Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa How do you prepare?

How do you all prepare for an african safari?

How do you decide where to go, who to hunt with? What preparations (training, shooting, testing, reloading) are you doing?

Frederick,
Let me give you my disclaimer. I have never been to Africa but have a safari booked in October. My first exposure to the idea of an African hunt was from my local outfitter. I said I wanted to do an elk hunt out west. He gently explained to me that for a bit more money I could hunt more animals with a greater likelyhood of success. In addition to this I could enjoy great food, great hospitality and a trip I would never forget. After running it through the boss (MRS.) we plunged forward. We decided to use the same host/PH as my local outfitter has for many trips.


Other things I did were reading and more reading. This forum and Accurate's forum have taught me a bunch. I have found it helpful to ask questions here and read some more. I also pick the brains of my local outfitter. He happens to be the local gun shop so I buy as much of my shooting supplies there. He in return has given me sage advise and probably saved my hundreds if not thousands. Most importently, I feel confident in the people we gave a huge deposit to. The most important step in preparing was asking the right questions to people in the know. I hope this helps a little. I am looking forward to my safari more than I did at the prospect of losing my virginity :-)

Lots of reading.

www.accuratereloading.com

You dont mention where you might want to hunt, or if you have speicific animals to hunt. I have only been once. I went to Namibia for a Plains game hunt in May 2005. I would highly recommend Gras Ranch. Here is a website for them. http://www.zingelasafaris.com/ They only bring a limited number of hunters each year. They have great trohpies. I took 3 Namibian Gold Trophies and my friend took 8 I believe. We both had Rowland Ward level trohpies also.


PM me if you have specific questions about them. Some of the animals I took are shown under he 2005 photos. Search under Kurt for the hunter.

Hi Fredrick,

I'll give you a tongue-in-cheek response from the other end of the coin i.e the Outfitter / PH as we will all be in safari prep mode right now.

Most of us will have spent January, February and a bit of March doing the safari show circuit which includes a lot of time in the US of A and Europe i.e. spending a lot of time in hotels, show stands and not much else. I for one have also consumed far to much hotel and fast food ... and I'm only now getting over the "blizzard of 2006" i.e swopped my snow jacket for a T-shirt and am prepared to venture outdoors.

Bottom line is most will need to get in shape physically to keep up with enthusiatic hunters who will have done a lot of prep themselves <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I'm taking care of this by doing a heck of a lot of brisk walking in my hunting boots...my neighbours are well used to this by now.

As for shooting prep, the dove season is in full swing here so I'll be out burning powder to the tune of 500 shotshells an outing starting this weekend - I've found that this type of shooting "gets my eye in" and does wonders for re-tuning my reflexive shooting skills.

I'll also be out soon with a rifle and after a zero and full rifle check (of all screws, mounts, etc ) will be practicing field shooting from off-hand standing, kneeling and on the sticks before fitting some quick hunting of my own.

In between all this is the real work of arranging the logistics for remote camps, taking care of vehicle prep and services, dealing with red tape on licenses and permits, buying tons of stores etc, arranging charters and 3rd party services and so the list goes on.

Hell, come to think of it, the time the hunting season starts I'll need a vacation or a safari of my own to relax <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Was in South Africa in 2002. Just wanted some suggestions how to prepare even better for the next trip down there.

Hikerbum, I am open to almost all destinations in the southern part of Africa. I am just beggining to plan for my 07 hunt. Need to find an outfitter/agent to book the hunt with. Buffalo and eland are on the list, but what other game I want is an open question. Suggestions are more than welcome.


I have taken a look at Zimbabwe. Got some offers in theDoma, Muzarbani and KweKwe areas. Anyone know them and/or have hunted there? They are opreated by Alex Kirkman and Mopani Safaris.

I think giving a plug for that chit hole web site here is really poor form. Maybe the experts over there can give you some good advice about who to hunt with. They seem to have some real top notch con artists over there! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />
I would not call visiting that site preperation unless you put a big H on the end.

As Gordon Cundill said to Capstick in Hunting the African Lion, "Oh, I don't know".

Saeed Al-Maktoum was most interested in African hunting when he cranked up Accurate Reloading, and the African Forum on AR gets the most traffic. There is good information to be gleaned there, and there is some Internet fluff -- same thing as here abouts. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I got into booking African hunts by scouting out in the early 90s the first hunt my wife and I went on. It will take considerable research for you to answer all your questions, and don't rely on just one source.

I recommend the potential hunter join SCI, and the local SCI Chapter to meet outfitters at the Convention and local hunters who have been before. Also talk to agents; their service is free, and most can provide good information.

I also recommend you "do" a rifle shooting course such as the one at Gunsite. Learning from professional instructors will impart skills you are most unlikely to acquire at the local range.

jim

" There is good information to be gleaned there, and there is some Internet fluff -- same thing as here abouts. "


No Jim not the same thing here. Rick is not an oil rich UAE rughead and does not post a bunch of anti-American drivel on his web site and then try to hide behind his anti-American sentiments as some sort of humor. Either way plugging the competition is poor form.

