Age of first African hunting trip

[Pondoro]

51 in 2013..8 hunting trips to Africa since...going to SA for buffalo in june..

 

[375Ruger416]

First trip coming up to Namibia in September for plains game with my wife - will be 47. Fortunately, we are already planning a return visit in a yea for two to bring the kids and grandparents.

 

[JT300]

I was 27, me and my new wife (Just married) sold everything, I quit my job and we moved to South Africa, took my 30-06. Was a great time.

Thats bold.

 

[thi9elsp]

2011 - 51, then went back in 2016. Hoping to get there again next year or the year after.

 

[Triathlete3]

I turned 34 on my first safari. The next year, last year, my wife took her first trip at 33 and my son was 7 who shot 6 great animals.

 

[HookMeUpII]

39 years old. May of 2023. Planning to go back with my wife and son when my son is old enough.

 

[Jason Miller]

Thats bold.

Some of the greatest memories of our life, Young, Adventurous, no kiddos yet. Go to hunt a lot.

 

[Dewald]

I grew up here, so at the ripe old age of 5, a month before my 6th birthday I shot an Impala ram with a little Brno ZKW .22 Hornet.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Sixty-seven.

 

[reineke]

43 - first trip to Namibia. I was invited- that was the most expensive invitation I ever
got. Heavily bitten by the African bug, I added 24 hunts including the Big Five, for which I had to pay by myself....

 

[Harry1]

My lad is 11. Last season I bought him a .410 for squirrels and vermin. He shot a pheasant with it and a few ducks. One evening as we waited for ducks to flight into a pond he picked up my 12g. He shot half a dozen shot and killed two ducks. The next day I bought him a 20g. He's been shooting this regularly at pigeons and ducks along with clays.
He's not done much with a rifle so I plan on concentrating on that over the summer.
So my big question I'm constantly asking myself is when should I book a safari....I'm stuck between trying to create as many memories together as possible and him just taking it for granted, to much to soon.
I think I took him fishing to much so now it's something that doesn't excite him.
I'll be stalking red hinds in Scotland in November so I plan on letting him try for one. If he's ok with that then possibly a first safari for us both the year after

 

[rookhawk]

I’m 49 and plan to head to Africa in 2-3 years.
What age were y’all on your first hunting trip to Africa. Just out of curiosity.

I was 37 on my first trip. My son was 9 on his first trip.

We have another thread running that was based on AH surveys: "Are you financially ready to go on a safari?". It may be helpful, although tangental to the age question. If I had the financial means, I would have gone 30 years earlier. In hindsight, I should have started going 3-5 years later after my life was better buttoned up.

I had no consumer debt, no car payments, and a half paid off mortgage on my first trip. I did not have an adequate emergency fund nor a properly funded retirement account when I first went, shame on me.

 

[Kelly G]

Age 31, May 1999 - Zimbabwe/Cape Buffalo - North Dande,
Saved and paid for myself.

 

[Whit]

I was 37 on my first trip. My son was 9 on his first trip.

We have another thread running that was based on AH surveys: "Are you financially ready to go on a safari?". It may be helpful, although tangental to the age question. If I had the financial means, I would have gone 30 years earlier. In hindsight, I should have started going 3-5 years later after my life was better buttoned up.

I had no consumer debt, no car payments, and a half paid off mortgage on my first trip. I did not have an adequate emergency fund nor a properly funded retirement account when I first went, shame on me.

33 years old. Had no consumer debt, no car payments, a home leased out while deployed, and excellent retirement account/emergency fund... but I only shot two culls, a warthog and a blue wildebeest over three days' hunting!

 

[BourbonTrail]

In 2022 at 34 (almost 35) I went to RSA for a Kalahari Safari. It was an excellent way to spoil myself.

Hopefully home repair bills will stop getting in the way so I can go back after elephant.

 

[Alex38]

I was 41. Celebrated my 42nd birthday there the day before flying home. Going again in a couple months, and already have a deposit down for another trip in 2026.

 

[C.W. Richter]

39; Zim-at the request of a Zim PH and his (Hill Country) Wife who were retiring. It was amazing. What really made all the safaris happen was deciding to quit my corporate job as an employee and become the employer (horse-trading with that corporation to ensure both of our futures, not just theirs!) There, I significantly increased their revenues but only collected a small percentage of the earnings. On my own it easily increased tenfold or more. As I told my kids growing up (and now others'-Be the Employer, NOT the Employee!) The desire was there MUCH earlier, but due to forces beyond my control, it wasn't to happen...The "Kids" can now afford to hunt wherever they want, whenever they want, at 28 and 30. Son has been to Africa 5x (since age 14), but is presently consumed with 10,000s ft elevation DIY hard work (even getting his pilot's license), but I'm certain he'll return to the DC...

 

[wvfred]

I celebrated my 45 birthday in Zimbabwe on my first safari and was 58 on my second trip to Zim in 2019 and my last safari in Zambia I was 60 and hope to return soon as I have an elephant waiting on me.