday, December 12, 2011
The Myth: You have to be rich to hunt Africa.
The Excuse: I don’t know how many times I’ve mentioned hunting in Africa when the response has been “you must be rich." Well, I’m not. It’s a matter of priorities, and they guy accusing me of being an aristocrat usually drives a really nice pickup. I drive cars until they die, in fact, I’ve never bought a new car in my life. The last time that I had a car payment was 2004.
The Math: According to Edmunds, a new F-250 Super Duty XLT has a street price of $33,743, which equates to $719 per-month on a 60-month note. A one-on-one, seven-day plains game safari in Namibia including trophy fees for kudu, zebra, warthog, springbok, impala, blesbuck and hartebeest costs $6,320.00. Add in $500 for tips, and you’re under $7,000—if you don’t mount anything. If you use a frequent flyer credit or check card for all of your regular monthly expenses (please pay it off every month), airfare will be free.
Ten months of not having a truck payment gets you seven hunting days on the Dark Continent. And you don't need anything more than a deer rifle, a couple changes of clothes and a passport for a plains game hunt so don’t tell me that you have to buy a bunch of equipment. Drive your truck a little longer next time and you too can be “rich." I'm not saying that trips like this are within everyone's budget in this economy, but take out the calculator and you may be able to live your dream.
