We're off to South Africa in 5 days - any advice?

I took leather boots and never once put them on. I had a light weight summer hiker from Cabela's and sneakers which worked just fine. I wasn't hunting the Eastern Cape but did run into a few ticks, not real bad where I was ( about an hour and a half north of Pretoria) but I did pick a few off me.

I was surprised at how powerful the sun is here and from speaking to my PH many hunters have spoiled their hunts due to sun stroke or severe burns on the first day so be smart, cover-up and wear sunscreen. I forgot to cover my legs one morning and by 10:00 hours it was already too late, the back of my legs were fried. I had to wear long pants (lightweight) the next two days to keep the sun off.

My wife and I did a Game Safari then spent four nights in Cape Town which was fantastic. I definitely see myself coming back here again someday.
 
Lots of great advice so far. As stated, pack lightly, you don't need a lot of clothing. Stay flexible, and be willing to change your trophy list, or more likely add to it. How could you consider hunting in Africa without shooting a warthog???

The flights over are long ones. Try to plan your sleeping/waking periods on the plane to help with the adjustment to the different time zone.

Take full advantage of digital photography's greatest benefit, i.e. take literally thousands of pictures...believe me, it won't be hard.

If you haven't read it already, I would look up "The Perfect Shot" and take its advice to heart.

Most importantly: prepare to have more fun than you believe is possible!;)
 
Last edited:
Take cotton, leave polyester at home. Despite the advice to the contrary, I was quite happy wearing hi-top hunting boots, likewise I preferred long pants to shorts. Keep a few bucks (USD) for tips and such in your pocket, and the rest in a money belt. If I was going again, I'd take some small presents for the trackers, skinners, and camp help. A GPS will allow you you record where you shot what, and keeping a journal with your photos will keep the trip alive for years to come. Have a great time.
 
If travelling with someone else, put half of your ammo in his luggage and take half of his. Carry at least enough clothes in your carry-on to hunt in. Keep your binos and camera in carry-on too. If you take heavy boots, wear them when travelling so you don't have to weigh them.
Direct all reloading efforts toward pure function and bullet performance. Forget about picking bullets by what shoots the best and think about what kills the best and leaves the best blood trails. You're in Africa not Bisley. Use new or once fired brass.

Never pass up a great animal, even if its not really on your list. Discuss a code word with your PH for "Shoot now and ask questions later".
 
BigUglyMan said:
Take more SD cards and less clothes. Take a ton of photos and don't take it too seriously. Small bills for tips and take some things like little chocolate bars and hard candy for the staff. Nothing made my trackers and skinners in RSA happier than getting a chocolate bar and some candy.

It'll be fun...you lucky bugger.
Click to expand...


Al those things for the staff plus cigarettes.
 
When your PH says shoot, shoot twice.

What Dogleg said about the PH looking at the animal be ready. Don't get too hung up on the actual length of horn, good representative animals are pretty cool to shoot. Listen to the PH, they really know what they are doing.

I hunted there with my Doctor from Alberta's brother, my doc gave me good advice. Don't sweat the little stuff or get too obsessed over any one animal on your list, just enjoy it and ask lots of questions.

We did a day where we went fishing for a local fish that looked like a cross between a pickeral and a sucker, later that day we visited a Boer War Memorial which was very cool to do with a Local afrikaan, a different perspective than you learn in school here.

Last but definitely not least, ask for over easy eggs one morning, easily the best eggs I have ever had in my life, the yokes were almost burnt orange in colour.
 
canoetrpr said:
I have to ask what may be a dumb question. What does one do with all the game meat? Obviously you don't bring it all over to Canada. Can you at least sample some of the animal that you shoot??
Click to expand...

Like in Europe and most other places besides North America, the meat belongs to the landowner and is sold to support the management of the wildlife on the ranch. It does not belong to the hunter. Meat cannot be imported from Africa to Canada because the continent has many diseases that could possibly be transmitted to domestic stock or wildlife here - like hoof and mouth disease. We were told we would get to try a sample of each of the game animals we take, cooked for us in camp in the local style.
 
Longwalker said:
Like in Europe and most other places besides North America, the meat belongs to the landowner and is sold to support the management of the wildlife on the ranch. It does not belong to the hunter. Meat cannot be imported from Africa to Canada because the continent has many diseases that could possibly be transmitted to domestic stock or wildlife here - like hoof and mouth disease. We were told we would get to try a sample of each of the game animals we take, cooked for us in camp in the local style.
Click to expand...

Are you each hunting with your own PH or will you be sharing one PH?

If you are doing a "two on one", then take turns taking video. The guy who isn't "taking the shot" should be able to take video of the fellow who is doing the stalk and taking the shot.

The shooter and the PH will both be preoccupied with the trophy, so taking turns with recording video of the action will be hugely appreciated later.

Also, for whomever is doing videographer duty, keep in mind that zooming-in on the chosen trophy for a few seconds before the shot is being taken will produce the best "action" for re-living the event after you are back home.

Have fun, enjoy the experience!
 
If you get the time and can find them get some tick pliers. MEC has them and so does Cabelas. I have never been to Africa but I have had ticks embedded. The pliers make life easier. try a local jerky called billatong, afriend of mine worked in south Africa and he used to bring it home for me.
 
My computer just crapped out on me after a long reply, will shorten it, almost all airport related:

-Don't accept help with your bags, it's not theft that's the worry, but the ungrateful receipt of too much money (even for in Canada) for 3 mins unwanted assistance.

-Don't accept help finding the firearms office, it's maybe 100 yards off to your right when you enter the main terminal from the baggage area, and clearly signed.

-Don't pay a bribe for "safe passage" of your firearms, especially if approached by a person of questionable ###. Never could tell if he/she was male or female in several meetings, but always whispered to polite threat. I lost $20 first time over, and it made no difference not paying later. There's hell to pay with their police if they screw with your guns.

-Just always say "no Mista" to those approaching you preferably with a South African accent to throw them off (not kidding, it works, they turned heels and raised chin like I was not worth their time when confused of my origins). Makes a fun game anyhow and my brother thought it very amusing.

-Don't stand with your gear on the bus loop outside the terminal, saw a young travelling woman sobbing to the police she's just been violently mugged right in front of the doors and had lost everything; ID, passport, tickets, money. They were saying there was nothing they could do. We stood out there plenty, brother smokes, it's not a war zone, just be mindful.

Most of all, HAVE FUN! Keep it light and happy, mistakes will happen, circumstances are different, don't let any of them get to you. We're hammering out to follow you in about a year and envious. Some of my fondest memories not with family come from Africa, already, and I'm not yet old and wise.
 
I'm in the go with proper hiking boots camp, my first safari was a little less for the footwear I chose, on Peter Capstick's recommendation. Great for stalking, climbing (lots of small granite mountains, gomos, we'd climb to spot game), but a savage wench of a choice for crossing grassy country. Speargrass seeds were pulled from my feet nightly, and you do a lot of walking on a good hunt in my opinion, so terrible. Ticks, yes a pair of tick pliers would be good found them in some very displeasing places.

Have photos I couldn't find in timely fashion of my foot literally covered in burrs, speargrass seeds, and one particularly large thorn through to sole of my hiking runners. Go boots with good socks!
 
Ardent said:
Most of all, HAVE FUN! Keep it light and happy, mistakes will happen, circumstances are different, don't let any of them get to you.
Click to expand...


Actually, this is probably the most important advice you could get. There are so many individual elements that go into planning and executing a safari that it is virtually impossible for everything to go smoothly. Good outfitters have their craft honed to a fine edge and know how to make things work, but in the end...TIA: This Is Africa. #### happens. Stuff goes wrong. Expect it, hope that it is minimized, but learn to roll with it. If you go in with preconceived notions about how everything is exactly going to go, you will be disappointed. Instead, plan on having a great time, on seeing a different world that operates completely differently, and take the few bumps in the road as part of the experience. In many ways, it will give you a much better appreciation of how good we have it here in so many ways.

It will be FANTASTIC!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom