A hunter and his dream excursions

A hunter and his dream excursions
                        

As this hunting season ends here in the USA, most of us forget that on the other side of the world, it’s just beginning.

When it comes to international hunting, the majority of us believe it is beyond our financial means. In a lot of cases, this is true. But I thought it would be fun to look at some of the “dream hunts” of the world.

So let’s say we won the lottery and we could quit our job and hunt anywhere we wanted for any species. We’ve eliminated the monetary and time restrictions, so the next barrier is the Mrs. (or in some cases, the Mr.). If you are as lucky as I am, she/he is interested in hunting also. If not and the travel is good for them, most excursions offer alternative sightseeing/shopping excursions.

Many have asked us if, because we’re going to Africa, we are hunting the Big Five: lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and Cape buffalo. These also are some of the most dangerous animals in the world, but that’s OK — remember, we’re still dreaming. A full Big Five hunt would cost between 2.8-4.4 million Rand ($186,000-$287,000), depending on trophy quality. So we’ll have to keep dreaming.

Another top of the world class hunt would be the Marco Polo sheep. Travel for this species requires special permits and extensive travel, as this species is located in the mountains of Central Asia. These sheep have spiral horns that can range upward of 70 inches each. Beside the physical limitations of being at an elevation of more than 12,000 feet, the hunt usually is combined with ibex (might as well while we’re there) and is over $40,000. Keep dreaming.

Then there’s always the dream of the Kamchatka Russian brown bear. The hunt is a lot cheaper — a mere $15,000-$20,000, plus the travel. These bears can reach a height of over 9 or 10 feet and also are among the most dangerous animals to hunt. If we don’t want to go to Russia, we can go to Alaska for the peninsula brown bear for about the same price.

Trophy New Zealand red stag has always been on my list. What is nice about the red stag is generally it is a controlled species (fenced or territorial) for the trophy stags. They are categorized from bronze (score low 200s), which start around $5,000, to silver, to high silver, to gold and on to super gold (500 inches or more), which cost upward of $20,000-$25,000. Free-range red stags rarely get above 300 inches.

Then if that’s not enough dreaming, there are those who spend their big dollars chasing the slams, categories of species in which a hunter can collect all the variations of that species and collect awards from Safari Club International. One of the top awards called the Super Slam goes to the lucky hunter who harvests all 29 big-game species in North America. Mark Peterson, owner of the World Trophy Adventures, a trophy guide service I use, has collected the Super Slam three times, using the rifle, bow, and muzzleloader. Talk about dreams.

Last but not least is the trophy moose. There probably isn’t a hunter alive who hasn’t dreamed of taking a trophy moose. The good news is even moose are within reason if you are satisfied with a 40-50 inch bull, which cost around $5,000-$8,000.

But the dream of all dreams is the trophy Yukon moose, which has a spread of 60-70 inches or more. Generally, this hunt runs from $15,000-$20,000 but is probably the most sought-after big game animal worldwide. If anyone would like to contribute to my dream moose hunt, please contact me ASAP.

Probably the best part of hunting, in my mind, is not the trophies on the wall, but the ones that live in my dreams. And maybe, just maybe, “Someday” they might come true.

Keep dreaming, my friends.


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