Hesitations about Africa

[Doug3006]

Went to Africa in 2014.....have thought about going back, but it probably won't happen.

Just a few concerns:

1.) I have had an increase in health concerns....both for me and my brother, who has CP and I am now his guardian since our mom passed 4 years ago. It is one thing to be a few states away on a hunt if there are issues where he is concerned (and believe me, there are issues; usually at the MOST inopertune time!), but I think it would be another matter if I was half a world away. Having all sorts of medical issues myself also concerns me with re: to being treated in a foreign county.

2.) cost: getting closer to retirement, I doubt I will have the disposable funds to do another safari.....I wish I would have passed on the taxidermy I had done on my first; I could have financed a good portion of a second safari with those funds. If I do manage to go again, I would be bringing anything back but photos.......and myself (hopefully)

3.) Going by myself. I don't have many friends......and those I do have don't hunt. Of those that DO hunt, NONE of them have a desire to go to Africa. Being a solo individual wandering around in a foreign county tends to make one a mark for criminals, esp. if one is unfamiliar with the area.

Anyway, those are my concerns/anxieties.....................

I’m sorry to hear of your and your brother’s health issues. The cost of a safari is another real constraint. But your concern about wandering around alone in a strange country is not warranted. You’ll be accompanied by your PH or another responsible person every moment, unless you choose to go it alone. If you choose your PH well, you’ll leave Africa with a new friend.

 

[Hogpatrol]

I know if I listened to others on the reasons not to do something, I would have lived a very dull life.
My first Africa safari, I was 66, the last one 77.

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” – T.S. Eliot

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I was 20 minutes in the passport line and no more than 4 minutes in the police office getting my rifles. Walked in grabbed my case and opened it. Confirmed serial numbers and out the door.

Do you not get pre approved rifle permits?

Yes. Forty-five gates at Tambo customs and not even ten agents working. We were lined up back into the hallway. Probably a couple planes came in at same time in the morning. Also, RSA has recently jumped on the anti-migrant bandwagon so they are scrutinizing visitors more than usual. It was VERY slow. My guy with pre-approved permit almost gave up and left. According to others in the lineup this is not unusual. Getting back out of the country I ran into similar logjam at passport check. One time I came in to Tambo and no one was working customs gates. No one! We were just sent around to baggage carousels. Half the lights are out in the place. Ceiling tiles gone. Tons of people walking around in uniforms doing nothing but playing on their phones ... and cashing their paycheques. Always an interesting experience traveling through Tambo.

 

[Mark458]

Yes. Forty-five gates at Tambo customs and not even ten agents working. We were lined up back into the hallway. Probably a couple planes came in at same time in the morning. Also, RSA has recently jumped on the anti-migrant bandwagon so they are scrutinizing visitors more than usual. It was VERY slow. My guy with pre-approved permit almost gave up and left. According to others in the lineup this is not unusual. Getting back out of the country I ran into similar logjam at passport check. One time I came in to Tambo and no one was working customs gates. No one! We were just sent around to baggage carousels. Half the lights are out in the place. Ceiling tiles gone. Tons of people walking around in uniforms doing nothing but playing on their phones ... and cashing their paycheques. Always an interesting experience traveling through Tambo.

I was there 2 weeks ago and no problem at all. Guy looked at my passport maybe 5 seconds and stamped it. Same situation on the way home.

Maybe they are scrutinizing Canadian travelers more than USA travelers.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I was there 2 weeks ago and no problem at all. Guy looked at my passport maybe 5 seconds and stamped it. Same situation on the way home.

Maybe they are scrutinizing Canadian travelers more than USA travelers.

I don't think three-four hundred of us were from Canada flying through Frankfurt. I'm sure I was the only Canadian ... uh ... American passport citizen from Canada.

 

[Hunt anything]

One advantage of flying Delta out of Atlanta, normally there aren’t other international flights coming in at that time of night when it arrives.

 

[Mark458]

One advantage of flying Delta out of Atlanta, normally there aren’t other international flights coming in at that time of night when it arrives.

Exactly. Airport is very calm that time of the evening.

 

[Sabre]

Flying in this most recent time wasn't too bad for border patrol. The rifle line took a surprisingly long time. There were a lot of people with rifles, and everyone had rifle permit assistance and it wasn't organized at all.

On the way out going through border patrol to get to international flights at OR Tambo, the line to go through was insane. Not sure what was going on there.

 

[DLSJR]

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.

Toward the end of a person’s life, many talk about the things they wish they’d done when they could have…

And some talk about the epic shit they did!

 

[rsmurray]

I spent way more time at Beira trying to get my guns cleared etc than I did at Jo’burg on recent trip to C10. That said, neither was too long or a big issue.

 

[fourfive8]

Toward the end of a person’s life, many talk about the things they wish they’d done when they could have…

And some talk about the epic shit they did!

Exactly! A coupe of friends, for years!! and when they were still healthy, talked, wrung their hands and talked some more, and some more about going moose hunting in Alaska and going to Africa. Both lost health then passed before they went anywhere.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Exactly! A coupe of friends, for years!! and when they were still healthy, talked, wrung their hands and talked some more, and some more about going moose hunting in Alaska and going to Africa. Both lost health then passed before they went anywhere.

