Well, the wife has essentially laid down the law. She wants me to stop talking about Africa and go!
I really want to take a Buffalo and that, I think is my priority. There are of course certain plains game I'm interested in as well. The usual suspects, Kudu, Impala, Zebra....
I don't really know where to begin. First things first, I know I need to renew my passport and will get after that as soon as I can. In researching areas, Zimbabwe seems to address true free range buffalo hunting at a reasonable cost (seems like the buff hunts in RSA are game ranches, I could be wrong) Or should I take a plains game safari? Cost is a factor though I haven't determined my top end yet. Can't see spending more then 15K-ish. I am completely open to suggestions.
Is it in my best interest to go through an outfitter/fixer to organize flights, weapons paperwork, general booking etc.? If so, who?
I know there is lots of experience on this forum.
Lay it on me.

There is a company that specializes in organizing flights for hunting trips in Africa. Don't remember the name but here's her email [email protected]. She will give you all the ins and outs and will make it all simple. She will be familiar with the gun laws/permits and potential problems.

Personally, I'd probably do a plains game package to RSA or Namibia for a first trip, but nothing wrong with slamming a cape buff right off. Zimbabwe is probably the spot for that when considering costs.

The first animal I hunted and killed in Africa was a cape buffalo. I have gone on eight safaris since and have no regrets hunting buffalo on the first one.

If you decide to hunt buffalo, Zimbabwe is a great choice. Book with a licensed Zimbabwe outfit in a good area.

For an excellent hunt with an established company, in a beautiful wild area Mokore Safaris is hard to beat. Hunt Sengwe Research area. Great buffalo and plains game hunting in a wild open area. I can recommend them without reservation.

Mokore Safaris

There are others like CM Safaris, Shaun Buffee, Lin Stanton that are excellent also.

Travel with Guns (TWG) is who I use when traveling. They helped me out of Republic of Congo a few years back and I will always be grateful.

A couple of other notes.

Book ten days of hunting. Enjoy your time there. I once stayed in Zim for 28 days straight.

Fly in to Vic Falls, overnight there. Travel to Hwange and spend two days on photo safari. You will get over your jet lag and get to see big game up close.

Don't pinch pennies, that does not mean waste money. I could never afford a cheap hunt, my time is too valuable.

Everything Mike70560 says is spot on. The first animal I got in Africa was also cape buffalo and I wouldn't change a thing. I went to SA for first trip and hunted buffalo in the greater Kruger area and it was free range. Have since hunted in Zim (twice) and Namibia. All great hunts. Good luck to you.

Saw the glowing remarks on TWG elsewhere and will definitely check them out.
In discussing buffalo vs. plains game with the boss(wife) to me, buffalo is priority. These hunts aren't getting cheaper and I can tack on a couple other animals if the opportunity arises.
I've got a 375 ruger that has no blood on it and is beginning to look at me like a neglected dog. Also just got back my M70 from JES who transformed it 9.3X62. Would love to baptize it with a zebra or kudu.
Thanks for the feedback and spare no details.

Another outfitter in Zimbabwe to check out is Track-A-Hunt Safaris with Corris Ferria. I hunted with him 4 years ago for Buffalo, and it was an outstanding trip. He hunts old school with cutting tracks and looking for old Dagga bulls. I was amazed at how wary the old bulls were. We were on buffalo every day, but it took until the evening of the 5th to get a shot. The concession is on the shores of Lake Kariba, and the sight seeing of hippos, crocodiles and other wildlife was a highlight. Depending on the time of year you go, fishing might be an option as well.

Like others have recommended, go early and see Victoria Falls and other sites while you recover from jet lag.

For my next trip, I plan on stopping for a few days in Germany then head down to see Corris.

I would use an American outfitter. I used Atcheson's. I would also go to RSA for plains game on the first trip, then Zim for buffalo.

On my RSA trip I took kudu, gemsbok, zebra, warthog, blesbok, impala (2) and wildebeeste in seven days of actual hunting. The cost, including air fare, was less than a guided elk hunt out west.

My primary objective in Zim was a bull elephant. That was the first animal I got in Zim. Then I took buffalo, hippo, and a 14 foot croc.

