NAMIBIA LEOPARD AND PLAINS GAME – HUNT #47

NAMIBIA LEOPARD AND PLAINS GAME – HUNT #47

Located on the southwest coast of Africa, Namibia boasts the lowest human population density of any country on the African Continent and the highest game density, which makes for exceptional hunting. Many people are still unaware of just how great the hunting is in Namibia! Namibia values the Safari trade and that is reflected in the quality and quantity of the hunting available for you to enjoy. Namibia is safe, clean and politically stable. The cities are modern, and English is the official language. A little known fact is that Namibia has THE most stringent requirements and training of any African country to become a fully licensed PH! We think that is important!!

This PH’s main lodge and camps are located about 210 kilometers from the airport in Windhoek (about 2 hours or so to drive). There he hunts approximately 250,000 acres of open, unfenced ground, all with a huge game capacity. You hunt at about 5,000 feet of elevation in the bushveld, strewn with acacia trees and with wide open plains and savanna, and some big hills. Kudu, gemsbok, hartebeest, springbok, warthog, blue and black wildebeest, Burchells zebra, impala, waterbuck, giraffe, leopard, sable and eland- and more! All wild, all free ranging. You can go to Botswana or Tanzania, spend double or triple, and not have a better experience!

His concessions total over a million acres or so, and has in addition he acquired a truly wild and remote Damaraland concession in 2007. It borders the famed Etosha National Park and is 400,000 acres of wild land. All free range hunting! The ride to this camp is about 7 hours from Windhoek. We expect him to have a quota for two lions and two elephants plus plains game there. Etosha is a true gem -a totally wild area with no fences and plenty of game. Elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah, kudu, eland, Hartmann’s zebra, gemsbok, giraffe, springbok, and spotted hyena are just some of the game species that occur naturally in this concession area. Here is a picture of the camp which is the proto-typical African Safari camp with ensuite bathroom and shower, and daily laundry service..

In our opinion Namibia is one of the best bargains in the Safari world right now, plus it is a very politically stable country, with strong US ties. Pricing typically beats South Africa, and there are vast areas that are unfenced. There are fenced areas in Namibia too, but this PH hunts only unfenced areas! We still think South Africa is a great place, and we have a number of truly excellent PH’s and ranches there. We think to a large extent the fenced areas in South Africa offer superb hunts, and we strongly feel that if a fenced area is large enough, they offer superb fair chase hunts. However, if you think you prefer free range –then be aware free range requires that you take more days to safari; you likely will not see quite as many animals as in South Africa; (although kudu and gemsbok tend to be larger in Namibia!)- but you will get a true African wilderness experience, and success is normally 100% on plains game species.

MDGC0029-300x225  Namibia-47-Jameson-Leopard-2012  Namibia-47-Kudu
There is also exceptional leopard hunting at very reasonable prices- perhaps the best deals in Africa! We prefer to hunt leopard both early and late in the season. Right now we have the same leopard hunt in Botswana, with dogs, but with no plains game – and it is $28,000 ! This is less then half of that!!

And if you book a hunt with this very fine PH, you will not be disappointed. We just had one of clients in October of 2012 do a leopard hunt with him. The client took a very old cattle killer that a local rancher begged them to hunt. He had only one canine fang left, his teeth were down to the gums, and the PH estimated him at 13 years old with dozens of cattle to his credit! Here is what our friend and long time client Pete J. had to say about this PH at the end of Pete’s leopard hunt:

“I will say that he is without a doubt the most knowledgeable PH that I have ever hunted with on 6 hunts in Africa. He has the best eyes, even better than his trackers, and can track an animal better than any PH that I have ever been with. He also loves to hunt for the love of it!!!!!”

You can choose to arrange your Safari services in three (3) ways:

• Clients who are looking for a variety of game can either choose from one of the hunting packages or hunt ala carte, paying the daily rate and for those trophies taken. You can vary these hunts in length and we can customize and vary the number and kind of species hunted. You may always add additional trophies and modify any package to suit you; adding or subtracting species. (See the list below.) These packages are very competitively priced, and as such, no refunds are given for any specie in the package that is not collected, although that very rarely happens ( maybe 3% of the time- and then a shot or opportunity was missed)!

• For the client(s) who have specific needs, and specific species in mind – we suggest services based on a Daily Rate plus trophy fees for specie taken. This is the preferred method for clients who are looking specifically for a high scoring trophy of a particular specie or two.

• We and the PH, both like to promote hunting to the younger generation, as they are our future in hunting. As such, we offer a very special package to any parent who wishes to bring their child along to hunt with them on Safari. These hunts are priced 2X1. Both the parent and the child will have their own hunting permits and their own bag limits and specie selection, depending on the hunt that is chosen.

