First-timer Questions

Hello All, I joined up about a month ago, becasue I am planning a first time safari in 2016. Now, as Im sure most of you have found out in the past, the amount of information, and options availible online is mind-boggeling. So I am coming to this forum for some opinions and helpful tips.

This will be a first time trip for both of us, and as for myself, plains game will be more than suffice. As far as dad is concerend, I'm not sure if he would like anythign rarer yet, but that can all be decided. We both agreed that we would prefer to hunt on unfenced land, or if fenced, a large concession so that it seems like free range hunting. Are there big differences between RSA, Namibia, and Zim?

I have far too many questions to put in here, so I am asking for a little guidance, and helpful hints on things to consider as I begin planning, and things to look for with outfitters when I go to the shows.

I appreciate any helpful input, and happy new year to all!

depending on the outfitter you will be told there country is best for the most part.There job is to sell you a hunt so not many will tell you to go somewhere else.

A big step is knowing what animals you want.You can find big enough areas to hunt in each of those country you ask about.Some animals cost more depending on the area or country and some animals you may want are not in all 3 of those countries.

Waiting on some more info from pieter but he has a new area that will be more then big enough.Place is like 65,000 acres of hunting paradise.
I would say south africa is the easiest place for a first time hunter but namibia from what I have been told is easy for a first timer to.
If you get some ideas on what you two would like to hunt I can give you some more ideas.Another good rule to follow is there is no stupid questions to ask.

Welcome!!!!

For me personally, amd others will have a different opinion, the entire fence issue is overrated. There are fences, and then there are fences. The cattle fences pretty much won't hold anything and even the tall fences won't hold everything. And like you state, size does matter. If an area is so large that it is significantly bigger than an animal's natural range then that is about as far chase as you can get.

There are differences in the countries, depending on what you want to hunt. This is where doing all of the research comes in, and is half of the fun! Where I went in Zim was full of predators and therefore relatively low in Plains Game. But for Buffalo it was great and the area was truly wild. So it all just depends.

You've come to the right place. Ask lots of questions and read even more. This is the best place to learn from both outfitters and other hunters.

Welcome to AH Aaron! Happy New Year to you!

You will find several very good hunts at great prices here on AH, they are only outshined by the Outfitter/PH's dedication to making your safari unforgetable. SA is a good place to start your first Safari, but Namibia has a lot to offer too. I would suggest you decide on a budget, species and then see who and were offers you the most on your list of requirements. There are many places in SA that do offer hunts in low fenced areas, if your father is going to look for a rare species in SA, it will most likely be behind a high fence, make no mistake 4000-10 000HA of high fence can be very hard to hunt.
All of us started out as first timers, so no question wont be answered here and there is no such thing as too many questions
Every first timer finds it daunting to book a safari, the old timers find it part of the experiance and fun.

Once again welcome to AH and looking forward to a hunt report from you in the future

Always dangerous to generalize, but, generally (!), you will find fewer fences in Zimbabwe, followed by Namibia, followed by South Africa. but I agree wholeheartedly with Royal27 - there are fences, and there are fences. There is no shortage of properties in South Africa which, while fenced, are ten or more thousands of acres large. In these cases the fences should be as irrelevant to you as they are to the animals which in many cases are born, live and die there without ever knowing they are fenced in!

With the fewer fences in Zim though generally (!) comes a trade-off - often, the game numbers will be lower, and poaching could be an issue. That is less likely to be an issue in Namibia and South Africa.

You need to be clear on what you want to hunt, and how you want to hunt it. Ask outfitters about the size of the properties and then check the references on this site or The Hunting Report.

There really is something for everyone, but you need to take charge of your safari, decide what you want, and then go out and get it. Sort of like hunting.

I Arron are you looking for 2015 or 2016?

There are many places in all three country's already mentioned, Namibia, South Africa & Zimbabwe.

There are also Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania if you want open range country.

If you have your trophy list in place, members would be able to assist you with better results.

Example:
Animal - You Dad
Blesbuck.................X
Bushbuck................................X
Bushpig
Duiker
Eland.....................X
Gemsbok
Giraffe....................................X
Hartebeest red........X
Hartebeest Lic.
Impala....................................X
Kudu.......................................X
Nyala....................X
Reedbuck S.............X
Reedbuck M.
Waterbuck..............................X
Warthog
Wildebeest B...........X
Wildeebest BL..........................X
Zebra.....................X...............X

This would be a great plains game package for a 10 day safari. All the above animals should be found in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe

Your part is to build a spread sheet and compare the trophy fee and PH costs to come up with what will fit your budget. You will find spreads in trophy prices, depending on where you are looking.

I suggest that you try and stay away from charter flight as that will be a additional expense.

I suggest you look at many on here and else where and i am sure you will find the local Outfitters and PH will be right on target price wise.

Also look at the offered packages for next year and send an e mail asking if you can add on to what is offered or build your own package.

Hello Aaron,

The more general the question the more answers you will receive and this might make you even more unsure so IMO, the best thing to do is compile a complete list of questions and requirements from your side such as:

- Country
- Province
- Species
- Exclusive or mixed company
- Price range or budget
- Side trips required if any
- Type of accommodation you require...

If you aren't sure of any of these then go through some previous threads on AH or ask specific questions.

Once you have all your answers and requirements then start approaching Outfitters for quotes and available dates.

I hope this reply somehow answers your thread.

Regards and Happy New Year

My suggestion is first decide on a price you are willing to spend. Keep in mind there are a lot of things to consider. The hunt cost, airfair, trip cancelation insurance, evacuation insurance, cites permits if required, gun permits if the country you choose charges for this, taxidermy, dip pack and crate, tips/gratuities, souvenirs, ground transfer/air charters, accommodations before/after the hunt, and the list goes on. Once this is considered and a budget is decided then decide what animals you really want. From here you can start looking at countries and Safari outfitters. I agree with the general consincous on fenced areas. These consesions are very large and after going in you probably won't see the fence again. In most cases in my opinion there is no difference between a fenced area and an Unfenced area as long as it is a reputable company and a area of sufficient size. I would suggest looking more at the outfitters more than the country. Reason being picking a safari company that you really want to hunt with imo is more important. You and a ph have to click to make it the most enjoyable. I prefer smaller operations because I feel they are more personalized. That's just my opinion though. After this its just a matter of working out the logistics and picking dates. Hope this helps.

Aaron Nietfeld said:

............. Are there big differences between RSA, Namibia, and Zim?

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Yes.
South Africa is the most developed as far as the industry is concerned, i.e. support, farm/ranch/concession options and other tourist attractions.
Taxidermy, Dip and Pack, etc, again more options in RSA and Namibia than Zim.
Direct travel (or almost) to RSA and Namibia.
Over nights are required to get to Zim.
Quite a few issues with quota on some concessions in Zim of late. Political crap that has interfered with some hunts. The Outfitters try there best to adapt and get you into other opportunities though.

The other guys have already noted the poaching thing can be significant on some concessions.

Price is a factor of difference between the countries. Day rates and trophy fees.
The geography is different in many areas of each of the countries. So, what do you want to see?

All three have wide open spaces. You'll just have to look for them. (as noted)
I have hunted high fenced large properties and will do so again without any hesitation. Big enough property it is not an issue.

Aaron Nietfeld said:

I have far too many questions to put in here, ..............!

Click to expand...

Start typing, there are plenty of folks here willing to help answer the questions. May as well be prepared.

By the way, Welcome to AH!

Welcome to AH Aaron! Glad to have you join our community here on Africahunting.com. There are many, many members here with plenty of trips under their belt to offer you great advice, and have already done so from just reading the posts above.
All the best for 2015, and may you have a prosperous year.

Take Care,
Marius Goosen

Welcome Aaron

As we all know Hunting shows gives us a great platform for everyone to meet Outfitters and Clients, exchange ideas, questions and answers.

Here on AH you will find just as much or even more answers to your questions and the great thing about AH is that you only have to ask a question once to receive advice and answers from more than one person.

My best advice is to throw the questions out there, don't be shy or think that some of your questions might be irrelevant.
AH members are here to assist and advice.

Where are you located? Send me a PM and I'll call you.
It's alot easier than typing. I went on my first last year, and can't wait to get back.

Where are you located? Any hunting shows in your area? Or ask at your local gun shop if anyone has been on safari, that's a great start.
great advice from everyone, I started with s google search, and looked at the animals and thought "How will he look on the wall...."? that started my quest,
My #1 animal was a Mountain Reedbuck,,,

Drop me a PM, call me, I'm free to talk..... Love talking about Africa!!!!!

Don't know about Namibia but hear good things...

If you want to have a real adventure in a wild area, Zimbabwe can be more wild and I personally would prefer not to drive myself around in that country with all the police roadblocks on the couple main roads, and although I think it would be great fun driving the back roads (read: 4 wheeling!), And the people are very helpful in general, Not sure it would be wise to run the back roads by oneself.

On the other hand, RSA kind of has it all. Major freeways, infrastructure, and even though the back roads can be rough, I was not worried driving them. So if you want to rent a car and get out on your own for a bit of touring, etc.... RSA is the way.

The easiest PG deal is probably find a package deal and add or substitute as you desire... I would be clear on what happens if you don't get an animal in a package... Can that portion of the trophy fee go towards another or can you get at least a partial credit?

Others have pointed out the importance of deciding what species you want... Depending upon your tastes, that is reasonably important but I'll share my experience... I was not sure what I wanted but who does not want a Kudu or one of the other big classic PG species like Eland, Gemsbok, Wildebeest or Zebra.... But I just took a package and then got the price list on other critters and crossed off a couple and told our PH everything else was fair game if we came across a fine specimen.... Another piece of advice I have not used yet but though I would follow if the issue comes up.... "If your PH and Tracker suddenly get very excited about an animal, perhaps saying they have been trying for it for a couple years or have not seen it before and it is a monster! You should aim small and squeeze the trigger, even if you just shot one the day before." So budget a little slush fund for the "just in case" option.

You can certainly find lots of options on here and book directly with the outfitters. Or if you want someone else to handle the details, work with a reputable booking agent who works with several outfitters like James Jeffrey. Or if you want a free T Shirt and don't care what color it is, send a PM to billc and give the new guy a chance, but that is just for one outfit, but very reputable. Both guys are experienced hunters and love to talk about hunting. I suspect they would both be gracious with their insight to start, even without a commitment.

You have plenty of time so enjoy the process and take some time before deciding... When it feels right, pull the trigger and grab the deal.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you have some extra cash because I can assure you that there will be at least one animal you never thought about hunting and you'll be given an opportunity.

My last trip it was a bushpig for me. PH asked me if I was interested and without hesitation the answer was yes. My first trip, I passed on a red duiker, which I still kick myself for not shooting, but back then, I hadn't built myself a slush fund.

Good luck and enjoy this part of the trip.

Very good advice there Action Bob and Graybird.
One thing I would not advice is to do a self guided drive through Zimbabwe, I myself feel unsecure doing it these days. Unless you have plenty of spare $$$$$ lying around.

The nice thing about SA is that you have so many options and as a new comer to Africa I would recommend SA or Namibia for the first time. Zimbabwe, I would say is more for the seasoned hunter to Africa.

A must do is to visit Kruger National Park after your hunting Safari. You can arrange this with your Outfitter or do a self guided trip through the park. It is however good advice to have your Outfitter guide you through the park as you might see species that you never heard of before or won't see on your hunting trip and he could fill you in on those species especially Grysbok, Red Duiker and the little guys.

Bossie;
A slight disappointment we had in Kruger was that you have to be inside the camps pretty early, 6:30 PM for when we were there and that was when the wildlife was really getting active....

So of course the way to go see things are to go on the organized drives we booked at the camps... But those are full of tourists (I know, we were tourists), but in spite of the talk the driver/guide had about being quiet and shining the light, etc..... Half these tourists could not be quiet to save their souls!! And then the young couple with the wife insisting she knows how to run the light and the poor husband trying to politely remind her she needs to shine it more than 20 feet past the truck, bringing her unbalanced estrogen fueled rath upon him (which is not quiet either)... And out of 3 drives we went on, I would say one guide was truly competent, but he sort of gave up half way through after repeatedly trying to explain how to be quiet and run the lights properly.....

So a long way around to my question; If one goes with an Outfitter, can that outfitter take clients out on private drives after the regular curfew for the tourists??

To me that would make the difference. Otherwise we had rented a little SUV and drove ourselves and saw a lot of stuff on our own and at our own pace...

Welcome to AH, Aaron !

I´m sure the outfitters on the forum are able to offer you the hunt you want.

Bob I fully understand the frustration you went through, I went through the same thing about 6 months ago.
And yes 6:30 is a bit early but that is unfortunately how it is. Outfitters are not allowed to do drive at night so that would not be possible either.

But what I usually do is to make reservations at smaller camps. For us Punda Maria or Shingwedzi is the closest, but there is a small camp between the two and very remote this one is called Sirheni. Very little people visit this camp at one time and even if it's fully booked there is about +-_ 30 people at a time.
Booking a night drive there is a great and well organized.

Lots of good advice and information here for you to ponder on Aaron. It's getting a bit late to make plans for, but I would highly recommend making a trip to SCI or DSC for the conventions. The one piece of advice I think that was not mentioned (may have missed it myself) is that there is no replacement for meeting your outfitter in person.

The gent that one person may be comfortable and like to hunt with, may be someone you would never want to hunt with. While it may be not possible to fully ascertain this in a brief meeting with a prospective outfitter/PH, it's far more to go on than just reading about them. Going to either of the conventions involves a cost to be certain, but that investment has its rewards.