My next trip to Zim resulted in taking lion, bull elephant, buffalo, hippo, zebra, and several impala (bait for leopard but we didn't get a leopard).

Whatever you do, you will have a memorable experience. But an African trip may ruin the joy of deer hunting for you.

Indy, sounds like you had quite a time in Zim!
My pockets aren't that deep but I can't disagree with Mike. Don't want to cheat myself with a cut-rate hunt either. As for ruining deer hunting, maybe but I sincerely doubt it. I'll be 50 in a few months and still get excited about opening day. Heck, I still like squirrel hunting.
Thanks again for all the input.
Keep it coming.

No question, the cheapest GOOD hunts for free range buffalo are in Zim. I’ve never used a booking agent, preferring to deal direct with the outfitter. However, for a first timer a US booking agent would probably be preferable..

An American booking agent is not a bad idea.

I believe Atcheson is really a booking agent or “hunting consultant” is the fancy term. Tim Herald and Mark Young are two others.

In a previous post I said the outfitter needs to be a Zim company. I was referring to the operation that is actually putting on the hunt, owns the rights to the concession, and is providing a PH. The PH needs to be licensed in Zimbabwe which pretty much means he needs to be a Zim citizen.

There are many more experienced folks here than me. I have been to South Africa three times for plains game. The one piece of advice I will offer, especially for a first timer, is if you are traveling through Johannesburg, some of the best money you will spend is for a meet and greet service and advance firearms permit. You can do this on your own, but I would not want to, especially for the modest cost. My outfitter arranged this for me, along with overnight lodging at the Afton Guest House. Other hunters prefer other lodging. I can’t offer a comparison but will say we have found the accommodations and service perfectly fine.

I started the thread on Travel With Guns. Again, there are other travel agents, but I can’t imagine what I would want that TWG didn’t provide.

OGB,

I have done 4 safaris to Africa, for everything from the tiny antelopes to Lion. A few observations- by all means, use a travel agency to help with travel arrangements, necessary paperwork, and a Meet and Greet service. In the past I have used Gracy Travel to complete satisfaction, but there are others with good reputations as well.

As far as your $15K cost- what you will find is that the total cost of your safari, including air fare, preparation and shipping of trophies, inspection fees, etc., etc., and final taxidermy, depending on what you have done, will easily run 2X to maybe as high as 3X the actual outfitters cost for the hunt.

If you fly 'cattle class', you can save on air fare, and if you choose not to have animals mounted, you can save a whole bunch. Steer clear of outfitters who offer deals that look too good to be true, they probably are. A friend of mine just returned from SA, and had a bad experience with his outfitter, who wanted to negotiate prices of trophies while he was actually out hunting. Make sure the outfitter you choose actually has the game in his area that he advertises- I have run into this problem before.

Bighorn, I've flown all over the world "cattle class", it sucks but I can take it. One thing that is frequently glossed over in safari articles is all the "ancillary" costs. I'm well aware of these fees and costs but don't hold back these details. Currently plan on euro mounts (a zebra would become a rug). Saves money and not for nothing, space. I'm most definitely not made of money but am willing to make a stretch for a great experience.

If it matters, taxidermy expenses often come in a different budget year or years. I didn’t receive shipments until the year after my hunt, so those costs came a year later. When I received them, I had to make a taxidermy deposit. Then the final taxidermy payment was another year when the work was completed.

Good point

Don’t overlook getting some hides tanned to leather. I have done this on all 4 of my trips, the products created makes for great usable everyday “trophies” from briefcases, purses, backpack style purse, boots, carry on bags, etc.

If you don’t have a good camera get one. The cell phone is great for capturing the moment picture but a real camera is by far the best for wildlife and scenery.

Then take lots and lots of photos.

Sensible way to go, just take really good pictures/or video to go with them, but have a Ball man!!

I love to see threads like this since I remember when I composed a similar post for my first trip. I always think it is great that other hunters are so willing to share and help newbies, especially when it comes to hunting Africa.

