Best time to hunt South Africa?

In preparation for my 2012 safari, I would like to know what is the best time to hunt South Africa? During the summer or winter time? Pros & cons of each season, and any advise you can provide. Your assistance is greatly appreciated. I hope I posted this in the right thread.

Oscar

Go during May, during the new moon phase if you are a rifle hunter. Otherwise go later in the year when the water holes are dried up if you are a bow hunter. I try to avoid high season....just because the airlines are packed full and the prices are higher.

Hi Oscar
It would largely depend on whether you are a bow or rifle hunter with bow hunters obviously being a lot more dependent on the weather.

I would like to point out that it might be best to establish what Province you will be interested in hunting first and remember that when you’re looking at a location you must take in to consideration the game that can naturally be found in that Province.

We have been having a longer rainy season which results in it staying green for much longer than in past years. Should you be a rifle hunter it will not be that much of a problem if it rains a week before your hunt however it will defiantly hamper you should it rain during your hunt.

Generally hunting is tougher when the trees still have leaves so it might defiantly help you come over in a dryer period where one can spot game a lot deeper in the bush.

I would recommend late July it is very cold but you won’t get any rain and it should heat up during the day to make it comfortable to hunt in a short sleeved shirt.

The other factor that should help is the wind depending on the area it should be blowing a bit stronger and a good consistent wind will help you on stalks.

Hope this helps?

Best regards
Louis van Bergen

I enjoy hunting the most when its cold. I found July in the limpopo to be perfect. Downright chilly for the first couple of hours then mild in the afternoons. Also it had not rained in over a month and most of the leaves were off the trees.

Oscar.
I hunted Limpopo from mid may through early june. I went at this time primarily to catch the rut for some of the game but also to "beat the rush". This year the rainy season ran a bit late and a lot of the folliage was still on the trees when I got there providing pretty good cover for the game. This made the hunting harder but I was still able to get the bulk of the animals I wanted.(6 of 7). July would have seen a lot less cover and you'd probably get to actually see more animals but may mean your shots are longer. My PH reckoned that ordinarilly May -July is good hunting.As enysse said you'll have the dark phase of the moon in May. The weather was fantastic while we were there--22-24deg C everyday Don't stress to much on it...just go & enjoy.
You will meat some of the warmest people in the world.

Hi PARA45
Messmate got it spot on. Late May until even as late as August will give you the best chance at baggin your animals since this is our rut. Weather is also very comfortable, with cold mornings and then warming up in the day. September and October will mean that you will miss the rut, but thats not the end of it. With the amount of animals about it should still be action packed. Later than that , it actually becomes unpleasant because our summers can get really hot, which cuts your hunting time per day immensely. In summer you'll hunt from 6 - about 9 then 16:00-till about 19:00. Rest of the day you just loath around because its simply too hot. Moon phases do make a difference, but not as much as the time of the year.
Hope you have a great time.

I went in March, 2009 because I prefer warmer weather. Rain was not a factor for my hunt. It was perfect conditions for me. I hunted in the Limpopo area. Go to weather.yahoo.com and you can get the average temps and rainfall amounts if weather is an issue for you. The air fare is usually cheaper then too. Also check out as many hunt reports as you can and see what dates were hunted and any comments that may indicate an issue with the time of year they hunted. Good luck.

I would recommend as late in the season as possible, as there is less vegetation and you are able to see further out, which is important when hunting dangerous game.

Last year, I was there at the end of September.

A few years ago, I went during September and was a great hunt, quite warm and little cover, was in Limpopo this past May during the rut, lots of cover cooler temps, but both times the hunts were great.

Best time for trophy hunting in Limpopo September and October this is the time we see the really big boys popping out as they need to walk further in search of food and water with all the vegetation fallen to the ground. You have more daylight hours starts earlier in the day and end later so it can get tiring. Not so cold and may be warm enough to take a dip in the pool in the middle of the day.

exactly what is cold, cool and hot (temp wise) hunting in SA? Up here, it is cold hunting when it is -15C, cool when it is around 0C, and hot above 15C. Of course it is early November ...

Honestly, i would say 2011! There are so many great deals out there right now it's crazy. If you can bump it up to 2011, i'd do it!

Originally Posted by bachekermooni

exactly what is cold, cool and hot (temp wise) hunting in SA? Up here, it is cold hunting when it is -15C, cool when it is around 0C, and hot above 15C. Of course it is early November ...

Cold for me is anything below 5 C. July our coldest month in Limpopo will go down to just below 0 at nights sometimes but day temp then are around 15-21 in the middle of day.

I've hunted the E. Cape in march and april. It was a little hot but I had no problem seeing game. I also hunted DG in Zim in april and found it a little too green and the grass a little long.
I would agree with Tom when he says to try for 2011. I can't believe how many bargains there are out there right now.
Please be careful when you choose your outfitter. Make sure that you are aware of the sizes of the properties that you will be hunting, and of any extra charges that may apply.
Good luck on your trip.
Mike

Originally Posted by Frederik

Cold for me is anything below 5 C. July our coldest month in Limpopo will go down to just below 0 at nights sometimes but day temp then are around 15-21 in the middle of day.

This sounds perfect to me. Hunt time temps are perfect and the evening is a great time for the campfire hunt talk :-)