Help me get my daughter to a safari!

There’s nothing better than having a whole family in camp even if they not hunting and just there to experience the success of on another and it gets even better when it is a youngster is on his/her first animal. That being said we had numeric clients bring their son/daughter along for the first time (because the wife doesn’t hunt or doesn’t do camping) and then have them return in a year or two with the whole family….

The point I am trying to make is if possible take here along let here see what it is about and from there on her refection of Africa (the camp ect) will be all the convincing needed, that may even set your wife up for the next one.

Also what we tend to find in an family “group” is make the trip more about the sights take a few days extra and see stuff than rather just hunting. Arrange with the outfit to take you to a community project if they have one running at the time or just a local school to see what hunting does for the local community (donate some books/pencils just small stuff we take for granted every day).

As for the hunting part it is very important to get here to an area with proper blinds and game like you mentioned shot can easily be at 20yard in (this week alone we took 4 animals with in 18yards and its just due to proper preparation beforehand), you want her to make a success out of her first kill and enjoy it with her. Most important is to make sure your camp is family friendly, if there is a few ladies in camp never better.
Like mentioned earlier get here use to African game and get her interested and the rest will come


At the end of the day there’s no better bonding time than in the African bush chasing something big……..

I spoke with the outfitters. The issue isn't the willingness to do day trips as much as it is how remote they are. Three hour drives each way with a 10 and 3 year isn't going to work well. If we spend all our time out on the trips, it isn't a hunting safari which is what was purchased and isn't at all fair to the PH and his staff. I think we will have a family African vacation in the future but I would pick a different lodge for that - one more ideally located. I do think we will get a chance to see some of Africa aside from the bush lodge while we are there, but either before or after the hunt.

I checked the spine of the arrow (600) and they are good for the bigger broadhead - actually they are too stiff for what she is shooting now (85gn field points) but it was the best option they had in stock for her. I thought she would grow into the arrows, but she has had the bow all of 2 weeks and already destroyed 3 arrows either with robin hoods or splitting a shaft near the front of the arrow once it was lodged in a target. In two weeks! I told her no more single faces - she is on 3 spot Vegas targets from now on, but two arrows were ruined in a single 3D shoot. As for practicing on a deer target, we shoot all the 3D events we can and have three of them scheduled next month - the Rinehart r100, the Madera Bounty Hunt (paper animal targets, unfortunately) and the Fresno Safari. All combined, 203 targets there. We will have lots of practice.

Speed won't kill as much as penetration and for penetration, you need a heavy arrow. The same principles that apply to me hunting thick skinned game are going to apply to a youth hunter shooting smaller game. That is why we are using the 2-blade fixed cut on contact broadheads and a high FOC. Her taking down a blesbok is like me taking down a Cape buff, except for the cost and the personal danger.

I was originally thinking of having her take a warthog, but I saw the recommendation of 400 grain arrows and 40 Ft-Lbs and that is just too much for her. Warthogs are tough - add in string jumping and that is probably more risk of a wounded animal that I want her to take. I went and looked at some rifles for her today and if I get a green light, we will be rifle shopping the first available chance.

wow two weeks and already robin hooded some arrows. I have been shooting some kind of bow on and off for 40 years and never did that once yet. Have been close a few times but never pulled it off. She seems to be a natural with a bow that is for sure.
I really hope your wife comes around and lets her go as it will be a life changing trip for her and only for the better.

Good luck

@mrpoindexter man you are certainly doing your homework! Impressive that she is splitting arrows! I have a feeling with whatever you have her do she is going to be successful and you guys will have a great time.

billc said:

wow two weeks and already robin hooded some arrows. I have been shooting some kind of bow on and off for 40 years and never did that once yet. Have been close a few times but never pulled it off. She seems to be a natural with a bow that is for sure.
I really hope your wife comes around and lets her go as it will be a life changing trip for her and only for the better.

Good luck

Click to expand...

She has been shooting for just over a year. This is her 3rd bow now (Genesis Jr, then Mission Craze and now Mathews Avail) and she is finally splitting arrows. I have split 5 in one year but mostly shoot 3 spot faces now to avoid it. My 10 year old is dying to split an arrow but her arrows are so slender, it is highly unlikely. It can't be that uncommon to split them, can it?

As for an update, my wife wants to see how she does on her first hunt, which I have scheduled for the weekend of April 1-2. If she enjoys it and wants to go, I can't see my wife saying no at this point. Now I am hoping for a good hunt.

Oh I read that wrong about how long she has been shooting and now see two weeks with new bow.

