MY biggest questions

[jb1069]

For the last couple of years I have more and more found a interest in going to Africa. After winning a safari and learning what that is all about I recollected my wits and started doing proper research. I have spoken with several good people on here and have read as much as I can, up to this point, and watched hours of videos. The books and the reading keeps me totally interested as this is what sparked my fascination from the start. But the more I actually learn and see the less it all seems to me. I hear about farms versus ranches, and how color phase animals should be an indicator, and how the fences are around huge properties. I guess the videos are killing my love affair with Africa more than anything. From the comfort of my chair I have watched, from what I can tell, is anyone from the very rich to middle class people can make this happen. That part is great. But I am just not sure I see anyone actually hunting other than the PH. From the youngest kids to the oldest old timers, if you can get your gun on the sticks and somewhat make a shot you can be successful in Africa. What am I missing? Is it like this? Has anyone came back and decided this is not for me? I am not standing on some morale high ground with these questions. You do you and I will do me. This is just more of my homework. I appreciate any and all input.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Don't get hung up on the term "farm" vs "ranches." The first safari I did was in Namibia and the term farm and farmer had me puzzled. The old German seemed more what I would call a rancher and all I saw was cows, hay, horses and loads of oryx and red hartebeest. I didn't see any farming at all.

Whether it's a guided elk hunt in Montana or a guided PG hunt in Africa, the hunter has a role to play and the guide certainly increases the chance of success. For me, the biggest difference in Africa is the abundant amount of animals. It is amazing and it is true hunting. It takes a lot of hard work and preparation, by both the hunter and the PH, to make a hunt look easy.

 

[Hunt anything]

Not sure about the “no one hunting other than the PH” in my five hunts the PH has not fired a shot, in Africa you will hunt as a team. You will have the PH, he will judge the trophy quality, back you up if things go sideways, will tell you to shoot or not, keep you safe and things like that. Then you will have at least 1 tracker and maybe a second tracker to carry water an such. Over the course of your safari you will gel and become a team. If they are successful you will be successful. Safari is definitely a team sport!

If you don’t like the idea of hunting a high fence farm ( we in the states would call this a ranch) you can always go to Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe or one of the other countries that offer true wilderness hunts.

 

[Doug3006]

I think your question is whether being guided is really hunting. Hunting in Africa with a PH is much the same as hunting anywhere (including the US) with a guide. The difference is the average African PH is better qualified than the average US guide. This is especially so in Zimbabwe and Namibia where the training is thorough and testing is stringent.

 

[375Fox]

I’ve had opportunity to hunt a lot of areas in Africa. You and your PH are hunting as a team same as any guided hunt in North America. However each region has a different style. I have very little interest in ever hunting a game farm in Limpopo again. I’d compare it to hunting the Texas Hill Country more than the rest of Africa. I would recommend a first time hunter to Africa go to the Eastern Cape in South Africa or Central Namibia. Both provide a real hunting experience and a lot of good outfitters to choose. Namibia offers a lot of low fence opportunities that should leave no doubt in your mind especially when hunting native game like kudu, gemsbok, springbok, warthog, hartebeest, eland and others. Choose an outfitter and call references. I think you’ll have a different perspective talking to individuals on phone vs reading into posts on forum.

 

[375Fox]

Also I’m not sure what videos/youtube channels you are been watching but this is a good representation of hunting central Namibia

Any of the John X videos or Nick Bowker videos are good representation of hunting eastern cape

 

[trperk1]

Emphasizing what others have said. You and your PH are hunting as a team. I'm sure some just walk behind him and wait for him to point the game out, but that's not my style. The PH I hunt with appreciates my ability, it's really like hunting with a friend. With that said, he spots more game than me but if I brought him hunting to the states, I would be the guide.

The other part you seem to be under estimating is the ease of the shot. First, shooting off sticks isn't easy. The other is that you may only have 5 to 10 seconds from the time you see an animal to getting a shot off before it disappears. I find Kudu to be most difficult.