• Here is a map of Namibia with his various concession areas shown roughly:

Using the map above: 1 is his Base camp; 2 is his Kalahari area; 3 is the Highlands, 4 is Otjiwarongo area; and 5 is his Etosha area. Here is a picture of the main lodge at the base:

The communal building of his base lodge houses the dining room & kitchen, bar, lounge area with TV & video, and a terrace with garden furniture. The swimming pool is situated next to it.

TRAVEL:
All international hunters arrive in Windhoek, at the Hosea Kutako International Airport. (WDH) There are numerous daily flights into Windhoek, with most arrivals being on South African Airlines coming in from Johannesburg, South Africa. Try to avoid overnighting in Johannesburg!!! If you do stay overnight you must go through the process of getting firearms importation permits for transiting South Africa. Don’t let that frighten you off- because we have a service provider that can assist and make it relatively painless, but it is another thing to do and pay for (About $160). If you do want to stay in Joburg- we can assist you with suggestions and people to expedite your permitting. We urge you to check your guns and luggage straight thru to Windhoek!! You will minimize problems in Joburg as you are just transiting thru; although there is some question as to whether you may still need an in-transit permit. We can assist you with this. Do not be put off by it. It is just paperwork!

For Namibia, passports must have at least six months of validity remaining beyond your planned date of departure from Namibia. US State also encourages all travelers to or from Namibia via South Africa to have six or more unstamped visa pages in their passport. The State Department warns, “Visitors who do not have enough blank visa pages in their passport risk being denied entry and returned to the United States at their own expense.”

MAKE SURE YOUR TRAVEL AGENT KNOWS AFRICA!! We have several travel agents who have proven to be very good at avoiding problems- ask us for their phones if you want to speak with them. Fares in 2013 during prime hunt time- May-Sept- were in the area of $2300 from most major US airports. The flight from Joburg to Windhoek is only about 2 hours and 40 minutes. Weapons entry is relatively simple in Namibia and a good travel agent will give you the necessary application form to present on arrival, or we will. Gun clearance in Namibia is a half hour at most, and normally only 5 to 10 minutes. SAVE THE CLEARANCE PAPERS!!!! Keep them with passport!

NOTE: A SEVERE LOSS OF KUDU EXISTS IN MANY PARTS OF NAMIBIA DUE TO KUDU RABIES THAT HIT IN LATE 2013, EARLY 2014. YOU CAN HUNT THEM, BUT EXPECT IT TO BE TOUGH FINDING A TRULY BIG ONE.

ALL HUNTING IS ON FREE ROAMING GAME

The Outfitter will custom build your hunt package for you. Let us know the number of days you want, and the animals you want in your package, and we will get you a price.

Package prices offer exceptional savings, and include:

  • All daily fees and trophy fees are included
  • Lodging and meals are included
  • Licenses and field care of trophies are included

The Package Price DOES NOT include:

  • Hotel and meals prior to and following the hunt.
  • Preparation, cleaning, dipping, documentation and transportation of the trophies from camp to the freight forwarder in Windhoek, Namibia. ($500 per hunter)
  • Freight forwarder fees for export from Windhoek to final destination
  • Alcoholic drinks in camp.

There is a $100 round trip fee per person for pickup/return to airport. Unfortunately, if you arrive late we will have to charge you for all extra costs we incur to wait for you, including extra fuel, meals and possibly a hotel. We urge all clients to make a maximum effort to arrive when scheduled

SPECIE AVAILABILITY

Not all Species are available in one camp only. Best is to let us have your wish list and leave the camp decision to us.

EXTRA COST

You can rest assure that there are no hidden cost. WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU PAY.

Deposit Policy

We require a deposit of 50% PER HUNTER   with the booking of the Safari – the balance is due on arrival in the camp before the start of the Safari. Final Payment must be made either in Cash, Travelers Cheques or electronic transfers. No Personnel cheques are accepted. We reserve the right to change prices without notice according to the market exchange rates.

Cancellation policy

  1. There shall be no refund on any deposit paid if a hunt is cancelled within three {3} months of the date of commencement of the Safari.
  2. In the event of a hunt being cancelled prior to three {3} months of the date of commencement of the Safari, then a full refund minus 10% admin fee of the deposit, will be refunded.
  3. In the event the Safari is cancelled by the Safari Operator or the area is closed to hunting for any reason, prior to the commencement of the Safari the client will receive a full refund.

Price list for 2015 FOR ALA CARTE HUNTS

Daily rate:

1 Client on 1 Professional Hunter U$ 300/day/person
2 Clients on 1 Professional Hunter U$ 275/day/person
Non Hunter U$ 100/day/person
Children under 10 Years No charge
Arrival / Departure Day U$ 100/day/person

Daily rate includes:

Services of PH, Skinners, Trackers, Camp Staff, Fully equipped 4 x 4 hunting vehicles, all transport during the Safari, daily laundry, skinning and salting of trophies, all meals, drinks and accommodation while on the hunt. All pre-hunt preparation.

