ANSWERS

No. The financial transaction to book the hunt is simply a formality to lock-in pricing, secure dates that work best, arrange outfitting resources, and get all other hunt planning details in place.

Arranging a hunt is a process that begins with understanding hunters' objectives and preferences. We then translate the criteria into hunt recommendations that match. This indicates a very front-loaded consultative process and a final selection and "purchase" that in no way typifies the purchase of commodity.

Hunting is a journey of personal discovery and one of life’s most unique endeavors. So, we advise and help you confidently choose hunts that will deliver remarkable experiences.

We deliver a hand-built global portfolio of time-proven hunting programs developed with rigid quality filters and uncommon knowledge shaped by over 50 years of international hunting experience.

You will need to ask far fewer questions in the hunt selection process because of the comprehensive details and real-time insights that we provide. And in making our recommendations, we objectively determine the predictability of success and the cost-to-quality ratio of a hunt compared to alternatives. If a hunt meets these criteria and matches what we discovered that a hunter wants to accomplish, only then will we present it as a qualified recommendation.

We get hunters hunting in the right location at the right time with skilled professionals. We “own” the entire trip -- from pre-hunt planning to execution in the field to getting trophies home. This process enables hunters to make the most informed decisions about where and when to hunt and to go in confidence.

Yes.

Safety is Job #1. So, any destination or specific hunt in our portfolio is guided by that principle.

Over the course of multiple international hunts spanning generations, we’ve never faced any in-country conditions that presented a personal safety issue. Should conditions ever indicate the remotest possibility of a personal safety issue, we suspend hunt operations until we are confident that hunters will have a safe and enjoyable experience. And the truth is that most hunters will likely be safer at their international hunting destination than traversing most major cities in the Western world.

A member of our team meets you when you get off the plane, and you are with us from that point all the way through to the time when we return you to the airport to begin your departure for home. We assist with firearm clearance upon your arrival and assist with check-in for your homebound journey. In between, we are with you shoulder-to-shoulder to and from the hunt area and while you are in the hunting area.

We transport you to and from hotels and restaurants if the logistics plan requires and overnight. Travelers only need to apply common sense about personal safety in Asia and Africa as they do when traveling anywhere else.

It’s important to note that the US Department of State often uses language to describe a country security situation that could dissuade travelers from going. That's because they take an ultra-conservative approach to the potential things that an ill-informed or unconscious US traveler could encounter. Their advice can be useful but can sound discouraging because they are not staffed to solve any potential problems of citizens abroad.

The reality is that hunting is considered part of every country’s tourism industry generating precious foreign revenue. The people who will host you are safety-conscious, appreciative and hard-working. They are some of the most caring and genuine people you will ever meet. Hunters provide employment and the locals want hunters to succeed as a matter of the personal pride that they have for themselves and their country.

Cost is a factor but it's best to determine the value to be delivered instead. A skilled hunt advisor will present perspectives to help you choose wisely.

Hunters with a few safaris and mountain hunts under their belt do not possess the in-depth expertise necessary to advise others. It takes a lifetime of hunting experience, time proven relationships with locals, and behind-the-scenes industry and country insight to be able to advise hunters factually.

Those who have made a profession of filtering and interpreting information know what is true. And since you’re not paying a penny for tailored and objective advice and end-to-end service from a professional hunting consultant, there is no need to risk your hard-earned money, time, and passion.

No.

Conversely, our comprehensive advisory and planning service saves money by avoiding disappointment.

First, outfitters set the prices for hunts in our portfolio. We earn a commission if we book a hunter as an alternative to an outfitter spending time and money on the marketing needed to find hunters on their own. So, a hunt costs the same if a hunter books directly with the outfitter as it does through Pantheon Hunters.

And we don’t regard commission as a financial incentive. A commission that we earn is simply fair value in return for leveraging our knowledge and extensive network in helping hunters select a hunt that delivers what they expect. And then we manage every trip detail from end-to-end.

After a series of argali population surveys in Mongolia, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan, and delays attributable to translating and evaluating the enhancement data, the US Fish & Wildlife Department began accepting imports for the 4 Mongolian argali species in 2024. In 2025, US F&W began approving import applications for Marco Polo argali from both Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

US F&W grants import applications on a case-by-case basis, requiring enhancement reports for the specific area hunted or to be hunted. So, when we arrange argali hunts in these countries, we select areas where there are no barriers preventing importation. We prepare the import application and arrange safe storage of the trophy until import is granted.

