Africa

samdunc

samdunc

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I have been on this site for a while but haven't been posting a great deal. I have however have been reading a fair bit. I have always been a hunter. I love hunting enough that I haven't worked a day from the middle of September until the end of November since I have been 17 years old. I went to sea to do this so I could have my falls off. A few years ago I came ashore by landing a job where I could take the entire fall off. The Africa bug has bit hard and I have been looking around on the net and doing my research. the problem is I know no one who has been to Africa and my hunting has been solitary and unguided.

I am looking at either Zimbabwe or Botswana in 2 years time(2013)

Some of you have been there, I would appreciate any recommendations you have.
My hunt though must be free chase. I have no interest in game farms. I am willing to pay more for wilderness hunting.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. I have searched this site 24 hour campfire and Accurate Reloading for everything on Africa i can find. I have a fair bit of experience with 3rd world travel but no experience with hunting outside of North America.
Any recommendations? For you guys who have been there can you recommend any outfits?

regards,
Dan
 
The Accurate Reloading forums are as good as it gets. Actual outfitters and guides post there.
Hunting in Africa is an expensive proposition. Where and what animal matters, of course, but trophy fees are pricey. A net search for either country will tell you how much you're looking at. Plus the gun laws and minimum calibres.
 
Safari Club International has great information about African hunting. YOu can attend one of their banquets and buy a hunt at a greatly reduced price, and perhaps meet some great people to go with. I have met some of the great people, but haven't gone to Africa,.....yet.
 
Choosing between Zimbabwe and Botswana depends on what you want to hunt, and what your trophy expectations are. Botswana has the better odds if you're looking for truly large ivory. It's also the only place I'm aware of where you may be able to hunt leopard by tracking, which simply isn't done anywhere else. But Botswana is considerably more expensive to hunt than Zimbabwe, and depending on the way the political winds are blowing, some of the species you might be wanting may or may not be available to hunt. The last I heard, for instance, lion was no longer on the menu.

Zimbabwe is a bit different. Cheaper for sure, in good measure because of the economic mess they've been floundering through for years thanks to their political issues. But Zim does have lots of big open spaces, and a vast array of available game species. My guess is that the same hunt in Botswana would cost at least double what it would in Zimbabwe.

Still, if I could hunt elephant anywhere I chose ... Botswana would probably be the very top of the list.

However, take all of this as a well-read opinion based on little experience. Others on this site may have hunted both countries -- I have not, but am aiming to rectify that ;). Am heading to Africa for 4 weeks of hunting next month, most of it in Zimbabwe with John Sharp (google "John Sharp Safaris" if you're looking for well known PH in Zim).
 
Don't hesitate to consider Namibia. I hunted there in 2008 and had a great trip all free range area. I booked my trip through Jack Atcheson and spoke with him last Wednesday about possibly going again. He said NE Namibia has had some previously closed areas open up with good potential. Give him and other booking agents a call. Whether you use an agent or not they will give you good info and food for thought you can use to help make your choices.
 
Samdunc,

I'm not an African expert (no such thing actually), but I've been to Africa 3 times and expect to be back again in 2012. Research is cheap and safaris are expensive and the more research you do the better your experience is likely to be. For a lot of people, an African hunt is an emotional thing, but those emotions can blind a person. I think you'll have done enough research once you stop saying to yourself "This PH/outfitter/area is the greatest thing in Africa!" If you are saying that, you are still caught up in the romance and marketing. There is plenty to be excited about even after the hype is stripped away. As mentioned above AR can be great (beware the infantile flamers), and you might want to check out www.shakariconnection.com.

Enjoy the process and start saving for your second trip right now!

Dean
 
sunray said:
The Accurate Reloading forums are as good as it gets. Actual outfitters and guides post there.
Hunting in Africa is an expensive proposition. Where and what animal matters, of course, but trophy fees are pricey. A net search for either country will tell you how much you're looking at. Plus the gun laws and minimum calibres.
Click to expand...

X2 recommendation for the above approach.

I did my first trip last May to Namibia after spending two years checking things out on the AR forum. There are a host of pitfalls to avoid to get the kind of hunt that you want (ie. not canned, put and take, high fence, hidden fees, etc.)

