Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Hi all

Just introducing myself I'm new to the Campfire and very intrsted in someday hunting Africa. Any advice is wecome.

Welcome,

I am new here also,but have some advise...

Anytime you feel the need to spend a few bucks on some worthless junk;put the money in a seperate account.You would be suprised how fast it adds up.

And then;send the money to me;for I wish not to afflict another hunter with the addiction that is Africa.LOL

For some,ask me how I know,it can become the ultimate quest to keep returning....yes...it is that good.

Good luck

Dinsdale

Welcome. Watch and read the threads carefully, theres a wealth of knowledge and experience here...
And oh, yeah....Dinsdale is right,start saving your money...Nobody goes just once....
No advice from me, just a reccomendation. Plains Game, Namibia is the place. Dangerous game, do your homework....people here can help.
Ingwe

I second the plains game in Namibia also. I would encourage you to read some on the subject, there are lots of good books that will answer a lot of questions. I would start with Boddington's "The African Experience."

Daniel,

Welcome! I am fairly new here myself. I have only been to Africa once and I am hoping to go again someday.

This board and others are a wealth of information for both the higher end safaris and more moderate ones as well. My budget puts me into the latter. Search the archives and you will find many member stories of their hunts and see what worked and what didn't.

As has already been pointed out, start saving. I started by setting up an automatic entry in Quicken every payday so that the amount didn't show in the balance. I started reevaluating my need for "toys" that I had saved for. As the balance in my hunting fund grew I started a separate money market account. I kept automatically "debiting" in Quicken each payday and periodically transferring to the money market.

There are great books about African hunting, but once I got past the "someday" to a specific year I starting looking more at hunting in my price range rather than reading about classic safaris. Two books I found to be great for an absolute novice on African hunting, such as myself, were JJHack's "Africa The First Time" and "The Perfect Shot: Mini Edition".

If at all possible I would also suggest doing a few days at Kruger Park before the hunt.

When you start looking for outfitters check them out thoroughly. If you have deep pockets then some of the high dollar ones with five star accommodations look great. Frankly I prefer the smaller, more personal ones. Good thing too because the others were out of my budget. Think about it, if you pay $100 to $200 dollars more per person, per night to get a better room that you are only going to sleep in that could mean another trophy or two. Even going with "lesser" accommodations it was still the best room, facilities, and dining I have ever had on a hunting trip. Just for reference Jim Hackiewicz (JJHack) was my outfitter and Pieter Kriel was my PH. I would highly recommend both.

Welcome, I'm new to this blog thing also. And new to hunting in Africa. I leave for Namibia in 33 days. 10 day plains game hunt. I started my journey by attending the Houston Safari Club Expo. For several years I would go to the expo and make the rounds visiting with all the PH's. I booked my hunt in Jan. '08. That gave me ~ 16 months to save the $$$$. Dinsdale is right, once you start down this road everything you spend money on will be weighed against someting with horns. It will flat screw up your priorities....I love it.

I would recommend going to one of these Safari Expos where you can visit with a lot of the PH's. You can get a real understanding of the process and I have not been to one yet that the folks were not real helpfull.

REJ

REJ who are you hunting with?

I have a cheap problem buffalo hunt for $7500 all inclusive, and its a fair chase hunt..Probably a 36 to 47 inch bull in a herd of 40 animals in 7500 acres of thick bush. Thats as cheap as a lot of plainsgame hunts. I have some Zimbabwe buff hunts for $8000 all inclusive on the shores of Lake Kariba.

If you like to shoot, then I have some springbuck cull hunts for $3000 all inclusive.

You will see some good deals on 24 hour from time to time, especially if your in a position to jump and go on a moments notice..

Ray, I wish I could just up and go but I am just starting out. I,m thinking I be able to go in 2 or 3 years.

Daniel

Start saving and practicing now. You'll be surprised how fast you can afford to go on a safari. For example, if you put down a deposit now for a summer 2010 hunt that's a few grand off the top. Then buy your plane tickets in a couple or three months. Then save money for the balance of the day rates, trophy fees and taxidermy deposit over the next year. Then once you're back from the trip you'll wait 8 months (if you're lucky) to 18 months (if you're not) for the final taxidermy bill. Pay that off and wait another month for the stuff to arrive and pay off the final tab at the shipper/expediter. You spread out $10K to $15K over what amounts to 3 years and you'll hardly know that you laid the money out in the first place.

Of course, then you start saving to go back.

Daniel, as you see theres lots of people here willing to step up to the plate and help steer your decisions. I know I am not alone when I say I maintain a list of PHs I know and trust to reccomend to friends and clientele. Others here, like atkinson are actually in the business. I would do just what you are doing and ask questions of all of them ( us). It will be much easier to navigate the process when you get input from folks that have gone before.Hunting Africa is a not-to-be-missed opportunity, and as everyone, including me, has intimated....its not going to be a "once in a lifetime" experience!
Keep planning!
Don't miss it!
Ingwe

Hello, I'm new here also. My first trip to Africa is this September for plainsgame.

The others here have given really sage advice and they are right about one thing. Once you go, you'll want to go back.

Heck, I haven't even gone yet and I have the notion in my head of going back someday to Namibia to hunt leopard over dogs.

If I can tempt you. Do not wait 2 or 3 years. Borrow the money now and spend two or three years to pay it off. You will regret deeply not going right away. If you are shooting at all on any basis just increase the level of your practicing and you will be ready by end of summer. You wot find better deals and lower prices than you might find here now.
I went for the first time last September and I "regret deeply" not going sooner. I couldn't afford it then but it was the decision to go that got me motivated to afford it now. The rest is planning which is as much fun as actually being there. I started with plains game for a week and then went for cape buffalo and ended up with elephant as well.
Get off your "but....." and just do it.

Check the posts on this site for specials and see this as well.
http://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums?a=corfrm&cf=832100588

Hi Daniel,
I am heading over myself next year and I am fairly new to forum as well.
I have been reading here and other for quite a long time though. A great bunch of information can be found from very experienced sources.

Hello Daniel,
My advice is to go ASAP. Life can be short. Right now Africa is the BEST deal. Join a Hunting Assn. Go to the banquet and buy a donated hunt at their auction. I JUST purchased 4 hunters X ten days in RSA for less than a 5 day 1X1 guided mule deer hunt in my OWN state!

I got it bad...137 days until I leave for my first safari then I have this one mentioned for 2010 TOO.

Sorry guys, my sons and wife are going with me.

I dunno Frank, in two or three years the Africans may be paying us just to come an hunt! and get the excess game off the ranches! who knows?

I am hoping to go back in 2011. It would be difficult for me to go before then. The prices may not be as good as 2009, but the trophies may be better.

I would love to be able to go sooner but it is just not possible for me now. So if I start planning now I'll be able to go by then I will not go into debt for the trip i just don't think that is wise. It is a want not a need and if I rush I'm sure I'll have a great trip but if I hold off I'll have an even better one.

I dunno Ray. At the moment one can earn a healty living just by culling game. In Namibia anyway. As an example, one of my PH's earned about double his monthly salary last weekend by culling 38 oryx.