I have taken nocks off ruined arrows by hitting them but I myself have never robin hood any arrows. I have friends in new mexico who can shot and shot well out to 100 yds. They over the years have only did it a few times themselves. It is very rare to do it from what I have seen and done. Though shooting with them last elk hunt I did get to see the best robin hood as my one friend did it to my other friends arrow. That is the only time I saw it done in person though.

How many pounds does the new bow go up to? I myself would start adding weight to it as she can handle it. I really hope the hunt goes well and she gets hooked on hunting because then the wife will she the joy she gets and let her go I think.

In 2013, I took two of my daughters to RSA. I believe the youngest was 12 and the oldest was 16 at the time. They both still talk about it to this day. The experiences they got cannot be replaced. Fast forward a few years and I gave the youngest the opportunity to go again... if she could pay for her airfare. She saved her a$$ off for months and came up with half. I never intended for her to pay full fare but wanted to see her level of commitment. We made that trip a year ago today. We were on the east cape and her savings allowed us to do a shark dive... FANTASTIC.

Just being there is enough to create irreplaceable memories, however just about every outfit has some side trips they can take you on, perhaps to a National Park?


Now to be the spoiled sport... I'd shy away from the bow and think about borrowing a little rifle in camp. At that age, a quick clean kill is very important to all of us, especially the new hunters.

First I want to congratulate you on your daughters involvement in bowhunting. It will pay big dividends as she grows up. A frank discussion with your wife on why she thinks its not a good idea is the place to start. Good luck. Bruce

Couple of things after reading more of the posts....

If she wants to shoot archery...let her shoot archery. If you are comfortable with her archery skills and she is confident in her skills, let her shoot archery. While you may be relatively new to archery, you know and can asses how your daughter shoots better than any of us. A lot of people will recommend rifle, but they may be the people who do not shoot archery and do not understand archery. From the look of her targets, she will not have a problem with shot placement, especially if you are already shooting 3-D comps.

Without knowing her size or strength, if she is already shooting 60-80 targets in a competition at 33Lbs, she can easily shoot in the low 40lbs range now. The best way to find out is to crank up the draw weight to 35-36 lbs now. If she can handle that, let he shoot if for a while. This will build up her strength and confidence with the heavier draw weight. Then increase it over time. I am sure you will get over 40Lbs, probably closer to 45Lbs by the hunt. I regularly drop my draw weight down 10lbs for practice sessions where I am shooting 30-40 arrows in one sitting. Prior to my hunts, I increase to my hunting weight and check zero and practice. Most importantly, continue to PRACTICE! and PRACTICE more! Get her shooting out to 40 yards for practice so she knows how her bow shoots. That is probably well beyond the range she will shoot in Africa, but it will again build her confidence.

As for taking the rifle, TAKE IT! sight it in for her, but you should also know where you shot it. That will give you more options. A 270 or a 308 would be my guns of choice for a young lady, and they are capable of shooting anything up to a Kudu, with proper shot placement. But if you are taking a rifle....PRACTICE! and PRACTICE more!

As for the animals....it has been said here before...Take what Africa gives you! It sounds like you are hunting with a outfitters that has lots of experience with bow hunting. Once you are in country, your PH will watch her practice and will know better than any of us on this forum what your daughter is capable of and what he is comfortable with her shooting. Trust your PH.

Finally, enjoy your hunt in April. Make it about the experience and about her! If you make if fun for her, she will enjoy it and what to hunt more. If you put to much pressure on her, she will not want to go out again.

just my additional 2 cents.....

I have 4 daughters and a non-hunting wife. While my girls were growing up, they would from time to time go to the range with me and shoot 22 rifles and pistols. A few times we shot some skeet. None seemed very interested in hunting until after a photo safari trip to Chobe and Vic Falls. My youngest daughter, about 20 at the time, decided she wanted to give African hunting a try. So I took my non-hunting wife and daughter to a really nice place in Nambia for a 7 day PG hunt. Another couple went with us, the wife being a non-hunter too. My daughter and I would hunt hard in the morning and we used the afternoon for more of a photo safari time with my wife. This was easy because the lodge was right in the middle of the 50,000 acre property. One day the Outfitter's wife was going to take the ladies into Windhoek for a day of shopping. My daughter decided to stay with me and hunt, saying she could shop back home but couldn't hunt like we were doing. A year later, I took the same daughter on another hunt without my wife. We did a 10 day PG hunt in the eastern cape.

