Team Hammer in Africa 2024

[RockyMtnMT]

Last night's cape buffalo tenderloin dinner with desert.

 

[BigDon]

For the guys who have been to Africa, what's it cost all said and done? Get your animals back home and everything. Say like a 5-6 animal plains game hunt.

Sorry - there is no such place as "Africa" to hunt and do an analysis on. Every country is different in their rules, traditions and pricing. South Africa is only one of the inexpensive Mecas for hunting. Private land, and per head prices, usually without 'trophy fee' add-ons for exceptionally large specimens. In SA you pay a daily rate - usually quite reasonable - say $350-$500 for the professional hunter, truck, trackers, skinners, meals and lodging. Expect quite nice treatment and a quality experience. This model works many countries - Botswana, Namibia, etc.

On the other hand - there is Tanzania. This is a completely different economic model. The daily rate is basically driven by the government licensing. Expect $2,500 or more per day. On the other hand, you buy a concession license with your paid license list of animals on the bag list. For example - in SA a lion might run $15,000. In Tanz. it will be maybe $1,500. Elephant - in TZ - $3,500 to $5,00. Botswana - $15,000+.

Please note - These are just demonstrative prices, and may have changed in detail - but not principal.

Wife and I have hunted SA all in for about $10,000. I won't print what we spent on a 30 day tented Big Five Safari in TZ. Greatest experience possible. Literally life changing. We hunted in the bush with Masai and pygmy natives. It was thrilling, fun, scary, tense and amazing all at the same time. Not to mention pretty deluxe. Think Glamping - but at a whole other level. TZ is a 6 figure undertaking. That figure might start with a 2 or a 3. It can go up. It's on you.

Hunting SA is a breeze and a ball - and it's more affordable for really big game than the USA. TZ is a bit more like planning an expedition. Caution - all of this is totally addictive, and there is no known cure....

So the bottom line is - what do you want to spend, and what do you want to hunt. This takes a lot of consideration and planning. The answers will then lead you to the right location.

I strongly recommend watching the posts from the Hammer Team in SA right now. They have it wired - and what they are reporting is the real deal experience in SA.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

Yesterday was quite a day for sure. First thing in the morning Shaun was able to connect in a trophy wildebeest. We spent several hrs trying to locate the cape buffalo herd. Early we found a group in some very tight cover and could only see young bulls so decided not to go in and get the herd running and just leave them calm and try to get a look at them later when they would move to water. We later set up on what we thought would be a likely route they would use and it worked out perfect but there was no old bull in the group. We were able to find a good group of bulls with a good shooter bull late in the morning about 11 o'clock. Ruan and I were able to work our way into them and I was able to get a clear shot at about 75y a bit quartered to. I let the 450gr Shock Hammer fly. The shot was true and the bull was down inside 70y. Turned out it was the first good bull that we had tried for the the previous morning. Everything I had hoped for. A big old bull. They figure near 15 years old. You can see on his horns how they are worn nearly smooth. On the afternoon hunt Jill was able to take a beautiful black impala with the BeanMore and Jeff Hammered a great blessbuck. Tyler is hot after a kudu and Brenda has her sights set on a warthog. Hopefully today they can close the deal on those. Jill and I will be headed out to try for the kudu we found for her a couple days ago on a nearby cattle ranch.

 

[Reemty J]

Who is that old rascal huddled next to that Boo-fa-low? Looks like a yahoo from over the hump!

 

[RockyMtnMT]

Another great day, particularly for Tyler. He got a wildebeest first thing in the morning. Then a kudu shortly after that and after lunch got a blesbuckand nearly had a shot on a warthog. He was flying high for sure. Jill didn't get anything in the morning. The kudu we have been trying for has slipped us each time. Hopefully this morning we will get him. She'd did get a management impala last night and I shot a jackal. Shaun got his kudu in the morning and Jeff got his kudu in the evening and Brenda Hammered a blesbuck last night. All in all a huge day. We have a couple left to go.

 

[Rebell]

What an amazing day. Congrats and thanks for sharing with us.

 

[270DT]

Another great day, particularly for Tyler. He got a wildebeest first thing in the morning. Then a kudu shortly after that and after lunch got a blesbuckand nearly had a shot on a warthog. He was flying high for sure. Jill didn't get anything in the morning. The kudu we have been trying for has slipped us each time. Hopefully this morning we will get him. She'd did get a management impala last night and I shot a jackal. Shaun got his kudu in the morning and Jeff got his kudu in the evening and Brenda Hammered a blesbuck last night. All in all a huge day. We have a couple left to go.
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Steve glad you guys are having a great trip. Tell everyone I said hello. It will be my turn in a couple months.

