Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Planning 1st trip

I’m in the very early stages of wanting to plan a first time relatively low cost plains game hunt. Where should I begin?

An African hunt was never something seriously on the radar for me until recently doing an internet search and realizing that it’s more affordable than I expected it’s an expensive hunt for me but more doable than I imagined if I stick to zebra which would be tops on my list and a handful of other common plains game animals. I’d likely bring either my wife as an observer or my 18 year old son as another hunter.

Being completely unfamiliar with African hunting where is a good place to start collecting information? Every guide service site that I’ve clicked on has a good webpage. What should I be looking for and asking? Are there any safety concerns or countries to avoid? Vaccination requirements? Fees that I should be aware of that are over and above stated? Ideally I like the idea of hunting with my own rifles for sentimental reasons but I’m assuming renting is cheaper. What do you most guys do? How far in advance do I need to book a hunt? Does a deposit typically lock in a rate?

As I said I’m at the very beginning stages of planning and a rank novice thinking most likely for 2023. I welcome any feedback including recommendations for a PH or how to choose a good one and general length of time in advance to book a hunt.

Thanks I’m advance for any and all info

The only bad thing about African hunting is the plane ride. That just a PITA.
Take son and wife. Both will have a GREAT time.
I'd say best place to start is your local SCI Chapter. They usually have a banquet annually (although the Democraps have really messed that up this year) where you can buy an African plains game hunt donation pretty cheap. Look for the 7 to 10 day hunts that usually include trophy fees on a few of the more common species. While at the banquet, you can usually visit with the outfitter in person or at least visit with someone who has hunted with that outfitter. I think it is very important to visit with folks that have hunted with the outfitter. It would be very rare to find a bad review on somebody's web page. Another place to start is this forum's hunt report section. Also check out Accurate Reloading's forum and Africa Hunting forum.
Yes, take your own rifle. It is a bit of a hassle but well worth the effort IMHO.
Vaccination in RSA or Namibia, just make sure your tetnas is up to date. No special shots required.
Yes there are countries to avoid. But they are usually the more expensive ones for specialty animals that collectors are after. For sure avoid civil wars and that kind of crap. I tell people that going to Namibia or South Africa is kind of like going to Kansas. They only way you know for sure that you're not in Kansas is that they drive on the wrong side of the road and there are a few more black people around.
Go for it. It is a great experience.

My advice would be:

1. Go to Namibia- have run into too many sketchy outfits in RSA

2. Book your travel through someone accustomed to travel to Africa. Gracy Travel, Steve Turner or a couple others. They will be able to answer all your questions about the trip.

3.Take or have access to more money. Take less clothes.

4.Be mentally prepared to go back..you can get financially prepared later, because you'll be planning your next trip on the flight home. Guaranteed.

Listen to ingwe......he speaketh the truth. He answered many questions when I was planning my first and he was spot on the money with everything he told me. Been 5 times now.

Last Lem:

Congratulations on deciding to make your "first" trip of likely several others to follow. Don't be afraid to ask questions and there is no "dumb" question - we've all been in your shoes. Think things through but more importantly DON'T over think everything. My starting point advice is below:

1. Right NOW, I would be looking in order, Botswana, Namibia and RSA. I've hunted all three and did my PH school in RSA (Natal Province). They are all thee good, but just different and maybe better experiences. Botswana and where I go in the Tuli Block because the quantity and quality of game is tremendous. Namibia, because a much higher percentage of the hunting areas will be low-fence, free range than RSA. RSA, because there are a LOT of really, good deals being offered right NOW but those may or may not be available in your 2023 time frame. As Ingwe mentioned, there are also a lot more shady/questionable operators in RSA as a percentage than Bots or Nam.

2. K.I.S.S - Keep It Stupid Simple. Since you're after PG, as long as you have a good 308 Win, 30/06 or bigger, that is all you need all the way to eland. A 308 Win with 150gr TSX at 2950fps will be pass-thru broadside shots on everything up to eland out to 175m. DON'T go out and waste money on a fancy "Twisty" (Turret) scope. Most of your shooting distances will be well under 200m and mostly from 100-150m. IF, you use a 308/30-06 type rifle zeroed 1.5" high at 100 yds, just put your crosshairs center of vitals out to 200m and squeeze. I can not tell you how many guys I've taken over that INGORED this and had a very EXPENSIVE education. You don't need a high magnification scope either. I recommend a variable scope be just set at 4x and forget it. 95%+ of your shots are going to be off standing shooting sticks and VERY, VERY few guys practice this enough to be reliable/effective standing off sticks out past 150-175m. The higher the magnification the more you're going to "chase the wiggle" and your pattern looks like a shotgun. Bino's - again, don't break the bank. You're not responsible for judging the trophies. Something light weight in the 8x30 class. Nikon and others make some pretty good glass that can be found in the web for $300-$400. Leave the range finder home. Again, the distances you're typically going to be shooting from you don't need it.

