A Survey Of What Do African Professional Hunters Want You To Bring

[Bert the Turtle]

Not exactly sure why anyone cares what color clothes the client wears. The tracker is going to be in a blue jumpsuit. And not sure what the concern is specifically regarding a light tan. That’s the color of the grass where I’ve hunted. And the color of a lion.

But I generally agree with the advice of the post.

for every “what should I bring?” Post there should be 100 “how should I prepare myself” posts. If you can walk 10 miles a day, use at least marginal fieldcraft, and shoot straight from field positions out to 150 yards, you’ll have no problems at all.

 

[Happy Myles]

Funny enough on my first Safari back in 1997 my hunting buddies and I all packed super light. We just had our gun case and a fairly small duffel bag and no carry on. The outfitter commented on how light we packed. We just didn’t know enough to worry about it I guess!
Our mistake was not having some clothes in a carry on as most luggage and gun cases were delayed a couple days.
This is a great article despite its age and the muzzle brake derail.
Philip

Phil, you only need a baggage delay once to make sure you have hunting clothes in your carry on. Many decades ago I bolted out of a meeting just in time to catch a plane while I was in business clothes. I arrived in Bangui, Central African Republic and no baggage arrived period. On the way to get my small charter plane we stopped at roadside stands and I bought second hand clothes off bushes. One sock came to my knee the other barely my ankle. What a hoot! The C.A.,R. was not a sophisticated hunting area in those days. I wore my Bruno Magli designer luxury dress shoes for three weeks and they worked great in jungle and swamp after Bongo and in the savannah for Lord Derby. The shoes took a beating and I have them in my hunting room. Have hunted around western Africa several times since then and always chuckle thinking about that first adventure. also when i arrived the army was driving around shooting up things, apparently they had not been paid in several months and were showing their displeasure. Sort of put a damper on going shopping. Kindest Regards and thanks for humoring my rambling.

 

[Rare Breed]

The ones that fit inside your ears are cool..but expensive..
The others are too bulky and hot...
You cannot afford to miss certain sounds when closing in...
Not practical....
I can already see the tracker tossing around with ear muffs instead of concentrating on the task at hand....

IvW always listen to your thoughts given your experience. Would love to hunt with you one day

 

[Gemsbok Gangsta]

Had great success with 165 NAB bullets out of my 30-06 each trip!! Pretty funny though when I look at my first trip compared to the 3rd my packing sure does look different.

 

[JPmbogo]

I have put together many heavy caliber rifles (my skills plus a very accomplished machinist). In particular, we have a 500 Jeff in the pipeline - just waiting on the barrel from Lilja. We always install MBs but they are screw on and also come with a cap. MBs are great for practice with the biggies - just leave them at home when in the field - you won't notice the difference when the target has hair or fur!

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Three dark long sleeved flannel shirts (I prefer greens or blues), three pairs of cotton canvas trousers (I prefer grays or browns), a pair of elastic button on suspenders, hat or cap, shooting vest, cartridge belt, two pairs of army surplus boots, Buck 110 pocket knife, toiletries, cell phone, charger, six cell Maglite, batteries, money, paperwork, lighter, headphones, my journal, my Cartier Tank watch.

If I choose to bring my own firearms, then: My 7x57mm Mauser, 40 rounds of 175Gr Sellier & Bellot Nosler Partitions, my .600 Nitro Express, 20 rounds of 900Gr Labor Fur Ballistik fodder (ten FMJ solids & ten soft points), my 12 gauge Beretta 626E, 50 shells (combination of #6 & BB)

 

[steve white]

I take a good attitude, and an upfront statement to the PH that I want a good honest hunt experience with NO emphasis on stretching tape measures.

 

[Tanks]

Not exactly sure why anyone cares what color clothes the client wears. The tracker is going to be in a blue jumpsuit....

"Blue jumpsuit"? Are you sure you weren't looking at a carwash? Every safari I have been on the coveralls have been green.

 

[CoElkHunter]

I take a good attitude, and an upfront statement to the PH that I want a good honest hunt experience with NO emphasis on stretching tape measures.

On my one and only PG hunt no tape measures involved. My PH never suggested and I never asked. It's personal and different for everyone, but I was there for the hunting experience and when I'm able to go again, I want the same experience. Hopefully for an old buffalo, regardless of the horn size.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Agree with @CoElkHunter ... there was never a tape. There was never a discussion of size actually. I had full trust (and it was well placed) in his advice on what I should shoot. Did I measure stuff when I got home? Yes I did, more out of curiosity than anything. I was and am very happy with everything I shot.