 

[cabelasken]

Depends on what you hunt and do with taxidermy. Trophy Game Safari does packages that are very affordable. Their large package is about $8k for 7 animals and food and lodging. Airfare and taxidermy I would say you can be all in for $12-$15k and not skimp on anything. http://www.tgsafari.co.za/

On our hunt next year we are being charged $1 - 7.5 K per animal for trophy fees with a minimum of 3 animals taken. Kudu's being one of the more expensive animals on the list.

 

[RogerPA]

Time has come, we are about ready to Hammer Africa 2024. This year the team comprises of me, my wife Jill, my son Tyler, our friend Jeff, our friends Shaun and Brenda. My son in laws parents. The Holtmeyer team is not going to make it for this one. They had a new member that was born a couple of months ago that changed their plans. Not a bad thing, but we will miss having them there.

Weapons for this trip are as follows. I will bring a 500 Jeffery running 450gr Shock Hammers at 2700 fps and 17 Hornet running 21gr Hammer Hunters running at 3650 fps. Jill will be bringing the 20" barreled 6.5 BeanMore running the 112gr Hammer HHT at 3130 fps. Tyler will be bringing his 300 wm running the 182gr Hammer HHT at 3300 fps and the 36 Nosler running a 242gr Hammer HHT prototype running at 3075 fps. Jeff will bring his 30-06 running the 154gr Hammer HHT at 3100 fps. Shaun will be running 300 Wby with the 138gr Hammer HHT at a bit over 3650 fps. And Brenda is running the 270 Win with the 122gr Hammer HHT at 3300 fps. I think that is correct vel for the 270 win. Animals on the list for the team will be from cape buffalo down to meerkat. Collectively about 30 animals is my guess for this trip.

I always have a tough time updating while we are there but I am going to try and make an effort to stay on top of it this year. Our first day of hunting should be on Monday as long as we get to camp early enough for an evening hunt. Going to re zero the Jeff today because I had to replace the scope yesterday. That rifle has been a bit of a curse from the start! Wrong stock for the amount of recoil and wound having to intstall a brake in order to be able to manage it without getting the crap kicked out of me. Actually Jeff pretty much whipped my butt! I can manage him now, but still a handful.

Best wishes for a safe and successful trip!
It appears, with limited exception, that the HHT's are fast becoming your teams bullet of choice. I know within the realm of my own testing, there's nothing I don't like about them! Very curious to see if you-all register any notable changes in terminal performance vs. the other Hammer lines? We'll wait by patiently for the details from the field!

 

[RockyMtnMT]

Yesterday was another very successful day. Jill was able to connect on the big kudu that we have been hunting for the last three days. He had been held up on a thickly brushed hillside between crop fields and power lines and we could never catch him in an opening. It is very dry here this year along with he was hanging with 20-30 cows making a sneak in tight cover impossible. He finally made a mistake and came out in the power line cut within range of our setup. Jill made two great shots at 260y. First one very quick when he stopped on the far edge of the cut just before disappearing. Perfect shot just on the edge of the bush covering his chest impacting on the diaphragm line. He turned and ran back where he came from and stopped on the edge again hard quartering away and she snuck one in just in front of the hip stopping in the front shoulder. He went another 20y and was down for the count. I'm really glad she is not shooting at me! I should probably mind my manners better!

Jeff, Shaun, and Tyler all Hammered management impala and Jeff got a duiker on a night hunt with my 17 hornet.

 

[Rebell]

Wow! Dandy Kudu. Congratulations.

 

[TN David]

Beautiful kudu! Probably one of my favorite animals!

 

[ridgewalker]

Fine kudu! The "gray ghost" of Africa.
As I recall it seems like the impalas should be roaring in heat now? Scared me the first time I ever heard them. I thought it was a lion growling. LOL!

 

[RockyMtnMT]

We are now doing the chore of getting ready to head home. Yesterday was another great day of hunting. Jill was able to get the last animal she was after, a gemsbuck. Brenda took a management wildebeest. Shaun got a warthog. Jeff was able to get a jackal. Tyler took a trophy impala. The last day is always just a fun day of hunting and hanging out with all your friends, new and old. This morning we will sort out our final tips, pics, and goodbye hugs until next time.