The last is that Africa can be a brutal place. It's hot, dry, everything sticks you. You're always on the lookout for snakes that can kill you. And many days, you're walking all day long except to break for lunch. This can be easy or really hard.

 

[JimP]

On my two hunts in SA both were in what was considered a high fence, however you would never of known it if you were sleeping when you passed through the gates.

The animals were just as wild as you will find anywhere else. If they see or wind you they'll be gone. As for the PH hunting, yes he is hunting, for you. More than likely he'll spot the animal before you do. But he does this by experience and knowing the animals. It's no different than a unexperienced elk hunter coming here to Colorado and trying to find elk. I've had some first time elk hunters have a hard time seeing a elk even after I have told them right where they need to look.

As for the hunt, it's what you make of it. Show up with your rifle in tow and expect for them to do all the work and that's what you'll get. Show up with your binoculars and asking questions and want to be a part of the hunt and you'll have a lot better time while there. Your PH will be a wealth of information, so will your tracker except the tracker may be limited on the amount of English that he can speak. I've learned a little of Africaneese so that I can ask where, thank you, and afew other phrases. You can tell by their grin when I screw up something. It makes the trip a lot more fun.

 

[Rem700stw]

Depending on which books you are reading, you may be reading about a time and place that no longer exists. No matter where you go you will never experience the Africa of Hemingway and Ruark.

Rather your safari is a hunt, or a shoot depends on you and your PH. You will not be able to spot and assess trophy quality like someone who does it every day. Your PH will have knowledge of the terrain and patterns of the animals that you will not.

I have hunted properties that have game fences and places that have no fences at all. I have had challenging and easy stalks on both. I think it is vital that you have an honest and open discussion with your PH about YOUR wishes and expectations for YOUR safari. This is not a one size fits none undertaking.

Some of my favorite memories of Africa involve hunts where I actually spotted the intended quarry before my PH (rare). I have also been able to help plan the actual stalk on numerous occasions. I have also been amazed by the ability of my PH to anticipate exactly what an animal seems to be thinking. On one occasion only I was able to follow the track of a wounded animal and recover a huge Bushbuck after my PH lost the track in large part from lessons I had learned deer hunting as a boy.

Hunting in Africa has also convinced me beyond a doubt that animals know when they are being hunted as opposed to being viewed. I have seen non targeted species act as unbothered by human presence as livestock on one day and be entirely unapproachable when they are on the list for a hunter a few days later.

No matter what you still have to be able to move quietly, work the wind, and utilize cover unless you are just shooting from a long distance. I have shot more game in Africa at less than 75 yards than from over 200.

Most videos do not portray the blown stalks. They do not show the stalks that after hours or miles of effort the animal is not what you had hoped for, and your only reward is that cold drink back at the bakkie. Videos cannot convey the smell and taste of Africa, although I can smell and taste it as I think about my times there.

You will never know if it is for you unless you go. Even if you never return to Africa, I do not think you will regret having gone just once. My first safari was 10 years ago and I have been back multiple times and all I can think about is the next time. I only wish I had gone sooner.

 

[Hunt anything]

Everyone is spot on IMO, if you get in the weeds so to speak, looking for tracks , helping get game out of the field , glass as much as everyone else, even help gutting game and don’t just follow along and shoot when it’s time to shoot you will most likely have a much more rewarding safari.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Trust me. Having a good white hunter to guide you in Africa is worth it’s weight in gold. They know the terrain, the know the behavioral patterns of the game being hunted & they know local game laws. No matter how many books you’ve read or how many You Tube videos you’ve seen, you can’t match this.

I’ve been hunting in Africa as a visiting sportsman since 1974 (on an average of at least once every three to four years). And I still consider myself to be very much an amateur compared to my white hunters (whom I always trust to keep me out of trouble). I still bow to their immense field experience & local knowledge.

First Time (1974)

Most Recent (2023)

Barring a lion in 1974 (which required following up) and an elephant in 2006 (which charged & would have almost succeeded in killing me), my white hunters have never had to fire a shot. But on the two occasions when they did, I was certainly glad. The gent who shot that elephant is the reason why I’m among the living today.

