Nothing wrong with a good plainsgame hunt. Trophy fees vary wildly from country to country, it's not hard to spend more on kudu, eland, nyala fees in RSA than what a buffalo will cost in another country. In some cases lower trophy fees on a few plainsgame will make up for the higher dayrate.
Info on Africa
- Thread starter blargon
- Start date
Nothing wrong with a good plainsgame hunt. Trophy fees vary wildly from country to country, it's not hard to spend more on kudu, eland, nyala fees in RSA than what a buffalo will cost in another country. In some cases lower trophy fees on a few plainsgame will make up for the higher dayrate.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Heavy recommendation for Zimbabwe here, my only experience mind you too. I started with Buffalo, doing much as Dogleg outlined on page 1, taking PG on the side. I only took two other species, Impala (literally culled a truckload, good shooting), and a Blue Wildebeest bull. The PG literally didn't cost me anything, they were incidentals the conservancy wanted culled. Buffalo is challenging, at least my experience was, and you need to have the basics down pact.
Those are, and it will sound very silly but it's actually a challenge under buffalo hunting conditions:
-Muzzle control in tough spots. Takes constant attention in thick thorns and scrub, crouched low, following your PH with a round chambered. I actually had a chat with my PH, saying it takes a lot of faith on his part. He said Canadians are good, safety #1, and he doesn't worry with a Canucklehead behind him. He said Europeans are abysmal, we agreed likely due to little actual handling/use of their firearms.
-Staying razor sharp for hours on foot and remaining silent on your feet, in the heat. I couldn't believe how Buffalo just appeared like ghosts. They frequently mean no harm, but you are "in them" without knowing it some times, til you hear a snort and see a set of curling horns 30 yards ahead all of a sudden. A sudden stampede, which happened to me several times, is quite something up close. Buffalo don't care where you are, they'll go through you happily. Took a lot of attention to keep footsteps well paced for hours, not breaking twigs, this would apply to any game really, and most heavily to Eland I believe. I saw their butts alone for whole afternoon one day. Kudu's just a given to be hard, flighty. It is important for me to note my hunt was very "wet", making water holes all over, failing to concentrate game at usual holes. It also made the bush incredibly thick and lush, making visibility, for both us and the game, incredibly short. Their sense of smell bested us over and over again on wind shifts though...
-Physical condition. I'm young, and very fit due to training I have been involved in for years. It was still a good go some hot afternoons for me, and the number of miles, if your hunt's anything like mine, will be surprising.
Those are, and it will sound very silly but it's actually a challenge under buffalo hunting conditions:
-Muzzle control in tough spots. Takes constant attention in thick thorns and scrub, crouched low, following your PH with a round chambered. I actually had a chat with my PH, saying it takes a lot of faith on his part. He said Canadians are good, safety #1, and he doesn't worry with a Canucklehead behind him. He said Europeans are abysmal, we agreed likely due to little actual handling/use of their firearms.
-Staying razor sharp for hours on foot and remaining silent on your feet, in the heat. I couldn't believe how Buffalo just appeared like ghosts. They frequently mean no harm, but you are "in them" without knowing it some times, til you hear a snort and see a set of curling horns 30 yards ahead all of a sudden. A sudden stampede, which happened to me several times, is quite something up close. Buffalo don't care where you are, they'll go through you happily. Took a lot of attention to keep footsteps well paced for hours, not breaking twigs, this would apply to any game really, and most heavily to Eland I believe. I saw their butts alone for whole afternoon one day. Kudu's just a given to be hard, flighty. It is important for me to note my hunt was very "wet", making water holes all over, failing to concentrate game at usual holes. It also made the bush incredibly thick and lush, making visibility, for both us and the game, incredibly short. Their sense of smell bested us over and over again on wind shifts though...
-Physical condition. I'm young, and very fit due to training I have been involved in for years. It was still a good go some hot afternoons for me, and the number of miles, if your hunt's anything like mine, will be surprising.
Here's my hunt report from December '09: http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=423017
My "top 5" changed a lot during the planning stages but Kudu was always #1. When I go back it will be for a buffalo and a bow spot/stalk for a bigger Kudu...but that could change too
My outfitter was Zingeli Safaris and the owner/PH is Louis Stoffberg. I am the pickiest person I know regarding good customer service and he set a new standard for me. Always on time, a very high level of integrity and a work ethic like I've never seen. Would go back just to visit him and his family; they're great people.
