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I spoke to this outfit the other day at a sportsmen's show

http://www.bergzicht-hunting.com/brochure-gallery.aspx

You pay for lodging and then pay for each animal. No package deals. Would love to do some travel, photography and exploration in Namibia after the hunt too.

I have yet to hunt Africa but have been there a few times for work. It seems, based upon my research , that Namibia offers closest to the Africa experience.

I talked to a number of SA outfitters and they are offering pretty good package deals. And I know your experience can vary greatly, depending on outfitter and concession.

At this point as it is my first hunt still deciding what animals I would choose to harvest.

Will be bringing my bow and debating whether to bring firearm. I know I can use theirs if not bring my own.

thoughts on Namibia vs SA and animals to harvest.

probably looking at around $5k in trophy fees first hunt

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I went to Namibia in 2009. did a management hunt. IE, they have you shoot what animals they want out of the herd. Was allotted 14 springbok, 6 Oryx and 2 steenbok. Due to being asked to shoot an extra Oryx that had deformed horns, ended up with 7 Oryx, 2 steenbok, one in the book, and 8 or 9 Springbok. Cost me like $6,500 plus air fare. I stayed an extra week or so to visit folks I'd hunted with before. I would say your chances of doing anything with a bow, if in the desert part especially, are slim. Might work if in the north as more brushy, etc. Hunting in S. Namibia like hunting on a beach, that's how sparse the vegetation is. The people in the North part of the country is Moringa Farm and at least 50K acres They have Kudu, Oryx, springbok, wildebeest etc. all there. You could use the bow there as a lot of time a 50 yd shot going to be LONG, and 50 feet might be closer. They put you up, ronduval, with baths etc., and you eat with the family. That's so much a day, but a little more includes guide fees. if you go to Moringa.iway.na I think it is, they'll be able to give you then newest prices. The place in the south is jhomaiway.na I'm pretty sure. If interested in some pictures, let me know.


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I just realized I gave you the e-mail addresses. the place in the south with the desert if www.kalaharihuntingsafaris.com,

and the one in the north is Moringasafaris.com, I believe. you can e-mail them for info. I was one of the first 3 people to hunt Moringa when it opened to hunters in 1972. So it's been there awhile, and owners Andre and his wife great folks. I actually hunted with Andre's parents. He has upgraded the place a lot from those early days. But game is plentiful When I was there in 2009, we say 25 Kudu one day.


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Ribka:

Only hunted RSA once for just under 2-months while taking the PH school and exams in 2011. This was in the Natal Province and I was able to do little sightseeing in the KZN area. This was after hunting and touring around Namibia for three separate trips before doing the PH school. They are different experiences. Not saying one is better than the other, they are just...different. Been making several trips a year to Namibia since PH school and have driven around a good portion of the country. Personally, I prefer Namibia.

In my opinion (and yes, I know everybody has one), the major difference is the majority of hunting in RSA is on high fenced properties - some as small as 500ha and some in the tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of hectors. Namibia is still majority free-range, low fence with some 2500ha and larger high fence properties.

Not sure why, but driving around RSA as a tourist, I didn't feel as "safe" as we do in Namibia. Only way to describe it is I got a different "vibe" from the locals (blacks) in RSA than in Namibia. Wife and I spend several weeks a year renting a car and driving around Namibia every year either before or after hunting for a couple of weeks and I make several additional trips a year there too.

"Package Hunts" can be a very good deal but also can have some pitfalls. Make sure you fully understand the terms of the package ie. what happens if you decide to NOT shoot an animal in the package because it doesn't meet your standards. What about taking additional animals not included in your package. As a general "rule of thumb" a package will generally get you good "representative" size/quality animals within the species with the possibility of maybe getting a larger than average animal. You have to ask yourself, why would a PH put a client on a truly large specimen at a "package" price when they could sell that animal at a true "trophy" price in an "ala cart" hunt. Not intending to "cast aspersions" on all PH's/Outfitters but just pointing out the reality of business - and make no mistake, this is all business. If they are not making money, they don't stay in business.

