90 days, counting down, last minute tips
International
We're down to 90 days and counting down. Last minute tips, advice, paperwork, etc. from those that have been there, done that? Heading to Namibia with Roy Van De Merwe at Otjandaue Hunting Safaris. Taking archery gear only, we are NOT taking a rifle/firearm. Already have our plane tickets, trip insurance, passports, hotel lined up in Doha for our layovers. Am I missing any paperwork required before I leave the states? I am after a Mt. Zebra and that requires a CITES (sp?) permit. Do I do that before or after the hunt? It will be my daughter and I, 12 days in country. Spending money? Have money exchanged there, here? Tips? Gifts for staff? Open to advice, suggestions, etc.
Dee,
Are you sure a Hartman is covered by CITES, if no used for commercial use?
Ck with USFWS to be sure.
You may have to give the airline advance notice of your bow. I believe they consider it a weapon and require paperwork in advance. I know the Arab countries are very strict. Better to call now than be sorry later.
Unless the rule have changed the description is ARCHERY equipment and this takes no special paper work or prenotice as far as I know. I have flown NYC to South Africa, and NYC to Namibia through Frankfurt a total of 4 times since 1995 and last 3 years ago. Call your carrier and or booking agent to check. Look it up on line at the Airline web site and the smart person prints out the rules and has them in hand if needed. You may well be better educated than the person that you are speaking with at the airport on this subject.
If your daughter is a minor, you need some extra paperwork filled out by both parents.
Thanks Greg, I overlooked that last paragraph. And my daughter is 17, so that's covered. Also talked to the airlines before I bought the tickets, they assured me on the phone, and in their regs, that traveling with a bow is not an issue at all. Someone has suggested that I call CDC for shots/vaccines. According to their website, to travel to, or through, Qatar and Namibia, we'll need Hep A, Hep B, Typhoid, Malaria, and Rabies prevention. Oh, but the good news, Yellow Fever is not a problem. LOL
Regarding tips, yes, you are expected to tip. Hunting Africa is like going out to a restaurant - tips are all but required. You will tip your PH, cook, trackers, skinners...the list can be quite long. It would not be poor form to ask the outfitter ahead of time who should be tipped, as well as a general guideline. I recommend tipping each person individually, rather than trusting your PH or outfitter to distribute the tips. Take a few envelopes and hand one to each person receiving a tip on your last day. Tip in USD.
Don't bother with gifts. Cash is much, much more appreciated. It would not be rude to ask your PH if he needs anything from the States. Other than this, don't bother with gifts.
My personal suggestion is don't get too hung up on the bow-only idea. In my personal opinion, Africa is much better suited to hunting with a rifle. With a bow you are pretty much constrained to sitting in a blind next to a waterhole. This is hardly the type of hunt you read about in Hemingway, Capstick, etc. Going for a walk through wild Africa with a rifle in hand just feels right. By all means, start with the bow. Just don't view it as a failure if you decide to use your PH's rifle. You might also consider going out one evening for predators and other nocturnal game, again with the rifle. Or maybe spend an afternoon looking for baboons, again with the PH's rifle.
Try to take in a bit of the countryside. Ask to stop in a town or two on the way to camp, to get a feel for the place. Make sure you buy and eat lots of biltong. If you haven't already, make sure to alert your credit card company that you will be in Africa, and give them the dates of your trip.
Bushwacker, Couldn't agree with Overland more; all good advice. Here is a link to an article on tipping, written by an outfitter - http://www.chifutisafaris.com/article_tipping_guide.htm.
I spent a very successful week in an archery only concession, but impala rams of shooting quality were scarce there so we moved to another concession. But after 3 days the shooter rams continued to stayed out of bow range (using trad gear). So on the last day the ph suggested spot and stalk with his rifle. Our third stalk of the day was successful and that was my most memorable day of the hunt. Being a passionate bowhunter (even small game and fish), I have come to the opinion that African game is more gratifying to hunt with a rifle. That being said; the memory of sneaking within 15yds to put the finishing arrow into a 1500 lb. wounded Eland still puts a tingle in my manhood.
Take a wrist rocket slingshot for the monkeys... off the chart fun. Leave it as a gift.
