Scimitar Oryx hunting
19 hunting trips from 11 outfitters starting from $3,300
Where to hunt Scimitar Oryx
Scimitar Oryx once dwelled all over Northern Africa, but in the year 2000 was announced extinct in the wild. Fortunately, a sizeable herd remained in captivity on game ranches, including in Texas, and were used for a reintroduction program in Chad. However, Scimitar Oryx is still endangered, and relies on captive herds to survive. Quite a few of such herds are financed by trophy hunting of selected individuals, and opportunities for such hunts exist in South Africa and the USA.
Price distribution
Scimitar Oryx shooting fees on South African operations start at about $2,000. Add to that daily rates (on the average, $300 a day), and perhaps a few other species (few people go to hunt in Africa for just one animal), and the bottom line will probably be in the $3,000-$5,000 range. Scimitar Oryx hunts in the USA will cost you about $4,000.
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Learn more from our blog story
What will the bottom line of my African safari be? It’s not always easy to answer this question, and many beginners are confused by daily rates, trophy fees, and package deals. And what about other expenses, such as tips, travel and taxidermy? Nobody but you can answer this question, but this blog post will help.
17 Aug 2017 All said and done: What’s the bottom line for an average South African hunt?When to hunt Scimitar Oryx?
In both South Africa and the USA Scimitar Oryx hunting opportunities exist a year round. Any months can be a good months, but the summer months may be a bit too hot in Texas, and many South African outfitters insist it’s better to hunt in November – April, where flourishing vegetation of the bush makes stalking easier. However the majority of animals are hunted during the main hunting season from April - October.
Hunting methods All hunting methods (11)
The most popular way of hunting this antelope is by the classic African spot-and-stalk. In Africa hunters typically cover ground in vehicles, glass for animals, and stalk them on foot once they are located. While on some game farms and ranches it may dwell in bush and scrub country, usually Oryx is a creature of wide open spaces, and is blessed with keen eyesight and natural wariness. This adds challenge to the hunt (and calls for a long-range, flat-shooting rifle).
Why hunt Scimitar Oryx?
The graceful lines and long curving horns of the Scimitar Oryx have long attracted people, stirring the desire to hunt the antelope and to keep it in captivity. This came in handy when the animal was practically extinct in the wild, and today captive herds form the basis of reintroduction programs. No zoos can support a population with sufficient genetic diversity; keeping enough of the animals is possible only on game farms. Whatever one’s opinion on game farming, it’s undeniable that hunting a few selected individuals and using the proceeds for the well-being of the herd is a proven, sustainable, and successful conservation model. If free wild herds of Scimitar Oryx are to roam the deserts of Northern Africa, it will only be due to high fence game farms and ranches. That’s so far as conservation aspect goes, but what about the hunt itself? An open plain where you can see every movement of the wary animal, the highest degree of tension at every moment of the stalk, and a lasting memory in the form of a couple of beautiful horns. Enough to make any hunter want to hunt this antelope.
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