3. K.I.S.S with the clothing and other "kit" you take. Don't take more than 4x of clothes. Wear a set on the plane, have a set in your carry-on, put a set in your checked luggage and put a set in your rifle case. Don't waste money on buying the latest and greatest camo and all the scent blocking non-sense. If you take it out and spray yourself down, the trackers and PH won't say anything to you, but they will give each other "looks" and laugh their asses off later. Don't waste money on the latest and greatest camo either. Just some comfortable tan Dikie's pants and shirts from Wally World and you'll be fine. A good pair of leather hiking boots or regular boots, uninsulated. Get the smoothest softest sole you can. Your hunting during the "dry" season and you don't need a big lug sole for mud. Most of the soil will be sandy and a big lug sole will be noisy as hell walking and will dig into the soft sand and wear you out. I don't recommend anything with a ballistic nylon upper as there are grass seeds that have little stickers on them that will work there way to your skin and drive you crazy. You'll be there during their "winter". Just take long sleeve shirts (can roll the sleeve up mid day), a medium weight zip up fleece jacked and a medium weight jacket to go over that. Maybe a watch cap and a pair of cotton gloves for the ride out and back in the mornings and evenings. I recommend a hat with a full round brim over a baseball cap. This give your ears a bit more protection from the sun AND when walking/stalking in the bush with a good tin cloth brimmed hat you can put your head down and not get as scratched up by the thorn bushes.

4. Camera's/Cell phones/Laptops. Most modern cell phones have excellent camera capabilities and fit in your pocket so no real need for extra camera gear to lost, stolen or bashed up. Cell phone service from country specific providers is pretty well available and some US carriers like AT&T and Verizon may have agreements with these foreign carriers for calls and data BUT IT WILL BE EXPENSIVE. WiFi is pretty prevalent in most lodging and restaurants and in the airports. Just turn you phone's "data" off and just use WiFi apps to call back to the US. Laptops, if you want to take it to watch movies or make notes or edit photos etc., take a small one. There is no guarantee there will be WiFi "in camp".

5. Non hunters/Observers - this is a tricky one. Unless they want to be out with the hunting party everyday, there COULD be very little to do back "in camp". Likely not to to have TV or WiFi, they could get board pretty quickly. SOME outfitters based closer to towns/cities MAY offer day trips into town. Just have to ask.

6. SCI/DSC Auction Hunts - these can be some very good deals, BUT be very very careful. A LOT of times these highly discounted packages are used as a "hook" to get someone in camp and offer very common species. Then when the client gets in camp and sees extra animals that aren't included in the original hunt package price they seriously stick it to you on the add on trophy fees. IF you opt for one of these hunts be SURE you get the full list of the add on trophy fee prices BEFORE you buy the package. You could very well end up spending FAR more in this circumstance then if you had just booked regular hunt directly with the outfitter on a straight daily rate and ala carte trophy fees.

7. IF you decide to take a non-hunter, be sure to add a few extra days of general sight seeing. Depending on what country you book, they all have various National Parks, or Victory Falls, or the Skelton coast of Namiba or Chobe NP in Botswana, Kurger NP in RSA or others.

This should give you a start and are my opinions only and others who have been to various places will surely have other and differing ideas. Once you narrow down what country and what region, then more details can be added.

Great post Mr Taco! If travel weren't so fouled up and uncertain I'd seriously consider a new venture into that Bots property you talk about.

Thanks guy’s for taking the time to get me pointed in the right direction it’s much appreciated.

I hate to be a wet blanket but what’s applicable today will have little in common with 2 years from now as far as travel. However, reputable outfitters shouldn’t change. And I agree, Botswana, Namibia, then South Africa, I have hunted all three multiple times and consider Bots and Namibia about a toss up. My first safari 25 years ago was an SCI auction hunt I stole and my life was changed forever- 16 safaris in 7 countries and headed back in September...

Last Lem - I forgot probably the most important thing in you planning.......what are the primary species your interested in? That will have the most important factor(s) in where you decide to go. Your not going to to chase Damara Land Dik-Dik in RSA or Mountain Zebra either. Likewise, you're not going to chase Mountain Rheabok or bushpig in Namibia. Then you'll need to think about if you want to hunt totally low fence or are you willing to do some high fence hunting.

In RSA for example, an operator has to have a MINIUM of 500 hectares under high fence to offer sport hunting. Then too, some areas have high fence properties in the tens and hundreds of thousands of hectares. The only time you'll see the high fence is when you enter and leave. The smaller places are mostly bought in game (put and take) and the larger high fence do have some natural breading and self sustaining herds. High fence properties are NOT all bad as they do allow the opportunity to take species that aren't native to an area - like taking waterbuck in the western Kalahari of Namibia. They are there only because they were bought and brought into a high fence operation and were never native to the area.

