101 (or more) Things to Know Before Hunting Africa

[trperk1]

I strongly disagree with this, especially DG hunts.

I agree. I would never use a outfitters rifle. It's so easy and inexpensive to bring your own, and one that you've practiced with all year leading up to the hunt. This has led to very successful hunts for me.

 

[TnKen]

I had my first African hunt last summer, and plan on going again next summer.
My advice would be to slow down and take it all in. Other than the first animal I took, they got pics, gutted and loaded as quickly as possible and then on to the next. Next time I will slow down to feel the horns the hair, etc. take in the scenery. This was the first time I was ever so close to these animals. The PHs have seen them thousands of times, so it is nothing new to them. This is not a slight on my PHs, it would probably be the same if they deer hunted with me her in the states.

 

[franzfmdavis]

Put AirTags (or the like) in your luggage and track them to your plane during layovers.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I strongly disagree with this, especially DG hunts.

I didn't have any issues using my PH's CZ 375 H&H to take two buffalo. It's a bolt action. All I've ever hunted with are bolt actions. Had no trouble making the gun work well and fast. Maybe hunting elephant would be different but I doubt it. Immaterial because I'm never hunting elephant anyway.

If the client is inexperienced with firearms, that would be different. Then get thyself to a shooting range. But in my opinion anyone inexperienced with firearms has no business hunting dangerous game.

 

[franzfmdavis]

If you are using an optic on a rifle, one with a low magnification and a larger field of view will be more useful than one with high magnification.

 

[franzfmdavis]

It is better to have boots with thorn-proof soles.

 

[Tanks]

Put AirTags (or the like) in your luggage and track them to your plane during layovers.

Yep.

 

[Stormy Kromer]

Have a plan for taxidermy. Know what you want, what it costs and the time & effort involved in getting it to your door. Shipping and handling add a lot to the taxidermy bill, and knowing how to get it home from Chicago or whatever warehouse it gets sent to (you pay storage everywhere) A broker helps, but it still costs more than you realize.

It can easily equal the cost of your hunt.

For me from now on it is going to be high quality photos on canvas when I get home. I'll have them within a week of returning home, rather than a year and a half waiting for taxidermy. And I absolutely love shoulder mounts of African animals.

 

[deewayne2003]

My first trip was Zimbabwe this past July and what a learning experience it was!

As other have said.....

Cash - Bring more cash than you think you need and bring plenty of small bills and FYI - Any $100 bills you bring need to be the latest and greatest version.

Medical Insurance - So the way it works in Zim, if you don't have evac insurance the locals will demand $5,000 transfer before dispatching. Ripcord is more than worth it at $450 year, I kept the card with info on my day pack and write the phone#, ID#, name, DOB, emergency contact, blood type and allergies on a plastic tag I wear around my neck like a military dog tag.

Ammo - Bring good ammo and bring plenty of it, so you can sight in your gun if it gets knocked off in transit; and ammo is shockingly expensive overseas ..... so consider leaving any extra with your PH.

Practice shooting off sticks - Seriously, some "hunters" only practice from the bench and will do you no good; practice from sticks and in other field positions.

Communicate with you PH - I spent the ride from the airfield to camp going over my physical abilities/limitations and what I expected from the hunt; and my PH came through with flying colors and I couldn't have asked for a better experience......

PHs' have to be chameleons in blending to clients from different cultures and countries and they are quite good at it..... But they are not mind readers - Communicate and leave your ego at home.

 

[Brian]

There is more to the bush than the animals that you're hunting, There are many fascinating aspects/ elements to the bush including the trackers and the colonial history. ( If you are hunting in South Africa you will probably be walking over some piece of colonial history including old battle fields.) Study up on your hunting region before you go. Most travelling hunter miss most of Africa when they go there.
- Talk less and listen more.
- Leave your North American preconceptions at home.
- Spend time talking, visiting with the staff/ blacks. The blacks are afraid to talk to us white guys. Making friends with the blacks is a lot of fun and you can learn a ton about Africa. Ask questions about the bush and tracking. Make some jokes get them to laugh. If you see that the staff have infants show an interest in the infants. Compliment tracker, skinner, cooks, house keeper, on their work.

- Cheap flash lights and knives are a big hit. I take a deck of cards, they can cut the deck for a choice of small paper bags with candy and prizes in them.

- BS with the skinners at the skinning shed, arm wrestler the biggest guy there for a bag of candy, tell the skinners that the guy(s) who recover your bullet will get 20 rand. Learn their names. Have a picture of all the skinners with you in it. Most of them have cell phones, so send them the photo.
One time after the trackers got used to me a bit, I said in a loud voice in front of everybody, to one big handsome skinner, "Marius, I met one of your girlfriends in town last night. she can sure can drink a lot of beer!
That cracked them all up.

