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Hunting >> Hunting in Africa & hunting dangerous game

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taw1126
.333 member


Reged: 24/07/07
Posts: 290
Loc: Texas
Help With Location for First African Hunt
      #84018 - 14/08/07 05:19 AM

Your chance to “tell me where to go”…I’m looking for some help selecting the location for my first African hunt. Keep in mind that right now I’m in the research stage, planning to book for 2009, and I’m so uneducated in all of this that I don’t even know if the animals I’d like to hunt can be found in the same general area.

The list of animals I’m really interested in hunting is pretty short and I bet fairly common: kudu, zebra, warthog, cape buffalo (budget allowing), bushpig, and gemsbok.

The list of “would probably hunt them if available” animals includes eland, lechwe, wildebeest, waterbuck, and leopard.

I’m not interested in hunting from a lodge- I’d much prefer a remote camp of some sort. Also, while I don’t want the travel accommodations to dictate the hunting, I’d give some consideration for ease of getting to the final destination from a commercial air travel standpoint (my experience in hunting the continental U.S. is that more airlines and/or more flights = exponentially more likelihood that your guns either arrive late or don’t arrive at all…maybe African travel is different).

Lastly, some consideration must be given to the fee structure for licenses and trophy fees. It seems that some locations require you to buy licenses/tags for any animal you want to hunt before the hunt itself starts (like we do in the U.S.) and others allow you to pay trophy fees only on animals that you’ve actually killed (or wounded). If possible, I’d like to avoid getting raped on government taxes/fees for animals, firearms, etc.

I’m sure I know just enough to not know anything…please help me start zeroing in on some locations to research further.

Thanks,
Trey


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hoppdoc
.400 member


Reged: 02/03/06
Posts: 1791
Loc: Southeastern USA
Re: Help With Location for First African Hunt [Re: taw1126]
      #84021 - 14/08/07 07:17 AM

I will give you the same sage advice given to me-- you may wish to consider a booking agent to assist you with your decisions.

My first African hunt was by word of mouth and researching the internet and I was pleased. This was a plains game hunt.
Next year I am going primarily for DG if prices stay affordable and don't go insane. I no I wouldn't buy any DG hunt just off a website. PG is for fun, but DG is your hide!!

If you wish to combine PG with DG you have some research to do.Here and the AR website would be great places to start--

Best of Luck to you!!

--------------------
An armed man is a citizen of his country, an unarmed man just a subject.

Edited by hoppdoc (14/08/07 07:45 AM)


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AspenHill
Sponsor


Reged: 08/01/03
Posts: 1528
Loc: Vermont, USA
Re: Help With Location for First African Hunt [Re: taw1126]
      #84026 - 14/08/07 10:47 AM

Trey,

I would be happy to help you.

You have posted a very nice list of trophy animals but not all live in the same habitat together in most instances. For buffalo and gemsbok you may have to settle for Tanzania or a game ranch in RSA where the animals may have been introduced.

You can do buffalo and the rest, excluding the gemsbok, quite nicely in South Africa. Lechwe is also introduced at game ranches. It will depend on the type of hunt you want. Game ranches typically have lodge style accommodations.

If you want buffalo, rustic style, with general plains game including eland and kudu with leopard, then Zimbabwe would be a good place to start.

--------------------
~Ann

Everyday spent outdoors is the best day of my life.

Aspen Hill Adventures


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Ripp
.577 member


Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA
Re: Help With Location for First African Hunt [Re: taw1126]
      #84027 - 14/08/07 10:48 AM

Quote:

Your chance to “tell me where to go”…I’m looking for some help selecting the location for my first African hunt. Keep in mind that right now I’m in the research stage, planning to book for 2009, and I’m so uneducated in all of this that I don’t even know if the animals I’d like to hunt can be found in the same general area.
The list of animals I’m really interested in hunting is pretty short and I bet fairly common: kudu, zebra, warthog, cape buffalo (budget allowing), bushpig, and gemsbok.



THIS IS STRICTLY MHO--SO HERE GOES--BASED ON THE GAME YOU SELECTED I WOULD SUGGEST PRIME CHOICES WOULD BE NAMIBIA OR SOUTH AFRICA--HOWEVER TROPHY FEES IN THOSE TWO AREAS ARE TYPICALLY QUITE HIGH COMPARED TO ZIMBABWE OR OTHERS FOR CAPE BUFFALO




The list of “would probably hunt them if available” animals includes eland, lechwe, wildebeest, waterbuck, and leopard.