Anyway.....lots of things to consider and the planning is part of the fun after all.

Ingwe and others gave some great advice. I have nowhere near the experience as some but here's some thoughts.
- I've had a good experience in RSA but do your homework. The place we hunted was about 35,000 acres under fence, which I can live with. You don't want to show up to a small put and take operation.
- I booked through an outfitter I use here in the US. He brings multiple groups every year so pricing was much better. He also handled everything - permits, flights, transport, dip/pack, etc. It was helpful.
-Consider what you want to do with the animals you shoot. African taxidermy, on average, is not up to US standards. If you ship, everything back and have it mounted, it will quickly add up to more than your entire package. If you save a few bucks having it mounted there, you will lose the money you saved in shipping. I am considering just having everything euro'd there next time.
-Bringing your own rifle isn't difficult. Just make sure you read the airline rules. They vary
-Be flexible. You want a zebra and that's fine. Shoot a zebra. Pick a few more animals but if the PH gets real excited, you might want to switch gears.
-It's a long trip no matter how you slice it. Give yourself time to enjoy your stay. I like 7 days min, not counting arrival/departure. It takes me a a day or two to get back to normal.
-Bring some common medicines - allergy, immodium, sleep aid, etc.
-You'll be thinking about your next trip on the way home.

I’ve been to RSA 3 times and when I get to talking with other folks that have been to the Dark Continent a common item bitched about is taxidermy/shipping.

Taxidermy as mentioned above, can get WAY out of hand starting with dip and pack to finally being on the wall. Outfitters usually have a taxidermist they work with for dip/pack but you don’t have to use them. I believe there are companies that do strictly dip/pack and can hire them direct.

Shipping and customs - good luck trying to nail down anyone on costs. Some brokers have a flat rate admin fee, but until they get the actual manifest from the shipper on the Africa side, final costs are unknown.

When I first went I was told to figure about $200/animal for shipping. Seriously doubt that’s the case anymore.

M3taco can give a better summary of current conditions, I’m sure.

That said, it won’t stop me from going again. I’m looking at Zambia next.

This outfits offers an excellent ranch hunt and is very affordable. https://www.makadi-safaris.com/ I would not be hesitant to book with them directly. Book for as long as you can and be ready for more trophy fees. On trophy's be conservative, take skulls or split crowns only or mostly photos. The fees add up quickly for importing and taxidermy expect to pay 2-3+ grand minimum.

If you can swing it I would go to Botswana's Okavango and do a traditional safari. You will be ruined for life.

Last Lem - Just a couple of more things to add to your planning matrix......

1. Your OP asked about how far ahead to book. Outfitters will book as far out as you want. When you book, they are typically going to ask for a deposit to secure your dates. Typically too this will be 50% of the cost of the hunt. This means if you're doing a "package" hunt 50% of the basic package and if you're doing a straight daily rate with ala carte trophies/culls. then 50% of your total daily rate and maybe 50% of the trophy/cull fees you anticipate. Make SURE you have an "understanding" of the refund policy if something goes wrong and you can't make it as agreed to. Some will offer a full refund if you CNX, say a year out and then varying amounts refunded back the closer you get to your dates. Most will at least offer to allow you to reschedule you dates. Look they are business people. Your contracting for their "time" and your slotted dates may not be able to be resold/booked by someone else and they lose that "time" (money). Some will require you to pay a certain additional percentage of the package or daily fees within 30-60 days of your arrival. Unless you MUST be in a specific area with a specific PH/Outfitter and you MUST have specific dates. there is not too much reason to book more than a year out. The possible down side of booking over a year out is a LOT can happen between when you book and your hunt. Rona for example, other health/family issues on your side and the PH/Outfitter's side.

2. Along that line above - contracts. Look, the harsh reality is a contract is fine BUT, if something goes seriously wrong: a) how are you going to enforce a contract in a foreign country. b) are you going to be willing to spend $10k’s of dollars on a foreign attorney. c) Pay for airfare possibly multiple times. d) IF you win, how are you going to actually collect? Now, if you're booking a "full bag" 21-day big five hunt involving hundreds of thousands of dollars that might be different. The vast majority of African based outfitters/ph's are decent folks and and take pride in their reputations. Those that don't, tend not to stay in business vary long - especially with the web and ease of looking up people who've hunted with them before etc. In all the hunts I've taken and people I've taken, there has NEVER been a formal contract. Now, there is some written fundamental understandings provided. For example, take a look at the offers I have posted to Bots and Nam. Both have put their general terms up front and out front in public.