OGB, you've already received a lot of very good advice here. I agree with everyone that you definitely want to make sure that you go with a known, reputable outfit that has a great reputation and a good track record. My recommendation on that front is to plan on attending the SCI or DSC conventions and personally visit with the outfits that seem to offer what you want. Oftentimes, you can talk to the actual PHs that you may be hunting with and that is worth a lot. Spending a day or even two days talking to these companies will tell you a lot about them. With the research you're doing now, you'll know which ones you want to talk with and can concentrate on them. If you're ready to book when the conventions come around, you can often get some pretty good "show" specials and save a few bucks, but don't let that force you into booking with someone that you don't feel good about. If you feel pressured at all, don't do it. Just walk away. You can always come back to them after the show and after you've done more research.

Best of luck to you. By the way, my first trip to Africa was for buffalo as well, and I see no reason not to target your primary animal on a first safari. Don't wait any longer than you have to!

Really appreciate all the info gents.

Seems like not so long ago all you could do was cold call PHs and outfitters who listed adds in the back of magazines.

What a resource I have here!

The only way I could swing one of those conventions is if it was within a days drive of the Wilmington NC area.

I'm trying to soak up all the Intel I can and everyone's input is helpful.

Take a journey and write down each day's events. There are so many things you want to drink in on your first trip that wonderful as they are you will forget the little things. You will enjoy reading them at a later date.

OGB, trust me, I understand what you're saying here. The reason I understand is I had just about an identical response to the suggestion that I attend one of these conventions when it was suggested to me before my first trip. I couldn't see myself spending the money or the time just on an information gathering trip. After I went on my African hunt, where I basically got ripped off by a so called "reputable" outfitter, I realized that I really hadn't done a good job of checking out the various companies and/or double checking their track record. When I came back, I decided I had to go to the convention just to see what I had missed. The convention really opened my eyes to how much I had missed and how little I really knew about the business side of things. I realized that if I had spent the money up front on attending the convention, I would have been money ahead.

Personally, if I was going to Zim, where things seem to constantly be changing, I'd want to know how successful people have been in recent years for my targeted animals, what was the hunting like for plains game, how long did it take to have a chance at a mature bull, has their hunting area changed for the worse or the better or have they recently changed concessions, who owns the concession now, how many others might be hunting on that concession when I'm there, what PH would I be hunting with, and what is his experience level, and what the local poaching situation may be? By talking to multiple companies in the surrounding area, and not just the one you want to hunt with, you'll get a better feel for what is actually going on and what it might be like when you plan on being there.

It's hunting and nothing is assured, but with this much money involved, you want to make doubly sure that you have a handle on the things that you can control and that you aren't just relying on what the people you'll be hunting with tell you. By talking with other hunters that you will encounter at the convention, you'll get a lot more info/feedback on these types of things that you wouldn't otherwise ever have access to. I'd also want to know what their bull buffalo quota is each year and how many buffalo hunters they take each year. That will give you an idea of how hard the buffalo in their concession are pushed.

Just some more bits of info to chew on...

Atchesons in Butte Montana is a sound reference. Jack (who has unfortunately passed on) pioneered this business and they've been doing it for 56 years that I know of.

OGB - "a day's drive" can be a bit subjective but, there are a couple of "Big Shows" in PA that are somewhere around a 9-10 drive from SC.

http://tristateoutdoorexpo.com/

https://nepaoutdoorshow.com/

https://www.greatamericanoutdoorshow.org/

I've personally never attended any of them but, have read numerous online reports from people who have.

I have not personally hunted in ZIM but, from all the online info, that is most likely the least expensive buff hunting combined with the most wild/free range experience available. Only negative side to ZIM is there are still a number of current/former Mugabe linked govt officials who are still on the US govt list of people banned from doing business with. A number of them have been involved in the white farmer expulsions/farm takeovers. There is a least some limited potential to a US hunter possibly unwittingly getting jammed up if hunting on one of these properties or the PH doing business with them by taking unwitting clients hunting on those properties. Low probability but, it still hangs in the air.

Strongly encourage you to do some pretty diligent online digging on the outfitter/PH and be sure to ask what properties/concessions you'd be hunting on there. Even using a US based booking agent is still no guarantee they have done their due diligence either. Not saying don't go to ZIM, just saying be cautious and ask a lot of questions. Lots of guys go and have zero issues and have GREAT trips.