An "ala carte" hunt is where you pay a set "daily rate" and then there is a set price list for each species you take. One good point is, you know for certain the prices and if you decide to not pull the trigger on a specific animal you don't pay for it. Generally, if you have a frank discussion with your PH BEFORE you book about your expectations and what the PH/Outfitter believes they can honestly deliver, your miles ahead of the game. Make no mistake, plains game species generally have a set territory and the PH's are in the field every day and have a pretty good idea of what animals are on the property they are taking you hunting on - especially true if it's a high-fenced property. Even on low-fence/free range areas, while the animals are free to move/roam, unless there are food/water/predator issues in a particular area, they pretty much stay within their "territory". Also, there are generally established minimum size limits for each species to be legally taken as trophies - example, Namibia 50" min for kudu and 30" for gemsbok etc.

Cull hunts can be a great value if you're just looking to spend time shooting a lot of animals and not concerned with "trophies". Cull animals are not subject to min size regulations and can't be exported. Most offering these will also allow the client to take "trophies" but, at an additional higher/standard trophy fee price. Those can be exported. Also with cull hunts, most are late season.

Funny thing is a "trophy" is in the eye of the beholder. Generally, US clients want large, symmetrical horns while a LOT of European clients will pay more for the "non-typical" bent horn or misshapen oddity. While most clients want a 40+ inch cape buffalo, some clients specifically want an old "scrum cap" bull.

Next, unless you have to book your vacation time way in advance, don't be in a hurry to book a hunt. If you can get away on 60-90days notice, wait till later in the season and pick up some seriously discounted late season unsold hunts. A lot of PH's/Outfitters operate out of "concessions" (leased hunting lands). Part of a "concession" agreement usually establishes a "quota" on how many animals of the various species can be taken. The PH/Outfitters usually have to pay the cost of the quota upfront and for every animal they don't sell/take they don't get a refund. Therefore, late in the season, lots of operators will give serious discounts trying to sell the remainder of the quota. Again, the only downside is the relatively short notice. One upside is if you book a hunt after the middle of Aug., airfares usually come down by 20-30%.

IF possible, try and book a plains game hunt around or as close to the dark of the moon as you can. PG animals tend to move/feed less during the dark of the moon and are therefore more active during the day. If hunting leopard/hyena then try to book as close to the full moon as possible.

Spot and stalk bow hunting will be difficult. Mostly due to terrain, cover and alertness/wariness of the game PLUS all the other eyeballs on you - ie. birds, baboons etc. Stalking to typical bow ranges (under 50yds) can be done but will be damn difficult. That is why you see most TV bow hunts done out of ground blinds over feed/waterholes at 30-40yds. Don't get me wrong, I've been able to get within 30yds of gemsbok and 40yds of mountain zebra, but that was NOT the norm without getting busted by a "go away bird" or hornbill or baboons on top of a koppie 1000yds away.

My last word of advice to anyone wanting to go to Africa, no matter what country you choose is - GO AND GO NOW! Africa is changing so fast, some for the better and some...not so much. Plus, unless there is a HUGE swing in the exchange rates or economy, prices are likely to keep increasing.

Be warned - if you go once you will be infected and probably start planning your next trip before your first one is over!

Just my opinions and my experiences - yours may vary. You'll have a great time regardless.



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I've only hunted SA once, and Namibia 3 times. I agree with everything M3taco said. I prefer Namibia and it isn't even close.


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Originally Posted by JGRaider
I prefer Namibia and it isn't even close.


a BIG + 1 to this.

Wouldn't consider anyplace else for a first safari!

Also, I can honestly say I haven't heard anything bad about any Namibian PHs or outfits.....they have high standards. Cant say the same for RSA...


