Advice for an Africa-rookie

[huntingalex]

Hi all,
I am planning my first visit to Africa, Namibia either late next year or 2024. The aim is to spend 7 days hunting, and to add another 5 for a safari to see some of the country.
Very glad I came across AH, there is really a great deal of valuable information on here. There are probably plenty of threads like this, but I would be very grateful if people who have hunted in Africa and specifically Namibia especially after Covid could help me out with answering some questions.

Firstly, because this is probably my greatest concern, it seems that ultimately any hunting takes place in some sort of fenced ranch. Does this deduct from the experience? Does it feel like you are only shooting animals in a small enclosure? Or is it not like this at all?

The 3 animals I definitely plan to hunt are Kudu, Oryx, and Hartmanns Zebra. I am opting to add 3 to 4 others. What would you say are species that are not only typical to Namibia, but also make for an exciting hunt? For starters, I am not at all interested in exotics or colour variations or small game like steenbuck. Are there any species that you would say were a disappointment to hunt?

I saw numerous threads and reports pointing out some really great outfits, and almost equally as many posts on avoiding to get taxidermy done in Africa. It does however seem unavoidable to bypass the service of a local african taxidermist, even if I get my animals mounted back home. So should I be asking instead - which companies must I avoid to do business with? I have seen some proper taxidermy work on instagram that is being produced in South Africa, and some in Namibia, so it is really confusing to simultaneously then read all the horror on here, but then again, I suppose the ugly never gets shared?

Back to the outfitters. I have requested a couple of prices but haven't made any bookings yet. What was the criteria you based your decision on when you chose your outfitter? Is it better to spend a few bucks extra to get a better quality experience, or does more expensive not necessarily always equate to a better experience?
Has anyone booked with a hunting outfit that was also able to arrange a subsequent tour after the hunt? My plan is to get a rental vehicle to visit some landmarks, but I would feel more at ease if I do not have to worry about making all the bookings myself. Alternatively, if you have booked a longer stay after the hunt finished, did you make use of a separate travel agent?

And... did you take your spouse with and did they have a good time even though not hunting? I am not too sure my wife would be keen on staying for a week at some ranch while I am out hunting all day, but i would like to do the safari afterwards together with her.

Any and all tips are much appreciated.

 

[375er]

PM Me.

 

[Hunt anything]

My advice would be to pick an outfitter that you develop a repour with, if they don’t answer all of your questions promptly and what you deem honestly mark them off your list. Ask for and check references.
Keep an open mind on exta animals after your primary species. My biggest regret in my Safari life was similar to your statement about the tiny antelope. I didn’t have any interest in the tiny ten but when I did my first safari to Mozambique I passed on Suni , red and blue duiker and oribi. I have now spent a lot of time chasing other tiny ten and loved every minute of it. I am trying to figure out how to get back and hunt more of them.
And once you pick an outfitter listen to your PH and enjoy the experience.

 

[Hookboy88]

There is several free range hunting opportunities in Namibia.

I would add springbok and Red Hartebeest. Red Hartebeest for me was a very exciting hunt. They are hard to get close to. And you may change your mind when you get over there about the smaller antelopes. Maybe not.

When I booked my first Safari I decided it would have to be with a sponsor on here and someone that had good reviews in general. I also reached out to several members on here that had hunted with them and spoke privately.

Best of luck!

 

[Red Leg]

Free range opportunities for the animals you seek are absolutely possible in Namibia. Numerous outfitters can make that happen, several are sponsors on this site.

I can personally recommend Jamy Traut https://jamyhunts.com/, Khomas Highland Hunting Safaris https://www.khomas-highland-hunting.com/, and Nick Nolte https://nicknoltehunting.com/

 

[Nyati]

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Welcome @huntingalex. You mentioned scheduling your hunt for late next year or 2024. Do not book a hunt for Namibia in late any year (Nov-Dec) as it's too hot, start of summer in the southern hemisphere. May through August or September is good. May/June is kudu rut. The fall/winter weather in Namibia is spectacular too. Chilly mornings and evenings and shirt sleeve temps during the day. Sunblock and a wide brim hat are recommended.

When I think of Namibia game, Oryx and Red Hartebeest come to mine.

 

[Vintageguy]

Take your wife and take her along with you as you hunt. Unless she’s a total hater of all things outdoors she will love it. Mine has talked about going back ever since.
I don’t know what your taxidermist is like but I have few choices nearby ranging in quality from poor to good but all would literally be years getting a half dozen animals done. A deer is typically a year wait. I’d like to see them sometime before I die.

 

[375er]

Hi all,
I am planning my first visit to Africa, Namibia either late next year or 2024. The aim is to spend 7 days hunting, and to add another 5 for a safari to see some of the country.
Very glad I came across AH, there is really a great deal of valuable information on here. There are probably plenty of threads like this, but I would be very grateful if people who have hunted in Africa and specifically Namibia especially after Covid could help me out with answering some questions.