I quite agree, very poor form and a site I rarely visit anymore. As to the original question 1) Book with me <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> 2) get really good with your rifles from field shooting positions, especially tall tripod sticks 3) get in really good shape ALL OVER, not just cardio. Weight lifting to strengthen the hands, shoulders and arms will make your 9-11 pound rifle much easier to carry and use. Getting your 'trunk' i.e. stomach muscles and back muscles in shape will help immensely. The cardio is very important, but too many focus on just that and forget the rest. I do Martial arts (mixed disciplines) and weightlifting throughout the year to stay in good form. I also shoot varmints with my big boomers in the spring and summer. Good luck and good hunting!! MARK

Well, I usually do a lot of cross country skiing in the winter. Biking and walking in the summer. In the fall I hunt, says it self of course. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> Usually go 20- 30 days or so moose hunting, and some additional wild boar,red stag and roe deer, but those hunts can`t be compared to the physical challenge of the moose hunt. Totally I hunt about 70 days hunting between august and and christmas.

Good point about upper body strength. I like to walk with my rifle and ankle weights.

But no matter how much you train, the right shoulder begins to hurt after a few days with 15-20 km of walking with backpack and rifle. This happens every year, but it gets better after the first week or so.

I start by basically figuring out what I want to hunt, where I want to hunt, and how much I can spend on that particular safari, and I do so with the idea that I'm going to be going back on yet another safari the following year. You have to make "sense" out of the dollars, and look ahead to the future in order to sufficiently plan for the present. Your time counts for at least as much as your money..........

Next, I book with the very best safari companies I can afford to hunt with, and I book with the idea of hunting with a SPECIFIC PH whenever possible. I leave the fly-by-night, unknown outfits and 'child PHs' to those who don't mind gambling with their time, dreams, and money on something cheap. Safaris are a lot like rifles, and it all gets back to the slogan Browning adopted back in the 1950s: "THE BEST COSTS THE LEAST IN THE LONG RUN"!

Make book on that one........ <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Next, I make sure that my semi-fat, 48-year-old a$$ is capable of hiking at a fast pace all day long in 95-degree weather, day-after-day, without wearing out. Luckily, my wife is an astoundingly fit lady and an expert trainer, and we have stupendous home gym, so by the time a safari rolls around, she usually has me in some semblance of order, physically, so that I might go.......

I also make sure that the gear I take with me is kept at a minimum, but what I take is the very best that I can afford. Great rifles, for example, can last for many safaris and for generations, so I take the best rifles and ammo that I can muster. For example, Browning A-Holes -- excuse me, A-Bolts -- and similar junk aren't considered for African use.

Treat the enterprise of safari as if it were real business that paid to you real money in the form of cash income, and you'll have the right idea as to how to approach the whole she-bang....................... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

AD

Frederick, for my first hunt I began by looking at websites such as web page this provided me with a starting point to the hunt cost. I decided to first go for plains game. I then set my heart on two or three trophies and built a spreadsheet to compare hunt cost. I booted the lowest 10% and the upper 10% of the list and then looked more closely at the websites. I reduced the number of prospective locations to 4 or 5 and then started emailing the farms, asking questions about their hunting and requesting referemces. I called the references and allowed the hunters to talk without asking many questions. I finally narrowed down to two places and chose the one that was available for the dates I wanted. I will be returning to this farm for a third hunt this July.

I do no physical training, no specific shooting training, and take far less equipment to Africa then I take on an Idaho weekend hunt. But then I have already shot 400 rounds at sporting clays and will shoot about 400 rounds at rock chucks before leaving this summer plus there will be a ton of time at the pistol range. I have not decided which rifle I will take but there will be only minor reloading and sight in time involved.

A much simpler method for the hunt selection would be to choose one of the several agents and owners who post on this site and follow their recommendations.

I got kudu, oryx, impala and warthogs on my first trip to RSA in 2002. This time im in for buff and eland. Tought of getting on or two animals in addition to that. Buff and eland are expensive compared to many other species, so it won`t be a enormous blood shed on this safari. Will put more time in finding good trophys of the 3-4 species rather than running around taking all animals available.

Boise, PM comming your way.

You'll spend just so much for airfare and sundry expense on a given safari, no matter if you're taking one animal or twenty, so take as much trophy fee money as you can possibly muster per safari. Make the most of your time and money, or else go every-other-year or every two years instead.

Think of it on a cost-per-animal basis, and you'll see that you're far better off budgeting for as many animals as possible per hunt.........

AD

I was not plugging the competition, I was pointing out that you can get information both places. My second comment was that you need more than one source.

My first contact with Saeed is from before he brought up his website. He is an interesting guy, but I don't read his politics forum.

I met Rick and Mrs. Rick at SHOT, he is a good guy.

By the way I show my name and details on all the forums I post in.

jim

Allen, what you say makes a lot of sence. But whith buffalo and Eland on the budget, and probably Sable/waterbuck and wildebeest on the trophy list, I am beggining to reach the upper limits of my trophyfee budget. Besides, I am not so interested in the smaller plains game. I dont spend a lot of money on species I have on relationship to or decire to hunt.

For my first African safari umpteen years ago, took about a year to prepare. Lots of rifle and load testing. Lots of field shooting. Lots of reading.

Second trip took more prep than the first one since a double rifle was added.

Third trip took even more since two novice friends were going.

Fourth trip took even more since two of my children were going.


Now days...

Email the PH's wife, check available dates, check airline, book, and go.

Remember to tell your wife that you will be gone for a few days, but she might not notice.

Hammer

Not married yet. I am still the boss of me. Guess I have to take advantage of it as long as it lasts <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />