Getting ready for our return trip to Africa

We, that is my son, oldest daughter and myself are getting ready to hunt buffs with SSG Safaris in July. So far we have the trip booked with a 50% deposit and the final payment scheduled for June, airline tickets bought- Delta ( Harrisburg/Atlanta/Joberg/Harare and back ), trip insurance purchased, Global Rescue plan in place, gun and bullets sorted out ( 2- Ruger 375s, 300 gr. softs and solids, 1- Ruger #1 in 300 H&H, 180 gr. for P/G ). Still working with the kids ( 35 & 32 year old kids ) on clothing and footwear but should have that sorted out shortly. My daughter called me today to ask when we are going to start shooting at the range again, I told her as soon as the weather warms up a bit. She needs to shoot off the sticks a little more. So my question is, what am I forgetting ? I love planning hunting trips but sometimes a little help or reassurance is nice. Any suggestions or advice will be much appreciated.

Try to have your rifle permits ahead of time for each person.

Are your Rifles hard cases for each person in place?

Lockable ammo case for each member?

Taxidermist & importer found along with your tags to take along and use?

Camera to report back to the group...

Shots up to date?

Any med you need to take make sure you have the time covered plus a few days extra.

Carry on should have all your small valuables that you have not locked in your rifle case. Joberg is famous for going through luggage. especially if you have a bag with side pouches.

Money from the bank and try and get bills newer than 2005 or 2006, no tears, or writing on the bills. Have tip bills in smaller amounts, and easy to get to.

Reading material for the flight over and back?

Thanks JG, shots are up to date along with passports,rifle permits are in the works, got hard cases and lockable ammo boxes. No side pouches on bags and planning on taking new money including lots of small bills was told that nobody in Zim has any change for big bills. I've got to work on taxidermist and importer yet. My kids will probably take hundred of pics I sometimes forget about my camera, I quess I get caught up in the moment. I am planning on taking a diary or at least a notebook this time. It should really help with the hunt report. Thanks again it all helps.

Your forgetting to adopt another 36 year old son....i'm here!

No, it sounds like you have it pretty well covered. Are your vaccinations current? I would encourage you to take a small video cam (relatively cheap these days) and take lots of footage. Above all else, have fun with Nixon and bring back some great family memories!

Check out the GoPro cameras...I think that would be awesome video of a DG scenario!

hope this helps. good luck and enjoy your hunt
Hunting - Hunting Gear, Hunting Gear List for Rifle Hunters

Originally Posted by James.Grage

Try to have your rifle permits ahead of time for each person.

Are your Rifles hard cases for each person in place?

Lockable ammo case for each member?

Taxidermist & importer found along with your tags to take along and use?

Camera to report back to the group...

Shots up to date?

Any med you need to take make sure you have the time covered plus a few days extra.

Carry on should have all your small valuables that you have not locked in your rifle case. Joberg is famous for going through luggage. especially if you have a bag with side pouches.

Money from the bank and try and get bills newer than 2005 or 2006, no tears, or writing on the bills. Have tip bills in smaller amounts, and easy to get to.

Reading material for the flight over and back?

Totally Agree on what he said!! Also have an updated life insurance policy...something i do on every overseas trip.

Thanks guys all great advice, dl I have my son checking into a GoPro, sorry Tom my wife says 3 kids are enough, TS unfortunately being a cancer survivor I can't change my life insurance policy until 5 years from being pronounced cancer free. But the good news is I was pronounced cancer free. Gerrit I did check out list thanks.

jduckhunter,
Please don't take this the wrong way, but in light of all of the tragic accidents that happen last year involving DG hunts, especially buffalo, go over all of the safe gun handling protocols again. Talk about what could happen and try to prepare mentally for different senarios. It may be extreme, but I practice for buffalo by shooting and cycling rounds (as fast as I accurately can), off the sticks, while my wife screams at me from behind while she times me. It helps to inject the "adreneline factor" into the practice and makes me a better shot. Discuss the importance of being aware of everyones location during a follow-up. Be where your PH wants you to be at all times. Listen to him, your in his house. More times than not, your accurate first shot will end the hunt and everyone goes home happy. Just be prepared physically and mentally if it doesn't.

Thanks BB again great advice, I have been preparing for this hunt for a long long time. And after guideing hunters for over 25 years I know things don't always work out as planned, and I guess the biggest problem I have with hunters is thier lack of preparedness and thier lack of knowledge of thier firearm. Nothing worse then stalking for hours trying to get a shot and then tracking a wounded animal for several more hours. Don't get me wrong I know things sometimes go wrong I just think that alot of it could be avoided if guys took thier shooting and physical conditioning more seriously. As soon as it warms up a bit here I'm going to hit the range with the kids and work on follow up shooting and such. They have been shooting since they could carry a gun but I want them to understand that this hunt is about as serious as it gets. I lost a friend a few years back to a cape buffalo and it took alot of explaining to my wife to get her to understand why in the world my kids and I want to go after them. But sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. Thanks again, we will do our best.