Like many hunters, you might be thinking you could get more bang for your buck by booking a hunt in Africa rather than taking one of the increasingly expensive North American hunts. Our package plains game hunt, for example, is less expensive than a typical hunt for grizzly, Dall sheep, or even Alaskan moose and is even less than our best hunts for pronghorn antelope, mountain goat, mule deer and elk. And you'll get at least four animals on this trip and can add others if you like.

The package that we have put together includes all services in camp as well as the trophy and license fees for four animals: kudu, warthog, impala and zebra. You can substitute another animal of comparable value for the zebra. For example, you can get a gemsbok rather than a zebra for an extra $100. You also can add many of the animals listed in the trophy fee schedule below.

And if you want to go this spring, the outfitter recently had a group cancel a trip, opening up five package hunt slots in early May. There are only four spaces available on one of the airline flights in Africa, and to take advantage of those, you would need to leave the U.S. on May 2 and arrive back home on May 16. If two or three hunters book, I'll go along and hunt and videotape for a future show. You'll be hunting two different areas, and the second takes place near Kruger National Park, so this trip includes enough for a side trip there for a sightseeing/photographic safari.

One of my friends, Tom, has hunted twice with the professional hunter who operates this hunt, and he can't say enough good about him. He has taken this plains game hunt in South Africa and also has hunted with him in Zimbabwe, where he took the Cape buffalo that now dominates his trophy room.

The plains game hunt takes place on big ranches in three South African provinces. He operates only on properties where the animals are born and live in their natural environment. The ranches typically cover 13,000 to 16,000 acres. These are not the type of ranches where outfitters import pen-raised animals and then release them.

Brad Payne of South Carolina with his 55-inch kudu. Hunters can expect heavy-horned mature bulls between 51 and 55 inches with the biggest each year typically in the 57-inch class.

The hunt is a bit more expensive than you would pay on these put-and-take operations, but hunters who have used this outfit have been highly satisfied and usually return for two or more followup trips.

Zack Naramore, left, and his father, Chip, with a 36-inch bull gemsbok, average for a bull. Cows average about 38 inches.

The outfitter also offers hunts for dangerous game on concessions in Zimbabwe, so a plains game hunt often leads to a subsequent hunt for buffalo or other free-roaming dangerous game once the hunter knows he can trust the operator.

His South African hunts take place in the Free State, KwaZulu Natal and Limpopo Province. The prices in the accompanying tables have been reduced since 2006 due to a favorable exchange rate. Hunts in 2008 may be priced a bit differently.

Side trips to Victoria Falls and Kruger National Park can be organized for hunters and their wives and children. Anna Batt, the wife of long-time HN Customer Tom Batt, took a side trip to an area where locals quarter wild elephants at night, and she was able to ride one of those animals. Fishing is excellent in some areas for tigerfish (1-16 pounds), nemwe (up to 7 pounds) and river catfish that normally weigh up 25 pounds or wunbu (giant catfish that weigh up to 200 pounds). Deep-sea fishing for pelagic species such as wahoo, dorado, elephant tuna, king mackerel and black marlin is available at Sodwana Bay. Ocean fishing is best in September, October and November.

Arizona hunters Brent Hartmann, 10, and his father, George, pose with Brent's first big game animal, a decent impala.

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Rod Gleave of Utah, center, admires his 27-inch nyala, typical for the species on this hunt.

Tom Batt of Utah with his 12-inch warthog. Tom has hunted twice with this outfitter, and he took his wife, Anna, both times. The outfitter usually has hunters hold out for warthogs at least this big.

Lori and Sheldon Woods of Utah with an above-average 31-inch waterbuck. The average size of waterbucks that can be expected on this hunt is 28 inches.