My "top 5" changed a lot during the planning stages but Kudu was always #1. When I go back it will be for a buffalo and a bow spot/stalk for a bigger Kudu...but that could change too
My outfitter was Zingeli Safaris and the owner/PH is Louis Stoffberg. I am the pickiest person I know regarding good customer service and he set a new standard for me. Always on time, a very high level of integrity and a work ethic like I've never seen. Would go back just to visit him and his family; they're great people.
Mr Wolverine
CGN Regular
- Location
- Manitoba. Canada
Basically you have received a lot of good advice here, I have been on five Safaris, by no means am I an expert, but I have learnt a lot, I keep a daily journal while away and write up lots of details. The first two Safaris in South Africa were for Plains game, then Botswana for Ellie, these are written up on Wolverine Supplies site here. Then followed a Safari in Zim for Buffalo, this turned out to be a disaster. This year I was back in SA and was fortunate to harvest a 44.5 inch Buff, an Ellie and a PAC Hippo. Next year all been well I plan to return for a repeat performance, but using a Black Powder cartridge 8 Bore double rifle, I am already in training for this.
After three fantastic hunts to have an expensive disaster in Zim was very humbling. That taught me some very valuable lessons, the first of which is check references, dig up all the info you can on the area you plan to hunt, the availability of game, the quality of trophies and phone the references for details. I can not stress this enough.
I always planned to hunt Buff right from the start but my partners wanted Plains game and often the two do not really go together. Generally speaking where the Plains game is excellent the Buff may be poor, in northern SA the Buff may be “Canned hunts”. Move to a good Buff area and the Plains game may well be of a lower quality. Remember we all tell stories of our great hunts and trophies, seldom do we talk of poor ones.
Someone commented that after hunting Buff the Plains game is tame and then Ellie beats the Buff, there is some truth in this. Your biggest deciding factor is your budget and do you plan to only have one African trip. Also you must decide on how big a trophy you want, some areas are renowned for some species and not others.
An African Plains Game hunt is still one hell of an experience. Do not forget the “Poor man’s Buffalo” the Wildebeest, they make great trophies. Sable and Roan are superb but normally very expensive. Personally I thing Eland are number one, them Gemsbok and Kudu.
I have fallen in love with Africa, to me the country is magically, I’m sure you will not find a hunter who once been does not plan to return. I have a partner Coenie Fourie who was raised in SA and was a PH there, he speaks the language and has many contacts there, we act as an agent and you can book your hunt through us, with Coenie’s experience and contacts we can tailor a hunt to your exact requirements. In any event if you have any specific questions I would be pleased to answer them. In any event "Good Luck."
After three fantastic hunts to have an expensive disaster in Zim was very humbling. That taught me some very valuable lessons, the first of which is check references, dig up all the info you can on the area you plan to hunt, the availability of game, the quality of trophies and phone the references for details. I can not stress this enough.
I always planned to hunt Buff right from the start but my partners wanted Plains game and often the two do not really go together. Generally speaking where the Plains game is excellent the Buff may be poor, in northern SA the Buff may be “Canned hunts”. Move to a good Buff area and the Plains game may well be of a lower quality. Remember we all tell stories of our great hunts and trophies, seldom do we talk of poor ones.
Someone commented that after hunting Buff the Plains game is tame and then Ellie beats the Buff, there is some truth in this. Your biggest deciding factor is your budget and do you plan to only have one African trip. Also you must decide on how big a trophy you want, some areas are renowned for some species and not others.
An African Plains Game hunt is still one hell of an experience. Do not forget the “Poor man’s Buffalo” the Wildebeest, they make great trophies. Sable and Roan are superb but normally very expensive. Personally I thing Eland are number one, them Gemsbok and Kudu.
I have fallen in love with Africa, to me the country is magically, I’m sure you will not find a hunter who once been does not plan to return. I have a partner Coenie Fourie who was raised in SA and was a PH there, he speaks the language and has many contacts there, we act as an agent and you can book your hunt through us, with Coenie’s experience and contacts we can tailor a hunt to your exact requirements. In any event if you have any specific questions I would be pleased to answer them. In any event "Good Luck."
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I didn't want to spend the $$$ to go all the way to Africa without hunting buffalo (a dream of mine for 40 years) so I did a two-part hunt: 10 days plains game, then 7 days for buffalo. Best thing I could have done, but I'll never do it again. Plains game was great, an experience that I will never regret, but if I make it back it'll be buffalo or elephant, maybe hippo, but definitely dangerous game. Any plains game will be secondary to the main event.
For plains game I was in Botswana with Tholo Safaris, a huge (100,000+ acres) ranch that is also a cattle operation, on the fringe of the Kalahari. Fantastic accommodations, abundant and impressive game, great service. If you are going with the wife and/or kids, it can't be beat. I took all three of your top species, and several others as well. All hunting was done on foot, either following tracks spotted from the road or simply spot-and-stalk walking in the bush. Your first African animal is an unbelievable experience...mine was a Gemsbok taken at the end of our 6th or 7th failed stalk on Eland. In terms of favourites, the old Eland that I eventually took stood head and shoulders over the others, both literally and in terms of excitement and satisfaction, but each animal will live in my memory forever.
The buffalo was hunted with Classic Safaris in the Caprivi Strip area of Namibia, on communal conservancy land, i.e. land owned and administered by the local people. Tented accommodations, much more rustic camp on the banks of the Chobe River, seeing elephants every day and hearing lions every night. These two hunts couldn't have been more different. Difficult slogging through heavily flooded expanses of prairie-like grass ranging from knee-high to over 10 feet. Far fewer animals, both numbers and species, than the ranch hunt. Many miles of walking each day. We followed tracks and jumped buffalo at little more than arm's length a couple of times without getting a shot opportunity. The PH warned me that things could happen very quickly, which was born out when we had an exhilirating encounter with a bull of which we were unaware until it stood up from the grass 15 yards away. Sixty seconds later I was standing over a dead buffalo and shaking like a leaf.
This expensive (to me, at least) trip was still the best money I have ever spent.
All arrangements were done through a booking agent who specializes in hunting, Wendell Reich of Hunters' Quest Int'l. Wendell was a goldmine of information and very honest and forthcoming. He outlined the good and bad of all the various options that I was considering and reduced the worrying to a minimum. I would never book another exotic hunt without using an agent, and will use Wendell's services if he offers the type of hunt that I want.
A website that you should visit is Accurate Reloading.com, which has an African section that is loaded with useful and interesting stuff.
Good luck with your choice...whatever you choose, you will love it. PM me if I can answer any questions about Tholo or Classic or whatever.
John
For plains game I was in Botswana with Tholo Safaris, a huge (100,000+ acres) ranch that is also a cattle operation, on the fringe of the Kalahari. Fantastic accommodations, abundant and impressive game, great service. If you are going with the wife and/or kids, it can't be beat. I took all three of your top species, and several others as well. All hunting was done on foot, either following tracks spotted from the road or simply spot-and-stalk walking in the bush. Your first African animal is an unbelievable experience...mine was a Gemsbok taken at the end of our 6th or 7th failed stalk on Eland. In terms of favourites, the old Eland that I eventually took stood head and shoulders over the others, both literally and in terms of excitement and satisfaction, but each animal will live in my memory forever.
The buffalo was hunted with Classic Safaris in the Caprivi Strip area of Namibia, on communal conservancy land, i.e. land owned and administered by the local people. Tented accommodations, much more rustic camp on the banks of the Chobe River, seeing elephants every day and hearing lions every night. These two hunts couldn't have been more different. Difficult slogging through heavily flooded expanses of prairie-like grass ranging from knee-high to over 10 feet. Far fewer animals, both numbers and species, than the ranch hunt. Many miles of walking each day. We followed tracks and jumped buffalo at little more than arm's length a couple of times without getting a shot opportunity. The PH warned me that things could happen very quickly, which was born out when we had an exhilirating encounter with a bull of which we were unaware until it stood up from the grass 15 yards away. Sixty seconds later I was standing over a dead buffalo and shaking like a leaf.
This expensive (to me, at least) trip was still the best money I have ever spent.
All arrangements were done through a booking agent who specializes in hunting, Wendell Reich of Hunters' Quest Int'l. Wendell was a goldmine of information and very honest and forthcoming. He outlined the good and bad of all the various options that I was considering and reduced the worrying to a minimum. I would never book another exotic hunt without using an agent, and will use Wendell's services if he offers the type of hunt that I want.
A website that you should visit is Accurate Reloading.com, which has an African section that is loaded with useful and interesting stuff.
Good luck with your choice...whatever you choose, you will love it. PM me if I can answer any questions about Tholo or Classic or whatever.
