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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

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