Africa is just not for me

Omay North in Zim. Hunting tuskless, buffalo, and maybe a hippo in land or whatever else I can save up enough money for. Going in June of 23
Sounds great! Good luck to you!
 
We immigrated from Belgium in 1983 to South Africa it was me, my brother and parents.
No, family or friends that were around I didnt stick to Europan ways except for being prompt and became a South African.

The rest of my fami;y except for my wife's family still stays in Belgium.
Even with a contact like me inside the country the family is hesitant to come over and enjoy, sun, nature and just a plain good time. On top of that its cheap with the Euro being so strong.

So the 3 times family come to visit they book with an touring agent and sit in a bus full of fellow Belgian's and spend 7 days touring and now suddenly they have expereinced Africa or rather Fake Africa.

No interaction with locals and culture taken to the hotpsots only, no off the map roads on a normal farm climbing a koppie eperience of a braai and drinks around a fire and looking at the stars.
So it's not just Americans its all over the world spending proper time and leaving tracks on the feared "Dark Continent" is unfortunately not for all.

As a side note most countires who don't have a big hunting culture anymore struggle to take the leap and come over.
 
I EVER think (and say) "africa is not for me"...
I´m poor..... hahahahaha
I hope one day you can hunt Africa. I have been once hunting culls for the African experience.
 
I hope one day you can hunt Africa. I have been once hunting culls for the African experience.
Yes, my friend,

I hope to be able to go to Africa one day, like all the hunters in the world! It is "the mecca of hunting"... Only for now, it is impossible for many of us, beyond which we would very much like to go.
 
At my first SCI fundraiser dinner, a one-day trip for 4 hunters to shoot pen-raised quail only 2 hours away by automobile went for nearly $2,000.


I thought this was all "too rich for my blood".


A few minutes later, I bought a 7-day trip for 2 hunters to South Africa with 4 free trophy fess for $700, which turned out to be the best trip I've ever been on in my life up to that point.

Many (if not most) folks are intimidated by international travel, language, customs, culture, etc. If that is just not their "thing", let them live and let live.

You can buy the trip!
 
At my first SCI fundraiser dinner, a one-day trip for 4 hunters to shoot pen-raised quail only 2 hours away by automobile went for nearly $2,000.


I thought this was all "too rich for my blood".


A few minutes later, I bought a 7-day trip for 2 hunters to South Africa with 4 free trophy fess for $700, which turned out to be the best trip I've ever been on in my life up to that point.

Many (if not most) folks are intimidated by international travel, language, customs, culture, etc. If that is just not their "thing", let them live and let live.

You can buy the trip!
I'm going to the SCI this coming February and I didn't think I would be able to afford to bid on anything, but you have given me hope. Ha ha
 
At my first SCI fundraiser dinner, a one-day trip for 4 hunters to shoot pen-raised quail only 2 hours away by automobile went for nearly $2,000.


I thought this was all "too rich for my blood".


A few minutes later, I bought a 7-day trip for 2 hunters to South Africa with 4 free trophy fess for $700, which turned out to be the best trip I've ever been on in my life up to that point.

Many (if not most) folks are intimidated by international travel, language, customs, culture, etc. If that is just not their "thing", let them live and let live.

You can buy the trip!
Wow, on your first paragraph, and I'll raise you one. A few years back, my father in law and one of his buddies paid $3K EACH for a two day pheasant hunt on a private reserve (wild birds) in South Dakota. That price included food but NOT lodging. They spent $100 each night for two nights at a motel in town. WTF!
 
Wow, on your first paragraph, and I'll raise you one. A few years back, my father in law and one of his buddies paid $3K EACH for a two day pheasant hunt on a private reserve (wild birds) in South Dakota. That price included food but NOT lodging. They spent $100 each night for two nights at a motel in town. WTF!



You got me on that one!


SD
 
I have invited and offered to pay for family members to join me on safari. Their response is They don’t want the long trip . I think they are afraid of being a victim of crime and so far from home.
 
I have invited and offered to pay for family members to join me on safari. Their response is They don’t want the long trip . I think they are afraid of being a victim of crime and so far from home.
Well, since none of them will go with you on Safari, you can pay for me and I’ll go with you? Preferably, Tanzania for buffalo and lion? I’ll pay my own airfare. LOL
 
One of my buds paid 10k for a small moose in Newfoundland and it took him longer to get there than to fly from our closest airport to Joburg. No interest in Africa so different strokes.
 
One of my buds paid 10k for a small moose in Newfoundland and it took him longer to get there than to fly from our closest airport to Joburg. No interest in Africa so different strokes.
Similar story here. An acquaintance from way back kept yakking about going moose hunting in Canada or Alaska. He thought he would just drive and pull a trailer up to either place, shoot a moose, have it butchered, drive back with a trailer full of meat... no sweat. Hah! Of course upon looking into the details he never went. Talked it up for years until old age and health issues caught up with him. He always had enough money for a hunt most anywhere. When he was still healthy enough, I even put the effort into detailing a plan for flying to AK, including where to go and who to go with to have a really good chance at a 60" bull. And even how to get a couple hundred pounds of meat back with little extra effort.. Nope, he was on a meat hunt don't you know.... but discovered it was a fool's errand to do it his way- then blamed all the outfitters for not going along with the idea. Got to blame somebody I guess.

He also continually told everyone around here all the details of how to hunt Africa, what animals to hunt and how to hunt them, what calibers to use, what bullets and rifles to use, how stupid Hemingway's Africa works were and so on. Same story as the moose BS delusion- too expensive and didn't want to go anyway because he couldn't bring the meat back. Never went moose hunting anywhere and never went to Africa.... but ask him, he knows all about both :)
 
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Considering auto driving versus airline safety, there's still a segment of the population that will not fly.
I mentioned to one of my shooting buddies about taking a trip to Texas for prairie dogs. He asked me if I was going to drive. My first thought was "Are you nuts"? I'm going to drive 1500 miles over two or three days each way to hunt four days"? The truth was, he was afraid to fly. I went anyway. Flew with my rifles and shipped my ammo ahead of time. Same scenario a few years later with Gizmo only packed ammo on that trip.
 
I have a long time friend in the states. For years I have offered him a buffalo, leopard or even elephant hunt, no cost! He does not have a passport and will never get one he is very comfortable living and hunting the western slope of Colorado.
Lon
 
I have an employee that I had hired back in 1997 straight out of college. A couple of years later I sent him out of state to FL and six months later to Sacramento area and a few years later to Boston. Those were the only three times he has been on an airplane.

Years ago we were doing a project in England. All expenses paid and a 25% salary increase and trip back home every three months for two weeks was also offered, including plane tickets for his wife (she did not work at the time). He refused.

Some people are comfortable with where they are and not interested in getting out of their comfort zone.
 

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