The www. Shikariconnection site mentioned above has a three page checklist to help with the different factors/variables to consider when booking a hunt.

Right now Zimbabwe has a lot to offer a first timer and is the best value IMO. However, as a Canadian, Canada will not give you an export permit to take your gun to Zim. Guys are finding creative ways (illegal) around this so if taking your own gun is important this is something else you'll need to consider.
 
samdunc said:
What is the problem with taking your own rifles to Zimbabwe?
Click to expand...

Before legally taking your firearms out of the country, you need to have a Canadian export permit. Because of the political situation in Zimbabwe, the Canadian government currently has an embargo on having firearms enter Zim. As I said, guys are finding ways around this- ie. not getting a permit and hoping they are not asked to produce it on return, buying a ticket to J'Burg and then a separate one from J'Burg to Zim.,etc.

On my last hunt, I borrowed the PH's rifle because prior to my hunt my wife and I did a tour of SA and Zambia and taking my own rifle was a legal and logistics impossibility while on tour. The rifle was an extremely accurate Shultz and Larsen but there were issues with the scope and ammo that was available. I swore I would never use a borrowed rifle on a hunt again particularly if DG was involved.

I dream of going back to Africa for Cape Buffalo but the only trip that might be financially feasible would be to Zim. My only hope is that things change in Zim. and the embargo gets lifted or that I win the Lotto :D and can afford Zambia or Moz.
 
makid said:
Can't get them there directly. EU has a arms import ban on Zim and can't (in pratical terms) take them through the US, though I've heard rumuors of that changing recently.

Dean
Click to expand...

is not EU for the ban but UK only. so if you fly up to Frankfurt dont see even a start for a problem ...

best to fly to Harare maybe a flight up to johannesburg then harare .. not direct flight from london to harare then it that case you can forget about your sporting arms due to the ban .... but i can tell heathrow is a place to avoid with firearms and i ve been there twice with up to 5 rifles ....
 
samdunc said:
What is the problem with taking your own rifles to Zimbabwe?
Click to expand...

It's illegal. Could be a hunting rifle or a sea-can of AKs, same regulation s apply. I hunted Zim last summer and would have taken my own rifles except for the regulations. I had a great hunt (went with Chifuti Safaris and hunted Chewore South) but in spite of that fact, if I was going again I would go somewhere that I could take my own rifles. Probably. I did have an awesome trip and enjoyed the guys I hunted with immensely. There's a thread in the Hunting subforum about my trip.

www.international.gc.ca/sanctions/zimbabwe.aspx?lang=eng
 
medvedqc said:
is not EU for the ban but UK only. so if you fly up to Frankfurt dont see even a start for a problem ...

best to fly to Harare maybe a flight up to johannesburg then harare .. not direct flight from london to harare then it that case you can forget about your sporting arms due to the ban .... but i can tell heathrow is a place to avoid with firearms and i ve been there twice with up to 5 rifles ....
Click to expand...

I'll second that. It's also a good idea to avoid having any trophies pass through Heathrow, they have been known to disappear.
 
You should check out the Caprivi strip in Namibia.It seems to be a pretty wild area.
If I won the lottery That would be near the top of my list.
 
jeff270 said:
You should check out the Caprivi strip in Namibia.It seems to be a pretty wild area.
If I won the lottery That would be near the top of my list.
Click to expand...

All the safety of Namibia, Trophy quality of Botswana and the occasional long-tusked ele transiting the area. Hard to argue with that. I had considered the Caprivi but got a bad vibe from Wendell Reich (the booking agent) when I met him in Reno at SCI. No regrets about using Safari Classics and Chifuti though. Great operation.
 
Thanks for the clarification above. As for Heathrow, I've been through there 3 times with rifles. Had some trouble the first time as AC hadn't contacted Heathrow ahead of time as they told me they had. The other 2 times, I flew BA and made sure myself that Heathrow was notified. No problems on those trips. AC, carrier of last resort.

Dean
 
Caprivi sounds good as well. Big Ugly Man, where did you book your trip with safari Classics?I guess Chifuti was Zimbabwe? Has anybody hunted in Mozambique?
All feedback appreciated guys
Dan
 
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