Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa PH recommendations

I am sure you guys are tired of these types of posts, but would appreciate any suggestions.

Here is my scoop: I am graduating from college this Dec, and plan on applying for grad school in the Fall of 2010. That leaves me all next spring and summer to have some fun. I saved up some dough while in the military for a trip such as this. I would love a plains game trip. (A week to 10 days kind of thing) I will more than likely be going by myself. I have never looked into this type of thing before so I apologize for my ignorance.

Is it too late to book a hunt for anywhere between Jan and Aug of 2010?

Any PH suggestions or PHs to avoid?

Any countries to avoid?

I am a huge bowhunter, but for a trip like this I will just take a rifle (25-06, 300 Savage or 300 Win Mag) I have a 340 Wby and 375 H&H but can't afford anything those rifles would be useful for in Africa. I would love to just take my 300 Savage and straight 4X scope. I know it is ready for anything up to elk size game, but are there any legal restrictions on rifles for plains game I need to know?

I don't know much about plains game, except for what I have read here and in magazines. My budget is 7 grand or so.

Would it be worthwhile to bring a shotgun along for birds?

Thanks in advance

Drop JJHack, the moderator on this forum, a line. He hunts in the Limpopo area of RSA and runs a top flight outfit. I've hunted with him twice and believe me he'll do everything he can to get you your animals. Plenty of folks from the campfire have hunted with him and I've never heard anything but positive recommendations from them.

A big plus is JJ will be onsite with you working as a PH while you're there.

JJHACK Hunting Adventures...Great PH, lots of previous hunters and great recommendations..If you like, pm me with your address and I'll send you a DVD of our 2007 hunt and another of a 2009 hunt that my friends [they also hunted in 2007] just returned from.

Thanks guys, I'll talk to him.

I'll certainly endorse Hack's recommendation for RSA. Another great PH who posts here is Karl Stumpfe and Steve Robinson as well. RSA is a great place for a first safari, but I prefer Zimbabwe as it's more akin to the "wild Africa." Ray Atkinson can also help you in that regard. Seven grand will cover shat you want to do as far as the safari is concerned, but you are cutting it close. As to rifles, you are just fine with all your choices. One of our most experienced members here, Hatari has hunted Africa extensively with the 300 Savage. Personally I like the 300s for PG, and your 340 is just about perfect for eland. Good luck & Semper Fi! jorge

Oh,and how I love the .300 Savage! That has become my favorite the last bunch of years ever since the family heirloom 99 got passed down to me.

I can endorse Ray, JJ, and Karle, I'm sure these guys can fix you up.

I went to RSA for the first time some 20 years ago by the strong armed tactics of one of my patients. He is smooth talking, leathernecked, jarhead, retired Gunny named Fred Slater. Some of the old SCI hands here I'm sure know Fred. Big Freddie is going to be 80 this year, God bless him.

Fred told me "Boy, get off your azz and come along and have some fun." Fred hooked me on Africa, and also convinced me that an official 5 point USMC Cover is the proper thing to have on your head when you have a rifle in your hand.

I hunt RSA with John X Safaris

http://www.johnxsafaris.co.za/

I can't say enough superlative things about them, and they have become my lifelong friends. They can fix you up for $7K, and you will be hooked like the rest of us.

(PS-You might want to know that Jorge was a Jarhead before he got wings!)

sent you a pm.

Restrictions? If you miss a shot, they strip you naked and brand you with a red hot Zulu Assagai.

Seriously, the only restrictions are that you need to shoot well. It keeps the PH and the trackers happy. Your .300 Savage is enough gun for anything including kudu and eland, but the .340 is better for eland, so take them both!

Hi Dog Hunter,

I�ve been working with JJHACK in camp in RSA for the past 5 years and I can assure you that he will bend his back backwards for you and for every hunter who went with him. You will have the time of your life if you go on an African safari with JJHACK!!

I'll add 2 cents...

June/July next year is World Cup soccer in SA.I understand many outfitters are fairly booked with European hunters.Would be best to avoid this timeframe.

On hunting;

Try to decide on what type of animals to hunt.Then go where they occur as the best representative trophy.