I think that you should approach this with an open mind & go on that Safari. I personally really enjoy hunting in truly wild areas such as Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Mozambique & Zambia. Places where (for instance) your hunting party will encounter lions while pursuing Cape buffalo. But even hunting in the high fenced areas are quite exciting for me. I also don’t think that a lot of hunting videos on You Tube do the realities of African Safaris any justice. Videos show you the condensed form of a hunt which might have (for instance) required a very laborious on-foot stalk off-screen.

And most importantly, as others have stated: It’s YOUR Safari. It can be as mechanical or as hands on as you want it to be. If you just want it to be about collecting a trophy, then that’s what you’re going to get. If you want it to be about experiencing a new foreign hunting ground to it’s fullest extent, then that’s what you’re going to get. People push themselves in all sorts of ways in order to make the hunt more challenging; like exclusively employing iron sighted rifles in order to force themselves to stalk the game down to closer ranges. Or using a double rifle which basically only permits you two quick shots at a feasible range of up to 50 yards maximum. Others only shoot off-hand. I personally don’t do anything of these things, because I have a slightly different mindset (when I’m paying a premium to travel so many thousands of miles away from my home to hunt, I want to increase my chances of success by every possible margin as long as it doesn’t detract from the excitement of the hunt). But you can do these things in order to challenge yourself.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

Don't get hung up on the term "farm" vs "ranches." The first safari I did was in Namibia and the term farm and farmer had me puzzled. The old German seemed more what I would call a rancher and all I saw was cows, hay, horses and loads of oryx and red hartebeest. I didn't see any farming at all.

Whether it's a guided elk hunt in Montana or a guided PG hunt in Africa, the hunter has a role to play and the guide certainly increases the chance of success. For me, the biggest difference in Africa is the abundant amount of animals. It is amazing and it is true hunting. It takes a lot of hard work and preparation, by both the hunter and the PH, to make a hunt look easy.

True, and very well said!

 

[Sabre]

You have to remember that all the youtube videos you are watching are highlight reels. So it can seem like it is much easier than it is. Also, African game are just much more plentiful than most westerners are used to, so the abundance of game animals can make it seem easier as well.

Some of the issues you raise seem more like you might have an issue with all guided hunting if you looked into it. Essentially any guided hunt you go on, you will be relying on the guide/PH to be an expert in their field and increase your odds of success. That's what you are paying them for. But it doesn't mean you have to be completely uninvolved other than pulling the trigger.

I have been on many guided hunts where I spotted animals before my guide and we were successful because of it. I have also been on many more where the guide spotted them first or we spotted them at the same time. Usually if both you and the guide are easy to get along with people, it feels like hunting with a buddy.

What the highlight reel videos on youtube show much less of is all the hours spent glassing. The long walks where you aren't seeing what you are looking for but just walking through new areas looking for animals or sign. The ten failed stalks before the one successful one. The times where you see many young males or females and not one mature male. When you are looking for a specific species and you come across every other species in the world, except the one you are looking for.

If you pick the correct outfitter, it will feel like hunting (because it is) and you will probably have the best time of your life. Look for an outfitter with a very large property, or one that does free range hunts.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

For the last couple of years I have more and more found a interest in going to Africa. After winning a safari and learning what that is all about I recollected my wits and started doing proper research. I have spoken with several good people on here and have read as much as I can, up to this point, and watched hours of videos. The books and the reading keeps me totally interested as this is what sparked my fascination from the start. But the more I actually learn and see the less it all seems to me. I hear about farms versus ranches, and how color phase animals should be an indicator, and how the fences are around huge properties. I guess the videos are killing my love affair with Africa more than anything. From the comfort of my chair I have watched, from what I can tell, is anyone from the very rich to middle class people can make this happen. That part is great. But I am just not sure I see anyone actually hunting other than the PH. From the youngest kids to the oldest old timers, if you can get your gun on the sticks and somewhat make a shot you can be successful in Africa. What am I missing? Is it like this? Has anyone came back and decided this is not for me? I am not standing on some morale high ground with these questions. You do you and I will do me. This is just more of my homework. I appreciate any and all input.

