Taking grandfather on his dream hunt to Africa, advice needed please!

Hi all!

I've spent the last couple of months online doing enough research to find out that I just don't know nearly enough about Africa to plan this trip. I'm hoping some experienced hands on this site can help me out. And, as excited as I am about going, this trip isn't for me. I'm taking my grandfather (Neil), who is 75, has been declared by his doctor to be roughly as healthy as a man in his 20's, and has a mere 70 years of hunting experience in N.A. He has always wanted to go, but could never quite get there. I have a lot of questions, and I sure hope someone can help me out. I would like some advice on outfitters, rifles, etc, but maybe I should start with what game we are after.

1. Kudu. Seems like this is pretty much the ultimate for Neil. Other '1st timer' animals like Impala or Wildebeest or warthog will also be nice, but what he really wants is a nice Kudu. Doesn't have to be record-book or anything, just a nice one! I, on the other hand, and perfectly willing to wait for another trip to get my Kudu. I (in theory) have a lot of years left.

2. Rifles. Since the biggest thing we'll be going after is the Kudu, my biggest question here is in regards to what rifles an outfitter will allow us to bring. We're N/A hunters, and the biggest gun in both our arsenals is the .30-06. Now, I know an 06' with 180g will kill a Kudu. But I have heard varying reports from different folks that the 06' is not a round many outfitters like to have clients bring. I have faith in Neil's shooting ability, but will a bigger rifle make the outfitter happier?

3. Finally, my last question is in regards to the outfitters. This feels like I'm being too specific, and much too picky, but I only get one shot at this. Healthy or not, Neil is 75 and I don't know when or if I'll be able to do this again. I am looking for someone who has fair prices on hunts, as I'm not precisely made of money. I'm also looking for somewhere to go where things are not too tough. We are not the sort of folks who are going to get any sort of kick out of shooting 'semi-tame' critters out of a vehicle or anything of that ilk. ON the other hand, considering age factors, an outfitter who conducts hunts on fairly moderate terrain is pretty much a must for obvious reasons, though I will never, ever, EVER admit to having said that!

I realize I just wrote a book, and I salute anyone who has made it to the end! Thank you very much for reading, and I hope you can help me out!

Rob

Hi Rob. You are in the right forums to get straight answers to your questions. Lets see if I can help a little. Kudu are available through a lot of Africa. I'd suggest that you go to either Namibia or to South Africa. Both have lots of Kudu and are easy to get to. Most outfitters /Ph's in those 2 countries can get you a decent Kudu. Your other animals are also readily available in both countries. Shouldn't be a problem.
#2. A 30-06 is plenty of rifle. Caliber's are discussed regularly here. There are a few that think bigger is better. The general opinion is that a good premium bullet with good placement wins the day. Use a good bullet and any PH will be happy to see you show up, as long as you can hit what you aim at!
Best advice is to practice shooting off of sticks. Didn't my first trip. Took a while for me to get comfortable using them. For my second hunt I practiced a lot and took my own set of trigger sticks. My sons PH now uses them in RSA.
I hate to name any names openly for fear of missing someone that I shouldn't. On this network here is what to do. Log on and go to Forums. Scroll down the list until you get to great deals on hunts. Enter there. You will find some great opportunities there. Spend a while looking at the offers there. You are going to get a few messages from people on here with offers. Spend some time asking about thier opperations and how they hunt. Some spend most of the time in a truck driving around looking for a stalking opportunity. Others you walk out of the lodge and only use a vehicle to retrieve a animal. Find out how they hunt and match it up with your needs. Be sure and check references. Make your decision on taxidermy before you go. Have a great time and be sure and post a report here when you get back. Bruce

Welcome to the site. Bruce sums it up nicely.
There is one factor, try to make the flight as short as possible. Making Johannesburg or Windhoek your final airport. If thats not a problem you have several options in SA and even Botswana or Zimbabwe.
Given you look for a reasonable prized hunt I would look in Namibia or SA, even though I have seen good offers elsewhere.

thanks Gilette! Sometimes it feels like a bit off more than I can chew with this, so I'm glad I found this forum!