If warthogs ain"t coming to the waterhole, its time to move- the wind ain't right. Take some surveyor tape and tie a small strip around hide to watch the wind direction. This will break up any confusion and argument with a PH about which way the wind is blowing.
Don't spook the go-a-way birds or the monkeys. Spook them and nothing is coming to the waterhole
Our PH has a rifle and if need be, Emily is more than willing to use it. That saves us the hassle of transporting one and I've included that cost into my budget for the hunt. This hunt is for her, how she takes her animals is up to her, and trust me, she'll have no qualms going with a boom stick when needed. I have tip money already set aside, wasn't planning on not tipping. But percentage? Percentage of daily rate, animals harvested, daily rate plus animals harvested? Ballpark, daily rate total is $4500, total animal list is another $6000, so tip on the $4500, the $6000, or both? And we have planned for side trips. I have tried to plan for a great trip while in country, cutting costs only on the other things like economy versus business class seats. I talked to CDC this morning and all of those immunizations on their website are 'recommendations' only, except for the Yellow fever which doesn't apply to US travelers. I'm thinking we'll still get a tetanus shot though, just in case.
I sent you a PM with a little more information on tipping.
I'm sure you already know that shot placement on African game is a bit different than on their North American counterparts. The book The Perfect Shot has excellent illustrations and details on African game. I recommend picking up a copy and reading it on the plane.
Saltydog, thanks for the link, I think I've printed out all of those sub-links and will read and digest. Thanks
I took a couple of trail cams along, and gave them to the PH along with cash for a tip. Very cool to get pics of all the stuff that came to the waterholes at night or when we weren’t there. Well worth bringing, IMO.
I'm just hoping now that all this talk from Trump about Qatar and now RSA threatening to take the land won't affect our trip in June?
Duct tape always a welcomed item with outfitters.
Hard candy & gum for kids. Chocolates tend to melt. $6 bag at Walmart
They agreed on the taking of the land from the farmers....and from what I understand ZERO compensation. I understand the farmers have been practicing on their "bug out" plans and moves. Hopefully nothing pops up before you go.
I have to ask....do you shoot the monkeys with the wrist rocket for fun??? WTF
There is already a thread on the land taking issue. The vote passed. But it has to go to a constitutional review, and that report isn't due back until Aug 30.
So it's unlikely it will affect much this summer. I spoke with my outfitter and he said it will not affect my hunt at all in July.
Based on my personal experience I would recommend that you have a site lite . The hides are very dark inside when the sun drops on the horizon.
Bud Meadows 2017 Waterbuck
Bud Meadows 2017 Waterbuck
I always bring at least TWO quality Streamline flashlights. The farm where I hunt in Namibia has about a 100 yard walk from the guest chalet to the main lodge where we eat and hang out. With the abundance of leopards, lions, cheetahs and jackals in that area, I don't want to be walking around in the dark. Bring a battery powered alarm clock too. Here's a decent Waterbuck I got in May 2017:
Bud , Very nice waterbuck. Congrats !!
I good bird book if you are sitting at a waterhole. I believe Collins field guide is the one I have. A good piece of stout wire to make a bow hook for a pit blind. I use a strong coat hanger and just cut off about 8”. Duct tape or black tape is always helpful.
Imodium.
I would also get a 3-4 day prescription for Cipro. It is an antibiotic for travelers diarrhea.
The shots are a good idea. It might give you some comfort to look up what the CDC recommends for the USA. It is a very similar list with the exception of malaria. Personally, I would not take malaria pills in Namibia. The pills can be as difficult as the disease. However, I am not a doctor and am not capable of giving good advice.
I don’t stay at Holiday Inn Expresses.
However, I have hunted Africa over 15 times.
Second the sight light. With the way the light comes in the hides your sights will be all blacked out with out one. The one thing I wish we did was bring a journal with you and a cloth tape measure. Measure your critters before they take them away. It seems like as soon as you take pictures with your trophies they are loaded up and gone to the skinning shed. With that being said we did like our time at the skinning shed. I would have liked to watch the process start to finish on our animals. Lastly I liked taking a picture at the end of our hunt with all the horns from our hunt. It amazed me at the number and size of our trophies. Have a blast! Time will fly so enjoy every minute!!
Chapstik (dry lips), saline solution (for dry nose), body lotion (dry skin)