They never had the stones to do any of it.

 

[rsmurray]

"Every man dies, not every man really lives” Braveheart

 

[Tanks]

Toward the end of a person’s life, many talk about the things they wish they’d done when they could have…

And some talk about the epic shit they did!

I told my kids to play "My Way" by Sinatra during my wake.as that song touches me and I can relate fully.

 

[WAB]

My biggest hesitation in hunting in Africa was hunting with a PH. I grew up on a farm in Canada and spent most of my career in Wyoming and Alaska. I had never hunted with a guide before going to Africa. This included whitetail, muley, sheep, caribou, black bear, brown bear, et al.

My first Africa hunt was for Cape buffalo in the upper Luangwa valley. It was a huge adjustment hunting with a PH. I have subsequently been on many safaris. I have zero interest in spotting game from the bakkie, conducting a short stalk and killing it. I feel like an executioner not a hunter. Shooting game from the bakkie has no appeal at all, and I think those that make a practice of this ahould be embarrassed. Tracking hunts get you more involved as an actual hunter. I have had great tracking hunts for buffalo, elephant and eland.

I have to say, although I love Africa, running my own boat down the coast of Alaska and hunting DIY brown or black bear, stretches me much more as a hunter than anything I have done in Africa. I had a close to DIY hunt lined out in Burkina Faso before it went to crap. I sure wish I had had the opportunity to hunt Africa when it was still possible to hunt the old way.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I live here, but I understand your apprehensions. I love Africa and generally get the best out of it. A smile and frienliness goes a long way, but don't be condascending, or fratenise unnecessarily. Friendly dignity in mutual respect is everything.
For me the bit I don't look forward to in the hunting context is taking guns accross borders. It shouldn't be though because it is just a procedure, but you know they are looking for a glitch to get a little something and their disappointment when everything is in order is palpable!
The fixation with fences is way over blown. I feel far safer in Africa behind a fence, as does the game I hunt. The fences are there to keep people out and thank God for the fences.

 

[grand veneur]

I live here, but I understand your apprehensions. I love Africa and generally get the best out of it. A smile and frienliness goes a long way, but don't be condascending, or fratenise unnecessarily. Friendly dignity in mutual respect is everything.
For me the bit I don't look forward to in the hunting context is taking guns accross borders. It shouldn't be though because it is just a procedure, but you know they are looking for a glitch to get a little something and their disappointment when everything is in order is palpable!
The fixation with fences is way over blown. I feel far safer in Africa behind a fence, as does the game I hunt. The fences are there to keep people out and thank God for the fences.

What you write is interesting, because we French view things quite differently and often maintain very close relationships with the local population in the former French colonies,..sometime too close with the ladies. The population is accustomed to this kind of interaction and even in most cases expects it. It makes things easier, especially when hunting without a white PH, but it is not for everyone. People shaped by Mediterranean culture and some others have in the majority no problem with it, but it is a different story for other foreigners who often struggle to tolerate certain aspects of all this. In Burkina Faso, for example, the local African outfitter, with which I hunted for years, had to organize hunts quite differently for some foreigners, above all to assigning them a white PH, and not just for backup. It is therefore understandable that some people have hesitations about hunting in such countries.

 

[Scott CWO]

Hesitation?!?! I’m in the Frankfurt Lufthansa lounge as I write this post while returning from Namibia. My only hesitation is where to go after my future already planned safaris are done.

I don’t enjoy long travel days but I do take advantage of the time to decompress from work demands and do some reading and sleeping. I don’t understand the big hang up some people with travel. It’s part of the deal and not so bad as never going anywhere! Use Gracy Travel and everything is laid out for you and they can adjust your itinerary if you want to leave early or a flight changes while you’re in the bush. I use my frequent flyer miles in the States, not for international travel.

I have been through Joberg several times but prefer to avoid it when going to other countries. I’ve hunted SA once for darted rhino and won’t be going back as I prefer wild Africa that we all read about. I prefer to fly through Qatar, UAE or Europe because there are usually direct flights from there to Arusha, Dar es Salam, Lusaka, Harare and Windhoek. I had to go to Joberg to get to Botswana for my elephant safari but it couldn’t be avoided.

I have Ripcord to get me out of a jam and needed it just once when hunting in the Central African Republic. Otherwise, never had a security problem.

I always take my own guns after I did not on my first safari, which was to Zimbabwe. It’s not that big of a deal if you work with Gracy. I tried the other agency once to Tanzania and that was a mistake because they weren’t able to handle the gun issue when Qatar farmed out the flight from Doha to Arusha to another airline. Gracy got it handled for their clients due to their extensive contacts and much more experience with guns going to wild areas/countries. I will never use anyone but Gracy again. We had to change airlines just three days before the trip or not take our own guns and it is technically illegal to borrow guns in Tanzania because your rifles are listed on your hunting license and you must own them.

Just get booked and go! It’s only going to get more expensive and someday it might not even be possible to go. Right now, USFWS Import Permits for lion, elephant, and leopard are the easiest to get in many years. That could change back in the future.

 

[rsmurray]

Yes Gracy Travel always