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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.

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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.

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Some pictures from Namibia

Some pictures from Zimbabwe

An Elephant Story

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