We have been advising, and in a sense “warning” hunters, that the re-start of argali importing will result in higher prices for all argali hunts. This is a function of supply (number of hunting permits) and increased demand by hunters. Hunters who sidelined themselves until they had more assurance their trophy could be imported have created a strong resurgence of interest in argali hunts.

This prior "waiting" coupled with the rush of hunters wanting to book argali hunts will likely result in higher hunt costs. And with good Dall sheep hunts crossing the $50K threshold, Marco Polo hunts in particular emerge as an incredible sheep hunting bargain. This alone is driving up demand for argali hunts.

Foreign government wildlife agencies well understand the increasing demand by hunters, and this paves the way for them to increase permit prices. Revenues from permits and auctions help fund ongoing game management surveys, more wildlife management resources, and equipment updates. So, they are all-in on capitalizing on the strong demand.

Consequently, when it comes to any sheep hunt, we always recommend a perspective of scarcity rather than abundance and that hunters don't delay arranging hunts for the iconic argali.

Normally, 50% of the hunt cost, or 50% of daily rates of a safari is needed to lock-in pricing and dates. This level of deposit secures the permits, quotas, camps and guiding resources required to conduct a hunt. Balances are normally due 120 days before the start of the hunt.

However, we can sometimes accommodate a deposit payment plan. In our earliest years as hunters, we personally received the occasional accommodation, and it enabled a few hunting experiences that might never have been possible without such help.

So, we are open to helping hunters in return for the graces that we had personally received from others. Feel free to inquire about it, and we will help whenever possible.

If the hunter opts to cancel the hunt at any time, all deposits are forfeited unless the hunter refers another hunter to take his/her place. In this case, all deposits will be returned to the hunter canceling, assuming the new hunter pays the same price.

Pantheon Hunters will also attempt to re-book the hunt on a best-efforts basis for the hunter.

If the hunter opts at any time to defer his/her hunt until the next year, the terms are as follows:

• If the hunt can be refilled for the current year, all deposits are honored and applied in full to the new date. However, the hunt pricing in the year of deferral will apply and could reflect an increase in permit prices paid at auction and/or outfitting costs.
  

• If the hunt cannot be filled in the current year of the original booking, deposit terms will be subject to the sole discretion of the outfitter and our ability to salvage hunting permit value.

In the case of a force majeure situation such as what we experienced with the COVID-19 pandemic, or any type of travel restriction imposed by any foreign governments, or any other geo-political event that would make the hunt unfeasible, all deposits will be honored in full for future hunts so long as the government in question enables hunting.

It's always best to explore trip cancellation and interruption insurance. We can help with companies to contact and what's best for a hunter's situation. Most insurance companies require that insurance be purchased fairly soon after booking a hunt.

There are numerous choices when it comes to African safaris, and the process of distilling what will deliver the experience and success desired can be daunting.

So, testimonials generated on hunting forums and even from other hunters does not always translate to the best choice. In fact, many hunters who have been on “excellent” safaris don’t have the professional skills to define the highest potential for excellence. Just because a hunter or forum participant got the trophies on their list does not represent the sum total of criteria for selecting a safari.

At the risk of appearing self-serving, you will be better off leveraging the services of a professional hunting consultant with the knowledge and objectivity to choose from multiple alternatives and present custom-fit options backed by detailed rationale. We recommend that you choose a reputable hunting consultant even if you choose a company other than Pantheon Hunters.

Getting personalized and objective advice does not cost extra; it reduces the risk of disappointment, wasted time and finances. As you should expect of Pantheon Hunters, our portfolio of safari options has been filtered to only those that ensure fair-chase, classic hunting experiences of the highest quality.

Game Ranch Safaris

Entrepreneurship in South Africa essentially saved safari hunting and the white rhino. Years ago, private game ranching replaced environmentally destructive and unprofitable cattle ranching. Farmers-turned-game-ranchers began restocking their properties with Africa’s game species and the safari industry has proliferated since then. Today, there are over 9,000 game ranches in South Africa, providing hunters with access to over 40 species.

