Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Dilemma

Agree 100% with Jorge. Prudence be damned. Spending that money won't be missed 5 years after you go, and won't make any difference to you then or now. It just isn't "that" much money. However, to miss out on hunting buff is an experience I would never want to miss. I've only been once, but hunting buffalo beats all other hunts for true fun and matching wits with a game animal. I've hunted all over North America, but never Aisa, and I can honestly say that I've had the most fun hunting Buffalo over sheep, goats, deer, elk, caribou, grizzer bears, moose, etc. Go and don't look back.

Oh yeah, hunt the bull. Kissing your sister is never as fun or exciting as making out with the hot cheerleader!

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

“This is your life, and it’s ending one minute at a time.”-Tyler Durden

I say go now for a bull. You've already paid most of the cost. Beg, borrow, and steal for the rest. 2nd mortgage or whatever.

I shot my first Cape buffalo when I was 64 because by then I had the time and the money. I should have gone when I was 44. In the long run it would have made no difference except that I would have had the chance to go many more times.

Now it is almost prohibitive or impossible to hunt lion, elephant, or rhino. Who knows what the future will bring, but it ain't promising.

So go now.

You can save some money by having a skull mount. I have one skull mount and one shoulder mount. Both are pretty impressive.

RAC you suck.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I have talked to the boss (aka Mrs. Charles) and Pieter. I am going on the trip and hunting Cape Buffalo. The plan is to hunt a bull, but Pieter says that it is okay for me to shoot either. In the mean time I will be praying for the financial health of my employer.

I am 62 and feeling every day of it so I think it is now or never. At 44 I had just gone through a divorce and a warthog would have been out of my budget. I was thinking skull mount but having it caped for a shoulder mount just in case.

Bravo and good luck. I don't think you will ever regret it. Good idea about the cape.

Charles, I'm glad you've asked the question, got the answers here that you needed, and that you've made the decision to go for it. Bully!

I'm your age, and just 6 months ago fulfilled my lifelong dream of hunting Cape buffalo. I faced many of the same questions and fears as you. But as others have said, one way or another, it's only money, and you can't buy a single second of your life back once it's gone, no matter how much money you have.

If I can add one more piece of advice, I'd have to say I'm solidly with Jorge and JJHACK on this one: do NOT shoot a cow. Shoot a good, mature, tough old bull. Don't worry about the cost. Borrow the money to pay your trophy fee, if you have to. Don't even think about the cost of taxidermy for now, just get the cape and bring it home and make those decisions after you've got the hunt behind you and safely stored in your memory banks.

Charles, great news. I don't care if you live under an overpass for the rest of your life. It will be worth it. when you get there tell Pieter I said hello.

Will do!

Do what you have to do to go this year. It'll never get cheaper, and Africa is always a question yet to be answered. It could be stable and still in the budget next year, and it could be closed down where you're planning or prohibitively expensive next year.

IMO there's little that comes up close to a good buffalo hunt. DON'T lose the opportunity. If you take early retirement go anyway, then find a job of some sort for the next year to recoup the cost.

You can't buy a memory; you need to live it.

I agree with Test, that hunting DG in Africa (expecially buff) is more exciting than any other type of hunting.

For me, I would rather kill another buff, even a cow, over a world record kudu or sable or any other plains game, but that is just me.

The biggest problem is that after having killed a buff or an ellie, (and probably lion, leopard or rhino, which I have never done) hunting deer and elk, and even bear, is not as much fun as it used to be.

Hence, the desire to always go back to Africa for one more DG hunt.

Enjoy your life while you can.

BH63

Charles, I had an experience last w/e that might be pertinent to this discussion.

When I was getting ready for my buffalo hunt last year, people kept asking me how big Cape buffalo were. They couldn't seem to grasp the concept of "1600 to 2000 pounds", so I just started telling them they were the size of a rodeo Brahma bull, a creature most Texans have some familiarity with, and a suitable frame of reference.

As it happens, this past couple of weeks I was providing medical coverage for the local rodeo here in town. Saturday night I was standing behind the gate the cowboys come in from the arena through, which meant I was standing right beside the bull pen. I had time to look the bulls over real well, and I came to this conclusion:

Rodeo bulls are a LOT smaller than Cape buffalo.

Yep. Do whatever it takes to fulfill your dream. You're going to be dead for a loooooooong time. Hunts are not going to get cheaper and your health is not going to get better with age....

It is 83 days until I am scheduled to depart. Finances are looking better, my knees are holding up better than expected when walking 6 - 8 miles per day, and the dollar to rand is still in my favor. Looks like a Cape Buffalo bull in on the menu.

Thanks to everyone for your advice and encouragement!

As Nike says....JUST DO IT!

I went to Africa in 2002, and 2003. Started at the age of 51, and had thought I would go every couple of years. But than the Real Estate market dumped, and my finances went with it! Even though I have been struggling to make ends meet for quite some time, I never regretted my African hunts! Hardly a day goes by that I do not think about returning.
You made the right choice to go now.
Are you hunting with Peiter Kriel?
I envy you, you will have a fantastic time!

Good for you!

Yes I am hunting with Pieter Kriel. It will be my first time hunting with Pieter without the Princess. I warned him that it will be considerably quieter during the drive from the airport.