Help with bucket list.
International
OK, zebra's on the bucket list. Where do I need to start? Any advise on a PH, flights and getting the animal back to the states would be welcome. Looking at a rug, so should I have it done over there and shipped here or what? Also some pictures of mounts and rugs would be great! Thanks for any help and guidance.
NEVER have it done in Africa... Coppersmith is who we used to get it over here... We didn't kill one, so I can't help you there (just wasn't on me or my dad's list) But here is a great picture out of the blind.
I have only been there once, I hunted with Ken Moody , I recommend him and having your mounts done in the states. Good luck
enough of the backskin left over to hang on the couch
Pedestal mount with back skin on pedestal.
Here are a couple of Zebra rugs in the hunter's quarters at Angus Brown Safaris
Toby Engelbrect at Engelbrect Safaris is where I hunted. It's not super fancy so it very affordable. You won't meet better people. All three of us who wanted Zebra got them.
Lot's of critters on his ground and you will never see a fence unless you really want to. The fence that is there is not much of a fence so this place is pretty much fair chase. You will hunt out of nice permanent ground blinds over water and can do spot and stalk as well.
He has a website under his name.
you can plan all the bucket list you want. but I promise you it will change when you get their. take some extra cash,if you are like me when you see them you will want to shoot. all the animals are beautiful. I hunted with ken Moody this past july -aug. you will be treated like a king,eat great food and see plenty of animals. pluss ken is very honest,and your money is handled on this side of the pond Forrest
Drahthaar -I completely agree. I had absolutely no desire to shoot a diker and when a little doe came in I almost shot her. They are so small, so alert and super cool. WHEN I go back I will really try for one.
Oh yea, and if you go once then on the plane ride back you will be trying to figure out how and when to go back.
Have your taxidermy done in the US. No recourse with an African taxidermist. Good luck!
What Drahthaar & Bowhunner said!
I actually had no interest in zebra or hartebeest before going. After a couple of days of watching hartebeest, I came to see them differently, and what had seemed odd and ugly, suddenly seemed distinctly African and had a distinct grace, even.
I came to see zebra differently also, and would likely put them at the top of my list, should I return.
With that said, I saw a pedestal zebra mount that looked like a rook chess piece, with the chin tucked in tightly to the neck. I'd consider that if I was to take a zebra.
Best of luck to you.
To me the Zebra is Africa.
It is one of my wife's favorite animals from that trip, but that wasn't the case until we started hunting them.
This rug was done in RSA.
I'd say be open to whatever presents you opportunity.
Make a list and know what a trophy is of things you don't expect to take.
My top animal I wanted (I thought) was a Gemsbok. After having seen a 43" heavy bull, I wanted to take him or not one at all. I passed on some 42" cows and 36" bulls hoping for the monster, it did not happen, and by not getting that Gemsbok, I ended up shooting some things I had not planned to take- Duiker, Warthog, and a couple of extras.
I planned on taking 4 animals on my list, ended up taking 8.
Enjoy the whole experience more than worrying about which animals you are going to harvest. You will not be dissapointed!
I hunted with Lammie from Dare to Bowhunt. He is a bowsite sponsor as well. The opportunity to take a Zebra was presented several times. I would not hesitate in recommending him. Lots of choices out there. Pick one that comes recommended and enjoy the experience!
I have 12 African animals in my house but the ones that I like to look at the most are my kudu, warthog, black wildebeast and my favorite, the Nyala. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
The first time I traveled to Africa I selected 5 animals that I really like to look at...I arrowed all 5. The next time I arrowed 3 that I didn't plan on taking. They are all fun to watch and admire.
Thanks to everyone for the information, photos and PMs. Got a solid place to start now. After seeing the pictures, the wife is on board and getting excited. She's a non-hunter but loves to travel on hunts with me. Zebra rug is on her list now too!
For some reason, I couldn't get a shot at one in Namibia. I will get one next time! They are beautiful. Here is a Mountain zebra.
African Arrow Safaris is a bowhunting operation only in the Limpopo that takes a limited # of hunters per hunt and per year. I have been twice and will return next year. First class in every aspect, family operation and trophy animals to boot. 50" minimum on Kudu and you will see the Kudu. I have killed 13 animals in 2 years with Harry and we took 28 animals between the 4 of us in Sept of 2010 including 5 Kudu, 5 Impala and 4 Zebra. 100,000+ acres of concessions. Check AAS in the outfitters section. They also schedule side trips and sightseeing trips for the non hunters and Harry's girlfriend is a tour owner out of J'oberg that can put together whatever the non hunter/girlfriend/wife wants as far a something away from the lodge. Awesome place!
Started this 2 years ago. It's now becoming real. We are looking at September of '14. Have it down to 2 PH. Money is saved, gear is bought. Wait time is going to be tough.
