Hunting South Africa Oct - Dec

I may some time coming up and would interested in returning to the Dark Continent this year and wanted to see if anyone had information on hunting the months of October - December. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Are there species that are more active in these months? The times I have gone have been in July/August.

I have hunted Zululand as late as the last week of November. Usually at this time of year it is much warmer and the trees and bushes have leaves growing back so it can be more difficult to see game. I have hunted other areas of Africa in October and had great success although the heat can again be a factor. Some outfitters do not like to hunt this late in the year but some will. If those are the only months you can go then do it. By the way, this can be a great time to fish as well. Nothing like a good cast and blast. For myself, I like October and warmth better than freezing my ass off in July.

I agree. The heat will start being an issue.
Green growth will also be happening for sure. It will be summer time.
Lots of pregnant females running about, not that you will be shooting any. Except perhaps a mistaken Gemsbok.

It is certainly time to be fishing. Go after those Tiger Fish!!

What are you wanting to hunt?

Originally Posted by BRICKBURN

I agree. The heat will start being an issue.
Green growth will also be happening for sure. It will be summer time.
Lots of pregnant females running about, not that you will be shooting any. Except perhaps a mistaken Gemsbok.

It is certainly time to be fishing. Go after those Tiger Fish!!

What are you wanting to hunt?

Thank you both for your feedback. I may have some time on my hands and when it comes up I am definetly thinking of Africa. On my list would be Bushbuck, Klipspringer, Blue Wildebeest, Steenbuck, Duiker. Kudu is always on my list! Never thought about the fishing, but sounds like great fun. I don't mind the heat, but snakes are another issue.

The weather is all relative to where you live...warm to one is hot to another...

I would plan on taking eye & sun protection, bug repellant...and a towel or glasses cleaner for your glasses.

good glasses are a help...

however you will have fun...most shot will be precision...so no flock shooting...

Last year I spent a week in Kwazulu/Natal at the end of September, and the weather was nice.

Then I went up to the North West province, close to the Botswana border, savannah, but quite close to the Kalahari desert, for another week the first week of October, It did get quite hot during the middle of the day, but still bearable.

Well, you have the option of relaxing for a couple of hours after lunch

I have been told that it's pretty hot in the summer there first week of Oct would be best and Dec is Holiday month and most of South Africa goes on Vacation that month mainly because it's to darn hot to do anything else.

Re: Mr. Grages' post as well as those of others,

HOT! Let me tell you about hot....107, 110 and when it started to cool off a little we just went and set the State (Texas) on fire! now that's hot.

dtarin, it's all relative . . . . don't worry too much about all that smoke but when you start to see flame it might be time to be looking for the local adult refreshment center.

Sounds like a feral pig roast in Texas at those temps and a little fire to finish them off.

Brick, I was not there so I am repeating a hearsay observation from a State Trooper. he told me:

He stood on a bridge on a farm to market road over the Colorado River just outside of Bastrop and he said that the fire was pushing the wildlife down into the river draw, deer first, some cattle and then the hogs

and he said there were hundreds of them, he said they were so thick in the river bottom they looked like rats running up a New York sewer. Said you could have killed a hundred with a baseball bat.

Funniest remark he made was "Hell Jim, I thought they were all gonna burn up, I never knew a pig could swim"

Oh well life in Texas, just one adventure after another.

BTW, I killed 34 down in the Peter's Creek drainage Saturday night, Had a bunch of Masons come up Sunday to help me clean them up, I think they are planning a little cook out