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I have hunted both Namibia and South Africa, and find too many people group all of RSA into one generality, probably because they've only hunted only one place or one region. It's a huge country, and the hunting can vary from the typical small, high-fenced properties typical of some areas, to huge low-fenced ranches in others. But there is certainly more variety of hunting in RSA, because the country itself much larger and more varied than Namibia.


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Thanks for the info

sent you pm


Originally Posted by ghost
I went to Namibia in 2009. did a management hunt. IE, they have you shoot what animals they want out of the herd. Was allotted 14 springbok, 6 Oryx and 2 steenbok. Due to being asked to shoot an extra Oryx that had deformed horns, ended up with 7 Oryx, 2 steenbok, one in the book, and 8 or 9 Springbok. Cost me like $6,500 plus air fare. I stayed an extra week or so to visit folks I'd hunted with before. I would say your chances of doing anything with a bow, if in the desert part especially, are slim. Might work if in the north as more brushy, etc. Hunting in S. Namibia like hunting on a beach, that's how sparse the vegetation is. The people in the North part of the country is Moringa Farm and at least 50K acres They have Kudu, Oryx, springbok, wildebeest etc. all there. You could use the bow there as a lot of time a 50 yd shot going to be LONG, and 50 feet might be closer. They put you up, ronduval, with baths etc., and you eat with the family. That's so much a day, but a little more includes guide fees. if you go to Moringa.iway.na I think it is, they'll be able to give you then newest prices. The place in the south is [email protected] I'm pretty sure. If interested in some pictures, let me know.

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Thanks for the insight.

I like shooting big animals but for the first time experience would be more than happy just seeing the country and meeting locals. Probably do more photography than shooting first time there. Would like to shoot a kudu if opportunity arises and do some bird hunting, see all of the different plants insects and reptiles, new animals, birds etc and rest would be a plus

And would like to take some time to explore skeleton coast

good reminder on the moon phase

again everyone thanks for input


Originally Posted by M3taco
Ribka:

Only hunted RSA once for just under 2-months while taking the PH school and exams in 2011. This was in the Natal Province and I was able to do little sightseeing in the KZN area. This was after hunting and touring around Namibia for three separate trips before doing the PH school. They are different experiences. Not saying one is better than the other, they are just...different. Been making several trips a year to Namibia since PH school and have driven around a good portion of the country. Personally, I prefer Namibia.

In my opinion (and yes, I know everybody has one), the major difference is the majority of hunting in RSA is on high fenced properties - some as small as 500ha and some in the tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of hectors. Namibia is still majority free-range, low fence with some 2500ha and larger high fence properties.

Not sure why, but driving around RSA as a tourist, I didn't feel as "safe" as we do in Namibia. Only way to describe it is I got a different "vibe" from the locals (blacks) in RSA than in Namibia. Wife and I spend several weeks a year renting a car and driving around Namibia every year either before or after hunting for a couple of weeks and I make several additional trips a year there too.

"Package Hunts" can be a very good deal but also can have some pitfalls. Make sure you fully understand the terms of the package ie. what happens if you decide to NOT shoot an animal in the package because it doesn't meet your standards. What about taking additional animals not included in your package. As a general "rule of thumb" a package will generally get you good "representative" size/quality animals within the species with the possibility of maybe getting a larger than average animal. You have to ask yourself, why would a PH put a client on a truly large specimen at a "package" price when they could sell that animal at a true "trophy" price in an "ala cart" hunt. Not intending to "cast aspersions" on all PH's/Outfitters but just pointing out the reality of business - and make no mistake, this is all business. If they are not making money, they don't stay in business.

An "ala carte" hunt is where you pay a set "daily rate" and then there is a set price list for each species you take. One good point is, you know for certain the prices and if you decide to not pull the trigger on a specific animal you don't pay for it. Generally, if you have a frank discussion with your PH BEFORE you book about your expectations and what the PH/Outfitter believes they can honestly deliver, your miles ahead of the game. Make no mistake, plains game species generally have a set territory and the PH's are in the field every day and have a pretty good idea of what animals are on the property they are taking you hunting on - especially true if it's a high-fenced property. Even on low-fence/free range areas, while the animals are free to move/roam, unless there are food/water/predator issues in a particular area, they pretty much stay within their "territory". Also, there are generally established minimum size limits for each species to be legally taken as trophies - example, Namibia 50" min for kudu and 30" for gemsbok etc.

