Other regret is not buying more wood carvings and curios.
I am glad when I went, I used a rifle. I think I would have missed a lot sitting in a blind all day. Just my two cents.
I got to get better friends………..
Take more money and be prepared to shoot more than you think.
If you’re gonna do much walking in sandy areas, gaiters may be recommended. Order now. The popular Boyt shumba gaiters can be hard to find sometimes. I bought a couple pairs from MidwayUSA last fall but before that they were impossible to find.
Have fun. Africa is amazing. I’ve seen very little of it, but I’ve loved every time I’ve been.
You may think you aren’t interest now but seeing so many different varieties in person was way more exciting than I thought. Ending up shooting a few extras I did t think I would like but in Person it’s so much better
Altitude Sickness 's Link
Altitude Sickness 's Link
If you take a bow find a case that does not look like a hard rifle case. or it’ll be thrown with the rifles. and you’ll be in the same line as a rifle hunters doing their paperwork.
If it’s short enough, ATA, stick it in your suitcase, or get a soft bow case made for travel.
Use a travel agent used to booking airfare for Namibia. It’s worth the small fee they charge
Renting a rifle avoids a lot of headaches
Take 2 pairs of pants. 3 shirts. A fleece vest, fleece coat a warm Beenie cap, or watch cap, low ankle high, soft soled hiking boots. Don’t take heavy Vibram type lugged boots.
Try to do both blind hunting and stalking. Each has its own benefit.
Namibia is famous for Gemsbok and Eland hunts. Tracking an Eland on foot is a great challenging hunt
Warthogs are the best. Cheap, entertaining to watch. And actually challenging. Because everything there wants to eat them. They easily jump the string of the quietist of bows. Even recurves and longbows aren’t quiet enough. To avoid them dropping
The picture is a warthog dropping and spinning at the sound of my quiet recurve bow. You can see my arrow in the pigs side. This same set up had already killed a mature Eland.
The arrow hit at a different angle and the pig was spinning as it hit. Made for relatively long tracking
Everything there is jumpy. But pigs even more so.
The best piece of advice I can give. Is DONT GO It will hook you. I’ve met a lot of people who say they are not interested in hunting Africa. But I’ve never met anyone that hunted it that did not want to go back.
Don’t bring a lot of clothes. Bring light weight dark tops for blind. I had too warm of shirts.
Bring a lot of arrows. Those big animals I struggled getting pass through and broke most of them. I brought a dozen and came home with 2
Take lots of pictures. Enjoy just being out in the bush. IT really doesn't take much to prepare, so don't over think it.
Let us know when you find out who you are hunting with and perhaps a few more specific recommendations can be added.
Bill
My first trip I decided to focus on Cape buffalo and take whatever the bush gives me if it’s a trophy. Plus every wart hog they’d let me shoot
I decided not to shoot moneys, ostriches or giraffes just because it didn’t feel right. I had shots and comfortably passed them
My list is down to 36 after my first trip. It’s gonna get harder which makes it even more fun
Animals will show up fast. The guide will want you to shoot every trophy and culls that show up
We had some people in camp that bought a cheap auction hunt. They only shot the animals they bought on the auction. I stayed up with guides drinking after dinner. You could tell they were not happy. They were not making any money on these customers and just wasting time in the blind
There's no reason to rifle hunt in Africa. You will have plenty of bow opportunities if you go with the right outfitter.
If you are going to spend the money to go do it right the first time. There are a few bow site sponsors and a couple well vetted concessions on bow site. I would not take a chance on going with anyone else.
Another good option is going with Bowhunting Safaris Consultants and having them place you with an outfitter that will be best for YOUR desired trip.
Get a price list from the safaris company. Study the animals carefully. Set a reasonable budget & make a list of the animals you want to take. When you get to Africa, throw your list away, let the arrows or lead fly and worry about the cost when you get home!
Take what Africa gives you. Some of the animals that you weren’t initially interested in are very impressive when you see them coming in to the waterhole. Tell your PH your target animals and they’ll do their best to put you in the right concessions for success.
Feel free to PM me. I'm in Wichita and am happy to walk you through everything. I've been over 4 times and my father 10+. We are happy to share everything we know and then some.
This exact thread exists on another board but it's more geared for the archery hunters. As we look at the shows just around the corner, I thought it would be great to have a similar thread on here for people as they prepare to book their hunts for the years 2016 and 2017.
