Myths and Facts of Africa Hunting

Now come on guys we are missing the largest myth! The first time I traveled to Africa my wife had us go get wills made. Both my family and hers were convinced we weren't coming back. My father in law even got hooked up with al jazeera updates to find out when our beheadings were going to take place.

Every time I say the word Africa to some who has never left the country they all say the same thing. Isn't al queda or hamass going to abduct you if they see that there's an American in Africa? And now that zimbabwe has such an upside down dictator and is so close to south Africa it only makes things worse. I'm still trying to get my inlaws to go to south Africa with me but they refuse due to fears of being abducted. I'm sorry but there's some really ilwitted people running around out there.

Tap, I like your word "ilwitted"! I dont believe there is such a word but I sure do like it! It does indeed fit many out there.

I think a huge myth out there is that you will die of a sickness or disease if you go to Africa. I know when I came back, everytime, family wouldn't touch me because I'm a diseased or a sickness carrier. I had a quarantine "time out", if you want to call it that. A lot of it is ignorance and stupidity. It will be interesting, now that I'm married how people will deal with it. For the record, I never went to the doctor for a pre-physical to go to Namibia or RSA. But if I was going during the warm months I would get some Malaria medication.

People still talk about my crazy Africa addiction all the time, like I was putting my life on the line, committing a cardinal sin or something. A lot of people like the comfort of their home and won't venture to far or try new things. The world is really set up now a days for the weak minded.

Just a question on something i see as a Myth, what is your opinion..

There is allot of people making the statement that hunting South Africa farms is "High fenced hunting", where high fenced is compared to canned hunting.
What gets me is that at what point does fencing change from a negative to a positive.

My question, what is the main issue with high fenced hunting areas, in our area most high fenced farms used for hunting is between 3500 acres to 8000 acres,
why is that a issue, because when a group hunts on these properties they are usually 2-3 hunters on 3500 + acres with a dense population of species.

High fencing is very beneficial in my opinion from a management and ownership perspective.
I could see it as a problem if it was 500acres or less, then there might be questions but our properties are large.

What am i not understanding about this subject ?

To me, if the property is large enough that the animals can reproduce successfully, it is high fenced. If the animals have to be stocked, put and take, then it is canned. At least that is how I look at it.

I think that fenced hunting is the future, one that is good for the wildlife. Of course, people like to turn it into a negative, calling it canned, saying there is no challenge, etc. The economic facts are undeniable, animals must pay if they want to survive. High fenced operations work.

Originally Posted by Bert the Turtle

To me, if the property is large enough that the animals can reproduce successfully, it is high fenced. If the animals have to be stocked, put and take, then it is canned. At least that is how I look at it.

I think that fenced hunting is the future, one that is good for the wildlife. Of course, people like to turn it into a negative, calling it canned, saying there is no challenge, etc. The economic facts are undeniable, animals must pay if they want to survive. High fenced operations work.

I agree with you on the matter of put and take, i think that is pushing the boundaries of ethical hunting.
I also feel hunting as a business is good but as soon as it become commercialized (Put and take) it is wrong..

There are very many heated posts about high fence hunting on AH. I feel it is tool, that helps promote high game populations...because the owners can control the game and ensure the game returns a profit for the most part. I think hunting in high fences is fine. And if you don't want to, there are plenty of other options out there. I have always supporting the hunting of lions in RSA.

If we took away the fences, there would not be more game. Chances are it would become farm land or worse.... homes and development!

In America high fence hunting is canned hunting. Behind a fence u can get winded by a white tail or elk and they don't care. The animals move freely in daylight hours and you can almost walk to within a hundred yards of most any animal you want. In short they are tame. In the wild hunters employing these tactics would never see any of these animals and rarely would they see any animal at all. The animals in The wild are just that, they are wild.

Americans assume for the most part that all high fenced hunting will be like this and they aren't interested.

On my first safari I had no desire to go when it was time to leave. I never once got excited. When I finally started hunting and saw how wild the animals were I was amazed about how certain species felt like you were hunting them on public lands in America. That's a sales pitch that is very hard to convey to American hunters.

Originally Posted by tap

Americans assume for the most part that all high fenced hunting will be like this and they aren't interested.

On my first safari I had no desire to go when it was time to leave. I never once got excited. When I finally started hunting and saw how wild the animals were I was amazed about how certain species felt like you were hunting them on public lands in America. That's a sales pitch that is very hard to convey to American hunters.

Tell me about it what people forget is that we still have predators like leopard, brown hyena, cheetah, caracal/lynx and jackal running around that fences cannot keep in or out.

Originally Posted by MarvelAfrica

And there is allot of fact on the POSITIVE impact hunting has on concervation of allot of our species..

Yip...i would think the 2 x Tsavo lions shattered this myth, as well as the foreigner eaten alive in the Kruger, etc.etc.etc

Hi there! My name is Sandy, I'm new here and I have to tell you that I am starting to enjoy being part of AH more than being on Facebook...!

