Going it alone.....

[Andrew62]

Most of my trips have been by myself and I enjoyed being alone. As I get older I can see where having someone along to have dinner with and share a campfire with could be pretty nice.

 

[mark-hunter]

How many of you go hunting in Africa by yourself? Seems that most folks are going with family/friends.

Serious hunter goes alone.
So, my first hunt I went alone for a plains game safari. It was great.
I fell in love with Africa.

Next hunt I went with a friend. And I brought my son with me.

The idea was I wanted to share the African experience with my son. The rest was irrelavant, but my friend wanted to join with his son, so we went together. Two of us with our sons.

Next hunt I went with a group (i did not know any of them), etc... I dropped in a group because their schedule was convenient for me.

Safari with the group:
We are talking about usual hunting of plains game hunt, and usual hunt package on a farm. On those type of hunt, people go in a group.

Now, lets step up to next level.
How many hunters go for mountain nyala?
How many hunters go for bongo and lord derby eland?
Generally those are single man, dedicated man hunts.

People like travelling in a group to unknown places, family, friends, etc... But when you have a mission or goal, leopard, bongo, damara dik dik, zebra duiker, you go for that goal, group travel is irrelevant. You travel alone. When you are on that level, you travel alone.

I wanted to hunt in Africa. That was my goal for first safari.
I asked few friends to go with me, nobody wanted to go. (either they had no money, or no will to go), and my mission was to hunt in Africa.

So I went to hunt, alone.
The problem later was... I wanted to return again....
Bottom line.
Travelling with a group is fine and great, but for me not important.

Now, after my last buffalo hunt, I am thinking about hunting some non exportable elephant.
Thats next goal.
You know what?
In all my conversations about elephant, and early planning and search about ele....I am not even thinking "with what group I will go" and "who will go with me", and "do we need to adjust our holydays" and all that....
That is all Irrelevant.
Perspective is elephant, not sharing good time with friends. A vision, and goal to achieve, new horizon to reach.

 

[Doubleplay]

I never went to Africa alone.
I'm lucky to have a wife who likes spending time in the bush as much as I do.
Sharing experiences with your loved ones are always great.

 

[crackerman]

MY first trip coming in April is alone, I have had this dream for longer than I've had kids or a wife so she understands what it means to me. We have traveled to many countries together for fun and she is good with incorporating a few days here and there on future travels to Europe but she has no desire to go to Africa for anything. I would love to take my son but while he enjoys hunting with me his true passion in fishing(which i enjoy too) so for the cost of a safari he would be okay with, we can go fish central America or Europe and have his dream trip.

I traveled and more or less lived in Asia for 3 years solo (while married with a kid) and have been on more business trips than I can count (85 flights a year travel) so I am okay being alone and frankly my trip being a bachelor is going to be fun when I have a great wife and kid to come home to.

I do think my future will be hosted hunts though, a chance to hang with like minded people and make new friends while being on my own sounds perfect.

 

[CBH Australia]

My only overseas travel and safari was a management hunt in South Africa with my wife as an observer.
We went to a couple of touristy things.

 

[Jay Kelley]

I'm planning to go in 4 years. I will be 65 and using a cash-in of some life insurance. I'm still working on getting others to go. I'm going regardless

 

[WAB]

I probably travelled to Africa alone a dozen times before I travelled there to hunt. My first hunt was alone. On my second hunt my wife joined me. Now there’s no way I’m going on safari without her. She loves it as much as I do, and can walk me into the ground on a proper tracking hunt.