3. Best times to go?....anytime!!! Each part of the hunting season has good and better points. Some guys like to go as early as possible. They feel that is the best time to get the best trophies. To some degree that is true and more so if you’re hunting high fence put and take operations. They typically “restock” after the hunting season has ended and that gives the game some time to adjust to their new surroundings. First clients in, do have the best opportunity to have first shot at the best animals. This is not necessarily true if your hunting the HUGE (250k+) high fence properties or if you’re hunting low fence free range lands. The down side is you’re there right after the rainy season and the trees and thorn bushes are in full leaf and the grasses can be waist high or more. The thick cover can make spotting and getting clear shots more difficult. Mid season, the calving is about over and the rut is just beginning. Water sources in the upper elevations are mostly dried up and the game need to make daily trips to more permanent water sources. Day temps are the coolest of the season and nights can be pretty cool with frost in the mornings. The grasses have turned brown and spotting game is a bit easier. Later season, you’re getting later into the “rut” but, the African antelope species aren’t as tied to the rut as US whitetail deer. Later season, the grasses eaten down a bit and a lot of the tree leaves have fallen, spotting game and getting clearer shooting lanes is a bit easier but, that works both ways for the game too. High fence or low fence, the game have been pursued and shot at a bit. This later in the season might be a good time to try and find smaller family farm/ranch low fence type property/area, like my friend’s place in Namibia. Family, owned game farm, 50k acres, low fence with a couple of large high fence game farms in the area. Only books between 6-10 clients a year, so very low pressure on the game, and is a “closed camp”. I’ll cover this next.

4. Generally, there are two types of “camp” – open and closed. The larger operations generally run open camps. This means that during your stay, other clients are coming and going. These can be good or bad depending on the clients and you never know. Sometimes it can make for some great stories around the braai with sundowners and sometimes personalities can clash. Truth is, some clients are there to really hunt and sometimes clients want to spend the majority of their time piss drunk and lots of times the conversations just turn into dick measuring contests. A “closed camp” means the only people in camp are you or your party for the duration of your hunt. These are good for husband/wife, father/son, father/daughter or hunting buddies or at least like minded hunters. I’ve done an “open camp” once, and much prefer closed. This is part of why I put together the small group hunts, limit the number of hunters and this give us exclusive hunting use of the entire property. The other part is as I repeatedly say, is to help the first timers get their feet wet.

5. As other’s have said, book for as long as you can. The airfare and the travel drudgery is the same if you stay 3-days or 30-days. You MUST take some time and not rush/compress your time that you can’t “take it all in”. The reality is, the sleepless nights caused by the excitement/anticipation of finally going, first trip or thirtieth trip, will start at LEAST the week before you leave. Then there will be the couple of days of travel over, a 6-10 hour time zone change etc and for the first 2-4 days in camp, you’re pretty much running on adrenaline then the “wall” hits and it’s REALLY hard to get out of bed that morning – LOL. I honestly recommend to take at LEAST ten FULL hunting days. Some places count your arrival and departure days. With it taking 2-3 calendar days from your home to camp and then usually one, maybe two calendar days to get home you’ve covered 14-15 days total. Having those couple of extra actual “hunting days” will allow to not feel so “rushed” to take the first “trophy” you see. It can give you a little extra time to be a bit more selective. It will allow you to take in more of the sights, sounds and yes, smells of Africa. Maybe an easy afternoon taking a short side type to see a local “sights”, maybe some ancient petroglyphs, or historical battle fields or encampments. IF you take a non-hunting person, add a couple of days of sight-seeing and/or maybe book into a high end “spa” and some shopping in city you’re flying home from. If in Namibia, a couple of days over in Swakopund/Walvis Bay on the “Skeleton Coast or down to the Fish River Canyon, the second largest canyon on the plant. Even Windhoek, the capital city is good for about 3-days of shopping and sightseeing. Has a couple of really nice day spa’s for the wife/girlfriend and some high end designer stores and even a diamond center where you can buy Namibian mined diamonds, loose and mounted. In Botswana, you can go to Chobe National Park or up to Victoria Falls. Vic Falls is good for maybe 3-days. Some GREAT hotels, sunset booze cruise on the Zambezi river and you HAVE TO go to the Boma Restaurant for dinner!!! RSA is of course Kruger National Park and if you’re in KZN (Natal) there is the historic battlefield where the epic battle between the Brits and Shaka Zulu was fought and portrayed the early 60’s movie “Zulu” with Michael Caine.

