Updated January 31, 2010

If you are not included in our current mailing list and would like a FREE copy of the 2010 Big Game Annual, please contact us by phone to be added to the list!  (Contact Info)

ZAMBIA CAPE BUFFALO AS LOW AS $10,995

7 days daily rate $6,950 1X1 OR $6,250 2X1
Concession fee $1000
Dip and Pack $1250
Buffalo trophy fee $2250 (allowed six other animals as per the trophy list price sheet)
Visa on arrival - takes 2 minutes to issue (if USA citizen $125)
Duty on arrival approx $2 per round, allowed 100 rounds per firearm but most bring 60 rounds - approx $120
Total cost $11,695 1X1 OR $10,995 2X1

Hotel accommodation runs from $100 to $250 per person per night depending on the hotel wanted, many hunters schedule their flights to charter straight to and from camp without needing a hotel in Lusaka, other hunters want a couple of days to visit Lusaka.

Charter will be $2550 in the Barron (max 4 people limited luggage) or $3650 in the King Air (7 people) EACH WAY. We try and split this with other hunters arriving or departing, but there is no guarantees on this.

Gratuities are a personal thing but most outfits recommend $75 to $100 per day for the camp staff per hunter and a similar amount for the PH if the client is happy with the service given to him.

Observers $250 per day.

Airport meet/greet and assist on arrival and departure plus transfers from airport to hotel are all incuded. If the clients want any specialised spirits they should bring them, beer and carbonated drinks are supplied in camp.

BUFFALO/HIPPO/CROCODILE HUNT SPECIAL

We work with another Zambia PH that has discounted a special package including trophy fees for a buffalo, hippo and croc priced at only $11,995 for 2x1 or $12,995 for 1x1. Open dates are October 11 to 20. Other normal fees apply such as: charter air/road $1,500, 10% tax, dip and pack, rifle permit, concession fee.

Bob Wodzisz took Cliff Graham to his home state of Ohio for a mid-January blackpowder hunt and assisted him in taking this 10-pointer on the first evening. Bob passed on several good bucks up to 130 inches over the course of the 4-day season.

The 2010 Big Game Annual is coming off the printer and you should receive it by late January. We will also start our show circuit at that time starting at Walnut Creek, Ohio January 29 and 30. Then the 9-day Harrisburg Show February 6 to 14 and we will be in the main hall at booth 6818. Pittsburgh Show has been moved back to Monroeville and is February 17 to 21. Click on our show schedule in the menu to the left to see where we will be and stop by to visit.

It is time to start thinking about your plans for 2010, especially if you are looking for a spring bear or turkey hunt. Here is only a partial laundry list to look over and get some ideas. Go to the hunt categories in our main menu to the left and click on black bear or turkey for a more detailed summary of all our bear and turkey hunts.

2010 spring black bear openings and check out our brown bear and grizzly hunts:

• Manitoba Hunt BL44 $2400 6 days mid-May into first week of June typically 100% success and average bear weighs 200 to 250 pounds

• Alberta Hunt BL975 $3000 with $600 trophy fee on 2nd bear 6 days May 5 to 24 most hunters take 2 bears

• Newfoundland Hunt BL94 $2120 6 days early June into early July includes license and tax for 2 bears 2nd bear has a $500 trophy fee

• New Brunswick BLNB322 $1600 5 days May and early June includes fishing 2009 spring 33 hunters tagged 26 bears

• British Columbia BL4 $3250 5 days May 13 to June 6 2nd bear is $500 to hunt and $500 trophy fee 100% opportunity spot and stalk hunt

• Southeast Alaska BL247 $4850 5 days April 22 to June 15 typically 100% success and average bear goes 7-foot 90 minute flight from Seattle

• Prince William Sound Alaska $5200 5 days May 3 to June 11 typically 100% on big bears 50-boat accommodations with nice glacier cruise

Some turkey ideas for 2010:

• Texas rio grande TU223 2 birds $1250 April typically 100% nice accommodations airport pickup at San Angelo included

• New Mexico merriams TU333 2 birds $1000 April 10 to mid-May typically 100% group rate of $900 for 6 or more

• Nebraska merriams HG327 2 birds $600 or 3 for $700 unguided 4 days April 15 to May 20 local motel and meals hunters expense

• Florida osceola HG148 and TU863 $2200 to $2500 3 or 4 days 1 mature gobbler normally 100% March 18 to April 23 can add hogs

• Kansas rios and easterns TU662 2 birds $1000 3 days April 9 to May 5 typically 100% lots of birds

• Mexico goulds TU760 $1850 each for a group of 4 or more, includes license and paperwork 2nd bird is $500 May 6 to 15
  

Mike Moran had a great hunt and took this 160 pound tom in northwestern Colorado on Hunt ML675.

Ohio hunter Bill Hanzel took his tom on a fun chase through the rimrock on Hunt ML675.

Pa. hunter Jim Kelly took this big old Colorado tom on Hunt ML21.

Virginia hunter Otis Asal took this monster on his second trip to southwestern Colorado on Hunt ML21.

LAST MINUTE COUGAR HUNTS STILL AVAILABLE
If you want a January or February lion hunt give us a call. We work with 2 Colorado outfitters that are top notch and take some great cats. Hunt ML675 produced 6 toms for 6 hunters last winter and in the past 4 years his 27 hunters took 26 toms. That is phenominal! 6-day hunt is $4,500 and if you want to come this winter we may be able to get it for $4,000.
Hunt ML21 only has 1 spot open for next winter on a prime date in early January. Fish and Game had been doing a study in half of his hunting unit and it has been closed for the past 5 years. It just reopened and we expect some big old toms to be taken in the next couple years. If you have the time to get out on a cat hunt give us a call and we can go over some options.
Price is $4,000 for 5 days.

NAMIBIA PH TO GET SOME LEOPARD PERMITS FOR 2010
Namibia appears to be in the process of closing hound hunting for leopards, but will continue to allow some bait hunts in 2010 (we expect 2011 to be in full swing for bait hunts as in previous years). Our PH has been nothing short of phenominal the past few years on his bait hunts and very reasonable pricing. He allows you 14 DAYS and INCLUDES TROPHY FEES ON LEOPARD, GEMSBOK, SPRINGBOK AND WARTHOG for ONLY $12,450 and IF YOU DON'T PULL THE TRIGGER ON A LEOPARD YOU GET A $5,500 REFUND. If you have taken some of these plainsgame or want to trade them out for something else he will allow the normal trophy fee amounts to go towards other animals. In 2009 he hosted 11 leopard hunters and 8 scored on cats over bait. Check out Hunt NMCS for more details and trophy fees for other species. He has very limited openings for 2010.

Here are a few HCU customers with their leopards from 2009.

Canadian hunter Mark Banns with his big male leopard.

Kraig Coxon took his monster leopard on this Namibia hunt.

British Columbia outfitter Dennis Smith went to Namibia for this big leopard last year.

SOUTH AFRICA ALL FREE-RANGE SAFARI - NO HIGH FENCES
6 DAYS INCLUDES KUDU, MOUNTAIN REEDBUCK, BUSHBUCK, IMPALA, DUIKER, WARTHOG AND BABOON
$6900 AND THIS INCLUDES A AIRFARE VOUCHER WORTH UP TO $2400
We work with a PH on the eastern cape that offers all free-range hunts on 2 major conservancies totaling well over a half million acres. He takes some tremendous quality of animals including big kudu, monster Vaal Rhebok and giant bushbuck, along with most all your other plainsgame. Accommodations vary from a lodge in the Stormberg Mountains to a traditional tent camp along the Umkomaas River in southern KwaZulu Natal. He also specializes in walk and stalk bowhunting, with the option for some blind sitting on waterholes. They also cater to non-hunters as well and have a cottage close by on the Indian Ocean. Look up Hunt SAAP for more details and trophy fees on additional animals.

WYOMING SHEEP/MOOSE/ELK OUTFITTER
HUNTS IN TROPHY DRAW UNITS
Here is a Wyoming bighorn hunt that all you guys with max points should be putting in for.  This outfitter offers hunts for bighorn sheep, shiras moose and elk in trophy units on a draw basis. Success typically runs at or near 100% on trophy quality animals. His sheep hunts typically require the maximum 14 points and the rams have averaged 175 Boone and Crockett gross score, with the top ones nearing the 190 mark. The area he hunts is not nearly as physical as most sheep units in Wyoming and he likes to have his hunters come in September 1 for a few days and if not successful to return for late October closer to the rut. Price is $8,500 and he likes you to stay until you kill, which is typically less than 10 days.
Shiras moose is in Unit 34 and also normally requires the maximum 14 points. He had a young girl last year and she harvested a 44-inch bull very quickly in the hunt. He himself drew a tag and only had 2 days to hunt between guiding commitments and he scored on a 47-inch bull. Price is $6,500.
He hunts both Units 7 and 11 for elk with great success on bulls from 300 to 380 points. Last fall he had 9 hunters in Unit 7 take 9 bulls and his hunters tagged 10 bulls in Unit 11. Elk hunts are October 1 to November 20 and are priced at only $5,750. Call for more details on Hunt BS307.