Cull hunts can be a great value if you're just looking to spend time shooting a lot of animals and not concerned with "trophies". Cull animals are not subject to min size regulations and can't be exported. Most offering these will also allow the client to take "trophies" but, at an additional higher/standard trophy fee price. Those can be exported. Also with cull hunts, most are late season.

Funny thing is a "trophy" is in the eye of the beholder. Generally, US clients want large, symmetrical horns while a LOT of European clients will pay more for the "non-typical" bent horn or misshapen oddity. While most clients want a 40+ inch cape buffalo, some clients specifically want an old "scrum cap" bull.

Next, unless you have to book your vacation time way in advance, don't be in a hurry to book a hunt. If you can get away on 60-90days notice, wait till later in the season and pick up some seriously discounted late season unsold hunts. A lot of PH's/Outfitters operate out of "concessions" (leased hunting lands). Part of a "concession" agreement usually establishes a "quota" on how many animals of the various species can be taken. The PH/Outfitters usually have to pay the cost of the quota upfront and for every animal they don't sell/take they don't get a refund. Therefore, late in the season, lots of operators will give serious discounts trying to sell the remainder of the quota. Again, the only downside is the relatively short notice. One upside is if you book a hunt after the middle of Aug., airfares usually come down by 20-30%.

IF possible, try and book a plains game hunt around or as close to the dark of the moon as you can. PG animals tend to move/feed less during the dark of the moon and are therefore more active during the day. If hunting leopard/hyena then try to book as close to the full moon as possible.

Spot and stalk bow hunting will be difficult. Mostly due to terrain, cover and alertness/wariness of the game PLUS all the other eyeballs on you - ie. birds, baboons etc. Stalking to typical bow ranges (under 50yds) can be done but will be damn difficult. That is why you see most TV bow hunts done out of ground blinds over feed/waterholes at 30-40yds. Don't get me wrong, I've been able to get within 30yds of gemsbok and 40yds of mountain zebra, but that was NOT the norm without getting busted by a "go away bird" or hornbill or baboons on top of a koppie 1000yds away.

My last word of advice to anyone wanting to go to Africa, no matter what country you choose is - GO AND GO NOW! Africa is changing so fast, some for the better and some...not so much. Plus, unless there is a HUGE swing in the exchange rates or economy, prices are likely to keep increasing.

Be warned - if you go once you will be infected and probably start planning your next trip before your first one is over!

Just my opinions and my experiences - yours may vary. You'll have a great time regardless.



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ribka,

You'll have a fine experience in Namibia, but I feel compelled to add a few details to my earlier post:

The smaller, high-fenced operations in RSA are primarily in the southern and eastern parts of the country. That region has much higher rainfall than Namibia, which is very dry except for some of the very small Caprivi Strip, due to Namibia being primarily situated north and south along the Atlantic Ocean.

RSA also has about 50% more area than Namibia, and the highest mountains rise more twice as high as high as Namibia's, and stretches from the Atlantic to the Indian Oceans. As a result of all those differences, plus it's southern region being much further south than any part of Namibia, the climate, terrain and vegetation varies far more over RSA.

In the northwestern part of South Africa, the Karoo which borders Namibia, the country is much drier, and not surprisingly resembles much of Namibia. Plus, it's harder to get to than Natal, the Eastern Cape and other parts of southeastern RSA close to the major airports in Johannesberg or Cape Town. Consequently there aren't the small, high-fenced properties most hunters think are typical of South Africa. The biggest place I've hunted in the Karoo was over 200,000 acres, and aside from the some corrals was "fenced" exactly like ranches in eastern Montana and Wyoming, with a few strands of barbwire no more than 3-4 feet tall. Consequently, there were fewer species of big game than on the small, high-fenced properties so many people think are typical of South Africa, but I took the biggest springbok and gemsbok I've taken anywhere, and there were plenty of good black wildebeest as well--all free-ranging.