Firstly, because this is probably my greatest concern, it seems that ultimately any hunting takes place in some sort of fenced ranch. Does this deduct from the experience? Does it feel like you are only shooting animals in a small enclosure? Or is it not like this at all?

The 3 animals I definitely plan to hunt are Kudu, Oryx, and Hartmanns Zebra. I am opting to add 3 to 4 others. What would you say are species that are not only typical to Namibia, but also make for an exciting hunt? For starters, I am not at all interested in exotics or colour variations or small game like steenbuck. Are there any species that you would say were a disappointment to hunt?

I saw numerous threads and reports pointing out some really great outfits, and almost equally as many posts on avoiding to get taxidermy done in Africa. It does however seem unavoidable to bypass the service of a local african taxidermist, even if I get my animals mounted back home. So should I be asking instead - which companies must I avoid to do business with? I have seen some proper taxidermy work on instagram that is being produced in South Africa, and some in Namibia, so it is really confusing to simultaneously then read all the horror on here, but then again, I suppose the ugly never gets shared?

Back to the outfitters. I have requested a couple of prices but haven't made any bookings yet. What was the criteria you based your decision on when you chose your outfitter? Is it better to spend a few bucks extra to get a better quality experience, or does more expensive not necessarily always equate to a better experience?
Has anyone booked with a hunting outfit that was also able to arrange a subsequent tour after the hunt? My plan is to get a rental vehicle to visit some landmarks, but I would feel more at ease if I do not have to worry about making all the bookings myself. Alternatively, if you have booked a longer stay after the hunt finished, did you make use of a separate travel agent?

And... did you take your spouse with and did they have a good time even though not hunting? I am not too sure my wife would be keen on staying for a week at some ranch while I am out hunting all day, but i would like to do the safari afterwards together with her.

Any and all tips are much appreciated.

I can personally recommend Khomas Highland Hunting Safaris. My wife and I just returned from there on our first safari. We both had a great time and Philip and his staff are very good at what they do. Glad to answer any questions you may have.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Namibia is an excellent choice.

Fences on large properties do not enter into the hunt beyond you entering a gate.

Enjoy your search and education.

My last adventure in Namibia.

https://www.africahunting.com/threads/namibia-the-return-to-ozondjahe-hunting-safaris-namibia.11161/

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Hi @huntingalex, yo can certainly check out this and that, but at the end of the day enjoyment is a conscious decision and an attitude of mind. Africa is special, Namibia especially so. A sunset is gorgeous no matter what chair you are sitting in, in whatever camp. You can overthink this stuff, or you can choose an outfotter who has write ups on this site and just go.

 

[MAdcox]

You are indeed in the right spot for information. This site is full of very experienced hunters and rookies like me.

You can read my hunt report here on AH from my October trip to Namibia. It was my third trip to Africa and first to Namibia. You will love the country. Travel was very manageable and that was before masking and testing went away. It will be even easier now. I always recommend calling Jennifer @TRAVEL EXPRESS , especially if you're taking your own guns.
I can not recommend @Kowas Adventure Safaris enough, especially for what you are after. The properties were huge (hundreds of thousands of acres). They are livestock fenced, but the fences were few and far between in most areas even for low fence. The only high fence I ever saw was a few livestock areas to keep leopards and cheetahs from the sheep- non hunting areas.
Jacques can show you lots of wildlife in the hunting areas, especially big Kudu, big Oryx and lots of Hartmann Zebra. I would also recommend chasing a big old Eland bull in these huge, open areas. It is a fantastic hunt. Springbok, Red Hartebeest, Black and Blue Wildebeest and Waterbuck are also great hunts in their area.
Ansie or Ellini can also help set up a trip to Erindi or Etosha to view big 5 animals and other wildlife.
The Strauss family are great people to share a camp with and Kowas is a great place to experience Africa.
They are who I will introduce my family to Africa with in the near future.

Whoever you book with, just make sure and post the rest of us a hunt report. It is the way we spend our time between our trips!

NAMIBIA: Kowas Adventure Safaris 2021- Finally!

We finally got to meet up with Jacques and Elleni in Africa instead of Dallas! @BJONES and I booked our Namibian hunt early in January of 2018 at DSC. With the help of advice from this great forum and friends we have made both here and at DSC we settled on @Kowas Adventure Safaris. After...

www.africahunting.com

 

[Hogpatrol]

Welcome aboard and enjoy your planning and anticipation. The best tip I can give is to use a travel agent dedicated to hunting Africa or worldwide. Many members here use Gracy Travel and Travel Express. Having your travel arrangements covered and backed up can do a lot to allay any concerns about that part of your hunt.

 

[Still alive]

Welcome aboard. This website has everything your looking for on everything Africa hunting. From safaris to help answering questions. Most of the time just search for it?

The smallest fenced property was 30 square miles while the largest was 150 square miles, free range yes. This was outside port Elizabeth. Enjoy this site, it really helped me out.