Our portfolio of plains game safaris, specifically in South Africa and Namibia, take place only in large hunting blocks offering realistic hunting and seeing different terrain every day. Smaller postage-stamp-sized properties, where hunters cover the same ground every day, undermine the meaning of safari – adventure.

The span of a hunter’s visibility and control on game ranches varies from 75-200 yards on average due to obstructing bush. So, game ranches should not be shunned simply because of a fence when the properties cover tens of thousands of acres. The larger properties exude fairness, and they can be as challenging as a remote safari.

With this principle of selection in mind, Pantheon Hunters ensures that there's hunt in game ranch safari hunting. Beware of “Toyota safaris” and so-called PHs with a “rack 'em and stack 'em” approach to safari hunting. Our PHs are journeyman hunters with extensive multi-country, multi-species hunting experience who hunt classically – even on game ranches. They have seen it all, and a hunter benefits from layers of experience. Together, we only hunt the large safari areas preserving the truest sense of what the safari experience is supposed to be.

Classic Remote Safaris

Remote areas that hold dangerous game and/or elite species like elephant, lion, leopard, Lord Derby eland and bongo, for example, epitomize classic safari hunting.

Again, the choices are numerous, but we help demystify the selection process by laying out the considerations and important selection criteria. When an advisor invests time to discover a hunter’s priority objectives and preferences and can draw from a vetted portfolio of safari options to address them, confident choices can be made.

Depending on a hunter’s priority species, we lean toward specialization. For example, many hunting concessions have elephants on quota. But some areas average bigger ivory more predictably and some PHs specialize in elephant hunting. Our up-front discovery process will help us determine what level of specificity represents a “best fit” for the hunter. Many times, specialization is the key to success.

Yes and no.

There is no set rule about the order of African hunting safaris. A high-quality safari for plains game could very logically be the right choice for a first or future safari, as could a combination safari for dangerous game and plains game.

The far majority of hunters are not one-and-done with Africa. They will return after their first safari. So, if a hunter’s list of desirable species contains a dangerous game animal to hunt at some point and if they have the funds and time available, a dangerous game safari with or without options for plains game could be a very appropriate choice for a first safari.

We will draw out your interests and offer perspectives that will help you decide what's best.

Considering all the forces affecting international hunting opportunities, we do not support waiting as a general rule. We’ve seen too many conditions change that have made hunting more difficult, limited, and costly. And in many cases, lost opportunities on major species that can become non-importable in an instant hurt most.

Hunters have tried to save for future hunts only to see the cost of the hunt increase faster than their rate of saving. All of this speaks to a sense of urgency, and the need to be vigilant and creative financially to make sure opportunities don’t become unaffordable or slip away altogether.

One of our own team members can speak to a personal experience of a missed opportunity. The story applies to Asia, but it makes a compelling point applicable to worldwide hunting. He passed up an opportunity to hunt High Altai Argali in Mongolia when the cost was $12,000. Premium Argali hunts can now cost between $155,000 and $200,000, and in some areas, even more.

So, a Pantheon Hunters® advisor will consider what is strategic to hunt now versus later based on trends that will impact future hunting opportunities. It will always be your choice to decide what’s best. But we will make sure you understand considerations that will materialize and shape the future so that you can prioritize destinations and species and make the most informed and prudent choices.

Basically, we handle everything because arranging international sporting travel with personal firearms requires expertise and knowledge of firearms regulations with airlines and destination countries.

Pantheon Hunters® works with gun travel specialists who make sure hunters have the most efficient travel routing synced with the hunting plan, and they ensure firearm and ammo details are included in the flight record. They charge a fee for this service, but it will prove invaluable in many ways.

Many return flights are changed because hunts often end sooner and their after-hours service can get you re-booked efficiently. And when flights are late or cancelled, they are there to replan the best possible routing.

The Our Story page on our website speaks to the ethos of our brand. We are client-driven. We make sure it’s a hunt of the highest quality - in the right place at the right time and at fair market value.

Pantheon Hunters® is independent in the purest sense of the word. We do not accept free hunts from outfitters hoping to win our favor to bring hunters to them. And when we ourselves hunt, we pay our own way so that we can remain objective and obligation-free.

And when we host a group trip, we pay our own way. We do not burden our guests with our expenses.