I have read so many Hunting stories, (good and bad), questions and suggestions on PH's, Outfitters, Best way to get your Trophies back to the States, etc, but I have not read any discussion yet on the methods of payment for these "Fully Outfitted hunt" of a lifetime.

No matter what you hunt in Africa, did you guys know that it's a FACT that 99 persent of our banks, DON'T accept Personal Cheques any more? I really don't think that most of the hunters know this, as it sounds impossible, but believe me, it's really true. The banks will take it yes, but they will tell you also it would take about 4 to 6 weeks minimum to clear.

Travellers Cheques are still fine, but no Personal Cheques please....

If a person buys a package deal - 5 -6 animals you can definitely hunt Africa as affordable as a western Elk hunt in the U.S.. If you hunt in March airfare is much more affordable also. Since most outfitters like to throw in price per inch on Elk it can get pretty pricey very fast. Now if you are specializing in a few animals in Africa that becomes a whole different ball game. The nice thing about Africa is if you have the money you can probably shoot it. In the U.S. you have to have a tag and most times you can only hunt one species. My first trip to Africa - 7 animals airfare & taxidermy & shipping $9,000. 2nd trip was a different story as it wasn't a package deal & It was $13,500 for 7 animals!

Is there any other Myths you guys can think off ??

TAP that is the most thoughtful, useful bit of comparitive analysis that I have yet seen on the subject. I'll probably use bits of it - hope you haven't copyrighted it! :-) And I would agree that a trophy elk and trophy kudu are probably very comparible w/r to difficulty to hunt. I have always thought that a trophy whitetail and trophy free-range nyala (excluding mountain) were also similar in difficulty. If guided hunts are the baseline, then, again, the nyala is about comparable in cost to a Big Bend 170 whitetail. The discriminator is the five to seven other plains game animals which could be taken on the same hunt.

There is actually one myth that many hunters spout but one that could not be farther from the truth-
"This will be a once in a life time trip" HA! If you go once YOU WILL go again!!
Don't ask me how I know- 4Xs and planning the 5th. Africa gets in one's soul no matter how you hunt it. High fence SA, wide open Namibia, old Zimbabwe, it makes no difference, Africa is Africa, never equalled.

Originally Posted by Cliffy

There is actually one myth that many hunters spout but one that could not be farther from the truth-
"This will be a once in a life time trip" HA! If you go once YOU WILL go again!!
Don't ask me how I know- 4Xs and planning the 5th. Africa gets in one's soul no matter how you hunt it. High fence SA, wide open Namibia, old Zimbabwe, it makes no difference, Africa is Africa, never equalled.

Cost of Hunting Here Vs. There - The Final Word, or; How I got to Africa

What everyone seems to miss I think is the time factor. My time is all I have to either sell or enjoy.

I have been on great South Texas deer leases and I am to believe now, after adding up years of costs, that such may be the most expensive hunting there is. If you could eat gold bars it would be cheaper than some of the whitetails I have enjoyed.

After you add up ALL the costs, put some kind of value in on your time and then compare. Time is not free nor cheap, it is all you have.

After a detailed analysis I determined that, for the same value, I could trade my local hunting and my North American trips for 2 annual hunts in Africa. One, a 7 - 10 PG hunt and the other a 10-14 DG hunt.

At the end of the day you have more time for your business, more time for your family(big selling point) and more time for yourself.

You are actually gone only 5 - 6 weekend a year instead of "every weekend at the lease / ranch" or "You go hunting every weekend" or my favorite "all we ever do is go hunting" none of which is literally true but you know and I know at times that is the impression it leaves. When you can lay it out for everyone and tell them definitively you will be gone this day and that day they can plan around you and everyone is happier.

As bizaar as it sounds, "Honey, the only reason I hunt in Africa is so I can spend more time with you" actually works!
(at least so far) I sell it as sort of a sacrifice.

btw, if the S.O. reads this post I am a dead man!

Second Wind, Funny!!!!!

Originally Posted by Frederik

Tell me about it what people forget is that we still have predators like leopard, brown hyena, cheetah, caracal/lynx and jackal running around that fences cannot keep in or out.

On my trip last week I witnessed with my own eyes a Kudu cow clear an 8' High Fence. High Fence in Africa to me is not canned. We hunted all high fence areas, the animals were all wild, read the wind and generally you had 3 to 5 seconds to make the shot.

Originally Posted by Cliffy

There is actually one myth that many hunters spout but one that could not be farther from the truth-
"This will be a once in a life time trip" HA! If you go once YOU WILL go again!!
Don't ask me how I know- 4Xs and planning the 5th. Africa gets in one's soul no matter how you hunt it. High fence SA, wide open Namibia, old Zimbabwe, it makes no difference, Africa is Africa, never equalled.

X2. Just got back from my first this week, and planning one for 2014.