Travel express was the best, during the pandemic they help with my flights every stepped of the way.

we went there in June, great weather

 

[mcaustin]

I'll second everything that @MAdcox said above! We had a great experience with Kowas this past February. Ansie set us up with stays at both Gochegannas and Erindi following our hunts with Kowas, as well as transportation between each location. Ansie simply asked us what we wanted to do, then set it all up for us.

Having Ansie as our main contact was perfect, and she even sorted out some issues with my wife's Covid test results not showing up via email prior to leaving Erindi on our last day.

I had a similar list of animals I wanted to hunt - Kudu, Oryx, Hartmann's zebra, and red Hartebeest were my main goals. Then I ended up taking a second oryx and a nice impala.

Here's my report from Kowas as well:
Thread 'NAMIBIA: Kowas Adventure Safaris Report - Plains Game On The Kowas Concession' https://www.africahunting.com/threa...rt-plains-game-on-the-kowas-concession.67814/

 

[meigsbucks]

Free range opportunities for the animals you seek are absolutely possible in Namibia. Numerous outfitters can make that happen, several are sponsors on this site.

I can personally recommend Jamy Traut https://jamyhunts.com/, Khomas Highland Hunting Safaris https://www.khomas-highland-hunting.com/, and Nick Nolte https://nicknoltehunting.com/

I too can recommend Jamy Traut. He operates several camps across Namibia with different terrain. I hunted the Panorama camp which doubles as Jamy’s home. Although it is “fenced”, due to the size of the property, at no time did I feel confined or feel the game was confined.
In addition to the three animals you mentioned, springbok, black and blue wildebeest and red hartebeest all make great trophies.
PM me if you want any info.

 

[Velo Dog]

Hello huntingalex,

Indeed you have joined the right outfit to answer your questions of Africa.

I work for Khomas Highland Hunting Safaris of Namibia.
And, I suppose it goes without saying that in my opinion, they are the best of the best.
However, even if you book with one of the other excellent Safari Companies advertising here, I would be happy to answer your questions anyway.
PM me any time, as I enjoy discussing hunting and fishing in Africa.

Khomas Safaris offers truly huge tracts of hunting areas, both game fenced and not game fenced land, your choice.
Our main lodge is located in the mountains, about an hour and a half to two hours drive from Windhoek (about the size of Boise and with a modern, international airport).
We meet and greet our clients at said airport then, load your gear into a vehicle, stop at one or two stores for any small thing extra you may want or may have forgotten at home and then we drive up to the lodge.
You will begin seeing African critters not long after leaving the Windhoek city limits.

Anyway, again even if you don’t book with Khomas Safaris, you will be awe-struck when you experience Africa.
As Africa goes, Namibia is less populated than much of the continent.
This is one reason that I am personally drawn to that particular country.

Cheers for now,
Velo Dog
(Paul).

 

[shark_za]

It is intersting how people think that a fenced area is easy hunting.
You can walk for 4 hours on a fenced hunting farm and not see anything, skills come in to play and if you dont do your part you will get nothing

 

[CM McKenzie]

Another recommendation on Khomas for fair chase here.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

My perception, based on a single trip and research on here, is that there are really 3 basic choices: free range, fenced but large enough to be self-sustaining and thus actual hunting, and too small/canned. To some degree only you can determine where that line is between the second and the third. I hunted a fenced operation in South Africa last year. The properties were mostly 20,000-60,000 acres. The herds were self-sustaining. It met with my expectations for fair chase hunting.

The animals are certainly a personal choice. For example, I have no real desire to hunt hartebeest; others are completely smitten with them. For my one hunt, I shot 8 species and none were a disappointment whatsoever. I was lukewarm on blesbok before I got there. Now? I’d gladly hunt them again.

Taxidermy… that seems to be an aspect of the experience that can summon up such a wide range of opinions, and experiences to buttress those opinions. I chose to have my taxidermy done here, at home. I do not at all regret the route I chose. It worked out well and I am very happy with the results.

Everyone’s criteria is different. Mine largely (initially) dealt with finding a good fit for my teen daughter. Covid took that opportunity away from her – she was unable to go in 2021 – but I stayed with who I chose and it was a fabulous experience. Some of the things that were important to me: property size, to some degree cost, and how many hunters in camp: I wanted a small operation. I liked the fact my PH was also the owner. Frankly, with regards to cost, for what I was seeking there are many fine outfitters on this site that offered packages that were similar in cost, so that wasn’t one of the more defining considerations for me.

Tips? USE THIS SITE TO LEARN!!! That was the single biggest factor to the success of my hunt. Also: use a travel agent, and also someone on that end who deals with gun paperwork, if you take your own gun. Don’t pack too many clothes, and almost certainly you will, even if you think you didn’t. Live in the moment and enjoy EVERY moment, take more photos than you think you need, and – assuming you chose your PH wisely – leave your ego at home and listen to what he says to do. Oh… AND PRACTICE OFF STICKS.

Best of wishes on your planning.