6. Taxidermy – Lots of good arguments for having it done there or in the US. What you might save in the cost by having it done there is, or can be offset by the transportation/shipping cost getting the completed work home. Some claim the quality of the work is “better” in both places than the other. I will offer this…you REALLY need to think this thru well BEFORE the skinners put a knife in the hide. You need to think about where in your home you will put things. Do you want just European mounts, head mounts, shoulder mounts or full mounts, tanned flat skins for rugs, felt backing/no felt backing etc. Trophies and mounts are a highly personal thing and they not only honor the animal, but your personal achievement/life-long dream as well. They are yours to sit back and reflect in the happy memory of “the hunt”. Here is a hard truth…you will NEVER recover the cost of the trophy fee and taxidermy!! To prove this, just take a look on fleabay of what completed taxidermy mounts are being offer for sale. There is one US guy I am aware of who takes one tuskless elephant a year and has the hide panels tanned and shipped home. He then uses the elephant leather to make wallets and a few other things and legally sells them. He doesn’t really make a profit, it just helps offset the cost of his hunt. As mentioned, PH’s/Outfitters do tend to work with their certain preferred taxidermist. You can get the name and contact info of the taxidermist and request a price list for their work. You can also look up various in country taxidermists and ask them to send price lists too. You can also opt to just have your salted/dried hides, skulls and horns shipped back and have your taxidermy work done in the US.

Another reason you need to think this thru BEFORE the skinners get to work is how you want the taxidermy will depend on how they make the skinning cuts. For example, if you want a zebra flat skin/rug, they will make the main cut along the belly and the inside of the legs from the rectum all the way to the underside of the chin. If you want a shoulder mount, they will put a string around the belly and make a cut following the sting and then up the middle of the spin and middle of the mane to the back of the skull. This way when the hide is stretched and stitched over the taxidermy form the stitches will be hidden in the mane. Same goes for every other species as well. Once those initial cuts are made, it’s too late to change your mind.

As far as “fees” go, you can expect to pay for: a) dipping - this is mandatory regardless. This is to kill all pathogens before any of it leaves the country. b) packing – this is the cost of boxing or crating as required. Obviously, completed shoulder mounts require much more robust crating/packing then tanned rugs. One guy I’ve taken to Namibia several times decided he wanted a full shoulder mount giraffe. I said are you SURE you know what you’re getting into and he didn’t care. The taxidermy, crating and shipping were CRAZY as it was in a single piece. c) export documents/permits – these can vary in price depending on if you are just taking common CITES appendix III (common game) or appendix II (protected/threatened) game or even appendix I (endangered game). d) shipping – shipping is usually charged by the “cube” and not by weight. You’ll have a choice between air or surface transport. Air transport is obviously more expensive but quicker obviously. Surface is cheaper but can take a bit longer, not just because of the ship transit time, but some shippers consolidate multiple shipments and then put them all on the same container so it could take a bit to get enough to fill the container. e) on the US side, you’ll need to find an “importer” to handle your US importation permits and receive your shipment and have it inspected and cleared by US Customs and USF&W. f) Lastly, you’ll need a “freight forwarder, usually coordinated by the US importer, to ship your crates to your home.

I did this the first time we went. All I brought back were European mounted springbok, kudu, gemsbok and tanned flat skin rugs. I subsequently found out I could do a LOT of this myself. Since we only do European mounts and tanned skins/rungs. I’ve been doing my own US import permits directly with the USF&W on their website for free. I do have to pay a little for CITES II game. The taxidermist boxes our “stuff” up in double cardboard boxes and I bring them back as extra luggage on the flight home the following year. I clear them with US Customs at our initial port of entry in the US and a rep from USF&W meets us at the airport here in Tampa when we land. Only extra fee is for “overtime” if the agent has to meet us “after hours”. What I save on shipping alone covers at least one r/t airline ticket. Only restriction is the box has to meet the standard oversize and overweight luggage limits of the airline. We haven’t done any more taxidermy in a couple of years. Now, we’ve been taking a lot of high res photos and just doing a few nice matted/framed pictures. We’ve done some of the Fracture printed on glass things, which are very nice.

7. Booking agent vs Booking directly with the PH/Outfitter. Again, good arguments can be made both ways. Booking with a US based booking agent can, but not always, provide some level of “protection” from a fraudulent operator but NOTHING is guaranteed. The web is full of stories/experiences where things have gone south with booking agents. You can also find stories/experiences where things have gone south booking directly with the PH/Outfitter too. Only advantage booking with a US based agent is USUALLY, your deposit and MAYBE even your full hunting cost is held by them in the US in kind of an escrow situation. When you return and all went well, the funds are transferred to the overseas Ph/outfitter. I will say this, I did use a US based booking agent ONCE and he was an absolute idiot. Had only hunted as a client a couple of times and other than those couple of trips and NEVER traveled overseas. He had no idea about routes or airlines and only acted as a “pass thru” for rifle permits. He did “handle the money” and finally grudgingly gave me the PH’s contact info so I could talk/confirm everything directly with him.

To be honest, once you decide the primary species your interested in for your first or subsequent hunts, that will narrow down your country or even region within that country. Then you can use your “googlefoo” and start searching out PH’s/outfitters in that country or region. Most all will have websites and general info on where they are located and the areas they hunt, species available, size of property etc. Then come to various forums and ask if anyone has hunted with them. Chances are, if others have hunted with them and had good experiences, you could take some comfort in just booking directly with them after corresponding or even calling and talking to them to see if they fit what your expectations are.

