Allow me to introduce myself!!

[John Camp]

Hi all. Never been to Africa and always assumed it would remain out of my reach. Decided it certainly would never happen if that was my attitude. Been reading, planning, budgeting for a year now. No Africa yet, by my son and I will be heading to Idaho this year for Elk. This is a first for us and it never would have happened if we had not started here. My son is already exploring a Roosevelt Elk hunt in Alaska. He has just about got me convinced I can get in the shape a hunt like that will demand.

 

[Nyati]

Welcome to AH !

 

[BRICKBURN]

Welcome to AH

Have a great hunt.

 

[John Camp]

Thanks, we still have a lot of planning, and I need to drop 30+ lbs, but we are excited about it.

 

[Shootist43]

Welcome aboard John. I think you'll find that a PG hunt in Africa and your upcoming Elk hunt will be about equal in price. Apart from that the probability of you getting all of the animals in your package is extremely high.
AND you won't have to become an Olympic athlete to do it.

 

[cpr0312]

Welcome aboard!

 

[cagkt3]

Welcome!

 

[nztimb]

Welcome to our place John.

 

[John Camp]

I think you'll find that a PG hunt in Africa and your upcoming Elk hunt will be about equal in price

This will be an unguided hunt and we are doing it on the super budget so it certainly will cost less than Africa. More importantly, I am not asking his mother to let me take her only boy to Africa. She was supportive of the mule deer/elk hunt in Idaho, as long I was always with him and carrying a gun that was big and bad enough to stop a charging grizzly. I was told I had to buy a gun. Hence my thread in .375 and up guns. Bought a Ruger Alaskan in .416 Ruger today. She is duly impressed, and I got an unfired M77 in .416 for $670.00. This really is a good day. Lets get through this hunt next fall with wonderful stories of adventure from her boy and then we present the idea of Africa to her.

 

[BRICKBURN]

How old is your boy?

 

[CAustin]

Welcome to AH

 

[John Camp]

He will be 17 we go to Idaho in the fall. Before anyone tells me that he is plenty old enough for Africa - after all they have children there too - remember that I am not the one who needs convincing, and that one is generally not receptive to rational discussions when her children involved.

 

[Shootist43]

John, now I understand the rationale. You were correct in pointing out that you were going on an unguided Elk hunt. My price comparison was for guided hunts. Good luck. Can you point out the fact that your son needs to be toting a similar rifle as well? Well maybe not quite a s big, say a 375 H&H. My boys have been hunting with me for 40 years. There is nothing like it. Now "the boss" even suggests that we take the grandkids out with us.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Welcome John Camp to AH! Yep a grizzly is no competition for a lady defending her kid!
And yes you should lose weight and walk a lot, not so much for your hunt, but for you to enjoy your grandkids and great grandkids! I have 4 grand kids and 2 great grandkids and it is a joy to run around the yard with them!

Best of luck in both your future adventures, ie, your elk hunt and your future Africa adventure with your son!

 

[John Camp]

Can you point out the fact that your son needs to be toting a similar rifle as well?

My boy is slight of build. I am 6 foot and 220. He is a bit more than 5 foot 7 and 140 after a big breakfast. Right now he is shooting a .270. I was thinking maybe something like 300 wsm. Any more than that and he might take flight after pulling the trigger. He touched off a norma 120 gr Kalahari in a Tikka mountain rifle the other day - the super lite - and it lifted him off his feet. We will see. He is really working out to gain both weight and strength. We will move him up, I just dont yet know how far up. But, it sure is fun finding out.

 

[Bullthrower338]

Welcome John!
All you lack is going now that you got your mind made up! Good luck on your Idaho Elk Hunt next year. Where you planning on hunting, I’ve spent a lot of time hunting ID.
I took my son at 14 to the EC and had a famously good time! The problem with women folk these days is that they think their boys are fragile. Boys are made to fist fight, sneak the old mans beer from the fridge, crash their dirt bikes and do any number of really stupid things that result in broken bones, cuts, abrasions hiding from the police and their girlfriends dad.
My experience with the fairer sex that have entered my life is that Geography and current world affairs are not their strong suits. Just because there are pirates in Somalia it is assumed that your shark diving excursion in Cape Town is imminently in danger of a Capt. Phillips’s redoux. I had to explain to my exwife that an Ebola outbreak in West Africa was of no real concern when we would be in Port Elizabeth. I told her if I was in Bristol Bay, AK and she was in the Florida Keys(almost enough separation to be safe) that we would still be closer than West Africa and PE, even though it is only this much on the map in my boys room. Moral of the story is get your trip planned, deposit payed and have fun! Hell ask her to come along and I bet she would find it nowhere near as intimidating as she probably has envisioned.

Cheers,
Cody

 

[John Camp]

First of, I am not inviting my ex-wife to go anywhere. She might take me up on it. Second, you are right about kids getting dirty and busted up. I think it is part of growing up. I know I was an idiot when I was young and am lucky to be alive and with all my limbs. But, I had to learn that for myself. We need to step back and let them learn it too.

 

[wesheltonj]

I've been on an Elk hunt and to Africa. You will harvest more animals for the same price as one Elk, and you will eat and sleep better then in "Elk Camp." It's the dipping, shipping, customs clearing and taxidermy that will kill you, but thankfully those charges are spread out.

 

[John Camp]

It's the dipping, shipping, customs clearing and taxidermy that will kill you

I figured that out already. If I go on a hunt and just miss everything I could afford it.

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

Welcome to AH.
Good luck.