Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Recommend outfitter for 1st time to Africa

Looking at taking the plunge in next year or 2 to go to Africa to hunt plains game. Which outfitter and area should I look at. Thanks.

What "plains game" are you most interested in?

Do you have a problem hunting behind a high fence?

Try Limcroma Safaries and tell Hannes Els that I recommended him.

PM The Big Game Hunter right here at the campfire.

His PH's will meet you right there at the airport

Walk you through customs to get your guns

Load your gear into the car

Take you to camp

Work their asses off all hunt long to get you your animals

Take you back to the airport

And when the hunt is over and they have your money, they wont kick you and your gear out in the airport parking lot, they'll walk you back through customs to check your guns, then take you to a restaurant and feed you whatever you like, walk you to your departure gate, shake your hand like a man and bid you safe travels

Those guys never leave your side and do a hell of a job on it ALL!

I'm headed back for hunt number three with them very soon.

That's a very open ended question. First determine what species you are going after and whether you want a true African Bush experience or ranch hunting. Nothing wrong with either one, but definitively two different hunts.

Just yourself?
Rifle or Archery?
Taking any family along?

I can also recommend Limcroma.

What others have mentioned already and.....

1. Determine what PG species you're interested in. There are 70+ different antelope species alone with 50+ subspecies with, hogs, predictors, and some primates etc. on the African continent. Many are only native to certain areas/regions. However, with high-fence and put/take done to greater/lesser degrees in most countries, you can sometimes take normally non-native species in a given area/region as well. This will help you narrow your focus a bit and bring you to the next choice.

2. Do you want to hunt totally free-range/fair chase or high-fence or some combination of the two within reasonable proximity of each other. These first two will help you narrow down the country.

3. As mentioned - rifle, archery or even big bore handguns in RSA and perhaps country specific caliber minimums.

4. Next you can start researching booking agents and outfitters and PH's in those countries and areas you've defined above.

5. Then you'll have to decide if you're interested in a set price "package hunt" or what I refer to as an "ala carte" hunt where you pay a daily rate and individual fees per animal.

6. Next, are you planning to go alone, with spouse/family or a hunting friend etc. and do you want to include any non-hunting sightseeing days. Some of this will help you decide if you want a traditional tented camp or fixed camp and lodging or more luxurious to accommodate a non-hunting or limited hunting spouse.

Lots of variables to start digging into. The first three will help drive the rest of your research.

1st time, no expectations other than a good hunt, spouse will most likely go. High fence doesn't bother me as long as its miles upon and hopefully won't see it? Want a few days for sightseeing ect.
List; zebra, dik dik, kudu, wildebeest, warthog, impala, baboon, bushbuck, sable, open to other suggestions...

Rifle hunting. Wouldnt mind some wing shooting if it lined up. Most likely rent guns vs taking mine.

This is a bit where the sub-species come into play.

Zebra - https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/how-many-types-of-zebras-are-there.html

Kudu - Greater or Lesser

Bushbuck - cape, harnessed, limpopo etc. I think there are 10-12+ different sub-species. The primary differences are in their markings and areas found.

Wing shooting - I'm pretty sure leaves out Botswana.

LOTS of sight seeing that can be done - brings up another choice. Guided or self drive or just fly to a major location like Vic Falls and do guided day trips from there. From Vic Falls you can do guided day trips into Botswana, Namibia and Tanzania. Self drive - Namibia and Botswana are safe and we've done a good bit of that in both.

Looking at Namibia. Love to do Kruger or similiar. Thanks M3taco and rest of you guys! I tried to email Limcroma but it keeps giving me an error message. I'll try back later.

We had a great trip with Shona in Namibia. No high fences and you can plan a trip like we did that included a photo safari in Etosha, shark fishing on the coast, etc.

https://www.africanhuntingnamibia.com/

Call Kevin or Corrina at Family Expeditions (.com) and have them put together a trip for you with Hunters Namibia Safaris. They will handle all details at no extra cost to you and your trip will be absolutely fantastic.

