Greetings from the Ozarks

**Custom** · 10-29-2012, 12:54 PM

Greetings, I am a new member here and planning my first African safari next May for my son and I. Joined here to seek advice and learn all I can before we head over to the RSA. We are booked with Henk Brink of Kido Safaris in Kwa Zulu-Natal. Looking forward to say the least!

**bluey** · 10-29-2012, 01:53 PM

gday custom welcome and enjoy the site
im sure you will find the answers to all questions here mate
youve only got 7 odd months to wait ,it will seem like 7 years
what do you have on your wish list ?
are you a rifle or bow or both type hunter ?

**Custom** · 10-29-2012, 02:24 PM

Thanks, bluey. It will be a rifle hunt for plains game this trip, though I do a little bowhunting for whitetail back here in the states. Looking for a kudu for sure, then probably a blue wildebeest, mabe a nyala and not sure after that.

**bluey** · 10-29-2012, 03:28 PM

sounds great

**James.Grage** · 10-29-2012, 03:53 PM

Welcome to AH...

You will have a good time Near Durban

**Cliffy** · 10-29-2012, 05:09 PM

Welcome, Just be aware that you may be able to shoot more animals than you plan on. I planned on 8 my first trip and took home 13! Bring extra $$$ just in case. You never know what you might see around the next corner. I'm on trip #6 in 2014

IF YOU GO ONCE-YOU WILL GO AGAIN-DEAL WITH IT

**PHOENIX PHIL** · 10-29-2012, 06:09 PM

Welcome to AH Custom! When in May are you headed over? My son and I will be leaving May 25th.

**35bore** · 10-29-2012, 06:24 PM

Welcome to the forum, you right off the lake? Or more rural? Congrats and good luck on your first hunt to Africa. I assure you that you'll go back, it is the Eden. I am more by St. Louis, BUT NOT.

**AfricaHunting.com** · 10-29-2012, 10:11 PM

Welcome to AH Custom!

**Jaco Strauss** · 10-29-2012, 10:15 PM

Custom Welcome to AH, look forward to sharing some time on here with you.

My best always.

**KMG Hunting Safaris** · 10-29-2012, 10:44 PM

Welcome to AH, Custom!
We look forward to hearing the report upon you return.

Take Care,

Best Regards.
Marius Goosen

**Bobpuckett** · 10-30-2012, 01:14 AM

Welcome to AH Custom! Enjoy the site alot of help here when you have questions. Looking forward to your hunting report next year be sure to add lots of pics.

**Custom** · 10-30-2012, 05:48 AM

To 35bore - I am in Springfield and get to St. Louis frequently. Was there for meetings during the NLCS but unfortunately couldn't make a game.

To Phoenix Phil - we just bought a house in Rio Verde last year. I'd like to give the desert quail a go one of these days as well as AZ big game. Any advice?

**enysse** · 10-30-2012, 11:34 AM

Welcome to AH! Add a nyala to the list, they are really nice in the area you are hunting.

**Nyati** · 10-30-2012, 11:51 AM

Welcome to the forum, Custom, as Enysse said, the best Nyala are to be found in KwaZulu/Natal, but kudu are smaller than those in Limpopo Province.

**BRICKBURN** · 10-30-2012, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by enysse

Welcome to AH! Add a nyala to the list, they are really nice in the area you are hunting.

Welcome to AH. Since you are in Natal you have to chase a Nyala.

**Custom** · 10-30-2012, 02:04 PM

Well, there we have it. We will add a nyala to the list!

**Baobab** · 10-31-2012, 10:01 AM

Welcome to the forum.
Iam sure you will have great fun. Africa is very special!

**Hotfire Hunting Safaris** · 10-31-2012, 10:14 AM

Welcome Custom. KZN is an awesome place, you will love it in Africa!

**PHOENIX PHIL** · 11-04-2012, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by Custom

To 35bore - I am in Springfield and get to St. Louis frequently. Was there for meetings during the NLCS but unfortunately couldn't make a game.

To Phoenix Phil - we just bought a house in Rio Verde last year. I'd like to give the desert quail a go one of these days as well as AZ big game. Any advice?

Sorry to be slow getting back to you. Lots of desert quail just about anywhere you go. The problem is they prefer to run than to flush, you just about have to have a dog. The problem there is you'll spend as much time pulling thorns out of your dog's paws as you will hunting. I love to bird hunt but grew tired of it without a dog and the one and only time we took a friend's dog I went home feeling awful for the poor hound.

Big game? Well that's another question. The Kaibab is famous for mulies but is a very tough draw. If you get drawn however it's mostly a matter of you taking the time to do your scouting.

Antelope are great, but once again you have a tough draw. If you get drawn, again put your time in scouting and you shouldn't have much problem finding them. A number of the private landowners will allow you access to their land for a fee. They tend to limit how many they let on so I'd probably recommend it.

Big horn sheep, if you can get drawn you will be contacted by plenty of outfitters willing to take you. And I'd recommend hiring one, this is a very tough draw and you might as well spend the money to elevate the odds of success. It's very likely a once in a lifetime draw. I believe Craig Boddington applied for 30 some odd years before drawing.

Coues Deer are fairly plentiful and in my opinion are a great hunt. I would avoid any of the October hunts, the weather is just too warm and the little guys will barely be moving during daylight hours. Go with the November or better yet December hunts. The December hunts are rut hunts and are just fantastic when you find the does. The downside is they're also a bit more challenging to draw.

Elk are what AZ is probably best known for. For the most part if you find pine trees, you'll find elk. Any of the units contain great elk, some of them supposedly hold better elk than others and I guess that's true. I hunt in 4B which is "known" for smaller bulls, I'll let you decide why I'm using the quotes on known.