However, there weren't any kudu, because there wasn't enough brushy cover. But BOTH the greater kudu I've taken in RSA (which included my biggest) were free-ranging, and taken further east--both along major rivers, one in the middle of the country along the Vaal River, and the other from its most northern reaches, an island in the middle of the Limpopo River. The channel on the RSA side happened to be dry. The river flowed along side of the island--and across the water was Botswana. There weren't any fences close to either river.

The two Cape kudu I've taken were both from high-fenced properties in the Eastern Cape--but both were over 35,000 acres, and both were up in steep canyon country, miles from the low-country fences.

As noted, you'll be very happy hunting Namibia, but I just needed to point out that people who've only hunted one region of South Africa often don't have any idea of what the rest of South Africa contains.



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Have been to the sub-Sahara twice, once up in the north and then to Namib and the last was a good trip all around from boarding Lufthansa in Chicago to Frankfurt and on to Windhoek via Air Namibia. Apparently AN has declined some since my trip in '07 according to comments on another thread.

The organization, function, roads, communication and general cleanliness in Namibia speak undeniably to German colonialism which ended only in ~ '91 IIRC.

The folks I met were uniformly at least polite if stiffly German to very congenial and pleasant. We spent time from Windhoek north to Etosha and east toward the Caprivi and never felt unsafe or even uneasy.

In September it's dry and thorny; even the thorns have thorns. It's cool to momentarily cold early and then warms up. Game is in good numbers and the hunting was very good. However, I would have changed my first hunt for about all the PG to just some PG plus a buff, probably in the Caprivi. The only thing desired and not gotten was a mature bull eland. Would have also liked a big male baboon skull -- heard them though and had a big black rhino bull doze through the brush several hundred yards away -- we followed his progress by the noise and watching the wake of parted thorn bush.

The Etosha Pan in the north of the country was very enjoyable as game was everywhere and usually very close.

It was a very good experience all around. If I were to go back it would be to Namibia

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I have been to RSA twice and Namibia once.

I will never go back to the RSA. IMO, Namibia was much more "African" and friendly. The people there actually seem to like their government and respect the laws.

I'm sure there are exceptions, but the Johannesburg Airport experience vs the Windhoek Airport was no contest. Everyone in Johannesburg had their hand out for a tip. It made me cringe. I felt as if, if I did not comply, my bags would never get to their destination.

My wife and I enjoyed the Namibian safari/vacation and would go back in a heartbeat, but not through Johannesburg.

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Originally Posted by donsm70


Everyone in Johannesburg had their hand out for a tip. It made me cringe. I felt as if, if I did not comply, my bags would never get to their destination.


donsm70


You were right about that part...


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Originally Posted by ingwe
Originally Posted by donsm70


Everyone in Johannesburg had their hand out for a tip. It made me cringe. I felt as if, if I did not comply, my bags would never get to their destination.


donsm70


You were right about that part...


Poobah was supposed to have us a direct US-WDH flight established by now, but he has failed miserably IMO.


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Originally Posted by JGRaider


Poobah was supposed to have us a direct US-WDH flight established by now, but he has failed miserably IMO.



Still working on it......


If I get it done you'll have to accompany me on the maiden flight!


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Originally Posted by JGRaider
I've only hunted SA once, and Namibia 3 times. I agree with everything M3taco said. I prefer Namibia and it isn't even close.



Stop mucking around in Limpopo and hunt the Eastern Cape.