Good luck on your hunt, zebras are beautiful animals ! Be sure and post pics when you return.
The time will fly by brother...way less than a year to go!
If this is your first trip to Africa- forget the bucket list and just enjoy what Africa offers you.
Bucket lists are for later trips.
I hope to put one down next August when I return to the Limpopo. strangely for me I have not yet had a appropriate opportunity to release my arrow on one. They are not so easy to get a shot on from my experience. I tend to think they are one of the most wary plains game when it comes to watering where there is a blind set up. I feel its finally going to happen when I try for them again. Good luck on your first hunt there. You will love it I am sure. P.S. Good advice to bring as more $ than you are planning now, as you will not kick yourself later.
It was one of the animals that my wife said "No" to, until she got there and saw them. Then she said "Why don't you shoot one of those?" But by then, I had taken several animals and I was saving my trophy fees for my son to hunt.
If I were ever to go back it would be at the top of my list.
Tshepe Safari booked through Bowhunting Safari Consultants was my source.
TBB
I have two and would shoot another very hard animal to hunt and just aewsome mounts, Good luck
Here's a link about my hunt last July.
Suggest flying direct from Atlanta. Dont care what the costs are, but point A to B is too easy.
After I selected whom my outfitter was and flights, and if a hotel was needed in SA, I selected my taxidermist (in the US). They can advise on getting your trophies to them.
In my case, I used Coppersmith to handle all the logistics. They cost a little, but I had no worries.
zebrakiller - wher did you get the blackbuck? I want one sooo bad!
List so far is: zebra,gemsbok, wildebeast & warthog. Wife said to drop the wildebreast and hog, then take a kudu. Yes dear. The things I do for her!
blg, that's a great example of why Taxidermy shouldn't be done in Africa. There is no recourse with the taxidermist if you receive the wrong animal or if there is a problem. The zebra in your photo and your zebra rug are clearly different animals.
You've got a good wife there jstephen61! You might want to keep that one!
WOw YOU ARE RIGHT!. that is amazing that someone would do that to a guy.
My thoughts are to save enough money before going the trip so that you aren't counting pennies while you're there. Take what Africa gives you and don't hesitate if a nice animal comes in that wasn't originally on your bucket list. Waterbuck wasn't high on my priority list until I saw a group of 4 shooter bulls coming into the water. I immediately upgraded Waterbuck to the list. Release the arrow!
Check out Jeff Rann's triple 7 ranch in Texas, I believe you can hunt zebra there. Don't have to fly over to Africa is you don't want the long travel FYI.
LBshooter, that's like saying you don't need to go hunting to get antlers, just buy them on eBay. Why anyone would "hunt" zebra in Texas is beyond me. Of course, many of the SA game farms/ranches may not be much different with their put-and-take and high fences, but that is an argument for a different thread.
Of course, you can pay for the flight to Africa, the trophy fee and the taxidermy for far less than the cost of just shooting a Zebra in Texas. I don't have any idea why people would pay the prices Texas charges for African animals.
Just wanted to share another cool Zebra pic taken by our friend Terry from the hide.
Here's my favorite Zebra pic from my hunt back in August....Mathews Z7Extreme set up, $900...Arrow & Broadhead combination, $15...Qaurtering away, double lunged and dead at 75 yards, Pricelsess!!
On mine and wife's first trip to Africa I had zero interest in zebra. She was on a zebra quest from day one and scored in the last minutes of daylight on the 14th day we were there. You might remember her article in the big game issue of Bowhunter magazine, "Twelfth Hour Zebra".
We went back in 2010 and took the mare and stallion in the double pedestal mount.
We have some other very nice mounts, but when folks walk into the trophy room the pair of zebra are the center of focus.
They are in my opinion one of the most wary of the plains game and a very desirable trophy.
Oh, they don't taste bad either!
Pam's Twelfth Hour Zebra rug.
Gemsbok are pretty cool critters too!
Everyone that goes to Africa must have Impala.
Waterbuck was the number one critter on Pam's list, our first trip...and she got a nice one. (Hers is on the right)
In my opinion , Nyala are the most beautiful of the African antelope.
Blue Wildebeast are as wary as the zebra. One of the most difficult of the animals I took on our first trip.
Red Hartebeast, neat critters. One of the fastest runners of the African plains game.
Pam's Blesbok taken on our first trip to RSA.
Still at the taxidermist are two Springbok, black Wildebeast, Jackal, and an eland.
Hope this helps prime your bucket list. There is nothing quite like Africa that we have experienced. I could go just sit in the blind and be amazed at all the different animals and birds.
Then to come in at night and sit around the fire listening to the night sounds with the Southern Cross overhead, wow, I'm ready to go back.
2015 for Cape a Buffalo, already have deposits down and I can hardly wait!
the writing is on the wall, I'll never make it to Africa. I'm 50 years old and it's just not coming together. If I ever did, tops on my list would be Zebra, and my outfitter would be Ken Moody.
