Safaris fetched at bargain prices

From the frustration in Ray Granmoe's voice, there was no mistaking things weren't going the way he had hoped they would when the evening began. Granmoe, an auctioneer, was about halfway through the live auction at the annual fundraising banquet for the local chapter of the Safari Club International and already had called a pass on five of the first 16 items because the bidding was insufficient or nonexistent.

The tentacles of the world's economic woes had reached into the collective pockets of a normally generous group and limited its buying capability. Guided hunts in places such as Australia, Africa and New Zealand brought minimum bids or none at all. The same was true for hunts closer to home. In years past, Granmoe had no problem selling these hunts for thousands of dollars each.

In the end, a situation that turned out to be a little rough in the fundraising department for SCI provided bidders with the opportunity to purchase what some might consider the hunt of a lifetime for an almost unbelievable price.

Initially, bidders passed on Auction Item 10, a hunt in the East Cape province of South Africa for two hunters and two nonhunters. Donated by Trophy Hunters Africa, the auction item included seven days of a 14-day hunt for eight species -- two black wildebeests, two blesbok, two springbok, one mountain reedbuck and one steenbok. Trophy fees were included.

Also included in Item 10 were two large-trophy shoulder mounts and four medium shoulder mounts. And let's not forget all accommodations, meals, beverages and daily laundry, along with the services of a professional hunter, tracker, skinner and camp staff for seven of the 14 hunt days. And did I mention field preparation of trophies, hunting licenses and permits, and transportation of trophies to the taxidermist?

The estimated value of this package was nearly $13,400. Prior to the auction, the reserve was established at $6,000. Though Item 10 initially was pulled from the auction because the reserve could not be met, SCI Las Vegas chapter president Dave Small and Granmoe came back to it a second time. The reserve was lowered to $5,000, but after several minutes of working the crowd, the auctioneer had nary a bid. Then, just as Granmoe was about to pass on the African hunt a second time, he received a lone bid for the $5,000 minimum.

Another African safari, a 10-day hunt for a single hunter, sold for just $350. That comes out to just $35 a day to hunt in Africa. An Argentina dove hunt, including two Benelli Super Black Eagle shotguns, sold for just $3,300. The two shotguns alone are worth about $3,000. Hunts closer to home included a New Mexico elk hunt that sold for $5,500 and a Montana deer hunt that went for just $1,500.

While my wallet is a little light to bid on a guided hunt, I did invest in raffle tickets. But all I managed to do was come within a digit of winning a new Benelli shotgun.

Though our economic downturn put a damper on the auction that night, Small said in an e-mail that the auction and other activities that night did net money for conservation and other SCI programs.

• TURKEY TAG APPLICATIONS -- Spring turkey season in Nevada opens March 25.

Some of you might recall an article I wrote last spring following a successful youth turkey hunt with my daughter and son. It's worth the effort, especially for the kids.

You can pick up application information at Nevada Department of Wildlife offices or from your favorite license vendor. You also can apply online at www.huntnevada.org. However, a paper application is required for the Paradise Valley area in Humboldt County. Applications must be received by Wildlife Administrative Services, the company that performs the tag draw, by 5 p.m. Feb. 17.

Freelance writer Doug Nielsen is a conservation educator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. His "In the Outdoors" column, published Thursday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NDOW. Any opinions he states in his column are his own. He can be reached at doug@takinitoutside.com.