Prices do not include:

  • Hunting license = U$ 50
  • Leopard license = U$ 650
  • The preparation, cleaning, bleaching, dipping, documentation and transportation of trophies from the hunting camp to the freight forwarder in Windhoek = U$ 300
  • Taxidermist fees
  • 15% Government tax on daily rate
  • Freight forwarder fees for export from Windhoek to final destination
  • Arrival and Departure Days, hotel and meals preceding and following the hunt
  • Rifle and ammunition rental
  • Gratuities to PH and staff
  • International phone calls, insurances and medical expenses of any kind
  • All animals wounded and lost have to be paid in full

Trophy prices:

U$
BABOON 100
BIRD HUNTING  (SHELLS EXTRA) 500
BLESBOK 600
CARACAL 1000
CHEETAH 2500
DAMARA DIK-DIK 2500
DUIKER 260
ELAND 2000
GIRAFFE 3500
HARTEBEES 750
IMPALA 900
JACKAL FREE
KLIPSPRINGER 1400
KUDU 2200
LEOPARD – HUNTPACKAGE ONLY 18 500
ORYX / GEMSBOK 850
OSTRICH 350
SPRINGBOK 350
STEENBOK 260
WARTHOG 400
WATERBUCK POR
WILDEBEES BLACK 1500
WILDEBEES BLUE 1000
ZEBRA BURCHELL 1300
ZEBRA HARTMAN 1300

Trophy fee prices are subject to change without notice according to the market exchange rates.

Trophy fee prices are subject to change without notice according to the market exchange rates 

Not all species are available in one camp only. Let us have your wish list and leave the camp decision to us  .

Deposit Policy We require a deposit of 50% with the booking of the Safari – the balance is due on arrival in the camp before the start of the Safari. Payment must be made either in Cash, Travelers Cheques or electronic transfers. No Personnel cheques are accepted. We reserve the right to change prices without notice according to the market exchange rates.   

Cancellation policy

  1. There shall be no refund on any deposit paid if a hunt is cancelled within six {6} months of the date of commencement of the Safari.
  2. In the event of a hunt being cancelled prior to six {6} months of the date of commencement of the Safari, then a full refund minus 15% admin fee of the deposit, will be refunded.
  3. In the event the Safari is cancelled by the Safari Operator or the area is closed to hunting for any reason prior to the commencement of the Safari, the client will receive a full refund.

USFWS Seizing Namibian Leopard Trophies (2009)

The newest wrinkle in the trophy import crisis created by the US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) is the seizure of leopard trophies from Namibia. The reason given is that the information on the CITES tags was hand engraved and not stamped.

According to John Meehan of Fauna & Flora Customhouse Brokerage, USFWS seized two Namibian leopard trophies last week claiming that the tags did not meet CITES regulations because the quota information was hand etched onto the tag. Meehan says he was told, “A decision has been made that this does not comply with CITES.” He says the two shipments had been on hold for some time awaiting a decision from USFWS Headquarters; then last week, the two legally-taken trophies were seized.

We checked with John J. Jackson, III, of Conservation Force, who immediately looked at the CITES regulations (Res. 10.14 and Rev. COP 14) and the USFWS 2007 code governing what should be on leopard tags. Both are identical and merely say the information should be “indicated” on the tag. It does not specify either the quality or the kind of indication. It appears the insistence that it be printed in a particular way is beyond the regulation and completely arbitrary.

Jackson will be looking into this issue further and says he will provide a report on the problem in the upcoming October issue of World Conservation Force Bulletin, delivered with your Hunting Report Newsletter. For now, hunters planning to import a leopard from Namibia should contact their shipping broker and check how their CITES tag is completed. If your tag has been engraved rather than stamped, you should hold your trophy in Namibia until this new requirement has been addressed by Namibian authorities. We will keep you posted on any further developments.

Ammunition must be separated from weapons and may be packed within checked luggage, but must be properly secured in an ammunition case or solid box. No ammunition may be packed loosely in checked baggage or within the same case as firearms. Ammo- usually 40 rounds – (yeah- no way to be sure).

All luggage, domestic and international, is now being screened in South African airports. Screeners are finding ammunition in checked bags that is incorrectly packed and are forcing passengers to remove it from their bags, which is causing all kinds of havoc.

All ammunition must now be packed and transported in a lockable ammo box placed within your checked luggage. A manufacturer’s carton is no longer sufficient. Remember that there is also a limit of five kilograms of ammo per passenger. That includes the weight of your ammo box. And don’t forget to declare your ammo at check-in.  

We strongly recommend that ammunition be packed in lockable cases, which can be handed in as loose items at the firearm counters to avoid possible delays during checked baggage screening