What do you do for a living?

[Redheadkentuckian]

my trips to africa started because of a very good friends son who married a african women, who ask me if i would like to go. we hunted mostly privite farms, but also three upper crust outfits and all were super. two times to boswanta(same time as south africa) and six times to south africa. i would go back to africa, not to hunt so to much, but to say goodby to the many friends i made there. we had several of them come over to the states, they were impressed by the snow and i told them they could take as much of it back with them for free. the one thing they realy liked was the trips to the shooting range to get to fire many firearms, and they got to shoot several of my friends machine guns and after wards we ate and drank the nights away.

Sounds like you have made some great relationships with people you have met along the way. I think that is awesome

 

[Redheadkentuckian]

Thank you all for sharing! I really appreciate it. As I said to @Hunt anything if anyone is in Alabama and would want to go hunting or fishing just send me a private message. I’ve always hunted with my dad and since I’ll be 7 hours away those trips may go from weekly to quarterly haha. If anyone is near the auburn area and wants to hunt pigs, ducks or deer just let me know!

 

[Rare Breed]

@mdwest expressed many truths,
follow these while you are young, and never waver:
then understand these truths and then pass along to the next generation.

- Pay attention to and learn from the experiences of your elders.

- Support your people that make things happen, in all circumstances, take care of them, they will take care of your clients/ customers. Never falter in this.

- Always work to move forward. Try, recalibrate, and try again. Never stop

- Listen to your people, customers, employees', vendors. Don't say much at first, listen, just take it all in, contemplate and act decisively.

Early advice I was given, from a WWII veteran I worked for, while he was building a great restaurant empire:

"If you have not failed at least once, you are not really trying."
"Fix this and try again".

My thoughts also fall into two camps. There are great outfitters on AH that offer first time Africa hunters 5 great PG animals for $4500-$5500. Airfare round trip $1800. Tips $500. Yes not a little money but for an Africa experience hunting 7 full days this can be saved for by most people over a two year period becoming a wonderful reality. The money issue comes in when you switch over to dangerous game (DG). Now you start getting into larger money that can be difficult to save for

 

[Rare Breed]

Thank you all for sharing! I really appreciate it. As I said to @Hunt anything if anyone is in Alabama and would want to go hunting or fishing just send me a private message. I’ve always hunted with my dad and since I’ll be 7 hours away those trips may go from weekly to quarterly haha. If anyone is near the auburn area and wants to hunt pigs, ducks or deer just let me know!

I have a 40 acre farm in Pine Mountain GA about 30 minutes away from Auburn. My son graduated from Auburn. We should hook up!

 

[Redheadkentuckian]

I have a 40 acre farm in Pine Mountain GA about 30 minutes away from Auburn. My son graduated from Auburn. We should hook up!

We definitely should!

 

[Northern Shooter]

Mostly browse the hunting forums, recently retired.

 

[Brian]

midwest,

Your 4 point are very important/ good. Most people would not have "Being curious" on their list. I think it is very important for work and the art of living. Curiosity tends to go out of style when we turn 21.
That is all wrong !
We should never stop being curious. I believe that curious people have happier, fuller lives and probably live linger.

I am a retired business man and family man and could not afraid to travel for most of my like.
I had a patch of good fortune in my manufacturing business a few years before I retired. Just in the nick of time!

Couple of tips for hunting in Africa.
1. It helps if you can build up some air miles of course.
2. You don't have to pay full shelf price for your African hunt. Let the rich guys do that. I only hunt cape buffalo now and I look for discounts is South Africa where there are good deals sometimes due to drought. It costs a lot for a farmer to supplement the feed for a herd of buffalo. He may need to do some herd reduction hunts, culling. In my experience buffalo cows are quicker, more cunning and more exciting to hunt than bulls.
If the outfitter won't give you a discount find one who will.

When I first started hunting in South Africa the USD was worth about half as many ZAR as it is now.
What does that tell us?

 

[Redheadkentuckian]

midwest,

Your 4 point are very important/ good. Most people would not have "Being curious" on their list. I think it is very important for work and the art of living. Curiosity tends to go out of style when we turn 21.
That is all wrong !
We should never stop being curious. I believe that curious people have happier, fuller lives and probably live linger.

I am a retired business man and family man and could not afraid to travel for most of my like.
I had a patch of good fortune in my manufacturing business a few years before I retired. Just in the nick of time!

Couple of tips for hunting in Africa.
1. It helps if you can build up some air miles of course.
2. You don't have to pay full shelf price for your African hunt. Let the rich guys do that. I only hunt cape buffalo now and I look for discounts is South Africa where there are good deals sometimes due to drought. It costs a lot for a farmer to supplement the feed for a herd of buffalo. He may need to do some herd reduction hunts, culling. In my experience buffalo cows are quicker, more cunning and more exciting to hunt than bulls.
If the outfitter won't give you a discount find one who will.

When I first started hunting in South Africa the USD was worth about half as many ZAR as it is now.
What does that tell us?

This is great info. I’m not very flashy and while I have an affinity for the cats of Africa. I would probably never be able to afford them and would happily leave it to the rich guys like you said. I can always hunt a cat here. Being that I am drawn to plains game I think if I could get my wife on board, I would be very happy with the more common species of quarry like the wildebeest, duiker, oryx and hartebeest for now at least I think the most “expensive animal” I would want would be the nyala. What would a hunt for these five species run if an outfitter happens to read this?

 

[Safari Dave]

I am a biologist by education, but had to claw my way up to middle management in a municipal government (Public Works Director) in order to make a decent living until I was able to retire (at 51).

I now work as a "Hunting and Shooting Education Specialist" for a state Game & Fish agency.

(My friends call it my "pretend job" - but I'll probably just keep doing it because I enjoy it. (I taught 22 kids how to shoot bows and arrows today!)


And, until some of my friends retire, I don't have anyone to play with, except my wife, and she seems to only enjoy yard work for some inexplicable reason...

 

[Redheadkentuckian]

I am a biologist by education, but had to claw my way up to middle management in a municipal government (Public Works Director) in order to make a decent living until I was able to retire (at 51).

I now work as a "Hunting and Shooting Education Specialist" for a state Game & Fish agency.

(My friends call it my "pretend job" - but I'll probably just keep doing it because I enjoy it. (I taught 22 kids how to shoot bows and arrows today!)


And, until some of my friends retire, I don't have anyone to play with, except my wife, and she seems to only enjoy yard work for some inexplicable reason...

That sounds like a fantastic job. I shot my first bow in a summer camp in 5th grade and have loved archery ever since. Thanks for giving that love to the next generation.

 

[Safari Dave]

I also have had a "side-gig" since 1994 of owning two fishing tackle stores, a flyfishing school, and fishing guide service.

 

[Safari Dave]

My "pretend job" is kind of like being paid (a little) to be a Little-League baseball coach.

 

[Brian]

My wife has usually come to Africa with me. She loves the bush and has great time without hunting. In a way hunting may intensify the bush experience but it also can narrow it down. I think that my wife has a more dynamic experience than me, in the African bush, as a non-hunter.

I don't know much about the prices of plains game, being a dedicated buffalo hunter.
I suggest that you contact someone like John at Discount African Hunts. I booked my next hunt in 3 weeks through him. So far - so good.

 

[MTA]

I like to fall down at the local walmart from time to time

 

[Redheadkentuckian]

My wife has usually come to Africa with me. She loves the bush and has great time without hunting. In a way hunting may intensify the bush experience but it also can narrow it down. I think that my wife has a more dynamic experience than me, in the African bush, as a non-hunter.

I don't know much about the prices of plains game, being a dedicated buffalo hunter.
I suggest that you contact someone like John at Discount African Hunts. I booked my next hunt in 3 weeks through him. So far - so good.

Thanks I will definitely do that.

 

[jlb1036]

Physician Md
business owner & Medical Director
practicing for 33 years

 

[Safari Dave]

My wife has usually come to Africa with me. She loves the bush and has great time without hunting. In a way hunting may intensify the bush experience but it also can narrow it down. I think that my wife has a more dynamic experience than me, in the African bush, as a non-hunter.

I don't know much about the prices of plains game, being a dedicated buffalo hunter.
I suggest that you contact someone like John at Discount African Hunts. I booked my next hunt in 3 weeks through him. So far - so good.

My wife has always accompanied me on trips to Africa.


She may not go hunting with me everyday, but she enjoys photography, ornithology, and botany.

(She taught science for 30 years)


She deserves a special place in Heaven for putting up with my idieocentricies for nearly 40 years!

 

[thriller]

Forestry, commercial realestate and mining/minerals.

 

[3chunter]

I am in Sales for a medical/industrial company. Do some land management on the side.
Been to Africa twice but concentrating out west for a while before prices get more and more insane.

 

[jpr9954]

It’s all about priorities….

I work with guys that own new a new RV, jet boat, snow machines, timeshare in Cabo, and drive a new pickup every 5 years… then ask “how do people afford to hunt in Africa”???

Exactly! It is a matter of priorities.

My now paid off Ford Ranger was my very first ever new car/truck. Its predecessor was a Honda Pilot bought used in 2005 and sold in 2021 with over 315,000 miles on it.

I would add on reflection to read the book The Millionaire Next Door.