Africa is just not for me

[TERMINATOR]

It is a bit of work these days to get there but after going in my mid twenties,it became a life long endeavor! I’m thinking about tracking Buffalo in the Zambezi valley right now!

Buff in the Zambezi sounds amazing

 

[375er]

It is a bit of work these days to get there but after going in my mid twenties,it became a life long endeavor! I’m thinking about tracking Buffalo in the Zambezi valley right now!

When do we leave????

 

[Speedster]

My wife is the exact opposite. She thinks I’m nuts for wanting to shoot an ugly old wart hog but the first thing she says before a stalk, most of the time, is “ooh, look how pretty, I want one”, LOL.

My wife's sentiments exactly. Going back next May to try and get one. I struck out the first time.

 

[gcbailey]

I wanted to get my wife to Africa to see what I did but she wouldn’t go on a hunt so I got my first PH who is now on his own to give us a Photo Safari since I knew he was into photography. That was January 2020 for that May-June and it didn’t happened.
We pushed it to 2021 still no travel.
We went for 2022. We haven’t taken any chances and she read all the internet lines that said you shouldn’t travel to SA.
My friend/PH said now or not.
I asked about changing it to a Cap Buffalo hunt in 2021 that would have been about the same price but no reply so we ate a $3000 deposit and my wife will never go to Africa unless one of our other friends that we travel with will go again.
Not sure if that fits the question but I wanted to get that out.

I was worried about taking my wife as well. She didn't want to go to Africa and doesn't hunt. I planned a 4 day photo safari for her on the front end and a three day stay in Victoria Falls on the back end. We both had the time of our lives. Even when I was hunting, she was fine staying behind in the truck, so long as there was someone there with her she could talk to.

 

[gcbailey]

Only person i have talked to who said he has absolutely no interest in going back to Africa was there in Somalia with a special force group

The Army has a way of ruining everything. I would never take a Soldier's advice on places that are terrible. If they went on Uncle Sam's dime, it sucked. Doesn't matter if it was the French Polynesian Islands or Disney World.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

1

I'm going for the first time in a couple weeks and almost every person I asked told me that there wasn't anything in Africa that really tripped their trigger. I suspect they secretly would love to go but assumed it would be so expensive they push it out of their minds while planning an Alaska hunt that will probably turn out to be the same price lol

@R.M.C.
Some people are just hard to please or just plain picky.
The others don't understand that a PG hunt can be cheaper than a hunt in their own country. For me it was cheaper to hunt Namibia than water buffalo in my own country of Australia.
Bob

 

[Vinootz]

There are folks that do want to go multiple times and ones that don’t(if at all). Naturally finances for many play a significant part. Long flights are not enjoyable, but many would endure them to hunt African game. I’d wager there are those that are not thrilled about taking malarium either. Unstable third world countries present other potential issues. To each his/her own.
If someone chooses to present an inaccurate reason for not going , no matter to me. Stay safe all.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

My wife is going on this one and this will be the first hunting trip she has been on with me, other than sitting in a deer stand here at home. She has taken to turkey hunting in the last couple years and killed her first long beard this year. We killed a double over a decoy. It was some 8 yards away wild west type stuff and she is pretty hooked on the turkey hunting now. She does not think she will kill anything in Africa. I find it a curious thing with women, they seem to assign value of life based on how cute something is. I will kill a turkey, they're ugly, can't shoot a deer because they are so cute. It would make an interesting psychological study honestly.

@Backyardsniper
Women folk sure is a strange breed of cattle as my mate says.
Ifn y'all ever figure them out men of the world will beat a path to your door and probably think you are the new messiah.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Bob

 

[Vinootz]

Women are from Venus Men are from Mars.

 

[TERMINATOR]

@Backyardsniper
Women folk sure is a strange breed of cattle as my mate says.
Ifn y'all ever figure them out men of the world will beat a path to your door and probably think you are the new messiah.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

"Can't bring back the meat!"(from Africa). This coming from my elk hunting buddy and his son. Three years ago, they went to Newfoundland. His son shot a cow moose and a very small black bear. My buddy shot a bull moose with antlers so small you could barely see them in the photo he took. He did get a nice Woodland caribou though. Their hunt alone was $8K each. Roundtrip airfare over $500 each. The 700lbs. of meat cost $3900 for processing and shipping to Texas from Newfoundland by semi truck. He then had to drive to Texas to pick it up. So, for $21K plus, they had their meat! LOL

@CoElkHunter
Mate that make for some very expensive eatin at around 60 dollars a kilogram. I sure hope they enjoy it.
Bob

 

[mdsalern]

Since joining this forum, I have planned a trip for 2024 to celebrate my becoming a union journeyman.