Sorry to be carrying on so long. I know there are a LOT of guys in your shoes – they have the desire but don’t know where to begin. I’m just trying to provide a starting point. This is not gospel and things change, sometimes a lot. These are my opinions based on a LOT of international travel, a LOT of trips to Africa hunting both personally and with friends/clients and completion of the RSA/KZN PH school and passing the practical and written exams.

I will say this again – I am NOT a booking agent. I do this because I love Africa and I want others to experience it at least once in there lives - either with me and one of my groups or on their own. GO!! I do NOT get a commission for recommending the PH’s/outfitters I recommend. They are just solid, honest, family run operations.

Good info shared! Excellent, actually. This is the info we used to see all the time here in the Africa forum so I'm glad to see it reappearing and of use to hunters new to Africa.

M3taco has included so much useful info here that if you follow what he says, you are sure not to go wrong.

The only piece of advice that I would give is that IMO the best place to become educated on what hunts are out there, what is included, what the costs would be, what their specialty is, what other animals are offered, etc. is to go the the SCI or DSC conventions at the beginning of the year. That is where all the outfits will be, or at least the best ones, and you can get all of your questions answered and compare and contrast one place to the other. Since you're looking to go in 2023, you've got time to wait until next year's conventions. The investment in time and money to attend will be well worth it. It is much easier to talk to people directly instead of trading a hundred emails back and forth with a bunch of companies. And, if you already mostly know what you're after by that time, you can often get some discounts if you book at the show.

Best of luck to you!

One of the good things about doing the PH school is, it wasn't ALL about just hunting and game. It also covered a lot of the business end of it as well. I simply want to offer this up for what it is - not trying to make the shows "good" or "bad", just reality checks:

1. I agree with Test above regarding going to some of the "Big Shows", As he says, you'll get to talk to a lot of operators face to face and ask a lot of questions etc. You may find some really good hunt deals as well. Will also see a LOT of really cool new firearms and other kit and can attend some "seminars", meet a lot of like minded people and have a great time - no question about it, 100%

2. You have to realize the business end of this from the operators/outfitters/booking agent side too. ONLY the big players can afford to attend these. They are usually expected to "donate" a hunt for auctions AND pay for the floor space for their booth. They have the transportation not just for themselves but their booth displays, food, lodging etc, to cover while there. A lot of these guys stay in the US for several weeks and attend several "Big Shows" in the US and maybe even Canada and Europe. Some of these operators rack up some pretty significant advertising expenses. They don't actually pay that, just like any business, those expenses are passed along to the consumer (us clients). This is one reason why there are such HUGE differences in daily rates. Most of these operations have to run "open camps" and turn as many clients as possible during the season. They have to contract for LARGE concessions to accommodate all the anticipated clients. Because they don't own the property, just a lease, they have to construct "the camp" and all it's facilities. This also causes their operating costs to increase like hiring more staff, more PH's either directly on staff or temp freelance, more support vehicles, etc. Then sorting out who is going with what PH and where on the property you and yours will hunt that day so you don't bump into (shoot) another party. You may be hunting the same area today that someone else stomped thru the previous day etc. etc. When you start shopping around, you're going to see HUGE variations in daily rates, especially in RSA. PG daily rates from $450 to $750 p/p/d (per person, per day). DG from $750 to $1500 p/p/d. Not to mention if you want to hunt with one of the TV celebrities like Jeff Rand, that will add an extra $1K per day ON TOP of his normal crazy high staff PH DG daily rate.


3. Smaller family owned private land and family run operations actually don't mind these big operations. The fees the big guys charge actually allows them to charge a little more and still stay well under the rates of the "big guys". The smaller operators, don't have the high advertising overhead, have permanent guest facilities and don't have the concession lease payments etc. and therefore can charge lower daily rates. For example, I know of a situation of two nearby operations. Both are private land and owned by the operators. One goes to the "Big Shows" and one doesn't. The one who doesn't has about 50k acres of low fence land only needs to book a few clients a year and has permanent bungalow for lodging and can only accommodate 2-4 clients at a time. Low pressure on the game and closed camp. The other guy (good guy/runs a good operation too) owns about 10k acres, has accommodations for 12+ clients at a time but needs to also contract access to other properties too. There is a $200 p/p/d difference in the 1x1 PG daily rate and TF are a little higher as well because he has to pay the other landowners for the game shot on their land. He has to run an open camp.

So.....I guess what I'm getting at is, for us, the clients, it is a great vacation experience but, never forget this is actually a business for the operators. Yes, if you haven't attended one of the "Big Shows", by all means go. Yes, you'll have a chance to talk to a lot of different operators and you might find a good fit for what you are looking for. You might find an operator that is offering a discounted "show special" that could be an honest, very good deal but, as always, the devil is in the details. Ask a LOT of questions. If nothing else, you'll have a good time and learn a lot that you can think thru and apply to your "quest".

