Need help planning a safari

JHC-II

JHC-II

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Well am getting to take the hit and go back to Africa. Really having a problem finding a good PH, any suggestions out there? I would like to go on a limited species hunt 2 Kudu, a bunch of Warthogs, and a Thompsons gazel maybe one of those fallow deer if money permits, would be heading out in 2 years so its no rush, but damm its hard to find the right outfitter. Anyone have sucess with hunt africa.ca?????

jambo
 
Had a fabulous (first) trip to RSA last year with a group of six friends from Alberta (here's a link: http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=174930)

A few weeks ago I had dinner with two guys who just came back from a hunt with the same outfitter, Pierre Moolman (they went at the end of May, 2008). There were only two of them at the lodge and by their account (and pictures), it was even better hunting during the rut.

There's several guys on the forum who have gone to Africa to hunt. Try a search and you're bound to find good info.
 
I believe that the only place you can get a Thompson Gazelle is in Tanzania which means mucho dollars.Nambia would be my choice for the Kudu,RSA is pretty much all high fence.Moz. interests me but very expensive to get to if they figure out a way in ,that compares to RSA or Nambia I would like to go there next.I,m off to Zim. in 11 days fingers crossed.
 
On HuntingBC there's a member named Agaucher. He took his Dad to Africa and WOW! The Picture thread made me mess my pants...

Go there, look him up. He can be very helpful. Tell'em Mr. Dean sent ya.
 
boiling it down

Namibia and SA are the two target areas, am having great hesitations with SA at the moment politicis and crime are rampant, never been to Namibia but hear they got some great Kudu there. Really want to shoot two one for a European mount and one for a wall hangar, warthogs have always been a passion for me. Planning on taking a 6.5x55 and a 7x57 was wondering how much ammo everyone took, reloads? factory? How was customs on both ends with the rifles? How much over weight charges did you get? Taxidermy done in country or sent back to Canada? Tips cash or gifts whats king?

Would like to spend a day wing shooting also but figured I could rent a shotgun there

cheers
 
We are doing Namibia in 2009 and selected it for a number of reasons. The first being the safety of the country. From all reports, renting a car and driving around yourself is not an issue at all. Not sure you can say that about any other country in Africa. Prices are very reasonable and plains game is plentiful and of good quality. Flights are fairly direct and hassle free. We wanted a free-range hunt and there are a number of free-range concessions in Namibia and even on the fenced ranches, fences are typically not game proof and ranch sizes are typically larger than SA.

This will be our first trip but we have done loads of research and Namibia seemed to fit our budget and needs best.
 
Went to Africa at the end of May and used Hunt Africa.ca. The guy is great and is here in Canada now. He has a lot of contacts over there and is pretty reasonable price wise.
Wolverine also has a link to his web site.

Here is his email: huntafrica@goinet.ca

Cant hurt to get a quote. At lease you have something to compare prices with.

IMG_0801.jpg

IMG_0806.jpg
 
I wouldn't go in the bush with someone that engages in stunts like that thing with the Hyena. Good way to get a nasty bite...or eaten.

With regard to the other fellow, a buffalo hunt that requires three days should also come with the proviso that you carry a can-opener.

For that very reason I've ruled out RSA for buffalo next summer. I'm looking at either Zim or Moz. Just have to decide if I want to hunt with J.P. Kleinhans (Moz) or Chifuti (Zim). Leaning toward Chifuti at the moment.
 
good feed back

has anyone hear gone through cruiser safaris out of RSA? Prices are pretty reasonable and the facilities look pretty good.
 
sheephunter said:
We are doing Namibia in 2009 and selected it for a number of reasons. The first being the safety of the country. From all reports, renting a car and driving around yourself is not an issue at all. Not sure you can say that about any other country in Africa. Prices are very reasonable and plains game is plentiful and of good quality. Flights are fairly direct and hassle free. We wanted a free-range hunt and there are a number of free-range concessions in Namibia and even on the fenced ranches, fences are typically not game proof and ranch sizes are typically larger than SA.

This will be our first trip but we have done loads of research and Namibia seemed to fit our budget and needs best.
Click to expand...

It's certainly true that there is more land that is technically free range in Namibia than there is in RSA. However, some of the concessions in RSA are so large as to make the mind reel. My hunt last year in RSA occurred on the Asante Sana and Samara game reserves. Together (and they adjoin each other) they encompass an area measured in hundreds of thousands of acres. To say it was huge is an understatement. Seven of us in our party hunted the area for most of a 10-day hunt -- let's say a total of 50 man-days -- and as a group I don't think we saw even half of it. And most of it, wasn't even fenced -- which technically it's supposed to be, but it isn't in Samara's budget to complete the fencing project until at least 2010 -- it's that large of an area. Even once the fencing is complete, 99% of the animals will live their lifespan never even encountering the fence a single time.

