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Thanks folks. I think it is the tracking and wilderness I’m after. I’m sure a buffalo would get the heart rate up. I’ve never really desired one prior to coming on here to be honest. I think probably because they seemed out of reach. But it is doable saving a few K a year and going in 5–10...

When it comes to looking at picking up extra shifts and they’re the same price as a car, it’ll probably have to be one and done :ROFLMAO:

I do get that. For me it was always going for a kudu. Even from a young age. I scratched that itch on my trip and managed to get one on a low fence cattle farm area. Maybe didn’t scratch the wilderness itch though. Nyala was a close second. I do really like zebra for some reason and could hunt...

Thanks for the reply! What I’m trying to gauge is would you weigh the experience well above plains game? You could probably take anything from 5-10 PG animals ,(assuming $2k - $4K per animal) for one Cape buffalo. I feel the hunt and remoteness swings it for the buffalo. But I just wanted to...

Folks I’m planning trip 2,(yes I said once and once only to the other half..). Now this may be 4-5 years away with how things go but what I’m trying to work out is: Is a Cape buffalo hunt worth the same / more than a weeks PG hunt? In experience or adventure. What I feel I’ve missed a bit is...

Very helpful. Besides trawling through reports,(which is all part of it) where do you find the best info on areas? I had been looking at the omay? I’d been speaking to one PH last year and he said that some blocks in caprivi are transient and entirely depends on if the animals have moved in/out...

Folks, what would you consider to be the best hunts you’ve done? From an average hunter perspective, I’m weighing up a return trip in the future. Now that may be in five years of savings for another PG hunt. Or maybe hold off 10, save a little more, and do a DG / Cape buffalo? What trips or...

Funnily enough I just stumbled onto Mana pools this evening. Briefly looked into Hwange in the past. These parks are so unknown to me that I’ve only heard of Hwange from blood origins podcasts so more research needed on my part. Appreciate the suggestions! I’ve started looking into Zim a lot...

Thanks for the help folks. I think this thread has basically helped me realise that buffalo in Zim is far more likely what I’m after. It seems to be about £5k cheaper than say Botswana,(which is a lot really). How Zim ties in for a photographic safari I’ll have to see.. but may either do two...

Very helpful, thanks! That’s probably sensible although I don’t know how many times I’ll be able to afford going over. I never thought I’d manage a second time. It might make sense to do one photographic/wife trip and a proper buffalo trip in middle of nowhere another time Thanks! I’ve started...

Thanks folks! Lots of options here which is really helpful and what I want but does make it confusing as well! So general thoughts: Yes nice accommodation for this particular trip would be important as it’s a one off. I presume from what I’m reading other countries aren’t quite as on par with...

Will run it past the boss. Thanks for the help! I’ll have to tie it in with big five stuff one way or another

Thanks folks. Yeah I hadn’t considered that as a slam as such. Purely that eland ,(especially if tracking) would be a really cool hunt. And if I can’t afford a buffalo,(there’s about 10x eland to 1 buff in cost) then the tracking aspect of the hunt may be a close second? Bushbuck came into it...

Thanks gents. Brilliant and honest replies! I’ll reply properly / in full when I can give them the time they deserve but essentially: I’m planning a safari holiday with the wife mainly. This will probably come down to TZN or Bots but I don’t think I can do Tanzania hunting cost wise,(certainly...

I’m sure a few people have hunted in Botswana on here but it seems to be lower in prevalence than South Africa, Namibia and Tanzania? What have people’s experiences been like? Is plains game good there? I’m tempted to go see chobe or okavango, and for some plains game,(possibly a buffalo if I...

Thanks folks. This gives me a lot of options. I’ll look up Pilansberg, that’s a new one to me but it’s popped up a few times on here. Good to know a mix of photographic and hunting is common. Outfitters seem to appreciate this is the norm as well having had a look. She’s not mad keen on...

Right folks, this is a few years off probably but my other half is desperate to go on a photographic safari. - Ideally looking for recommendations of low volume of visitors, nice lodgings and the usual big five,(of which I haven’t seen many either). Any recommendations on country? Venue...

I did wonder about it. I’ll have a while to mull it over so figured I’d see what the verdict is. No hunt report yet, it’s on the to do list! Appreciate that. Nice to get some opinions or see some photos of work done though

Hi folks, I wanted to get an idea of what people thought or have done with their mounts in the past please. My Nyala had maybe a 1-2” v shaped notch out of one ear,(probably by barbed wire or thorns). Slight curl to the ear tip as well on this side. D&P said there was a reasonable hole in the...

I went for an off white but we put this colour on some side walls in different rooms and it really made some of the taxidermy ‘pop’ - they were moved out for painting. Might have to reconsider a new coat..

I’m actually surprised they’re not more popular across the pond. I used a camp Remington rifle for the first time on a hunt and it was rough by comparison. Still did the job but I can see why there’s so many aftermarket parts..

They’re really highly rated in the UK. Slick bolt, double stack magazine. Well made. Use it and then can put a new barrel on it again if it ever needs it

Thanks folks. I think we’ll just go an off white like and play it safe

Might be worth looking at Kroseg (New Zealand) and see if they will inlet ? But I suspect they only do actions III and IV. Only downside of the 75 is the lack of aftermarket options. Wouldn’t mind a McMillan myself for the IV

Thanks folks. Sounds like dark green seems to be a common theme if going for a solid colour. Might be the case that I’ll have to improve the lighting in the room if I’m going with the colour the other half likes

Cheers! Not very reassuring but appreciate the honesty

Thanks folks. They’re coming with D&P hides so I’m not sure if the dipped skulls would pass as finished. I was told that taxidermy and D & P can’t go in the same crate. Have a fair bit of stress waiting to see how these come back. Might be smashed to bits. Will it even be the correct skull...