AGAIN LECHWE THROWS ANOTHER INTERESTING ANGLE INTO THIS MIX--YOU CAN HUNT ALL OF THE ABOVE FOR SURE IN S AFRICA--AND PROBABLY NAMIBIA--




I’m not interested in hunting from a lodge- I’d much prefer a remote camp of some sort. Also, while I don’t want the travel accommodations to dictate the hunting, I’d give some consideration for ease of getting to the final destination from a commercial air travel standpoint (my experience in hunting the continental U.S. is that more airlines and/or more flights = exponentially more likelihood that your guns either arrive late or don’t arrive at all…maybe African travel is different).



LOGISTICALLY, ONE OF THE MOST SIMPLE AGAIN IS SOUTH AFRICA OR NAMIBIA--HOWEVER ZIMBABWE IS QUITE EASY TO TRAVEL TO AS WELL--HOWEVER WHO KNOWS WHAT WILL BE GOING ON THERE BY THEN...I HAVE NOT TRAVELED TO THE OTHER AREAS SO HAVE NO OPINION..

THESE ARE TYPICALLY NOT THE TENTED HUNTS YOU MAY HAVE READ ABOUT-ALTHOUGH I AM SURE THEY ARE AVAILABLE--FOR THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF AMERICAN GREENBACKS..
THIS IS A BUSINESS LIKE ANYTHING ELSE AND THEY ARE IN IT FOR PROFIT--IF THEY ARE GOING OUT SETTING UP TENTS, EXTRA MANPOWER, ETC. --IT ALL COSTS MONEY...




Lastly, some consideration must be given to the fee structure for licenses and trophy fees. It seems that some locations require you to buy licenses/tags for any animal you want to hunt before the hunt itself starts (like we do in the U.S.) and others allow you to pay trophy fees only on animals that you’ve actually killed (or wounded). If possible, I’d like to avoid getting raped on government taxes/fees for animals, firearms, etc.



AT THIS JUNCTURE YOU DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO BOOK IN TANZANIA

AS FOR PLAINS GAME, DAILY RATES, ETC.. AGAIN IMHO, SOME OF YOUR BEST BETS WILL BE NAMIBIA OR SOUTH AFRICA--A VERY HIGH PERCENTAGE OF FIRST TIMERS GO TO THESE AREAS PRECISELY FOR THE REASONS YOU DESCRIBED. YOU MAY WANT TO SCRATCH THE DANGEROUS GAME ON THE FIRST TRIP AND GET YOUR FEET WET ON PLAINS GAME--JUST A THOUGHT..

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECES OF ADVICE I CAN TELL YOU IS TO CHECK REFERENCES.. CALL SEVERAL..GET STRAIGHT ANSWERS..

ANOTHER IS TO USE A QUALIFIED BOOKING AGENT--IF FOR NOTHING ELSE BUT ACQUIRING INFORMATION..

THERE ARE MANY MORE CONSIDERATIONS, HOWEVER THIS SHOULD GIVE YOU A GOOD START..

GOOD LUCK
RIPP

--------------------
ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..

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Charles_Helm
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Reged: 09/11/05
Posts: 337
Loc: Dallas, Texas
Re: Help With Location for First African Hunt [Re: taw1126]
      #84032 - 14/08/07 12:49 PM

Quote:

The list of animals I’m really interested in hunting is pretty short and I bet fairly common: kudu, zebra, warthog, cape buffalo (budget allowing), bushpig, and gemsbok.

The list of “would probably hunt them if available” animals includes eland, lechwe, wildebeest, waterbuck, and leopard.

I’m not interested in hunting from a lodge- I’d much prefer a remote camp of some sort.


[Edited]

Have you thought about your budget? In most areas, the buffalo and leopard will have a major impact on the cost and may also be on limited quota, especially the leopard.

If you remove the Gemsbok from your list, and you were doing the hunt today, you could hunt most of the other animals (lechwe excluded) in Zimbabwe. Who knows what 2009 will be like in Zimbabwe? For years people have been saying that things will change there, and they have not yet, but there will be elections in 2008 and maybe there will be some change, for better or worse, who can say?

I hunted Zimbabwe this past June with Charlton-McCallum Safaris and we were in a tented camp that I quite enjoyed. If I could get on a plane tomorrow to hunt Africa I would be emailing Myles McCallum tonight.

You can hunt everything on your primary list but bushpig in Namibia (I am not sure if bushpig is available there), but you would have to travel a bit as your best bet for cape buffalo would be in the Caprivi and the plains game would likely be elsewhere. I hunted in Namibia in 2005 with Classic Safaris and theirs was a tented camp as well. I seriously considered hunting with them again this year but the lure of tuskless cows in Zimbabwe was too great. I have not hunted their new plainsgame concessions as I hunted one of the old ones. I booked that trip with Wendell Reich.

You could add leopard in either country. It seems leopard is easier in Zimbabwe for most people. I was not successful on leopard in Namibia but the track record for Classic Safaris last year was quite good.