Both of these guys are safari sluts!


(They are spot on BTW!)

All my safaris after my first in South Africa 30+ years ago have been with outfitters I was personally introduced to by other PHs. Friends of friends, so to speak. I never really had to go search blindly. With that in mind, call the references and ask questions. I did that some years ago about hunting Cameroon. Called Andy Samuels who had some safari video out and hunted the same area I was going to. His advice helped me pack, and to negotiate around Cameroon. which even in those days was "different".


Enjoy the whole experience from the planning and anticipation to the joy of sharing photos and stories when you get back. Nothing else like it!

M3taco, you're exactly right. I was actually going to say something similar to your 2nd point above, but didn't want to muddy the water anymore than I already had. However, as much as I agree with your point, the problem that I see and for which I don't have a good solution, is that it is incredibly difficult for us in the US to identify these smaller operators who are good outfits and offer excellent hunts for lower prices, but who don't do much advertising or attend the big shows. The only real way to know is by word of mouth, which I agree, is usually the best way. I'm sure the community here would certainly welcome naming some of these smaller outfits that you have knowledge of so that they could be contacted and investigated on our own.

Many thanks for your very helpful posts!

The responses have been a big help in getting me pointed in the right direction and knowing what to look for.

I knew that most hunting was done on low fence private property but didn’t realize that there were high fence stocked area’s. I’m going to do low fence. When I think African hunting I’ve always thought RSA as the place to go but it sounds like I’ll lean towards Namibia.

I knew that transporting trophies back gets pricey I’m good with pictures and a zebras rug and maybe one European style scull mount depending on the animal.

I’ve been spending a lot of time stalking the Africahunting.com site and have checked out Gracy Travel.

Thanks again for all who have taken the time to respond. I’m enjoying the “research” AKA planning.

I’m a “gun guy” that’s one of the most fun parts of the planning but probably the easiest. I’m leaning towards tried and true basics. A Kimber Montana 30/06 loaded with Barnes 168 ttsx and a Ruger No 1 chambered in 7x57mm and 140 or 150 grain Nosler Partions.

Last Lem:

IF, in the end you decide to go to Namibia and the particular region within it, you can actually take two of the zebra sub-species - mountain (Hartmann's) and plains (Burchell's). The two are distinguished by their striping and habitat. The mountain zebra is adapted to living in the mountains. One of its adaptations is it's hoofs grow very fast due to the very rocky terrain causing very high wear. They only have black and white stripes and because of this they are sometimes considered the "true" zebra. The planes zebra's, live in the more open and flatter areas and have a slight light brown shadow stripe in the white stripes on the rump.

The mountain zebra is CURRENTLY a CITES appendix II species and the plains zebra is appendix III. What this means to you is, when you take a mountain zebra, your PH will take a photo of your zebra's face with you sitting next to it. Each zebra's facial stripes is unique like a human finger print. This photo becomes part of the export permit and import permit document packages. If you export it and import it, it is actually registered to you personally and it is illegal to sell it. You can give it to someone but, you are supposed to notify USF&W in writing the name and address of the person you gave it too and it is then "registered" to them. The common plains zebra has no such restrictions. You can even buy tanned flat skins at the Out of Africa gift/souvenir store in the Jberg airport and legally bring it back with you on the plane. You still have to "declare" it with US Customs, you just have to show them the receipt and supporting documents they give you. You can legally buy and sell plains zebra all day. Can find them on fleabay.

Next thing for you to consider is do you want a stallion or a mare or what is known as a "queen mare". The stallion skins will tend to have a lot more scaring on the necks/shoulders and rumps from fighting. Some prefer this as it adds "character" . The mares will have much less scaring than stallions. Then we have the "queen mare". The mountain zebras tend to live in smaller family herds of maybe a dozen or less. Sometimes these family herds have a dominant mare instead of a stallion. Over time as this mare ages she'll even develop a dewlap like a stallion. They will also generally have the bigger overall body size than a stallion. So, you'll need to decide which you're targeting and let your PH know.

Mountain zebra are a challenging hunt if you want to really "hunt" them spot and stalk up in the mountains instead of sitting in a blind near a waterhole. They always have the "high ground" and they run up those slopes like Carl Lewis!!!

Nearly the final thing to think over is when you have the tanning and taxidermy done, do you want felt backing attached to the back of the flat skin. The intended purpose of the felt backing is if you intend to use the skin as a rug that will have a good bit of foot traffic. The backing helps protect/cushion the hairs. We've got some both ways and over 10+ years use, can't really tell any difference but, they are not walked on everyday either.
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IF you decide to go to Namibia, a foreign hunter can take 2x trophies of most common game species per license, and unlimited cull animals (landowner still has to have a culling permit to sell the cull meat) or game for "camp meat" as the landowner allows.