RS

Namibia does have some pretty good sight-seeing. Etosha NP up in the NW, the Skeleton Coast with Swakopmund/Walvis Bay kind of in the center of that. Farther S is Sossusvlei and farther S yet is the second largest canyon on the planet, Fish River Canyon. LOVE Namibia but the down side as far as sight-seeing, you've pretty much got to self-drive and remember, the country is just a little smaller than the State of TX.

Windhoek to Etosha NP is about 6hrs. WDH to Swakopmund is about 5hrs. Fish River Canyon almost 9. WDH to the entry of the Caprivi strip is 600 miles then another FULL days drive to Vic Falls. Flying between those areas isn't really practical because they are usually only one or two flts a day and most require you to hub back to and out of WDH.

If you've read my posts about the the hunting in Namibia and the effect the prolonged drought has had on game numbers AND domestic livestock, most the country will hold good shootable game but, it will be a hard hunt. The VAST majority of hunting lands there is low-fence with a few high fence operators here and there. Most high fence ops there start around 20k acres and up. Largest private game reserve is Erindi, just a few hours N of WDH. It's somewhere around 100k acres. Was recently bought by a wealthy Mexican, I think.

If you've only got a few days to add at the end and taking a spouse, think about finishing it off for 3-4 days in Vic Falls. There are some terrific hotels there but, got to say the Victoria Falls Hotel is where I'd recommend. Central to everything and like most there, their concierge service can sort out a whole host of day trips and evening activities and SAFE. IF you really want to get sick of seeing elephant, just stay in Vic Falls and day trip to the N. end of Chobe NP in Botswana.

Awesome info guys. Keep it coming!

I hunted with http://www.kalahari-rangers.com It's in the Northern Cape. Has camp guns available - Blaser, Scope - Leica. There is really nothing around except the border crossing into Botswana at McCarthy's Rest, which is on that property. The Botswana fence is the property line on one side. Way to the back the property, the RSA military does have a radar tower on the property. You fly into Kuruman and about a 2-3 hour drive from there. Nearest town is Tsabong in Botswana. It is high fenced and you will see them as its only 24,000 continuous acres and crossed fenced. However, No traveling to concessions, you hunt and stay right on that property. You deal directly with the landowner. The animals you hunt are born on the property, and the owner does not supplement feed, but does water. He does not bring in stock to hunt but, he does have a breading area where he raises game to sell and has some horse and mules too. Nothing around to sight see, it's the lodge (which is very nice) or hunting.

There are plenty, of outfitters that Hunt in Limpopo. It's popular because its close to the JNB airport. All will be high fence. You you don't want high fences in RSA you will have to look at some of the Greater Kruger places, but get ready to pay top dollar.

I went to Cruiser's Safaris in RSA. Too many really small ranches 6-7K acres and a lot of fence. I shot 3 animals on the first morning of a 6 day 5 animal hunt. My PH and tracker/driver were very good as was the food. Just way too much fence.

When I go again, it will be with Crusaders Safaris in RSA, one million acres of low fence land on three separate properties including one near the coast.

I also went with Limcroma, twice. I went archery. It’s a great place to take a wife along or kids. I hunted high fence and I believe the vast majority of their hunts are such. My self and a friend were 100% satisfied with our safari.
If you want to get a little more sporting, go to Zimbabwe with Rosslyn safaris. I went there as well. Good place. However part of that hunt was with Martin Pieters, and that was not so good. It’s a long story, but if interested PM me.

Contact John Sharp Safari. Hunt his backyard the Bubye Valley Conservancy a million acres more or less broken into 8-9 100,000 acre camps.

If time allows side trip to Victoria Falls.

Just sent you a PM!

Contact Dan Leahy at wheresthefirebellsouth.net.

He's Limcroma's US rep. Very responsive.