Since my comment in reponse to a top gilded comment got buried...
What does the GDP per capita specifically have to do with the hunt? Are you including the average cost of living or assuming people will compare to their home country, probably first world here on reddit.
Can you cite sources on the elephant tag cost? Because its not one country with one price although if memory serves me those prices look familiar.
Elephants that are legal to kill: Sterile males ~50 years old that chase off bulls from the females.
That's not true at all. Deaths from "hunting" these animals seem to be rare based on my quick search. these animals that are "Fucking hard!" to kill seem to do all the dying.
Here's the recent article about the 25 year pro hunter and guide who got trampled to death by, no, not a mysteriously sterile elephant over the age of 50, but a young virile bull in musth. What's musth? It when a male elephant is hyper hormonal and crusin for puss. And according to wikipedia, "At Amboseli (national park in kenya, my citation), bulls under 24 do not go into musth, while half of those aged 25–35 and all those over 35 do." Which seems to indicate that males never go sterile from age otherwise why would it say all males over 35 go into musth. If you can find a more accurate article, feel free to share it.
What is the effect on the elephant population: Areas where trophy hunts are legal and regulated have increasing elephant populations because they have the money to hire rangers etc.
Can you source that?
And why people care: If these hunters gave a single fuck about the wildlife they were "conserving" they wouldnt be killing it, they'd be donating to prevent its death. If they want elephants alive its so they can kill them, its basic logic.
Also, claiming that the money goes to fund rangers and conservation without any evidence is easy. Corruption is rampant throughout africa and you can't say for certainty that this money doesn't disappear into pockets.
"Zambia Cancels All Trophy Hunting Licences" ... "based her decision on corruption and malpractices between the hunting companies and various government departments" - See more at: http://africageographic.com/blog/fingers-off-the-trigger-zambia-cancels-all-trophy-hunting-licences/#sthash.GTibWPLV.dpuf