Planning my first hunt in Africa

[robertq]

Welcome to AH.
You think you got bit by the African bug...... Wait till you get there.....
You picked the right place to get info.
Best
Robert

 

[Kudurifle]

Thank you Robert

 

[Martin Snyman]

@Michael J. Harrison Welcome to the site, it’s filled with exiting destinations and hunting reports
that will help u find the right outfitter . Enjoy the site and look forward to your stories and photos.


(If u have any questions regarding Mozambique feel free to ask)

 

[Kudurifle]

Hello, all. I am still in the first steps of planning my first african hunt. I have done some research on SA and have received some terrific feedback. I am now seeking assistance with regard to the best regions and outfitters (top drawer) for a 10-14 day plains game hunt in Namibia. Thanks for any help. Mike

 

[Bsums]

Namibia is a great choice. Good prices and quality animals. Have you done any further thought on your budget regarding lion/sable? You may also want to think about a leopard hunt as well. The leopard prices in Namibia are incredible.

 

[WildRose]

Mike I'm a rookie making his first trip to Africa (RSA and Mozambique) this week.

I can tell you for sure that this site offers you more and better information than you are likely to find roaming dozens of other sites on the internet. I've been in the hunting business myself for over two decades and it doesn't take professionals to recognize when they've met other professionals.

You've already been given some very good advice and let me hit again on something said earlier. Time.. .

The time you commit to your Safari will probably matter more than when, where, who, what and even more than the money you are willing to spend.

If you are hunting wild animals then you are at the mercy of mother nature and what the game you are seeking decides to do when it wakes up each morning.

14 days honestly is on the short side of what you want to commit to. Everyone I've talked to in the business in Africa or my friends who live there convinced me that 21 days was really on the short side of what I needed to plan and a full month would be best.

Yes, time is money and the longer most of us are away from home the more it costs us in lost business etc but at the cost of repeat trips longer may well be cheaper in the end.

The best advice I was given was to have a short list of "gotta have's" when it came to planning the hunt species wise. The more open you are to other species that can pop up while you're in the field the more opportunities you will have for success.

I know of guys who have spent two full weeks just trying to get a shot for example at a trophy lion or Leopard but had hundreds of opportunities on game that were not on their list.

The second best advice I've been given is to get yourself into walking shape. Hunting plains game and buffalo can make for some long, high intensity stalks that can come to a climax at short range very quickly. If it takes you ten minutes to get your heart rate back down to a manageable enough level to make a clean shot many of those opportunities will be over before you do.

I've spent much of my life dreaming of hunting in Africa and have been fortunate enough to have made some friends in the RSA along the way who are pitching in to make my dream come true but even with that advantage it's been a five year learning and planning process.

If internet access allows I'll be checking in from time to time while I'm on the trip and don't hesitate to give me a shout. None of the outfitters on this site would be a bad choice from what I have see and so far they have all been willing to jump in just to offer a hand to anyone needing help or advice. That tells you a lot about the character of those individuals.

Welcome, and best of luck as you go forward.

 

[Scott Slough]

And @billc , The big place I was impressed with is Life Form... I don't have any work there but I was impressed with the operation. Well worth visiting.

The stuff I am disgruntled about is at a small shop, and the place I am going to is a small shop.... Relive, where your's is at. The difference is the approach taken to how they approach the business/art and follow up.

I am still hopeful that things will work out, the biggest issue is to find Ann's zebra skin.. Everything else is minor and can be fixed. That zebra is way more important for many personal reasons than my elephant, lion, or buffalos. Some people don't understand that, but real hunters do!

I think this is enough hijacking this thread! I only meant to point out to first timers how important it is to check out taxidermists.

I don't want to double hijack this thread ... but turning back toward the original thread -- planning your first African trip. Taxidermy can be a DEEP, DARK hole and staying on top of it from the start is GREAT advice. I read everything that I could, did all of the research that I could, and gave specific directions to my taxidermist NOT to do anything to the horns ... and I still ended up with BLACK horns from a taxidermist that has VERY good reputation on AH and other places -- Relive Taxidermy in Port Elizabeth.

You have enough time with a 2017 hunt date to get all of you taxidermy questions worked out, but keep them in mind as you plan the hunt.

 

[johnvdw]

Dear Mike, how is your planning coming along? Westfalen Hunting Safaris is one of the premier outfitters in Namibia, offering FREE RANGE plains game. In order to afford you an outstanding experience, we never mix hunting groups and only accommodate one group/hunter at a time. If you are looking for a traditional 'old style' hunting experience, please contact us to help you plan your dream safari.

 

[Gemsbok Gangsta]

Mike move it up or you will go crazy waiting!!!!