 

[steve white]

PH's had two desires I found out about--they want you to get off a quality shot in 5 seconds when required without dallying with scope settings, failing to find animal at all or in scope, AND TO IMMEDIATELY CRANK IN ANOTHER ROUND AND DO A FOLLOW-UP SHOT IF NEEDED (in other words, no admiring the shot) I did all but the last....got caught admiring once.

 

[geoff rath]

Fascinating thread; only made one trip (so far) and was lucky enough to have talked at length with folk it previous experience. My 300 WSM wore a Leupold 1.4 -4.5 scope, only wound it up once, on the Gemsbok , which was called as near 40 inches. Since measured right on one meter, shot was about 300 meters. If/when I go back, plains game rifle will be a 280AI, shooting 160 - 175 Woodleighs. DG rifle most likely a 416 Rigby, or 458Win/Lott; experience with both,In both cases, a LOT of practice beforehand, off sticks. As for compensators, I watched a 300 Win Mag being let off on a range, under a ratty, rusty roof; the shower of Sh*T that rained down was hilarious!!

 

[lwaters]

I wonder what PHs think of rifles with 20in. barrels. They also can be pretty loud.

 

[meigsbucks]

"Blue jumpsuit"? Are you sure you weren't looking at a carwash? Every safari I have been on the coveralls have been green.

On my first safari, my PH wore bright blue shorts most days.

 

[Tanks]

On my first safari, my PH wore bright blue shorts most days.

We're talking about trackers though not PHs.

 

[MDell49]

Guilty as charged on the clothing. First morning the PH met my wife and I to go check the Zero on my rifles. I had on the aforementioned khaki colored shirt purchased at Cabela's. The PH casually asked if I had any darker colored clothing. Sheepishly I answered to the affirmative. I didn't want to admit I had enough clothes to start a garment store. He quietly suggested I change before we went hunting as the light colored clothes would make it easier for the game to see us. What's crazy is that I would never have considered hunting in hunting khaki clothing in the states so why on earth I thought it would be appropriate in Africa is beyond me. I did better in rifle and ammo selection. Beretta Mato 30-06 with 180 gr WW Fail Safe ammo. And Custom Mod 70 Winchester 7 MM Rem Mag 160gr TSX handholds. Boots were well broken in and we were there in July so the weather was cool and the leather didn't cause any issues. Great trip learned more about hunting spotting and stalking game in two weeks than years hunting in the states.

 

[Major Bonkers]

If you have temporarily imported your rifle(s) and have the paperwork, Mr. Conrad at Safari and Outdoor (in Johannesburg) will sell you ammunition on the say-so of your import documents. He is happy to put ammunition aside for you to pick up and pay for later. It would be sensible to check what he has in stock beforehand: when I visited in August, he was out of .470, but this appeared to be a problem across SA.

This is also probably the place to go if you suddenly realise, halfway through the flight, that you have left something important behind.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

You are dead wrong about muzzle breaks,I've been 3 times an have never heard anyone complain about them..They have complimented our shooting though...I'm sure you have been elsewhere but that's our experience..I agree with the rest though.

I asked this very question of my PH when I was on safari in August. He said that they all hate them fue to the ungodly muzzle blast, but because that's what the hunter showed up with and it's too late to change it, they won't say anything. So no the writer was not "dead wrong" when he said that the professional guides on a hunt would prefer that you didn't bring them.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

Since muzzle brakes took over the thread I have always wondered why more PHs and staff don't use electronic hearing protection. It is hard for me to believe that the brake on say a 300 is louder than the short barreled 500 in his hands. I think it's all somewhere around 135db. Not like they are getting away without loss of hearing just because there is no brake.

Any PHs out there that can weigh in?

The difference has to do with where the sound is directed. If the majority is directed down range it isn't as damaging to those nearby. They do want to stay behind the shooter if possible. They should not be up parallel to the.muzzle. Older hunters that didn't grow up using hearing protection have lost more hearing in the ear opposite of their trigger hand. I'm right handed and have lost about half of my hearing in my left ear.

 

[C.W. Richter]

Cash. Because they're not in it just for the excitement. Most of the suburban Jones' in the US would NEVER contemplate going on safari, let alone a DG hunt.