Africa is just not for me

[VertigoBE]

You are welcome to visit anytime my friend, come, put you feet up and unwind after your hunt wherever that my be. I hope for my home to be like Karen Blixons home, a place for travelers from all over the come, relax, and enjoy just being there.

Once it is up and running, let AH know, so we can come pay a visit

 

[Rickmt]

WAB I did not take offense. I did not claim that RSA hunting was the same as wilderness hunting in Upper Luanga. I simply stated that you and I should stick together and not criticize the others choice of hunting locations or methods.
Good hunting to you ! Wherever you choose to hunt.

 

[fourfive8]

Everyone that I know that have been to Africa that wont return, state that the travel isn't worth it or
they are bow hunters that sat on water holes for ten days.

I did a fair amount of bow hunting in a past life. I never sat in a stand or blind of any kind. Sitting at a waterhole in the dry season waiting for desperate game to come, in one of those camo painted igloos with the shooting slits, might break me of the enthusiasm also.

 

[CoElkHunter]

You hit the nail on the head imo! If you took the fenced ranches of Namibia and RSA out of the picture all safari hunting would be gone in no time. There wouldn’t be enough voices and money to keep the antis at bay. Like I tell folks here about shutting out nonresident hunters from the west, “if the club’s door is closed to the masses do you think the masses will care when someone wants to close the club?”
It’s ridiculous for anyone to say, “you haven’t hunted unless you did it here or there”.
Great hunts and bad hunts can be had anywhere the game is and it doesn’t mean squat what stamp is on your passport. Those who have had a bad experience probably didn’t do their homework properly. I had a specific idea of how I wanted to hunt a buffalo and I had a wife who wanted to accompany me I had to consider.
I had the buffalo hunt I’d dreamed of all my life in RSA and the overall experience for my wife has made her literally mention going back and hunting every day since we got home. I seriously can’t imagine a hunt topping it anywhere. The biggest plus is I have hope of going back due to what it would cost.

And for perspective 640² acres equals a square mile...

Yup, 640 acres= one "section" of land. I have walked three or four of those in a weekend when pheasant hunting. CRP (thick, tall weeds and brush) fields of corn or milo stocks. I'll take walking in the mountains any time! LOL So, 50K acres is some 78 square miles. 75K acres is over 117 square miles. Add some mountains in the mix and the animals on these African "game ranches" can and do disappear very easily.

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

I think the big difference is at some point in time certain or all breeds of animals on the SA ranches were placed there by man. Much of these places, even the large ones need to introduce game in order to keep up with demand. That is not happening here in North America unless you're at a very similar fenced ranch.

I just had a conversation the other day with a customer whos an avid hunter. I mentioned I was going to Africa next year and his exact words were " Oh you're going on one of those guaranteed hunts". I replied I was going to ZIm and he said OH ok. Well right or wrong his perception of Africa is very similar to others over here due to how certain country's choose to manage their game and hunt it.

oh how perceptions are ridiculous and wrong almost all the time

your first paragraph is completely wrong and misinformed, not saying it doesnt happen on smaller areas.
i run on 5400+ha, even when this land was a cattle farm, there were impala, kudu, waterbuck, warthog, jackals, hyena, leopard, cheetah, warthog, mountain reedbuck, klipspringer etc etc and before they were cattle farms there were many other species too

if a farm is managed properly and run well, there is no need to restock any species. manage your quotas and manage your hunting and its sorted.

this is how we operate and it works

 

[Odinsraven]

Only one person....a Gentleman who could suck the happiness out of you faster than a vampire that had not eaten in a month.....

I organise trips to Africa for friends and friends of friends .....He is was the only one

 

[Jfet]

Only one person....a Gentleman who could suck the happiness out of you faster than a vampire that had not eaten in a month.....

I organise trips to Africa for friends and friends of friends .....He is was the only one

Did he look like this

The very best dark chocolate and fine whiskey is the best treatment.

 

[revturbo9967]

oh how perceptions are ridiculous and wrong almost all the time

your first paragraph is completely wrong and misinformed, not saying it doesnt happen on smaller areas.
i run on 5400+ha, even when this land was a cattle farm, there were impala, kudu, waterbuck, warthog, jackals, hyena, leopard, cheetah, warthog, mountain reedbuck, klipspringer etc etc and before they were cattle farms there were many other species too

if a farm is managed properly and run well, there is no need to restock any species. manage your quotas and manage your hunting and its sorted.

this is how we operate and it works

Funny, I have been told by large operations they need to do this. This is from the land owners mouth. So unless they're lying which I don't see why they would tell a potential hunter this, it is not managed they way you speak of as much as it is portrayed. I believe what you say exists but not the the extent everyone wants it to be.

 

[Inline6]

Funny, I have been told by large operations they need to do this. This is from the land owners mouth. So unless they're lying which I don't see why they would tell a potential hunter this, it is not managed they way you speak of as much as it is portrayed. I believe what you say exists but not the the extent everyone wants it to be.

I believe it would be about the same way state side. How many 250+ whitetail roam the wild woods? You can find them in ranches here all the time. The ranches breed deer for horn size. Why wouldn't the ranches of SA not do the same? The other question is how big was the ranch you were hunting?

 

[PARA45]

I believe what keeps hunters from going to Africa is the believe that it is super expensive to hunt in Africa. I was one of them, and thought this to be a pipe dream, until I found this forum, and realized that hunting in South Africa for a hand full of animals was no more expensive than an elk hunt out West. I hope someday to be able to afford to hunt another country besides RSA.

 

[JPmbogo]

On a somewhat related note, I recently saw a spot on TV on the very large bears of northern Russia/Siberia. On doing a little checking, it appeared that a guided hunt there was far less than a comparable hunt in Alaska. Of course, going to Russia for a hunt at present is out of the question, but nothing lasts forever.

 

[Nyati]

again....

Of course, all of us here would just love to hunt in the wide open spaces of real wild Africa, the fact is that most of us just cannot afford it, and we have to hunt the SA ranches, which may offer a good experience if you choose a reputable outfitter and a large property, yes, some can be very large.

What I am a bit tired of hearing (not directed at you, WAB) , are those snobs who state that SA ranch hunting is just like shooting fish in a barrel, even more when said by people who have never hunted in SA.

Rant over, to all.

 

[WAB]

again....

Of course, all of us here would just love to hunt in the wide open spaces of real wild Africa, the fact is that most of us just cannot afford it, and we have to hunt the SA ranches, which may offer a good experience if you choose a reputable outfitter and a large property, yes, some can be very large.

What I am a bit tired of hearing (not directed at you, WAB) , are those snobs who state that SA ranch hunting is just like shooting fish in a barrel, even more when said by people who have never hunted in SA.

Rant over, to all.

Agreed, we need to respect and support each other’s choices as long as they are legal and ethical.

 

[freefall]

Agreed, we need to respect and support each other’s choices as long as they are legal and ethical.

Or we could just all come together in a big circle and piss on each other, like most of this thread!

 

[JPmbogo]

again....

Of course, all of us here would just love to hunt in the wide open spaces of real wild Africa, the fact is that most of us just cannot afford it, and we have to hunt the SA ranches, which may offer a good experience if you choose a reputable outfitter and a large property, yes, some can be very large.

What I am a bit tired of hearing (not directed at you, WAB) , are those snobs who state that SA ranch hunting is just like shooting fish in a barrel, even more when said by people who have never hunted in SA.

Rant over, to all.

So, just where would one go "to hunt the wide open spaces of real wild Africa"?

 

[Nyati]

So, just where would one go "to hunt the wide open spaces of real wild Africa"?

Good question, probably to the past ?

 

[Trogon]

Finances will likely prevent me from enjoying the wilderness hunts that I enjoy reading about on this forum. I've been to South Africa twice now and have really enjoyed my two hunts there, taken a nice variety of antelope. And I'll likely go back at least another time to RSA.
I wasn't bothered by seeing the sheep and cattle fences, I realize for some animals they might be an impediment or deterent from leaving an area, but for others not an issue to jump over or slide under. I visited a number of large ranches where quotas existed on different animals to maintain viable populations and animal quality. My impression on the animals hunted, they were not complacent about people trying to approach them, wasting little time in heading elsewhere out of sight. My last visit, I had many enjoyable stalks, enough ending empty-handed. It's disappointing to read the division on this thread comparing SA ranches to hunting in Zimbabwe, Tanzania, etc. Enough of it reads as elitist.
My 2 cents.

 

[Fixfire]

What I liked about Africa is you can hunt the full duration of your time there - take multiple animals!! My hunts with Outfitters out west (5) for Mules, Elk, and Pronghorn, I was limited to my tag. Each time except 1 Elk hunt, I was successfully on the very first day. Took 3 days on my second Elk. Quality animals, but I was DONE. Paid for 5 or 6 day hunts, but was finished after 1 day.

 

[bowjijohn]

I have found it amongst friends in Moz, I’ve found it amongst family in Zim and Zambia

it is still there

The same aching beauty, the same tip toeing around politics and officialdom, the same feeling of hanging on in a world where you don’t quite belong

tourists don’t usually see the shit that your hosts face daily in order to provide an experience second to none

 

[JPmbogo]

Good question, probably to the past ?

That's why I have a vast collection of books on Africa in general, hunting, and guns for same. Was there in the late 90's and early 2000. Had experiences I don't think could be duplicated

, including having been guided by Glen Cottar. Don't think we will go back - getting a bit "long in the tooth" and flying today is a disaster.