All I'm getting at is that if you do your homework, RSA can be a lot wilder than somebody's 10,000 acre ranch.

As for safety, I can't comment on Namibia -- but I do agree the country seems to have a good reputation. That said, I honestly felt quite safe in RSA. I guess it depends what you've been exposed to. If your principal ponit of reference is your hometown in Canada, I agree RSA can seem a bit intimidating. But as someone who's spent a couple years living and working in the Brazilian cities of Sao Paulo and Rio, RSA seemed quite tame by comparison. I, for one, wouldn't have any concerns renting a car and driving around myself on the major road system.

Just my 2 cents.
 
Yes, I was just talking in general terms about Namibia. No doubt there are still some free range hunts left in SA and no doubt some of the ranches are indeed huge and provide a free-range-like hunt. It was just a personal reason for us that we wanted true free range hunt off of a private ranch and am certainly not about to judge anyone that chooses to hunt within the confines of a fence. It just wasn't something we wanted from this hunt and the one country that seemed to fit our budget and desires the best was Namibia.

I too have travelled the world and been exposed to its seediest side and I agree that SA is not as dangerous as many other counties, especially if you stay out of Joberg but Namibia does have a reputation for being extremely safe and as we wanted to travel for an additional week unacccompanied, once again it seemed to fit the bill a bit better for us.

I think the biggest challenge in booking a safari is deciding exactly what you want from it and then finding an outfit that can provide that. For us, we wanted to experience a bit of an old-time safari without fences, lodges or other hunters. Certainly others want different things and should seek those out.
 
Sheephunter, all valid reasons for choosing Namibia. FWIW, we watched a group of Kudu one at a time jump over a 10' fence on one of the properties we hunted.
 
Missing Something said:
Went to Africa at the end of May and used Hunt Africa.ca. The guy is great and is here in Canada now. He has a lot of contacts over there and is pretty reasonable price wise.
Wolverine also has a link to his web site.

Here is his email: huntafrica@goinet.ca

Cant hurt to get a quote. At lease you have something to compare prices with.

IMG_0801.jpg

IMG_0806.jpg
Click to expand...

Lovely Kudu!
 
JHC-II said:
Well am getting to take the hit and go back to Africa. Really having a problem finding a good PH, any suggestions out there? I would like to go on a limited species hunt 2 Kudu, a bunch of Warthogs, and a Thompsons gazel maybe one of those fallow deer if money permits, would be heading out in 2 years so its no rush, but damm its hard to find the right outfitter. Anyone have sucess with hunt africa.ca?????

jambo
Click to expand...

What are you looking to spend?
 
sheephunter said:
Yes, I was just talking in general terms about Namibia. No doubt there are still some free range hunts left in SA and no doubt some of the ranches are indeed huge and provide a free-range-like hunt. It was just a personal reason for us that we wanted true free range hunt off of a private ranch and am certainly not about to judge anyone that chooses to hunt within the confines of a fence. It just wasn't something we wanted from this hunt and the one country that seemed to fit our budget and desires the best was Namibia.

I too have travelled the world and been exposed to its seediest side and I agree that SA is not as dangerous as many other counties, especially if you stay out of Joberg but Namibia does have a reputation for being extremely safe and as we wanted to travel for an additional week unacccompanied, once again it seemed to fit the bill a bit better for us.

I think the biggest challenge in booking a safari is deciding exactly what you want from it and then finding an outfit that can provide that. For us, we wanted to experience a bit of an old-time safari without fences, lodges or other hunters. Certainly others want different things and should seek those out.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you've chosen the right hunt then!

I quite understand, and agree, with the personal choice to keep a fence out of the equation. The truth is, it's getting harder and harder to do in Africa. Of course, fencing tends to mean something very different over there than it does over here, simply due to the sheer scale of the landholdings. Even if you head into something like the Bubye or Save conservancies in Zimbabwe (the Save, I believe, still being the largest private conservancy on the planet), there are still fences involved. Africa has changed a lot from the glory days, and it continues to change at a rapid pace. It's hardly surprising, I guess, what Tanzania's charging for being able to offer up a small isolated bubble from a time now gone everywhere else.

That said, I can't wait to hear your field report on the Namibian trip, having yet to hunt there myself. For me, Zim is next -- and after that? Hmm... I'd like to say Tanzania, but I'm going to have to learn how to count cards in Vegas for that to happen at today's rates :p
 
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