Hi guys, so trophy room is a bit of a stretch. It’s more where I do my reloading and have a few mounts but you get the idea. Anyway we were going to paint a few rooms with a solid wall colour at one end. Probably a dark/deep blue. Has anyone got anything similar? I imagine a white would be the...

Thanks folks! All fair points! IF I can do tanned hides in with the D&P skull crate then I will. I slightly think it was their way of pushing me towards having the shoulder mounts done with them as well.. that seems to come up at every opportunity. Last question is can I convert a flat skin...

Thanks! Get what you’re saying although some aspects I get confused on. I went from only taking capes to taking back skins as well - then my mind went to making a rug! The only grey area is, IF I take a whole hide back with my dip and pack skulls, will it just have to be D&P full hide? Assume...

You’d think so! I’ll have to make enquiries. I know a lot won’t take deer because the hair is bad for coming out. Seems to be quite a few that will do sheep but not cattle etc!

Thanks folks! I’ve been advised that taxidermy items if I was to have a rug made can’t go in with the dip and pack. So it’s 2 crates. Sounds like a non starter as it’ll majorly bump costs up I feel. I may take some back skins back for panelling. I’ll need to see if someone can make a rug from a...

Thanks folks! Do you feel adding the felt makes them more robust? Or am I as good just getting the flat skin itself? I quite like the hides without the head on them. Having a look online, all the cow hides for sale online seem to almost have a U shape at the top of the neck where the head would...

Looks good! Pillows are an interesting idea I’ll consider too I take it you have to ask for the felt separately? Most seem to be just a bare hide? Have they caped the skull out here then stitched up? Most that I’ve seen start from the top of the neck down

Has anyone got any good photos of back skins they’ve had done? I’m considering hunting a black wildebeest and would only go for a euro mount. Back skins seem relatively cheap so I thought it may be worth doing as well? Hartebeest and blue wildebeest seem to be the most common though?

It does seem steep compared to the weight of the contents. This will be my first time out but I’m not sure I’ll be doing it again if $10,000 trophy fees turns into a $25,000 trip by the end of it. Crazy when a day on the stags in Scotland is £800-£1000. Makes UK seem cheap!

Folks are these prices so high because they’re mounted animals? I’d received a rough estimate about a year ago - appreciate prices fluctuate - for around £1500 for a 350kg crate from South Africa to UK. This was mostly dip and pack and skulls for approx 7 animals. Think that’s likely way out...

The thing is , you would never know. Just have to take things at face value . I guess this is the difference between RSA and say, western hunting in the states. If the animals aren’t farmed full stop then it removes any doubt. But I appreciate your point

Think you’ve just solved the debate over the two then. Gemsbok it is,(out of the two). I may well end up just scrapping the idea and going for a waterbuck but we’ll see. By the sounds of it, they won’t jump a cattle fence though either.. Maybe I can see why everyone goes for bushbuck...

This is where I get lost. Is hunting a gemsbok or lechwe in free state expanded range? I just really don’t want something that’s been recently released like a pheasant shoot. The outfitter does have ground in Limpopo but I was trying to avoid anywhere high fence and do cattle fence areas. Maybe...

Thanks folks. I may well get to other areas in RSA as well. I was tempted to go for one of the above 2 , have been for a long time. But sounds like going for a waterbuck or something else makes more sense. Zero chance I’ll be back hunting in Botswana though. Although one can always hope!

Very nice! Will have a look at the tick report. Certainly don’t want struggling, sickly animals Are the kafue the same Latin name? Last thing I need is import permit issues at the home airport. Outfitter has them down as red but they do seem to have black shoulder areas.

Thanks bud. Why not? Likely reared or just don’t like the idea of them being there? Hartebeest is a maybe. I’ll probably go for a black wildebeest

Thanks! Yes it’ll be free state or not at all. I may get back out in 10-15 years, may not. Who knows what import situations will be then. I’m just not sure what level of a hunt to expect. Same as Namibia , it’s just that they were released..pass.. 50 years ago? I just don’t want to hunt...

Hi folks, Had a lot of interesting replies recently about what game folk like to hunt and a lot seemed to be what is endemic to an area - completely fair! Jumping along, I think the free state has gemsbok. Probably introduced I know but I don’t think the free state is a million miles away...

Thanks folks! Much appreciated. I basically would have gone for euro mounts rather than dip and pack as my backup plan but I’m worried they’ll paint the horns or something daft,(they do seem to always come back dark) and then it’ll look bad when I shoulder mount it. Shoulder mounts are the main...

That’s interesting. I’d have thought there would be more chance of put and take with sable in Limpopo than in other areas of RSA? Completely get the idea of native range though!

Bit of both! When you look at the top 10 posts previously, folk list most of the plains game. Really wanted to see what folk would strip it down to if they ‘had to’. Kudu, eland , bushbuck , oryx seem to be the main repeats! I’ll definitely add a few more than 5 if I can. It’s just trying to...

Hi folks, first hunt coming up soon and I hope this isn’t a stupid question. Should I get all my skulls dipped and packed? Even if I’m planning shoulder mounts with them? Would they normally otherwise skull cap a head before sending to reduce weight? Or do you get a full skull plus cape...

Lots of gemsbok / oryx votes coming through. Would that still be the case if it was South Africa or purely a Namibia appeal?