Charles de Ribeau
AH enthusiast
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2015
- Messages
- 277
- Reaction score
- 549
- Media
- 1
- Member of
- NRA Life
- Hunted
- Namibia, RSA, Canada (Sask, BC, NWT, Nunavut), US (NY, PA, TX, CO, NE, SD, ID, AK)
My wife and I have a "millstone" anniversary coming up in 2019. Some of my wife's friends have taken their entire family (children, spouses, grandkids) on a big trip (e.g., a cruise). That has given her the itch to do something like that with our family. Now, there is no way in the world that you would get me on a big ship cruise, so scratch that idea, but she still wants to do the BIG trip.
A few weeks ago, she suggested that we take the entire clan on a safari. (This is the same woman who had the idea to put an addition to our house as a trophy room for my taxidermy.) **I'm posting this in hopes of getting your opinions/advice about doing this.**
The group would consist of:
me (avid hunter - hunted plains game plus buffalo and lion),
my wife (non-hunter, but doesn't object to hunting - went with me on my first safari),
older son (avid hunter, but indifferent about Africa - so was I until my first safari),
younger son (non-hunter, but enjoys going along and taking photos),
daughter-in-law (non-hunter and no interest in hunting, but again doesn't object to anyone else doing it),
grandson #1 who will be 13 in 2019 and big for his age (limited experience, but lots of interest in hunting). I'll guess that in 2 years he out to be 5' 8" - 5' 10" (he's supposed to end up at 6'6").
grandson #2 who will be 10 and a bit short for his age (very strong interest in hunting). He may be 5' in two years. If that's the case, then we'd have to set him up with a light caliber which in turn would mean that he'd be limited in what he could shoot.
I am thinking that for hunters in the group, we could go for basic plains game. Perhaps give my son the chance to shoot 5 animals, the grandsons 2 each. As for me, I could be perfectly happy shooting cull animals, bait for a leopard stand or just watching the others enjoy Africa for the first time. Actually, of the plains game, the ones that would be of the greatest interest to me would be jackal, baboon and black wildebeest. Of course, I wouldn't pass up a giant kudu. ;-) The truth is that my trophy room is almost totally full (at least for my tastes), so bringing home any more animals is unlikely.
For the ladies, I'm thinking that it might be better to ship them off to a game farm where they can do lots of wildlife viewing and relax. Perhaps we reconnect somewhere on the nearest coast for a couple of days and then home.
We'd pay for the expenses for the safari and coach airfare. My wife and I will be traveling in business class - I won't fly internationally in coach. However, I'm not ready to spring for 5 more tickets in business.
So there you have it. What do you think? Any advice - particularly about what to have the women do?
A few weeks ago, she suggested that we take the entire clan on a safari. (This is the same woman who had the idea to put an addition to our house as a trophy room for my taxidermy.) **I'm posting this in hopes of getting your opinions/advice about doing this.**
The group would consist of:
me (avid hunter - hunted plains game plus buffalo and lion),
my wife (non-hunter, but doesn't object to hunting - went with me on my first safari),
older son (avid hunter, but indifferent about Africa - so was I until my first safari),
younger son (non-hunter, but enjoys going along and taking photos),
daughter-in-law (non-hunter and no interest in hunting, but again doesn't object to anyone else doing it),
grandson #1 who will be 13 in 2019 and big for his age (limited experience, but lots of interest in hunting). I'll guess that in 2 years he out to be 5' 8" - 5' 10" (he's supposed to end up at 6'6").
grandson #2 who will be 10 and a bit short for his age (very strong interest in hunting). He may be 5' in two years. If that's the case, then we'd have to set him up with a light caliber which in turn would mean that he'd be limited in what he could shoot.
I am thinking that for hunters in the group, we could go for basic plains game. Perhaps give my son the chance to shoot 5 animals, the grandsons 2 each. As for me, I could be perfectly happy shooting cull animals, bait for a leopard stand or just watching the others enjoy Africa for the first time. Actually, of the plains game, the ones that would be of the greatest interest to me would be jackal, baboon and black wildebeest. Of course, I wouldn't pass up a giant kudu. ;-) The truth is that my trophy room is almost totally full (at least for my tastes), so bringing home any more animals is unlikely.
For the ladies, I'm thinking that it might be better to ship them off to a game farm where they can do lots of wildlife viewing and relax. Perhaps we reconnect somewhere on the nearest coast for a couple of days and then home.
We'd pay for the expenses for the safari and coach airfare. My wife and I will be traveling in business class - I won't fly internationally in coach. However, I'm not ready to spring for 5 more tickets in business.
So there you have it. What do you think? Any advice - particularly about what to have the women do?