For most.of my life I have hunted DIY in North America. I have climbed mountains over 10,000', hunted in 100+° temps (a lot), and fought cold and snow. I have killed.many blacktails, a few mule deer and two pronghorns on my own. Africa is different. Yes, generally there are many.more animals to see, and the PH knows where to find them. The ground is generally not as steep as the Western states. He will know which animals are mature and which you should let.grow. He will run a camp so that you do not have that to deal with. This is good, as you will.not speak.the language. You will eat well without having to cook it yourself. You will need to follow the PH and trackers. You will need to walk and stalk quietly, and when the time comes, you must shoot well. If dangerous game lives in the area your life could be at risk. If you fail.to shoot well, someone could die. On my first safari a buffalo was down and we thought finished. He jumped back to his feet and started for.the PH at about 10 feet. He went to shoot first but the rifle was malfunctioning and just made a loud "click." It was on me and I broke the bulls neck. I can't say that that had happened to me in NA!

I am 70 now and have made two safaris. I really want to.make another. So yes, Africa is different, but it is true hunting.

 

[franzfmdavis]

I would add to all of this great advice to read Horn of the Hunter by Ruark regarding his first safari in 1952. I think you will be surprised by how it was done much differently even w 75 years ago. In fact, I dare say they were trying their best to harvest the animals as easily as possible. I think there are many amazing experiences awaiting you - ask your PH to help make it what you want and then go back and do it better having learned from your first experience

 

[K-man]

I appreciate the sentiment about being "guided" by a P.H. while afield in Africa. I am considered an accomplished hunter by most standards here at home, and the "guy" people call when they need a tracker on a wounded whitetail, etc. BUT my skills pale in comparison to everyone I have hunted with in Africa. The trackers, P.H. and even the cooks in camp are all better than I am, even after 9 or 10 safaris. I enjoy learning more and more about the location and the flora and fauna around me. The skills a P.H. has in evaluating game in a quick glance has me amazed every time. None of that would happen if I were allowed out on my own. Everything depends on your outlook on the hunt. Watching videos is a very short clip of what actually happens on a hunt, so don't use that as your only frame of reference. I always ask a guide or P.H. to do three things for me. 1) Keep me alive 2) don't let me do anything stupid - like a game violation or putting others in danger - and 3) put me in front of game. Anything else is an extra bonus. Look forward to your first hunt, it's a rush!!

 

[Safari Dave]

When I "won" my first safari at an SCI fundraiser in 2007, I saw an African safari go for what I considered to be super cheap. We flipped ahead in the program and found a few interesting hunts for 2 and quickly come up with a limit for bidding.

My friend and I decided to start bidding and got a 10-day trip for 2 hunters, and we won it for $700.



Adansonia Safaris donated by Mof Venter in South Africa.




I paid a little extra to take my wife.

It turned out to be an absolutely wonderful trip!




The safari's of Robert Ruark or even Peter Capstick almost no longer exist.

Start communicating with your PH well ahead of time.

IME, they can make your trip meet your expectations.





Also, IME, African PH's are much more professional that American "guides" and have the ability to tailor a hunt to meet you expectations and ability.


(I believe they are much more experienced in "hospitality" than American guides - just my experience)

 

[jb1069]

Thanks for all your replies. This is why I asked these questions and I meant no ill will towards any of it or anyone. I am just the average guy and hunter here in the states. My main passion is turkey hunting and it took me years to say once in awhile I have a fighting chance with them. I have never been on a guided hunt but with your comparison to PH makes a lot of sense. As many of you have described I just want to be a part of the hunt. As much as possible. I would rather call in a turkey than shoot it but I am not slow on the trigger either when the opportunity arises. I do appreciate all the good information and explanations.

 

[549]

As someone wanting to go on their first safari, thanks to everyone for their input. And thank you jb for posting your questions/concerns.

 

[Scott CWO]

Hunt wild unfenced areas as much as possible. It’s real hunting.