A good point will be to take your Little girl with you to meet other cultures, take her away from citties and tecnologies for a while and let her experience a different life style. Get her hooked up into hunting or archery or outdoors so she does not expend so much time infornt of computer, tv or a Tablet. This will lead to a kid willing to spend time in the Woods during weekends instead of being out going to pubs and discos being exposed to alcohol and drugs during a dificult age of teenager.
Getting your girl to enjoy the outdoors is a future investment for your peace of mind.
About the rest of the family, you just need to find the right place to take them with, so they have something to do during those days and are not sitting at the lodge getting bored.
Good luck, is a dificult task.
Let us know if we can help.

your daughter shoot a bow better than me and I have been doing it a long time and never split an arrow either shot nocks off plenty. As others have aluded to shooting paper and shooting a up close and personal live animal are 2 diff things and you are wise to take her on a hunt 1st? Some kids dont take well to watching an animal expire and some are stone cold killers, cant always tell which till 1st time. Sometimes the ones you expect to be a little squemish are just ruthless killers and the so called tough ones wither poorly. I have worked with alot of kids so this is from experience. So you need to know which she is before spending lot money in africa. What are you hunting for? Also I agree with others a nice 270 with a short stock for a kid would be a nice backup to have. Did you ever ask Mom why she is against the trip?

Is there a possibility of finding some tours nearby? Ask your outfitter what other options are available. After this trip, we all know why you shouldn't wear shorts on an elephant safari. You can't get that experience at the mall.

I've been a bow hunter for 60 years. Stick, recurve, compound and now crossbows. As a Hunter Education Instructor and conservationist I'm leery of using the light weight bows being discussed here. As an alternative have you considered her using a crossbow for her African hunt? I know it is not quite the same, but it still is a bow. In the future when she is more capable of using what most folks would consider a hunting weight bow encourage her to do so. I agree with those that have said she might be capable of shooting a more powerful bow given an increase in practice time. IMHO there isn't likely to be a 50 to 55 lb. bow in her near future. On the other hand some crossbows have a hand crank that she can already handle. This option could give her the opportunity to hunt the same animals Dad does. I also agree with those that have said "it is now or never." In a couple of years, her hunting with Daddy would just be unthinkable. If you can, take her on a wild Boar hunt before your African safari. That would be the cheapest way to find out how she reacts to taking an animal. Finding that out in Africa, is not the way to go.

In regards to talking the wife into letting her go I can't help you. My son was 12 when he went and I told her it was our thing and we were going. Not sure how that will work for you.

In regards to the bow...I'd say leave it at home. My son, who took his first whitetail with a bow at 10, also wanted to take his but I knew it wasn't the right choice. He was pulling 36 pounds at that time and even with the whitetail there wasn't as much penetration as I had hoped for at that draw weight. Still worked but on a marginal shot it wouldn't have worked out.

He took his .308 and had a ball. Saved the bow hunting for a return trip!

A last thought on this . While I do not have the exclusive archery experience of some who have offered there thoughts, I have probably killed a couple of dozen deer over the years with everything from an ancient (and gigantic!) Bear to my favorite Parker. I have not hunted Africa with a bow. But, my thoughts are not just hypothetical and are based on a bit of experience. The bow you describe as hers is in many ways analogous to a .410 in the world of shotguns. All too many young people are given a .410 as a first gun, and are sent forth to pursue game with it - always with frustrating results - characterized by missed, wounded, and lost game. The reason is the .410 is actually an expert's gun. It has zero margin of error. In the hands of experts it takes doves, quail, and clay birds every year. But not in the hands of beginners. The weight of pull with which your daughter is comfortable is clearly marginal for game (including whitetail). A very experienced archer could take that tackle, wait for exactly the right moment and presentation, and kill an impala. That is a lot to lay on the shoulders of a child on her first big hunt with a PH and dad watching every move. She will have exactly zero margin of error. Get her a .270, or better yet, a 7mm-08 that fits her; get her some range time; and let her take those first couple of game animals from solid rests. Do everything in your power to make sure that first shot at game is successful. In my opinion, saddling her with an inadequate weapon and huge expectations is exactly the wrong way to do that.

Busy day yesterday. We went to a local archery club and applied for membership then shot part of their range with their group. Laci BEAT ME!! I was so proud. Then, when we left, we went to Sportsman's Warehouse, had her measured for a rifle. I let her pick any one she wanted and she ended up with a Savage .270 with a synthetic stock and stainless steel barrel. Maybe she is planning on hunting in the rain? I also filled out the paperwork on my .375 H&H and we can pick them both up in 10 days.

Good for you both!

+1

Good for her