Africa anyone?????

Redfrog

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Well boys and girls, I finally got my card reader working to upload a few pics from Africa.

If you try to view Africa through North American eyes, you may well end up very confused. The cultures, lifestyles, people and animals, have very little in common with North America.

Africa is one of the most scenic and beautiful places I’ve been. The people I spent time with were without a doubt if not the friendliest certainly tied for that position. They shared their homes with us, introduced us to their families [often as some kind of oddity, “Crazy Yanks”] and made us feel very welcome in a very foreign country.

Our first hunt was for big game. We saw tons of game and the usual suspects for African wildlife as well as a few not so commonly seen. We saw an Aardvark hunting termites at high noon. Apparently no one told him he was a nocturnal beastie.
Of course there were monkeys and baboons and lions and elephants and giraffes and rhinos and well you get the idea.

I also found out early on that jackal and lynx are vermin and killed on sight. The killing takes place at night only, as the jackal is far too crafty to be fooled by an artificial call during the day, He is at least a hundred times smarter than even the eastern coyote of north America, as evidenced by this photo.Apparently the 270 reached him before the news about being crafty.
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The hunting methods for big game are nothing short of brutal. If you look closely, you will notice there is no cooler with chilled beverages. Brutal I tell ya!!!

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The tracker is very important as you can see. If not for him , I fear the bench would tip dangerously on my end.

This is the view from our stand. As you can see danger lurks everywhere on the dark continent.

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As important as the tracker is to the operation, I doubt he is more important than the dedicated hunting dogs. Ever watchful, ever alert, ready to spring to action at the first sign of danger. The hunt would not be the same without them……..snoring and farting.
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Here’s a pic of a Gemsbuck. They are nothing short of beautiful.
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And an old blue Eland bull. The size of a moose, but definitely better looking. He's the one in the foreground .
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Wow! Must have been exciting.The tracker sitting beside you looks alot like Morgan Freeman.Also looks like you may have farted as you are laughing and he is NOT.
Excellent pics.
Did you use the 270 alone,to take all that game?
 
boney said:
Wow! Must have been exciting.The tracker sitting beside you looks alot like Morgan Freeman.Also looks like you may have farted as you are laughing and he is NOT.
Excellent pics.
Did you use the 270 alone,to take all that game?


He does in the picture:eek: but he really wasn't the Morgan Freeman type or the Morgan Fairchild for that matter either!!!!:eek: :eek:

I don't fart, I break wind, as you can see I'm far too sophisticated to fart.:rolleyes:

I took no guns with me because of the B.S. to enter/stayover/leave the U.S.

I used a sako 270 that belonged to the PH for everything except the Eland.
I made a mistake and used his 300H&H. The mistake was in taking his word that it was sighted in. I watched him check it, he said it was good to go and had me dry fire it to get the feel for the trigger.

I shot the eland at 180 yds, lasered. He turned around and stood still. The way he moved I knew he had been hit too far back, but he mingle with the rest of the herd and I couldn't get a clear shot before they disappeared over the rim and into the cover. When we caught up to him again, I used the 270 and dropped him in his tracks. !30 gr. cheapo ammo. Shot very well and the rifle was accurate.
I checked the 300 on a target at 25 yds. 5 inches left!!!!!!!!

I will do the paper work next time and bring my own. The optics were so high end they didn't have names on them.:eek: :eek:

Those guys have killed hundreds of predators calling, but had never called daytime. Told me it was impossible. After they told me tht I made a point to call everyday in the daylight at least one stand. I had jackal come in every day. Today there is a new sport in South Africa and a new market for Electronic callers. if you can get them into the country without being stolen.:eek:
 
And my anticipation is pushed up another notch. We head for Tanzania the first week of July for a 10 day buff hunt.

I am facing the same gun through the US issue, and the additional problem of touring some parks after the hunt where no firearms are allowed. I decided - after much anguish - that the .375 would stay home, and I'd have to put up with a John Wilkes .500 Nitro double rifle. Poor me!

Where did you hunt, and what time of year was it?
 
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Wonderful! There is some serious drooling happening at this end of the internet. I'm adding some of those pics to my file for inspiration.