There are no sure bets on travel, but I have been pretty lucky with only minor delays. I recommend you use a good travel agent with lots of experience with African trips.

There are a lot of great safari destinations and many excellent outfitters. Be sure to get current references and check them carefully regardless of where you go, as there are still some no-so-good outfits operating. A good booking agent can be a big help although not all safari companies book through agents.

--------------------
Some pictures from Namibia

Some pictures from Zimbabwe

An Elephant Story


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taw1126
.333 member


Reged: 24/07/07
Posts: 290
Loc: Texas
Re: Help With Location for First African Hunt [Re: Charles_Helm]
      #84045 - 15/08/07 12:57 AM

Thanks for the replies so far. South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe seem to get mentioned consistently and I like the idea of booking through an agent in the U.S. (I'm sure direct-bookings can work out fine but I'm not sure I want to try that on the first trip).

I think I'm going to have to develop a spreadsheet to keep up with the variations in fee structures...I get a headache trying to figure out what the end-of-the-day cost is when I compare the different options.

And thanks for helping me figure out which animals can be hunted in different places. Still much research and homework to do.


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Savuti_One_Shot
.300 member


Reged: 24/01/07
Posts: 139
Loc: Florida
Re: Help With Location for First African Hunt [Re: taw1126]
      #84071 - 15/08/07 11:41 AM

The good news, you can take everything on your list in Botwsana.

The bad news, you'll need another mortgage.

SOS

--------------------
"I've this damned cannon." - Robert Wilson


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NitroXAdministrator
.700 member


Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39055
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: Help With Location for First African Hunt [Re: taw1126]
      #84079 - 15/08/07 02:57 PM

Quote:

Your chance to “tell me where to go”…I’m looking for some help selecting the location for my first African hunt. Keep in mind that right now I’m in the research stage, planning to book for 2009, and I’m so uneducated in all of this that I don’t even know if the animals I’d like to hunt can be found in the same general area.

The list of animals I’m really interested in hunting is pretty short and I bet fairly common: kudu, zebra, warthog, cape buffalo (budget allowing), bushpig, and gemsbok.

Gnemsbok unless introduced to the area might be in a different location from the other game. If hunting buffalo in a DG area you may need to combine two locations, one for buffalo and then a 'ranch' hunt for the plains game. For example in the Zambezi Valley plains game and good trophies are always harder to come by.

Buffalo will be very expensive in South Africa IMO but the plains game will be very doable.


The list of “would probably hunt them if available” animals includes eland, lechwe, wildebeest, waterbuck, and leopard.

I’m not interested in hunting from a lodge- I’d much prefer a remote camp of some sort. Also, while I don’t want the travel accommodations to dictate the hunting, I’d give some consideration for ease of getting to the final destination from a commercial air travel standpoint (my experience in hunting the continental U.S. is that more airlines and/or more flights = exponentially more likelihood that your guns either arrive late or don’t arrive at all…maybe African travel is different).

Lastly, some consideration must be given to the fee structure for licenses and trophy fees. It seems that some locations require you to buy licenses/tags for any animal you want to hunt before the hunt itself starts (like we do in the U.S.) and others allow you to pay trophy fees only on animals that you’ve actually killed (or wounded). If possible, I’d like to avoid getting raped on government taxes/fees for animals, firearms, etc.

I’m sure I know just enough to not know anything…please help me start zeroing in on some locations to research further.

If you want to hunt one area only, somewhere like the Save in Zimbabwe with someone like Roger Whittal Safaris may be a good choice. I haven't hunted with them but they have a good reputation.

Many outfitters can offer both 'solid' style accomodation as well as tented camps. However the tented camps might be more expensive! Thatched 'rondavels' and similar buildings are pretty nice as well and different from what you are used to.


Thanks,
Trey




--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"


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TerryR
.224 member


Reged: 13/07/04
Posts: 42
Loc: Greensburg, Pa.
Re: Help With Location for First African Hunt [Re: NitroX]
      #85468 - 12/09/07 04:50 AM

You can take your whole list in Botswana if you hunt in the Okvango Delta and then go down to the Kalahari. Bots has a reputation for being both spectacular and expensive. It is always spectacular, and, while it will never be cheap, it need not require a second mortgage. I'd suggest that you contact Wendell Reich and inquire about a hunt combining Clive Eaton's ranch with the Delta. I have never booked with Wendell but he has a good reputation and I know that he books for Clive. Clive has eland, zebra, wildebeast, and springbok in abundance and if you don't take a very nice Kudu than you shot at the wrong one. The delta is great for Buffalo, lechewe, impala, warthog and tsessebe. If you book with the right people you can have a great tented hunt in a spectacular location at a reasonable, for Africa, price.

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