Some of my words of wisdom:
Get out and see the landscape! Bowhunters sit in concrete port-a-potties and miss so much of the scenery. Drive around and spot-and-stalk. Shoot some birds when you hit an afternoon lull. Francolin are excellent on the table.
If you are saving money and think you are almost there for this upcoming year, save for one more year. You don't want to be strapped for cash and on a restrictive budget when the trophy of a lifetime emerges. You will go over budget, TIA.
Buy the cheap airline ticket in coach. There is no need to pay-up for a better class ticket when you can use this "savings" towards your hunt and taxidermy.
If you find a good free-range hunt, you need to take it. Africa is changing for the worse (thanks, China) and it could be ranch hunting as the only option sooner than later. Get out and experience the real Africa while it still exists.
Most of your trackers and male camp staff smoke. Grab a carton of cigarettes at the duty-free before you leave Johannesburg. If they have unfiltered, grab those. You will be their best friend when you have some smokes for them. Don't give them all out at once, stagger the distribution throughout the trip.
Bring hard candy, if you have weight in your bag. If there are little children in nearby villages, there is nothing more precious than seeing their smiling faces as you give them candy. If there aren't any children, your camp staff will love it.
Bring some old issues of hunting and outdoor magazines to leave for the trackers. Most of your staff can't read English but they are fascinated by the pictures of wildlife they have never seen before.
RSA is fine for plains game but don't shoot a ranch Cape Buffalo. If you have a Cape on your bucket list, save for a free-range hunt and go that route. Be warned that some parts of Zimbabwe are very tough due to poaching (voice of experience here).
Lions are not crossing into RSA from Botswana. Lions are not "eating all the game on my friend's ranch" and he can get you a great deal. These are the two biggest tricks in the book for you to shoot a canned lion. If that is your thing, that's fine but if you have reservations about hunting a released pen-raised lion, this is the scam to make you think you did it the "real" way. Wild lion hunts don't take just a couple of hours!
Do not have your taxidermy done in RSA. There are numerous horror stories of people getting the wrong animal back, not getting their animals at all, and just crappy taxidermy work.
Save the back skins on some of your trophies. They look great tanned and draped over a couch or chair.
Most of your shots are under 150 yards. I have had one trip that was an exception, a river valley in Western Tanzania. Remember, you wound, you pay. This cowboy long-range fad is cool but not so much fun when you lose a kudu and are out $1,500.
Shoot a Barnes TSX or similar bullet. Sure those Bergers and others hype the shock and knock-down power of their bullets but these aren't whitetail you are shooting. Penetration is key here. Your trackers will find it if you hit him right. Penetration, penetration, penetration. Got it?
Bring a soft gun case for your firearms. It would suck to have a nice rifle riding around exposed in a truck gun rack.
Buy a copy of Kevin "Doctari" Robertson's book, The Perfect Shot. Kevin is a vet and PH. His books discuss the anatomy of the African animals and some facts about them. Just about every PH has his Mini Edition in the truck.
You do not need to pack a bunch of clothes. Your laundry is done daily. Two sets of hunting clothes and a light jacket will suffice for most hunts. If you are going to an area with lots of Tsetse flies, don't bring shorts.
3M Ultrathon lotion is great on Tsetse flies. Avon Skin So Soft is great for Mopane Bees. Ask your PH if you are in an area with either one of these insects. They are terrible.
You will be hooked on the Dark Continent. You will be back. Consider yourself warned that it's addicting.
I'm sure others will come to mind and I will edit as I think of them. I am anxious to see what others can contribute to this discussion, as I know the similar thread benefited many hunters as they prepped for their first hunts.
It’s the dry season and the animals have to drink so water holes are golden
That should be in the $3000 range daily rate and trophy fees. Without airfare. This is show season. And there are sponsors on here that offer better package deals. And auction hunts. You may be able to get a 7 day hunt and 4-5 animals with Limcroma for $3-$4k
We also took another two weeks to tour Zimbabwe and Botswana’s Chobe park. Spent a few days in J-berg.
It’s a long expensive flight. Make the most of it once you’re there.
Impala are cheap and to me one of the most beautiful mounts that say “Africa” in a quiet understated way. A Zebra rug also says Africa. Keep in mind, you can buy hides pretty cheap at the main airports. Often cheaper that in the local gift shops.
If you’re going to gun hunt, definitely rent one there, but negotiate a price before going. But I think you are missing some of the “up close” excitement if not bow hunting.
For opportunity and diversity, there is no place like SA, especially bang or twang for your dollar.