The blacks are a hoot and will tell you more about the bush and their culture than most travelling hunters will learn in a life time.

- Learn some local language, "Hello", "Thanks", etc.

Have fun, Brian

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Adding to practice: Practice mounting and dry firing your rifle at home. Costs nothing and it will get you (keep you) familiarized with trigger characteristics which can be very important.

If you don't know how to set up your scope for optimal use, go on line and learn. Proper eye relief and scope height is important for quick acquisition (and to keep you from being hurt!). Close your eyes, quickly throw the gun to your shoulder, open your eyes, and crossbairs with full field of view should be there automatically. Don't be hunting for the crosshairs when you get on the sticks.

 

[Skshyk]

Don't overthink. Book your dream hunt with a reputable outfitter and get out there. Shoot straight everything else comes together.

You only live once!

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Have a plan for taxidermy. Know what you want, what it costs and the time & effort involved in getting it to your door. Shipping and handling add a lot to the taxidermy bill, and knowing how to get it home from Chicago or whatever warehouse it gets sent to (you pay storage everywhere) A broker helps, but it still costs more than you realize.

It can easily equal the cost of your hunt.

For me from now on it is going to be high quality photos on canvas when I get home. I'll have them within a week of returning home, rather than a year and a half waiting for taxidermy. And I absolutely love shoulder mounts of African animals.

This is difficult to predict. So much can go amiss between the skinning shed and your mounts arriving at your doorstep. And make no mistake about it, making mistakes makes people money. Expect to be bent over and your hemorrhoids relocated. Sometimes it's only painful. Sometimes it's tsunami painful. If your taxidermy gets home and on the wall for 30% more than you carefully budgeted and planned for, consider yourself lucky. Extremely lucky.

 

[Mike McCartney]

Cell phone camera vs taking a digital camera??

 

[Stormy Kromer]

In my Safari experience ( A total of 1 ), the pH did an absolutely tremendous job with photos. They took a great deal of time and effort to prepare the animal and scene for some spectacular photos.

He used his phone.

I handed him my digital camera and he took more photos. I didn't use any of them.

He dropped the photos from his phone to my wife's phone while were were in camp and they are the only ones we use.

I'm going back again next month and will bring my digital camera and wife's phone, but I'm counting on my PH's photos.

 

[trperk1]

Adding to practice: Practice mounting and dry firing your rifle at home. Costs nothing and it will get you (keep you) familiarized with trigger characteristics which can be very important.

If you don't know how to set up your scope for optimal use, go on line and learn. Proper eye relief and scope height is important for quick acquisition (and to keep you from being hurt!). Close your eyes, quickly throw the gun to your shoulder, open your eyes, and crossbairs with full field of view should be there automatically. Don't be hunting for the crosshairs when you get on the sticks.

@Ontario Hunter - at home practice is a great addition. Get's you use to mounting on sticks and working a quickly getting a round down range. I give myself 5 seconds to mount the rifle and fire. Hard at first but gets easy and will result in more dead Kudu!

 

[BryceM]

I’ve learned a few things over my 7 trips. First, be aware you and the PH might become life-long friends. The people I’ve hunted with there are generous and helpful to an extreme that is a bit surprising at first.

If things aren’t going great one day, there’s always tomorrow. Be patient. Most PHs will bust their hump to get you your desired trophies. They are professionals, and you have to trust them.

If the PH gets excited about an animal that’s not on “your list” don’t argue very long. They don’t get excited by much. Just thank the fates and shoot the thing.

Communicate! If you have a problem or an issue, the PH can only fix it if they know about it. If you don’t tell them you don’t like liver, expect to be fed liver. Makes no difference to them.

Don’t expect “there” to be like “here”. Things move on African time. Taxidermy takes an eternity. Shipping trophies takes an eternity. You’ll want to make every second count, but don’t forget to relax and have fun.

Be chill and respectful around their police and airport personnel. They have a near-perfect ability to make your life miserable. They can also be very reasonable. Don’t give them a reason to get excited. Keep your paperwork in order. I misplaced a rifle import permit once. I had to do some fast talking to get back home with my rifles. Dumb mistake.

 

[Bandera]

Down load What’s App the rest of the world uses it to communicate.
Take a leatherman tool or similar. Great for pulling thorns out of the sole of your boots.
Get a good quality rifle sling like a Murray Leather.