dailordasailor
AH enthusiast
Dale - Welcome to SC. We moved here in 2012 and love the state. We're near Greenville if you'd like to drop by, have a drink (coffee or other...), talk hunting in South Africa, look at some trophies, etc... shoot me a PM. If timing works out, you could bring your rifles for some practice "off the sticks" and shoot at longer ranges. I've only done one hunt (2013) but am planning my return. It was AMAZING!!!
1. I needed nothing I didn't already have, but many of my military vaccinations were still current. I didn't need Malaria prophylaxis.
2. No issues with your choice of weapons/calibers. I took my 338 Win Mag, but am confident a 30-06 would've done the job for me on Zebra, Impala, and Blue Wildebeest I took with the 338. I was happy with the Nosler Partition.
3. Yep, I used the Pelican 1750 and it worked just fine. I did choose the one with wheels and recommend it.
4. You'll eat some and the rest will be sold. Our chef was phenomenal and I looked forward to dinner every night. I know some go just for the hunting, but the food was beyond my wildest expectations. My father asked for liver and she cooked impala liver for breakfast the next day. I wanted "Rocky Mountain Oysters" from my buffalo...and they tasted way better than they had any right to.
5. My PH's brother is a taxidermist so we dropped off the trophies on our way to the airport. Prices were reasonable and quality acceptable.
6. Potentially you'll "overnight" in Jo'berg. We stayed at a very cool and historic B&B and the price was embarrassingly low. We also stopped by Zimbi Books/Guns for some post-hunt shopping.
7. I used an importer to clear my shipment through customs/USDA and forward it from Atlanta to Greenville. Money well spent.
8. You can do it for $10K. I had a nice experience with Louis Van Bergen of Spiral Horn Safaris and notice he now offers hunt/taxidermy all-inclusive hunts. One thing I would ask is what refund is expected if a particular animal isn't taken. Some places offer a percentage of the trophy fee as a refund.
The direct flight from Atlanta to Jo'berg made things easy. We paid a little extra for Economy Comfort (extra leg-room) and will do so again next time. I also looked for an outfit that would pick me up at the airport so I wouldn't lose time/baggage on another in-country flight. My PH also took care of expediting my firearms through SAP; nice touch.
Best Regards,
Matt
My parents retired in Belton so I'm out there every few months. Would love to take a look at your mounts and hear some stories! Would only help make mine and my fiances desires to go to Africa more intense
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