Also, IF you go to Namibia, think about adding on springbok and gemsbok and IF you get an opportunity at a mid 50's kudu, take it! The springbok in Namibia are generally known as having bigger bodies than their RSA cousins and depending on where you go in Namibia, you have a good chance of finding a 40"+ gemsbok. IF you decide to do European mounts, when the skulls dry, the outside horn sheaths slip off the underlying bone on the gemsbok and kudu. The taxidermist will then cut the bone off and leave maybe 6" of the bone at the base of the skull. When your trophies arrive you just slip the horn sheaths over the bone stub. Be SURE to ask the taxidermist to give you the bones they cut from your kudu. They can be left in their natural state or be polished. They will actually twist together and make a GREAT coffee table, fireplace or shelf display.

Also, be sure to ask your outfitter how they do the initial de-fleshing of the skulls - do they boil them or do maceration. Boiling is the quick way but, if they are boiled to hot, to fast or to long, the bone gets brittle and chalky. Maceration is just leaving the skulls soak in water over the top of the skull and letting the flesh just rot away. This can take 30-45 days depending on the outside air temps, stinks to high heaven while it's going on BUT, gives the absolute BEST bone when it's done.

Also, ask to spend at LEAST one night out near a water hole. The first time you hear jackal, hyena call or maybe even a lion will be memorable!!!

Test1 - I've already offered up a Namibian operator and two Bots operators in this forum. I'm sure others here can offer up a lot more. I've met and sometimes shared a few sundowners with maybe a dozen or so PH's/landowners in Namibia. I've hunted on about that many different properties, but only up in the NW mountains between Oujo and Kamanjab. But, I only met them socially and may have hunted on their property, I never hunted with them or stayed in their facilities so I can't really personally vouch for them like I can the guys I've mentioned in other forum posts. I've also met a few that I would not prefer to hunt or do business with. I've also posted the two operators I can personally vouch for in Botswana.

I've also hunted in RSA at a place called. Tautona Hunting Adventures Was only there for a couple of days. Great owners, both good solid PH's, very nice facilities and a lot of fun/good stories around the braai with sundowners. But, it is a smaller high fence, put and take only, except for the crocs. The property is located on the RSA side of the Limpopo river. When the rains come and the river floods the crocs can move from the river to the various waterholes on the property and naturally replenish. It's only about 3500 acers or so and we covered most of it in 3-days. It's also run as an open camp.

This is where I did the PH school in Natal - Goss Game Farm Sadly, the PH school ended when Ian Goss passed away in Jan 2018. I consider myself to be exceptionally blessed to have met him, spend several months with him, shared too much good scotch (is that possible) and listened to his GREAT stories and learning everything I could from him in that short time. We stayed in touch up to his passing. I truly miss that ol' bugger!! The website shows they run two separate "camps". The homestead camp is where the school was based and across the main road is the hilltop camp. Both sides are high fence and about 7500 acres total. Ian's two grandsons are pretty much running it now. I met them when they were only 8-10 yo, Other than to say "I was there", "I know the property" (very well) I don't have any first hand current knowledge. It is mostly put/take with the exception of nyala. The Natal province is the heart of the nyala home range. At the time I was there, the natural nyala population was so good, he was selling several hundred a year to other game farms. Hardly a day goes by that I don't think of Ian.....damn. Quick story on him, for his 70th birthday he went buffalo hunting a stood the charge of two buffalo. He was also the first and longest serving President of PHAZA (Professional Hunters Association of South Africa) and spent a LOT of time in Texas helping the Texas Exotic Game Association and the industry itself get started back in the 70's. Anyway........

There are a lot of guys on this forum who've hunted all over Africa a LOT and I'm sure they can provide the names of the PH's/Outfitters they've used over the years. Lord knows there are several thousand in RSA and virtually EVERY farm in Namibia has at least some level of hunting on it as well as the communal land and government concessions. Botswana probably has the fewest in total number of operations. Partly because about 8-9 years ago the govt shut down all hunting on govt owned/controlled land. Only private landowners could still offer PG hunting. The majority of the land is owned by the govt and the rest is owned by a few hundred individuals who have seen PG hunting as mostly a side business to their main endeavors. The balance of the communal lands are in the hands of small basically subsistence farmers.

A little "gogglefoo" just using the search words "hunting in Namibia" or Botswana or South Africa or Tanzania etc will turn up dozens and hundreds of operations. It's pretty easy to see who are small family run and which ones are generally booking agents. One key is if they are offering hunts in multiple countries. While they "might" actually own land or have bona fide concession rights in multiple countries, it's more likely they just have an agreement with the outfitters in those countries and book for them.