This will be long winded for many but I wan to include as much as I can for other first timers on my experience from making the decision to the leg work getting there and the final result. It was worth the time and money for sure. I hope you enjoy the read.
I often thought of doing a safari as a young hunter here in the Northeast US and even my step-father had talked about doing it at some point. I started researching online and stumbled upon this great resource and quietly browsed for quite some time. In March of 2023 I had decided it was time to seriously look into the affordability of hunting in Africa and where should I even begin as a destination. It became quickly apparent the South Africa would give me the best bang for the buck and I was in a place where I could afford it, however my step-father was getting ready to retire and could not commit to making the trip with me. I was going to be doing this solo.
After deciding on the location it was time to really hone in on an outfitter that would offer what I was looking for. I did not want a "canned" hunt. So I read many many pages of hunt reports. I also browsed several outfitter's websites. During this beginning stage of my investigation many outfitter's websites turned me off due to their lack of information. In today's digital age a website and how it is maintained and updated is crucial. Information needs to be easily found because when spending a fair amount of money a client does not want to waste several hours looking for an answer to a simple question or transparency. I can honestly say there are probably several outfitter's who did not get a fair chance at my business just based off their website alone.
After doing this research I had it down to 3 possible outfitters. I continued to comb through their websites along with specific searches for reviews and hunt reports. This is where it got tougher for me. Several outfitter's offered packaged hunts and they also offered to custom tailor a package. This is a whole different rabbit hole to go down, however it really depends on budget and personal choice when it comes to the animals you intend to target. I found that there were now two outfitter's left on my list due to those personal choices. I knew for sure I wanted a Zebra and Kudu which you can find at most outfitter's so now the competition for my business is on and who would win would quickly be sorted out. I kept finding myself lured to a specific outfitter's website as I had many questions developing during the course of menu selection for the vast information on the animals. It not only helped me figure out my list but they even gave me a rough idea on what to expect after the hunt for the taxidermy.
So now that I found a website and read several Hunt Reports I was feeling very confident that I would be going to Africa to hunt. Nick Bowker Hunting was the destination I had in mind. I sent an email asking for a special package consisting of Zebra, Kudu, Black Wildebeest, Blue Wildebeest, and Impala. I received a prompt reply given the 6 hour difference in time zones. I brought up the guns I had available since I was wanting to use my own rifle even though camp rifles were included in the price. I decided quickly that my .338 Win Mag was going to be on this trip and dates were set. Now how do I get there?
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