What they said + using a gun import service like air 2000 hunter support or one of the others recommended by members here will take the worry out of that end of things as well. Do a search here and you will find that every tiny detail from preferred hard cases to accomodations before/after your hunt, hunt reports for many outfitters, reputable dip/ship companies and everything else you can think of (or may not think of).

Welcome to the forum and I am sure you guys will have a great time. For what it is worth the Limpopo province of South Africa would be my choice for Kudu, Warthog, Impala. It is a well known hotspot for both numbers and size of each. As mentioned Namibia is also a great bet.

Choose your outfitter wisely, cheap does not always = better. However if you look hard enough you can get both.

Taking a grandfather on his lifetime dream trip to Africa will be rewarded by karma, it has to be. What a great thing to do.

I must returned from my second trip to South Africa, I shot blue wildebeest, black wildebeest, impala, nyala, and some smaller antelope all with a 30.06 rifle that is as old as I am. Last year I used the same rifle to shoot a very decent kudu, springbok and blesbok. A good quality 180 gr. bullet will work on all plains game except maybe eland. The MOST important thing is to start shooting at 100-200 yards now off of shooting sticks. Believe me, it makes a huge difference. Shot placement is everything in shooting plains game no matter what caliber you're shooting.

Keep in touch on the forum and let us know how your plans are going. Africa will change your grandfather's life and your's, too. Bet on it.

Welcome longbow, you've come to a great place!

Welcome to the forum!

I would be happy to help with any questions. Do you shoot a longbow I presume?

#1 a 30-06 is plenty of gun for a kudu, both my sons took kudu with 30-06s loaded with180 gr trophy bonded bear claws. As to where to hunt, the options are almost limitless but I would suggest that you consider Clive Eaton's ranch near Ghanzi in Botswana. Couple it with a couple of days in the Okavango Delta and you would have a spectacular hunt. Clive has some great kudu and the ranch is huge. He operates as Tholo Safaris. You can reach him at: tholosafaris@gmail.com. I have hunted there, took kudu, zebra, and ostrich. He also has wildebeast ( blue and black), gemsbuck, and springbok among others.

Thanks again for all the info guys! And for those who asked, yes, I do shoot a longbow. However, none of the well-known archers who use the weapon will ever be in any danger of being overshadowed by, or even sharing the company of myself! I mostly enjoy the bow because of the extra challenge it presents in getting within the ranges necessary for a solid shot. For me, this is about fly-swatter distance, but I'm getting better!! :D

Welcome longbow , you should also check out the hunting reports for south africa and namibia. I hunted the kalahari in namibia and the terraine was as flat as a board. The walking was like being in a sand box. You can ride in the truck until the game is spotted and then make a stalk. Getting there with guns was not to bad for me and was easier than I thought it would be. YOu hear alot of talk about different rifles but my ph like the 270 and 30-06 and he also had a 300 win. shot mag. The other ph like the 7mm mauser. I used the 300 ruger short mag which is not much more than a 06 and it worked just fine with 180 grain nosler partations. Really the 30-06 is a good round to take because you can get ammo there if yours get lost by the airlines.

Congratulations on your undertaking.
It does appear daunting at the start.

Keep reading and asking questions.

I would suggest Limpopo province in RSA, and yes, your 30.06 will be fine, with the right bullet (Swift A-Frame or similar construction), and proper placement.

As for outfitters, there are several excellent choices on this site.

By the way, welcome to the forum !

Longbow,

Welcome to AH,

Nothing wrong to hunt the North West Province of South Africa either - not 3-4 hours traveling time to the Limpopo Province...only 90 miles from OR Thambo International


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I would always recommend Namibia! Good luck and enjoy the planning....:thumb: