Hesitations about Africa

Having made my first trip I have some different thoughts. Travel doesn’t bother me, it’s the normal experience, but many find that a big hurdle - a lot of Americans don’t leave their state.

For my wife, she was worried it was not safe, as the media tends to demonize so readily these days, and yet was pleasantly surprised. It was her first travel outside of the western world, so that’s to be expected. Nonetheless she found the wealth disparity to be uncomfortable and I get that.

For me, it was a little out of my comfort zone and to some degree I was concerned that the fencing might be a source of a canned hunt as it were. What I found was a place I’d be happy to travel to, and an experience that is far from fenced than the American experience and that perception which colors it in an overly negative light here.

grand veneur said:

Africa is a continent characterized by vast differences between countries. The majority of hunting trips offered to foreigners in Africa are tailor-made for the client and take place primarily in countries that, despite everything, offer somewhat higher standards than many others; this refers above all to Southern Africa. Otherwise, in some parts of Africa, where often different hunting related structures have developed and there are poor tourism, many foreign hunters, especially those arriving from outside Europe, often have difficult to adapt to local traditions. Consequently, many hunts in the countries primarily discussed here are set up like other specialized tourism, and presents a world to the client that bears no resemblance to the reality experienced by 99% or more of the African population, locals or residents. There are certainly grounds for a lot of hesitations and concerns about Afrika, not least regarding safety, which is often only apparent, as is it the case everywhere in Africa, where the situation can change completely overnight.

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I agree with several of the previous comments and disagree with some which is natural. It is hard to believe the Africa continent at least according to Google is actually 55 different countries each that is so different with in reality only far less that offer hunting today. The truest comment I read is the need to research...in today's world especially with our great forum, it should be hard to get really surprised although yes I know it happens sometimes fortunately with the great communication here it should only happen once.

I will say this.

If you are the mind set that you really truly are only going to go one time. Then it is very important to have the safari of your dreams. I would say this is uncommon but my own Chiropractor did just that. Had a big 14 day safari in Zimbabwe had kind of a dreadful time, and knew going he wasn't coming back and didn't.

If this is going to be something you think you will do regularly. For most guys, I think it is more important to have an average to super safari.

Not every hunt in North America is perfect, most suck at epic levels. But compared to Africa they really suck.

My 2022 pronghorn hunt in Wyoming should have been the hunt of a lifetime. I was 12 years into points, drew a good unit. My 78 year old uncle and 85 year old father decided that they were going with me. Both of them live in Wyoming. I am 50 year old a grown ass retired Navy guy. I don't need baby sitting and I thought they would be fun. They were not.

They were done hunting on the first day at 7 am. Found an ok buck, shot him. And that was it.

The two of them gave me Covid, and I drove home on the midst of a divorce over catching covid.

I will not hunt with either one of them again on one of these big points deals. Was wonderful to hunt with them, but old men can't walk 20 yards. Was kind of stupid.

Drive 12 hours to hunt for an hour. Then drove home the next day. Was supposed to be kind of an epic coming of age experience.

There are obviously lots of great things about hunting Africa but were there some things that you were apprehensive about or thought you may not like?
How did this pan out?

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Here is everything I was concerned about:

1. Flights to, from and within South Africa
   1. All of my flights were not delayed meaningfully. I was more or less concerned about my flights to and within. If I got delayed going back to the US, I could care less while riding the high of my first safari
2. Processing through OR Tambo
   1. RiflePermits took care of everything. Great people and I think it took me like 30 minutes to go from the plane to the hotel.. it was fast. Cant thank them enough for what they do
3. Traveling with a rifle
   1. This was a pain (for me) as its something else to worry about making to each destination. I won't bring my own rifle again but I am very glad that I did for my first safari. My ugly Sako S20 is now "the rifle that dad hunted with in Africa". One could make the argument to bring a more aesthetically pleasing rifle in case you end up in the same boat as me

Side note: I am extremely happy that I stopped planning and just set a date. Hunting africa in my early 30s was awesome. I couldn't imagine attempting to hunt the EC when I am in my 50s-60s.

Two things I dislike is the air travel, I'm not made for sitting still a long time in a small seat, especially with my frame.

But the most negative is being away from my wife and especially the kids. They are still young and they really miss me when I'm gone for more than a couple of days.

The sweet spot for me is probably ten days with travel included. But more realistically is probably twelve days.

Plan, research and enjoy the ride and remember, you signed up for it and are on vacation. Don’t sweat all the small things to self destruct a great trip and experience.

If it was easy everyone would go and hunt. Also, without some struggle or difficulty there would not be any great stories of success and overcoming the situation.

It is a learning experience and figuring out what you truly want out of the experience and those things change overtime.

The plane ride is a grind, I don’t care how much you can sleep.
10 day hunt is perfect for me, not including travel.
Taking a day or two to recover and enjoy the country during the 10 days is a welcomed break. Just got back from the East Cape and lost two days to rain but one day to recover from hard hunts was nice.

Fwiw, here's my perspective from someone who considered, and researched, going to Africa and have ultimately decided I'm not willing to deal with the logistics and am ok with not going there. In the end, it came down to the fact that I'm not cut out to spend 15ish hours on a flight to and from (a 5.5 hr. direct flight from Anchorage was long enough for me). This is without the potential headaches of lost baggage, dealing with gun permits, and potential flight delays/cancellations. Personally, I also dislike the hunt pricing structure in Africa. And, if I were to go and hunt a high fence operation, I can do that in Texas on properties that offer similar size to some in Africa. My decision might also have something to do with the fact that I live in Wyoming and have been blessed with a multitude and variety of hunting excursions, both in and out of Wyoming and the U.S. I can appreciate those of you who do Africa and wish you all good luck. For me, I'm content chasing critters elsewhere.

My greatest concerns when I went on my first Safari were:

• Venomous snakes scare the hell out of me. The PH assured me that we would be hunting during their winter and while Mambas are there, they are less active and not all that common. I have never since seen a snake in Africa.
• Traveling with firearms, I was worried about the paperwork and potential theft. PH helped with the paperwork and connected me to Mr. X to assist with expedite of permits. This is seamless and easy. I had Apple air tag in my gun case that failed to function once the doors on the aircraft were closed in Atlanta. When I landed at O R Tambo, I thought my guns had been left on the tarmac in Atlanta. The RSA staff were very helpful with finding my gun case and assisting with this. No Problem.
• The high fence hunting in RSA was a concern but having been there a few times now, it is not a problem anywhere I hunted. The properties were huge and I rarely saw the fences once thru the gate.
• I was concerned about rifles since I had read how tough African game could be. Discuss cartridges and ammo with your PH before planning what to take. He can be a wealth of information and most have hunted far more than your or I ever could. My PH hunts 200 day per year without a break, every year.
• Caucasian tourists in Africa are in the minority and may or may not feel welcome all the time. I was worried about this. I never felt overtly unsafe in Africa but my PH was very bold about caring for me and my gear. Crime is an issue and We never left the truck unattended and he was always armed. The cities can be rough in places but most of Joburg looks more like Beverly Hills than Detroit. My PH is more worried when he is in Atlanta than when he is in Africa. So am I.

Over all, I found Africa to be magical and I loved Limpopo. Looking to do an open hunt in Namibia next time. Just to get some variety.

I have hunted Texas on the Gulf coast and it looked and felt like Africa but is much hotter and more humid. Also flatter. Not the same but closer than I would have expected.

Funny Coincidence today on this…
Time hop came up… I took a buddy with me to Zimbabwe 19 years ago exactly and a picture popped up.
He was shall we say…apprehensive lol
He would send me emails at 3AM where he was up reading Embassy Warnings etc (now this was also when Harare was blacked out and the hyper inflation was going wild.
He insisted he was going to take his AR15 lol… I said… No Bill, you most definitely CANNOT take an AR 15 into Zimbabwe
He then insisted he was going to take his 1911 .45 and wear it on his hip…. I said… No Bill, you most definitely CANNOT take your sidearm
So he shows up to camp the first day in Chewore… he comes out to the campfire after we unpack and settle in for a sundowner
He is wearing a literal “Rambo Knife” strapped to his leg
The PH (many of you would know) says….Hey Bill…. Can I see that knife?
He proudly whips out his special forces, wild boar slaying, Rambo Knife…
The PH holds it between his palms with the hilt pointed up, point towards the ground (like you are praying)
He said to Bill… what exactly are you planning on doing with this thing? Say to a Lion….PLEASEEEEE don’t kill me???? While holding it like he’s praying lol
After the emasculation he said…. Seriously… go out this up and please don’t bring it back out… we are hours and hours from the nearest medical help…you cut your leg with this thing you could die out here
So I told the trackers his name was “Koheenya” (don’t remember the spelling)
They looked at me with big confused smiles…. Because Koheenya in Shona means “to shit one’s self in fear”
Once my buddy figure that out he was like you know what Poynter….you are a real asshole sometimes ))
I called him this morning and we had a laugh about it still…

I've hunted free range, low fence, high fence and wilderness.
All different experiences, and I have never encountered anything I did not expect.

Maybe, I was well educated on this forum to know what to expect and what to ask, or maybe it was just my luck.

All in all, I can see myself returning to any type of such hunts, without hesitation. I could go back to Zim, or down to fences in South Africa.

All my dislikes are related to the costs. Some hunts are prohibitive for my pocket.
But, okey, I can live with that. Africa, in fact, has something for every pocket.

The bad things.

Dip and pack, shipping and taxidermy costs are in my experience unpredictable.
And they go way too high.
Unpredictability of those costs is my major grievance.

And sometimes delivery time, which can be too long. For example, my buffalo travelled 2 years till getting home.

The pet peeves, of not big importance in trophy logistics that I have experienced are this.
In overall safari picture, I find it less important, (most important is to have good hunt, as per plan).
So, less important for me, but without excuse, nevertheless.

I received wrong springbok, not mine (i nevertheless mounted it).
Eland scull received broken in three pieces, i glued it and mounted it.
Warthog tusks, not matching to the scull. Taxidermist filed it and fixed the best he could for shoulder mount.
Jackal skin lost.

So this part of safari industry, i find without excuse in pricing, delivery time, quality and execution.
And it is partly a reason I am moving away from it.

All oufitters I hunted with are fantastic.
But trophy delivery service, pricing and predictability is like it is!

Soon I will be going to my first fully non trophy, non exportable hunt.
And I have only very few trophies from Africa I would like to collect in the future, possibly 2

So, in the future I will be hunting non - exportable, own use, and that type of hunts as much as possible.
Photos, albums, stories to share, experience, adventure, boots on the ground. Those will be my future goals, with much less things to worry about with taxidermy and mounts.

I was a little hesitant jumping on a plane headed to Mozambique my first time. I didn’t really know what to expect but now I have no hesitation at all except when getting on the charter in camp to head home and wondering if I will ever make it back to Africa!

Like some others, I dislike the long flights and travel with firearms. Other than that everything is positive. Great food, comfortable lodging, fantastic hunting companions, etc.

Both Safari's I didn't want to go back home and my mind was full of devious schemes to try to stay longer.

I took my wife and 6yr old son with me to a high fence place the first time I went. I couldn’t imagine going without them. My wife loves to decompress on vacation and I like to move and be busy… worked out great!

The flights do suck but it’s all perspective. There’s worse things to do than be on a flight going to an iconic hunting destination. Just get up, walk around the cabin every hour or two and realize you’re super blessed to even have the opportunity to be able to go to Africa. I’ve talked to plenty of the Scheels employees in my town and they stare in awe when all I’ve done is one trip to SA for non dangerous game.

That said, I choose to take my wife and now two kids with me next time so I’m planning another trip in about two years because of the additional costs. Of all the memories of the trip my favorites involved my wife and son. My wife won’t ever hunt - which doesn’t bother me in the least. We still took a day and with my family stalked up on Giraffe and Zebra as close as we could get! Going through Addo elephant park with my wife and son being surrounded by elephants so close you could reach out of the truck and slap them was up there too!

There’s always a million reasons/excuses to not do something. I remember an older man from my church who years ago introduced me to hunting told me this… “I wish I could have back all the time I spent worrying about things that never happened…”

Just it’ll be worth it!

If wanting to hunt exotics but not outside the States and Canada, there is a plethora of North American Ranches and concessions (USA, CAN, MEX) from which to select. If not, there is no one thing that anyone can point to that can explain the loss of interest-period.

Before my first safari, I had a few hesitations. A couple of them were avoidable with planning, research, and location/outfitter selection. The other is unavoidable but ended up being a non-issue.

I was very hesitant about anything but challenging, free-ranging, self sustaining populations...high fences, property size, game farms, captive bred animals, put-take, feeders, etc. With a little research, this was easily avoidable.

I was also hesitant about sharing a camp with other parties, to the extent I even traveled by myself and was the only person in camp. I am sure I'll have to share a camp at some point and I am sure it will be fine, but definitely selected an outfitter/PH for my first safari that only took one party at a time. Again, easily avoidable.

I was also hesitant about being guided and being a client. I have only hunted DIY and 90% of the time I am solo. Just wasn't sure I would enjoy it and wasn't sure it was an experience I was interested in. This ended up being a non-issue. It was great and felt like a real partnership in the field. It was honestly kind of nice to not have to make every decision.

As I look towards my next (second) safari...no hesitations at all. Just diligent planning, research, assessment, and selection.

skydiver386 said:

Like some others, I dislike the long flights and travel with firearms. Other than that everything is positive. Great food, comfortable lodging, fantastic hunting companions, etc.

Both Safari's I didn't want to go back home and my mind was full of devious schemes to try to stay longer.

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More positives are laundry done everyday so you can pack less, and the outfitter gives you a new Safari shirt! The positives outweigh the negative of the long flight!

“Nothing is more expensive than regret.” Fred Bear

People are built different. Sitting in a chair for 13 hours can be difficult for some people. I get that. But I’ve always enjoyed the travel, even in cattle-class! As @Paulrhenderson said, “There’s worse things to do than be on a flight going to an iconic hunting destination.” I couldn’t agree more.

After a lifetime of mechanic, machinist, and related jobs, I always inspect the tires, steering gear, etc on any vehicle we're getting into in Africa.
Ask any PH and I believe they'll tell you the two words you cannot find in Africa.....
Maintenance
Accountability

My first safari 4 years ago was planned after I found this site.
Only main two concerns were snakes and safety.

Went in August, saw one snake and not a problem. Safety wise, I live in New Orleans and felt safer in Johannesburg than here. Seriously.

My biggest mistake was underestimating the costs of getting animals packed, shipped, cleared and to my home. Once home and dealing with companies, people and logistics, I unfortunately decided to leave it all and just have photos. Had I fully researched and did a better job on my part, I doubt I would have gone. Absolutely glad I did and would go back in a second, I struggle with leaving the animals behind (skins and horns) though all the meat was utilized so no waste. It still sucks though.