John
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
I was looking hard at Classic Safaris myself and actually stopped and spoke to Vaughan Fulton a few times over email. When I was down at SCI I got a funny feeling when I talked to Wendell...just didn't get a good vibe from him. On the other hand I had a great experience talking to the guys at Chifuti. I'd still like to hunt the Caprivi, and would still give Vaughan serious consideration.
angrysoldier
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- under your bed
dog leg i gotta ask, arnt elephants endangered? im not trying to be rude but are they on a come back? i seen a video from the 20's of pigmies hunting them and i would love to hunt one but i would feel like s%it if it was endangered. can you shed some light on this for me? if they are legal to hunt can you bring the head back as a trophy? id love to have one.
Depending on who is doing the counting, the number of African elephants is usually put at 650,000 to 850,000. Importing sport hunted tusks into Canada isn't a problem assuming the proper CITES permits are available for the specific country and area.
angrysoldier
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- under your bed
i would just want the head and tusks intact. ive alway read about how wee killing them all. i guess thats all a lie by the left. what sort of cost could a guy expect to hunt one elephant and bring it back? less than 5000? let me know now you have my intrest!
thanks!
thanks!
The costs of trophy elephant hunting are roughly comparable to buying a new truck. Some trucks can be found in the 30s, a few can go up to 80.Most are somewhere in between.
It shows how frighteningly powerful the anti-hunting propaganda machine is when a hunter, one of us, actually believes that elephants are in danger of extinction. This is not meant as any kind of crack or insult, AngrySoldier. It just amazes me when I see evidence of how thoroughly and effectively the other side has brainwashed the world.
-Muzzle control in tough spots. Takes constant attention in thick thorns and scrub, crouched low, following your PH with a round chambered. I actually had a chat with my PH, saying it takes a lot of faith on his part. He said Canadians are good, safety #1, and he doesn't worry with a Canucklehead behind him. He said Europeans are abysmal, we agreed likely due to little actual handling/use of their firearms.
This mirrors my experience. Our PH was very happy with out gun handling and shooting ability. He spent a fair bit of time talking about unsafe hunters he'd had from France, Pakistan and Sweden. My son had a few adventures when the first shot wasn't perfect and I wounded an Eland but he sad we were way better than average.
This mirrors my experience. Our PH was very happy with out gun handling and shooting ability. He spent a fair bit of time talking about unsafe hunters he'd had from France, Pakistan and Sweden. My son had a few adventures when the first shot wasn't perfect and I wounded an Eland but he sad we were way better than average.
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
Elephants were never endangered. Most people that are in the know say that elephants were "locally threatened" in the areas of East Africa where were heavily poached. When the international trade in ivory was shut down in the mid 80s the elephant started to make a comeback. Now there are somewhere in the order of 600,000 elephants continent wide and in Southern Africa elephants are highly over populated. Kruger park has about 15,000 elephant but a carrying capacity of about 2500. Typical of southern Africa...too many elephants but what to do?
Enter the Dogleg!
Enter the Dogleg!
I have a friend that lives in SA. We hunted for two days just off the Limpopo. The farm was average size: 2,000 Km sq. Larger farms closer to Kruger are in the 10,000Km range. I hunted at the end of February this year. They had had nearly 45 days of rain which is very unusual. It was very green and there were plenty of waterholes. I saw Eland, Kudu, Black and Blue Wildebest (Gnu), Impala and that tiny deer (forgot the name). I also had a Lionness in my sights (special permit required) and saw a male Leopard during the day at less than 25 yards! Also a special permit is required. The owner wanted me to shoot both as they were killing the calfs. We saw a drag and then the hide of a female Leopard where she left a few day old Eland. You may see pictures of South Africa in my website: www.sportingphotosshop.com under the Storefront.
Regarding muzzle control, I had a world record Impala in my sight at less than 75 yards. I did not shoot. The PH was in front and to the right of my muzzle. I would of left him permamently deaf, if I shot. He was later gratefull, when Robert explained to him why I did not shoot. He would no longer be able to hear game and could he hear stuff!
I shot a Gnu male that was just short to enter the books. It was a one shot kill using a 30-06 180 Gr Hornady BTSP. We were under some light bush stalking the waterhole. I saw mouvment for over 1 hour. We waited for a suitable animal that was male as females have horns also and were about to have the calfs. Once it was a confirmed male, I used a branch as a rest and proceeded with a heart lung shot. The Gnu barely made 25 yards.