OREGON BLACKTAIL HUNT NORMALLY 100% $4050
This outfitter hunts southwestern Oregon on the west side of Route 5 for trophy blacktails. He has several ranches totaling about 5,000 acres of private land. Deer numbers are very high and success typically runs near 100 percent on good bucks. The area is fairly open and very good for glassing and locating deer. Elevation is only about 700 to 1,100 feet and the property has plenty of ranch roads, this is not a physical hunt. He only takes up to 4 hunters per week and accommodations is a bunkhouse with a kitchen, living room, shower and bedroom for each hunter. Last fall his 9 rifle hunters took 8 bucks and one hunter decided to pass. The average buck grossed 115 to 120 inches and the best bucks reach 140. They saw 7 or 8 bucks over 140 last fall. 5-day hunt is $4,050 guided 2x1 or $4,800 for 1x1. License is $150 and tag is $350, no tax. Hunt BT101.

$10,000 BROWN BEAR HUNT

CANCELLATION DISCOUNT FOR MAY 2010

     This is a very personal hunt in that the outfitter only takes one brown bear hunter each spring and guides him personally.  It takes place on Chichagof Island in southeast Alaska.  Last spring the hunter took a very old 9-foot boar that was extremely dark in color that they had seen the past three previous springs.  He continued to frequent the same small bay and they caught him out on the tidal flat that proved to be his demise.  Over the past 13 years 11 hunters scored on nice boars. In 2008 his hunter missed 2 good boars and the other unsuccessful hunter back in 2004 hit a bear they never recovered. The average size bear taken on this hunt has been 8-foot 9-inches, of very good quality.  

Hunters fly into Juneau, where they are met by their outfitter/guide, and then are flown to their hunting grounds on Chichagof Island in southeast Alaska.  10 days with 8 hunting days is normally $11,500 guided 1x1 from May 11 to 20.  Tent accommodations and the hunter and guide travel by zodiac and glass shorelines.  The outfitter pays for your charter flight to the hunting area.  At press time the spring 2010 hunt came available due to a cancellation and is priced at only $10,000.  Hunt BR64.

CT Martin with his great bruin taken on Hunt BR64,

HERE IS A QUALITY HIGH SUCCESS MONTANA WHITETAIL HUNT DISCOUNTED TO $2500

     Here is a real bargain priced hunt that normally goes 100 percent success on quality bucks.  This 5-day hunt includes lodging, meals and transportation during the hunt.  Basically this is rifle treestand hunt and hunters can expect bucks in the 130 to 150 class with the possibility for a real wallhanger.  This part of southeastern Montana has produced some monster bucks with some going in the 200-inch class. 

     Season normally opens about October 20 and continues up to Thanksgiving.  We expect the guaranteed license to be priced near $1,000 with a March 15 deadline.  Hunters fly into Billings and rent a car.  This hunt had normally been priced at $3,500.  Hunt WD79.

Dave Turnfuy and a great buck taken on Hunt WD79.

MONTANA 5-DAY ARCHERY PRONGHORNS NOW ONLY $1000

This outfitter offers a 5-day unguided antelope hunt and provides a tent camp for only $1,000.  He has plenty of quality private land for his hunters and last fall he hosted 34 archers and 28 scored on bucks.  He normally takes some bucks scoring over 80 inches, but the size was down some in 2009 compared to past years. 

Hunt dates are August 15 to late September.  Hunters need to apply for tags by June 1 and past years have been 100 percent draw.  Fly into Billings or Rapid City and rent a car.  HCU has worked with this outfitter for the past 20 years and HCU’s Bob Wodzisz has assisted on this hunt.  Hunt PGBUN79.

Kathy Robinson with a great buck taken on Hunt PGBUN79.

Member of:
NRA • SCI • FNAWS • RMEF • NAHC • GOABC

Cliff Graham 7931 Franklin Road Evans City, PA 16033 office: 724-538-8686 e-mail: cliff@besthunts.net	Scott Steinkruger Box 7402 Amarillo, TX 79114 office: 806-353-3634 e-mail: scott@besthunts.net	Bob Wodzisz Box 244 Peninsula, OH 44264 office: 330-730-3473 e-mail: bob@besthunts.net	Jim Bernardin 1320 Oxbow Road Oxbow, ME 04764 office: 207-435-7089 e-mail: jim@besthunts.net