Your budget can have you taking few very good trophies or many so-so.

Do you want an wild experience or is a game ranch OK?

Zim,SA,and Namibia can meet your budget if you can balance trophy fee's and day rates to your liking.



Cost;

To me,the "cost" is door to door AND getting trophies home.Taxidermy is a seperate luxury.At $7000 you can have a good
hunt,but you'll need to nail down some particulars.You have enough for one glamour animal(Eland,Kudu,Nyala if in Natal)and some others (Impala,Blesbok,Springbok,etc).

Get your skulls,capes,and backskins sent home.Have the hides tanned,and you can mount them when ever you want(and have the money)Tanned hides last many years.You can display the beached skulls meanwhile.Most taxidermy work(not all)done in Africa is weak and of poor value if you figure in shipping.



I will always argue Namibia still has the best hunting for Plains Game for the balance of trophy fees to day rates,for the average means hunter(that's me...LOL)


No question is stupid,and many here have a wealth of knowledge to share;so fire away.

Dinsdale

Dog_Hunter;
You might check this site for Limcroma safaris.
http://www.limcroma.com/

I hunted plains game and shot birds for 10 days with Hannes Els and had a blast ( pun intended). Since then, he has added a top flight archery hunting operation and as you will see on the web site, the Ted Nugent recommendation says Limcroma is the best in RSA.
http://www.limcroma.com/references.htm

We hunted with Pieter Kriel (http://www.huntinginafrica.co.za/index.htm) and can not praise him enough as a very educated guide, game spotter, PH, and hunting buddy. If I ever can afford to go again Pieter is at the top of my list.

Pieter is one of my best PH's and will always show people a great hunt. He just hunted with Lloyd and the hunt ended a couple days ago. Even with the horrible Rain, they took the game they were after. In the last week the weather changed from hot and sunny to freezing and rainy, very odd for this time of year. Anyone wanting to hunt with Pieter can get booked with him through me, or book with me and request him. Either way, Pieter is a top PH and a weatlh of knowledge!

agree on Namibia, I would also suggest you check out www.accuratereloading.com they have a discounted hunt section. I would think you could line up a real nice hunt with 7,000.

Thanks for the response people. I have been looking at all the websites. I wouldn't mind hunting a private ranch, but not a high fence. It just doesn't interest me. Looking at the websites of outfitters in Nambia, it looks like most are done on fenced ranches. Thanks but no thanks.

I would like either a gemsbok or a kudu plus a few smaller things. It seems everyone offers warthogs and blesbok, so I assume those are like whitetails here. I just want to go to Africa and hunt for 4-5 animals. I really couldn't care what, and am not after huge horns.

Thanks again.

Go with JJ. You will enjoy the experience!!!

Dog Hunter,
You indicate that you are a bowhunter. I would seriously consider a bowhunt safari, if I were you- I have done it both ways, and can truthfully say that the bowhunting experience can't be equalled.

I did a bowhunt safari for plains game in SA last September, and would gladly go back for species I didn't hunt on that trip.

I booked thru JJ twice and PH Pieter Kriel. Fantastic, couldn't have asked for more. I will again next year.

for 2010 I have a specific area that will be bow hunting only. There are ground blinds made of cement so they are dead silent, and about 50% is below ground level.

I will have a culling option for bowhunters as well. All Female animals and nontrophy warthogs for about 4000 bucks the package will include more then you will probably be able to shoot in a 7 day hunt and then you can always add the trophy fee for the other animals you choose. I don't have the logistics on this final right now, but check the website in mid july and it will be finished.

The area for bowhunthing is very quiet and peaceful, we don't have any firearms allowed there and there are too many female animals right now. So this needs to be culled without a lot of noise or chasing and game capture. We have decided to just offer the culling option for archery including crossbow use.

You will have to ask alot of questions to find an unfenced hunt in SA.I know of a few in Natal,but even then there is some cattle fence around.

If you want no fences there are areas but your budget ,if you are trying for all in at $7000,will be tight.Zim is a better bet for that;but add in road transfers/2% gov tax/MARS and airfare and you'll be tight.IMO

Good luck and ask lots of questions....

Dinsdale