Countrylife
AH veteran
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2017
- Messages
- 152
- Reaction score
- 196
- Media
- 20
- Hunted
- USA, New Zealand, Namibia, Spain
After experiencing Africa hunting for the first time I thought I'd post some observations I made. Some of these have already been brought out on this forum many times, but until you actually experience Africa you really won't understand why or the significance of what people on here are recommending. So with that, my first observation is:
Africa is different! No, I really mean it! Africa is different!
The animals are different, the plants are different, the sand is different, the weather is different, the culture is different, the attitudes are different. Africa is different in everyway.
I've lived on the seacoast with lots of sun and UV. I've lived where it gets to be 115* every summer. Africa's sun is different. We went at the start of fall so the sun & UV shouldn't be a problem, especially compared to what we're used to. We did take sunscreen only because there were so many comments about it on this forum but never expected to use it. 1st morning we went out my wife ended up almost as red as a lobster by noon. Both of us wore sunscreen everyday after that and reapplied it for the afternoon hunt.
We were on the edge of the Kalahari and one of the things I noticed about the sand was the amount of mica in it. Early in the morning the way it shines makes it look like the plains are covered in small diamonds. Really beautiful. But that means that you get both baked and broiled at the same time from the reflections off the mica. Wear sunscreen no matter the time of year or whether you've adapted to the sun here in the US. Africa is different.
The animals are different. They are tougher. The animals I've shot before all went down with a single shot and never stood up or ran off. The largest I shot was a Red Stag in New Zealand and it went down with a single shot and was DRT. Africa is different. My PH & I were after a springbok. Did the stalk, setup for the shot, fired, the springbok went down. Just like all the animals I've shot, so what's the deal? Nothing different so far. I rose up from my position to safe the gun and the springbok stood up and started to run off! What? I just stood there dumbfounded. That's not supposed to happen. It's never happened before. What just occured? The PH is telling me shoot again, shoot again. I finally recovered and shot again and the springbok went down for good. But dang! That was certainly unexpected and that's an experience I'll never forget. In case I haven't mentioned it, Africa is different and the animals are tougher.
I never understood the news reports coming out of Africa as to why things are the way they are. But after being here for a few weeks and visiting a couple of places and talking with both the locals of all colors and the missionaries, I've begun to understand. This is a long story in itself so I'm not going to address the culture or attitudes other than to say, Africa is different.
You need to come to Africa if for no other reason than the experience. It will give you a whole new perspective on life and cultures and a new insight into your own.
Africa is different! No, I really mean it! Africa is different!
The animals are different, the plants are different, the sand is different, the weather is different, the culture is different, the attitudes are different. Africa is different in everyway.
I've lived on the seacoast with lots of sun and UV. I've lived where it gets to be 115* every summer. Africa's sun is different. We went at the start of fall so the sun & UV shouldn't be a problem, especially compared to what we're used to. We did take sunscreen only because there were so many comments about it on this forum but never expected to use it. 1st morning we went out my wife ended up almost as red as a lobster by noon. Both of us wore sunscreen everyday after that and reapplied it for the afternoon hunt.
We were on the edge of the Kalahari and one of the things I noticed about the sand was the amount of mica in it. Early in the morning the way it shines makes it look like the plains are covered in small diamonds. Really beautiful. But that means that you get both baked and broiled at the same time from the reflections off the mica. Wear sunscreen no matter the time of year or whether you've adapted to the sun here in the US. Africa is different.
The animals are different. They are tougher. The animals I've shot before all went down with a single shot and never stood up or ran off. The largest I shot was a Red Stag in New Zealand and it went down with a single shot and was DRT. Africa is different. My PH & I were after a springbok. Did the stalk, setup for the shot, fired, the springbok went down. Just like all the animals I've shot, so what's the deal? Nothing different so far. I rose up from my position to safe the gun and the springbok stood up and started to run off! What? I just stood there dumbfounded. That's not supposed to happen. It's never happened before. What just occured? The PH is telling me shoot again, shoot again. I finally recovered and shot again and the springbok went down for good. But dang! That was certainly unexpected and that's an experience I'll never forget. In case I haven't mentioned it, Africa is different and the animals are tougher.
I never understood the news reports coming out of Africa as to why things are the way they are. But after being here for a few weeks and visiting a couple of places and talking with both the locals of all colors and the missionaries, I've begun to understand. This is a long story in itself so I'm not going to address the culture or attitudes other than to say, Africa is different.
You need to come to Africa if for no other reason than the experience. It will give you a whole new perspective on life and cultures and a new insight into your own.