I was hoping to go (1st time) in the summer of 2007 but it will depend on getting my house up (and seeing how much over-budget it is.) Your comments about Africa are in line with those of everyone else I've read: another world that just takes hold of you. I'm looking forward to everything but the firearms paperwork.

:) Stuart
 
Great pics, Redfrog!!
:)


I want to go for my 40th birthdya, in 2 years, but I'm starting to think it may get pushed back to 41 or 42...I can wait. It's not like the hunting here sucks:)

Great Gemsbok and Eland!!:D
 
Awsome pics. You have just compleated my dream hunt. Out of curiosity what is envolved in bringing the game back home (price, paperwork, etc.) thanks
 
hey redfrog, just to piss me off even more, would you give me a figure for how much money is involved in a hunt like that?
 
TheCanuck said:
hey redfrog, just to piss me off even more, would you give me a figure for how much money is involved in a hunt like that?


The costs depend on what a guy wants to hunt. The hunt and accommodations/meals with one hunter/one guide were $400 per day. Each PH has a tracker along as well. They would probably attack you if you tried to help field dress anything or even help to move it.I don't know how any of that could have been better. the food/lodging was excellent. Lodge service was excellent, free bar was excellent. Food and wine was non stop. laundry service daily.

The PH is now a friend of mine. 9 hunters in our party, the PH's are with the client from 5-6 in the morning till 10-11 at night. Anything you need from coffe in the morning to a night cap in the bar.They were there. Of course the lodge staff was always present as well. I can't think of anything I would need that wasn't provided in a great atmosphere.

The difficulty of the hunt itself is geared to the client. it can be as easy or as challenging as you want. Lots of game , both target species and non target species. Like any other hunting , usually maximum effort yields maximum results. One guy in our party got 5 spot and stalk archery kills and one from a blind.

The only thing that takes some getting used to is the Bakkie{pickup} 4 door toyota with a cage on the back. Big guys/small trucks.:( :( :(

All the land in RSA is pretty well privately owned . The land owner also owns all the game, and he charges a fee to kill these animals. He also keeps the meat to sell. Game meat is eaten there like we eat beef and is for sale everywhere. Jerky{biltong] is for sale bulk everywhere from gas sations to supermarkets and roadside stands. It is cut bitesized and sold in bulk. It is usually Kudu, but can be any thing, from ostrich to Springbuck.

Fees charged vary throughout SA depending on the wildlife populations.
Our fees were the lowest I found anywhere.
Examples. Springbuck or impala were $150 eland $2300, Kudu $800, There were probably 35 animals available to choose from and the prices ran from $50 to $5000.

If you get the taxidermy done there, and shipped back it is about 30% less than getting it shipped and done here. Like any taxidermy work some guys are better than others. The work I saw from our camp as excellent.

Another thing to consider, Airfare. If you are not over 5'10" and 160 lbs. 35 years old, you may be OK flying economy. However if you do not fit this criteria, you will spend 19 miserable hours on a plane, and several days recuperating in Africa, only to dread the flight back.

My partner and I flew business class out of Atlanta and enjoyed the flight. The difference in fares is substantial and everyone in our party including the 7 in economy agreed that the way to go is spend the money and go business class.

The flight over was good and we suffered no jet lag, so had no adjustment time in Africa. Coming back however, I did not stay in Atlanta overnight, but simply hooked up with a flight to Calgary shortly after arrival in Atalanta.
What this meant was 30 hours from the time I left SA till I touched down in Calgary. Either on planes or in terminals making connections. It took more than a few days to rest up after I got home. Flying east to west doesn't help with jet lag.:eek:

If you have any intentions of going there, Two things I would recommend you do. Do it now!!!!!! as the political climate is changing and I believe in 2-3 years or less SA will be like other African countries and not be available or be very dangerous to visit. The present paranoia weighs like a huge blanket on simple day to day activities. Crime rates are very high, and the gov't is scrambling to introduce more restrictive gun controls and eventually disarm the general populace.
The other thing I would recommend is contact me through email. I could point you to some reasonably priced hunts with some excellent guides.
 
Hunt365
I didn't get anything scored. I picked animals that I thought were trphies to me. It was kind of a personal thing. I do score deer that I kill in Canada,but to be honest I was as thrilled calling a jackal in during the day as shooting any of the other animals. It was an awesome hunt and experience, so they were all "Book" animals to me:D
 
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