The REAL price for SA natives is a third of what is advertised. My two days of hunting, guide tips and trophy fee was around $600 CDN. Sorry, she won't take anyone from NA! I am having a half skull rack done in SA by my friends taxidermist. Including shipping, it is under $400CDN.
As for elephants, there are too many. They destroy village rummaging for food. I had seen pictures on the local TV of recent damage to crops, fences and villages.
Regards,
Henry
BTW, Next year I will be there in March hunting once more.
Regarding muzzle control, I had a world record Impala in my sight at less than 75 yards. I did not shoot. The PH was in front and to the right of my muzzle. I would of left him permamently deaf, if I shot. He was later gratefull, when Robert explained to him why I did not shoot. He would no longer be able to hear game and could he hear stuff!
I shot a Gnu male that was just short to enter the books. It was a one shot kill using a 30-06 180 Gr Hornady BTSP. We were under some light bush stalking the waterhole. I saw mouvment for over 1 hour. We waited for a suitable animal that was male as females have horns also and were about to have the calfs. Once it was a confirmed male, I used a branch as a rest and proceeded with a heart lung shot. The Gnu barely made 25 yards.
The REAL price for SA natives is a third of what is advertised. My two days of hunting, guide tips and trophy fee was around $600 CDN. Sorry, she won't take anyone from NA! I am having a half skull rack done in SA by my friends taxidermist. Including shipping, it is under $400CDN.
As for elephants, there are too many. They destroy village rummaging for food. I had seen pictures on the local TV of recent damage to crops, fences and villages.
Regards,
Henry
BTW, Next year I will be there in March hunting once more.
Mr Wolverine
CGN Regular
- Location
- Manitoba. Canada
Mr Wolverine, what is the rifle in the buff' pic? That's a great looking buff'! I like!!
The rifle is my C B Vaughan. She is a plain "working grade" box lock, non ejector in .470 NE. I was having problems finding a good rifle that was in my price range when my wife found this one on the Internet for me. That has to be a good omen. The rifle has 26 inch barrels, she is a shade heavy at nearly 12 lbs but that makes her a delight to shoot. I have fired over 400 rds through her in the last two years and have absolute confidence in her. Here she is, doing what she was built for, hunting Ellie in Africa.
Henry , excellent Gnu, they make great trophies.
- Location
- Center of Oil Country
Safaris
Been to South Africa (SA) in 2007 and 2009.
In 2007 took the advice of a friend of a friend and started with a plains game hunt in the Limpopo area of - northern SA. Hunted Gemsbuck,Blue Wildebeest,Impala,Warthog, Kudu and a Steenbuck. This is a typical offering of most safari outfits - depending on the country and the area. This would be a excellent introduction to African hunting. You have to see a Kudu in person to really appreciate this animal - absolutuley beautiful.
I was hooked after the first safari and went back to SA in 2009 with the same safari outfitter. Went back for a Buffalo which I wanted for 30 years. Dangerous game like buffalo, lion etc are expensive in SA and are cheaper in Zimbabwe - however the politics in Zim are brutual and personally I chose not to hunt there - others do and have no problems - it's a matter of choice.
Used Lucca African Safaris in SA smaller outfitter first class treatment etc. Impressed so much going back again in 2011.
PM me if you want to talk on the phone - can call you on my dime.
Glen
Been to South Africa (SA) in 2007 and 2009.
In 2007 took the advice of a friend of a friend and started with a plains game hunt in the Limpopo area of - northern SA. Hunted Gemsbuck,Blue Wildebeest,Impala,Warthog, Kudu and a Steenbuck. This is a typical offering of most safari outfits - depending on the country and the area. This would be a excellent introduction to African hunting. You have to see a Kudu in person to really appreciate this animal - absolutuley beautiful.
I was hooked after the first safari and went back to SA in 2009 with the same safari outfitter. Went back for a Buffalo which I wanted for 30 years. Dangerous game like buffalo, lion etc are expensive in SA and are cheaper in Zimbabwe - however the politics in Zim are brutual and personally I chose not to hunt there - others do and have no problems - it's a matter of choice.
Used Lucca African Safaris in SA smaller outfitter first class treatment etc. Impressed so much going back again in 2011.
PM me if you want to talk on the phone - can call you on my dime.
Glen