Zebra b/c they are beautiful and fascinating, and as an equine, wary, intelligent, and tenacious of life, with all five senses equally acute. Also zebra because I hear they're excellent eating. I want to eat what I kill (while there)
Ken Moody because I've met and hunted with him in the States, and he is a quality guy. Hard working, intelligent, honest, no nonsense, plain spoken.
I know this doesn't help you, but I wanted to "tag along" on your quest and dream a little :-)
DJ,
Those are some beautiful mounts and displays... Very well thought out. Stacking wall and floor pedestals are excellent ways to pose multiple trophies from the same display. These impalas were from our first hunt with Limcroma back in 2007.
Fuzzy, I'll be 53 on Sunday and leave for Africa 3 months from today.
Firehuntfish, Love the impala mount. Gorgeous!
Fuzzy, I am going after Cape Buffalo next summer, God willing, and I will have turned 65. Shooting my bow now and getting my gear and myself lined out.
We took my Dad three years ago on a plains game hunt to Tshepe where he took six animals with his crossbow.....he turned 91 on the airplane on the way home.
The point I'm trying to make is that you need to keep your dreams alive.
thanks guys, it's not my age. I am in fair shape, for the shape I'm in, at my age.
It's an age vs finances thing. I've had a good working career, and I plan to stay busy til I fade into the sunset, but I plan to retire from my current job and work for myself, in four years after my son is out of college.
I could concievably be wildly sucessful and make big bucks, but I am not banking on it.
I totally understand Fuzzy. I too never dreamed Africa would be in my future, as long as kids were in college it was not possible...after the nest emptied somehow we we able to put it together..
I am just encouraging you to not kill the dream. I sincerely hope your dreams come to fruition.
Well, it's been almost 3 years since I started this thread and much has changed. My Bucket List list has grown, most of you are to blame for that. My wife is so excited about going, she's making me crazy. My fault. We leave in 5 days 23 hours 25 minutes. Who's counting.
Have a great trip! Looking forward to a good hunt report and some pictures!
Great trip to you, J.
I'm 56, and never had a lot of interest in a bowhunt in Africa.
Then about a month ago I got broad-sided with desire.
A buddy and I are trying to get organized, and I'm saving money a few hundred here, a few hundred there. Keep the older, paid-off truck and car a few more years.
Kids are out of college, in great careers.
It's time, and I look forward to what I'll learn from your experience.
Hope you have a GREAT trip Jim! Stay safe & we look forward to your report & pics when you return.
You will have a blast. Forrest
Here is a checked off bucket list item.
One that I didn't know was on the list!
Heck yes! I love seeing these stories play out over the course of a few months/years. Congratulations to you Jim!
You will be BACK! So to will your bucket list expand. Great going so far Jim, you have two hard ones checked off.
This was down on the list but he came in this evening.
Jim, suggest to Reon to use a flash with the pics even if there is enough light. It will take out the shadows. I lightened up your Wildebeest pic a bit so we could see your smiling face.
Jim, Awesome , glad you are having a good hunt. how big is your waterbuck. tell elmay & Reon hello for me. I was their a year ago today. the 12th is Kudu day. Forrest
Rich, hadn't shaved in 4 days. Now everybody knows ;) Thanks for the lighten up.
My advice would be to give your PH a list of "primary animals" and be open to others. When I went to the RSA two years ago, I told my PH that I wanted to shoot a Kudu, Black Wildebeest, Gemsbok and a Zebra. I also told him that I was open to other animals if they were exceptional trophies (my actual words were "if we see something that makes you go "Holy $h!t!"). We spent two days trying to put an old blue Eland in the salt, but could not get it done. Playing touch and go with a one ton antelope was one of the most memorable parts of the hunt. They do not get old by being stupid.
I seen somewhere a Zebra mounted like a chess piece. The Rook. Very cool looking
Make your own bucket list. Take what is right for you.
The "chess piece" mount is pretty sharp (BTW, it is the knight. Rook is the castle). I considered doing that, but went with a wall pedestal instead. There are a few pics of the knight pose in this thread.
http://forums.bowsite.com/tf/bgforums/thread.cfm?forum=18&threadid=410933&MESSAGES=11&FF=18
Waterbuck wasn't on my "must have" list either on the first trip. When my guide said "three waterbuck on the way in, two shooters", I took one look and instantly upgraded them to the list.
Looks like you had an awesome trip and took some great trophies. Now the bad part of the trip comes into play...mounting them. Don't blame anyone but yourself for the taxidermy bill! Congratulations.
Taxidermy bill wasn't all that bad. Got a 10% discount for paying in full. The whole trip with everything was cheaper than a moose hunt in the Yukon.
Reon is in the states this month. I have his number and email if anybody is interested in meeting him.