And his sons have been doing an equally good job.

Don’t let anyone discourage you from hunting buffalo on your first African trip. It’s very feasible. Zimbabwe is likely your best bet as there are a number of excellent PH’s there, travel is easy and costs lower than other destinations. Personally, I’d avoid any high fenced hunt, so that excludes South Africa. The agents mentioned are all very good. I know all 3, have done business with two of them and would not hesitate to use any of them to book you on a quality hunt.

Give extra consideration to some of the big conservancies in Zimbabwe, Save Valley, Bubye Vally & Nuanetsi. All have excellent buffalo hunting as well as the other plains game you mentioned. The conservancies are surrounded by fences, but each is anywhere from 750,000 to over 1,000,000 unfenced acres inside. I don’t consider that high fence hunting.

Theres a lot of good advice on this thread and I cant improve upon it, only reiterate some points.
Book with a reputable outfitter like Atchesons..though there are many more.
GET a meet and greet service if you are going through Jo-berg
Make your travel arrangements with someone in the business like Steve with Travel with Guns....it costs no more and is invaluable.
Lastly a point I will make : This will not lessen your drive for deer, or squirrels, or whatever.....but a proper buffalo hunt will change your perspective....scoring a 160 class whitetail, or 340 class elk no longer seems very important....still fun but as Ruark said, once you have hunted buffalo you are dissatisfied with anything else.
GO. Enjoy it. Soak in every moment. You will never be sorry.

I had a wise man tell me two things before my first safari and it has held true for all five of my trips over.

#1 - Take half the clothes you think you need.

#2 - Take twice the money you think you'll spend.

Remember this and have the time of your life! Good luck!!

If you’ve had covid get a PCR test now and make sure you test negative. I had covid a few months before my last trip over was planned to leave. I tested positive on my PCR test the day before my departure and was unable to be granted permission into the countries I was planning to travel to. To say it was a disappointment is an understatement. I do not know how long I will continue to test positive and I’m not sure anyone else does either. That was two years in a row C19 jinxed my buff hunt.

Good luck and good hunting! Africa is amazing. I hope this is the first of many hunts there for you.

It is true that a lot, probably most, buffalo hunting in South Africa is on game farms. These areas, though some may be quite large, are nonetheless fenced. But is also possible to hunt buffalo on government owned nature reserves. The government auctions these hunts and outfitters can provide hunts for clients.

If you want to hunt buffalo and you can afford it, go do it. You can hunt plains game a lot of places. We’ve been to Africa twice. First trip was to Namibia. Namibia was high fence, but over 50,000 acres, very similar to free range. Animals were wild and it was hunting.

Second time was South Africa. If you are going plains game hunting in South Africa you may as well save the trouble and go to South Texas. Cost in south Texas will be similar and hunting may be more realistic. Our experience in South Africa was small high fence places, by small I mean 1000- 2000 acres, with game recently purchased at auction.

If you decide on South Africa, I agree with an earlier post, use a service to meet you. They will help with guns through customs, and travel to the accommodations. We used Africa Sky ( I think that was the name it’s been a couple years). Accommodations were excellent, food was great, place was safe, and they stored our guns and luggage 3 days while we went up to Victoria Falls at little to no charge - only part of South Africa that we received a good value for the expense.

As was stated earlier, expect to spend twice what your hunting costs with travel, shipping, and taxidermy. We have only shoulder mounted a couple, the rest are European. Taxidermist in San Antonio does great work.

Whatever you do, don’t buy a hunt at auction. You pay twice and get half the value. Once you narrow your choices, post up the names and get some reviews by folks on here. I’m ready to go back, but can’t imagine going to South Africa. I’m sure there are some quality places and people, but what we saw was similar to the place we hunted.

I did this on our photo safari to Sarengeti, etc a few weeks ago.

Very good advice - things tend to mush together.....

+1

Having no desire to hunt Africa, I have never gone, yet I have many friends that really enjoy it, for many of them they now plan their trips with friends or associates that have previous experiences dealing with and planning excursions. This seems to work well for them, as first timers seem to be targets for the less than scrupulous vendors via for your dollars.

Good luck and have the time of your life.