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I can only comment on RSA. There are some large "farms" in RSA. The one I was hunting on was 24k acres continuous. His next door neighbors farm was 100k acres continuous. Those were high fenced places. Where I was hunting one fence which was low was the border with Botswana. We were in the middle of nowhere. (Northern Cape). The closet town was over the border in Botswana - Tshabong. That was "real Africa" not a tourist in sight, folks lived in tin and wood shacks, all the while I am staying in 4 star accommodations on the farm. The area looked like west Texas except blow sand instead of dirt. Walking through blow sand was tiring fast.

I agree with Marius above. Personally, I wish there were more places in the Western Cape, so you can fly into Cape Town and not have to screw around with Jo'Berg.

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Originally Posted by KMGHuntingSafaris
Originally Posted by JGRaider
I've only hunted SA once, and Namibia 3 times. I agree with everything M3taco said. I prefer Namibia and it isn't even close.



Stop mucking around in Limpopo and hunt the Eastern Cape.


I do intend to do that, hopefully soon. I know I cannot equate the E Cape with those 2000 acre farms in NW province, etc.


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Just curious about this and you can think about it and answer this for your selves.

If a South African came to the USA and hunted dall sheep, moose, bison, elk and mule deer in Florida on a game ranch would you think he was missing a big part of the experience VS hunting those same animals in the western USA where they exist in their natural habitat?

You decide, I've been curious about this much of my career. Everyone chooses their own safari options. Just think about what you're after before you "pull the trigger"


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JJ:

Great though provoking question/observation! Too add to that, and only to stimulate more thought/conversation, people may want to think about: Why would anyone go to Africa to hunt plains game when nearly every African plains game species is available somewhere in Texas?

For me, I only did the Texas thing once a few years ago when USF&W took away (temporarily thankfully) the exemption status of symitar horned oryx and the ranches had DEEPLY discounted the fees to get them gone before the ban took effect. Booked a 4-day shoot and took two cull animals just for the meat.

It was...OK but...not my personal cup of tea. Only real up side was being able to bring the meat home and do oryx steaks on my own "braai". Still wasn't the same as "being there". For me personally, the true "trophy" is the entire experience and the horns/hides are just ways to remember/relive the experience.

One of the requirements for passing the PH exams was memorizing the SCI and Rowland Ward minimum sizes for various PG species. I had a bit of an ongoing and good natured argument with the Director/Instructor and refused to memorize the tables. Every night after dinner, we'd have a little time to relax and have a drink or two before hitting the books. He had a big "great room" in the main complex building full of mounts he had taken over his 70 yrs of life. I'd always ask him, "Ian, tell me the story behind that________". His eyes would light up and tell the story as if it was just yesterday, even if it happened 30, 40 or 50 years ago. You could see him relive it in his memory through his eyes.

Every morning before breakfast, we'd have our first "academic period" which usually included a pop quiz. After about the third week of instruction, this mornings pop quiz was to fill out the SCI and RW tables from memory. I signed my name and passed it in. He wasn't any too happy and told me it was going to on the final written exams and I needed to memorize them. I said, "Ian, in the past few weeks when I'd ask you to tell the story behind a particular trophy in the "Big Room", did I ever ONCE ask you about the size or weight"? Long pause, "No, but you still have to memorize the tables for the exam".

End of story, when the Parks Department came and administered the final exam, sure enough the tables where there as promised. I didn't fill them in and I still passed.

Second "story" - my wife and I were coming back from a trip and while waiting in the US Customs line, there was a couple just in front of us, obviously had been hunting. Struck up a conversation. Said they had been to RSA on a buffalo hunt. Asked if they were successful. "Oh yes", the wife said. "And here is a picture"! Expecting a camera or similar such, she pulls out what looked like a high end, glossy print magazine of maybe 30-40 pages. As she was flipping through it, I could see there were photos of individual animals by species, with a price quote embedded in the upper right corner of the photo. She stops on a particular buffalo and says, "This is the one he (husband) shot", flips a few more pages, "and this is the one I shot".

Different strokes for different folks. May not be my personal way of doing things, but on the other hand, the money they spent (big bucks) still in the end help support and sustain the overall survival of the species and income for the operator and the hired workers/staff and their families.


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