I asked my significant other and the relative I’m closest to both to go. Both gave reasons and declined.

 

[Vinootz]

Two of my married nephews were asking me one night why I think their wives wig out and do and say things that make no sense. I said, when they go into wack mode like that, just don’t try to understand it.

 

[Daveboone]

I know this is a hunting site, but Southern Africa - it’s history, cultures and the bush - are so much more than just pitching up and whacking things on a list

Boy do I agree with you. I love British (of course also American ) history, and read very extensively on the different wars, campaigns, colonization, etc. I was fascinated by my outfitters families histories, the political complexities, etc. ...It certainly makes a lot of our national problems seem insignificant...especially our idea of poverty, compared to SAs! Getting involved with our hosts, families and others we met absolutely enhanced our trip. But then, many American hunters could care about those details even here at home.

 

[Daveboone]

My wife too, after seeing a shoulder mount of an LDE on the wall in a hunt shop, she asked me when I would go hunt one…

Before we left while in the planning stage, I asked my wife if there was an animal she wanted me to get. She had no hesitation. "I want a Zebra rug.". Well, okay! And she tagged along a fair bit of the time over the three days it took us to get one!
Once she saw gemsbucks, she told me..."I think we want one of those".
Well....okay. Honestly, we have a small house not well designed for many trophies...especialy with the height a Gemsbuck needs....but if we go back...if...a very short list will have a gemsbuck on it.

 

[Nevada Mike]

I understand WIFE. But I am single and have the means to do as I like without any arguments. Live life fully, it is very short and uncertain. Go or not, but don't chicken out.

 

[TERMINATOR]

I understand WIFE. But I am single and have the means to do as I like without any arguments. Live life fully, it is very short and uncertain. Go or not, but don't chicken out.

 

[Jason Miller]

Reading all the comments makes me feel so fortunate, I hunt once a year in South Africa on a friends place, one animal at a time as I just enjoy the experience, I work in East Africa and have been over and back three times since April, just got back from the Mara with my wife last Wednesday and I go back Aug 29th until Oct 15th for work. As soon as I get home in the states (after jet lag) I long to get back and feel so blessed to spend so much time on the continent. We recently sold a duplex in Colorado and are buying a home in Gisenyi on Lake Kivu. A beautiful two acre spread with a home built in the 1950's, large garden etc. Once the kids are on their own I will spend most of my time there. Africa has been my mistress since my first visit in 1996.

 

[baxterb]

Reading all the comments makes me feel so fortunate, I hunt once a year in South Africa on a friends place, one animal at a time as I just enjoy the experience, I work in East Africa and have been over and back three times since April, just got back from the Mara with my wife last Wednesday and I go back Aug 29th until Oct 15th for work. As soon as I get home in the states (after jet lag) I long to get back and feel so blessed to spend so much time on the continent. We recently sold a duplex in Colorado and are buying a home in Gisenyi on Lake Kivu. A beautiful two acre spread with a home built in the 1950's, large garden etc. Once the kids are on their own I will spend most of my time there. Africa has been my mistress since my first visit in 1996.

that’s an amazing gig. I’m not the jealous type at all, but i sincerely admire your plan to make a home there, that sounds fantastic. Just earlier today I was looking at my pics from Kenya and missing it very much.

 

[Ridge Runner]

I can understand that. I will never hunt south Africa. Nothing wrong with it, but its just not.my thing.

Referring to American hunters: What gets me are those hunters that will happily hunt a pasture field of whatever size, 5 acres to 1000 acres plus, that has fencing all around it, from a tree stand 20+ feet up a tree for hours on end, claiming it's free range hunting because the deer, elk, and antelope can jump it, yet they fuss about free range hunting an African "farm" with tens of thousands of acres in size with the same 4 feet high fencing that African PG animals can easily jump across, claiming it's not free range hunting.