Most surprising/had to have animal on your first Safari

[Backyardsniper]

With my first safari coming up I have been discussing a lot with my booking agent what I want to hunt. I will be working with a reasonably limited budget and hunting in the Save Valley in Zimbabwe. Buffalo, tuskless and Kudu are my main goals. Having never been to Africa though I'm curious if there were any animals you crossed paths with on your first trip, or any other really, that you were really taken aback by. Something that pictures or your preconceived notions had not done it justice, but upon seeing it in person you just had to have it.
I know i want an Impala, I think they represent Africa for some reason. Maybe because every tv show always has a bunch of them running around. I'm not sure about Eland, they are big but don't seem terribly exciting, that may be different seeing one in person though. I didn't think I wanted a Zebra but then I saw a Zebra rug and decided I might need one.

 

[Just Gina]

My first animal I killed on my first trip to SA was an Impala! I think they are beautiful. Eland...they just do not do much for me and personally, remind me of a cow. I have seen some nice ones but just not my thing. I killed everything on my want list, but my giraffe and gemsbok were much more amazing in person than I imagined! But then again, so was my red Hartebeest!
My list keeps getting bigger and bigger. Haha! Seriously.
Look forward to reading your report!

 

[Backyardsniper]

I feel much the same way about the Eland, very cow like. The Kudu I think is the most beautiful and the gemsbok are also pretty striking. I also want to leave some stuff to still be really excited about for another trip. I assume this whole once you go to Africa you have to go back again thing is real so I'm just going ahead and planning for that now.

 

[Just Gina]

I feel much the same way about the Eland, very cow like. The Kudu I think is the most beautiful and the gemsbok are also pretty striking. I also want to leave some stuff to still be really excited about for another trip. I assume this whole once you go to Africa you have to go back again thing is real so I'm just going ahead and planning for that now.

Indeed! I was planning my 2nd trip before the first was over!

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I agree impala are very beautiful, of course you must take one. But the zebra is really a signature animal and that rug always brings pleasure. Gemsbok are iconic too, but you won't find one in the Save.

 

[Jaegger]

Hello “ … a reasonably limited budget” which includes Buff & tuskless Elephant + Kudu is actually a healthy/wealthy budget for a 1st time trip.

I’ve hunted Namibia, Zim, & S Africa - each Country supports a short listing of ‘unique’ trophies that may/will be available in other Countries but @ 2X or 3X higher trophy fee’s. Ask your PH for trophy ‘insider tip …’

Zim: Tsessebe falls into the unique category & Eland was mentioned - Zim holds some ‘quality’ Livingstone Eland & check the trophy fee for Livingston in Namibia or RSA. Eland may look like a Brahma Bull (cow) but have the ability of race horse, jump = or better than a Kudu & elude just as easy as the Grey Ghost. It can be a long drawn out hard stalk meaning: a great Hunt adventure. I have both, Livingston & Cape - each Top 10 Hunt adventures out of 33 trophies.

I spied my 1st big Waterbuck Bull leap a dry creek bed in Zim & that memorable image forever etched in my mind - I became a Waterbuck hunter that day! Happy Trails!

 

[Backyardsniper]

Doing some hard core saving to be able to make sure I can hunt the animals that I want on this first safari. Luckily the wife is onboard with the safari budget. Gonna be about 18 months worth of Ramen noodles and Milwaukee's Best to get it done but you know how it goes. If you want it bad enough you can make it happen.

 

[Fabnosh]

I think everyone will agree on the beauty of Impala but for me, it was Warthog. These ballsy little guys that as comic as they are defensive and are - at least for me - as much about the essence of Africa as any of the more iconic species.

FN

 

[Backyardsniper]

True. The warthog is not to be under estimated in that regard. Rarely do you see anything about Africa from documentaries to cartoons that doesn't have a warthog in it.

 

[Jaegger]

Doing some hard core saving to be able to make sure I can hunt the animals that I want on this first safari. Luckily the wife is onboard with the safari budget. Gonna be about 18 months worth of Ramen noodles and Milwaukee's Best to get it done but you know how it goes. If you want it bad enough you can make it happen.

Amen! Your focus is spot-on w/ ‘getting the other half of the household on-board w/ trip & adventure!’ Sooooo much easier, plus, allot recipes for Ramen Noodles!

I’m sure your 1st trip will be Epic & mark my words when I say, “ … more will follow!” I was planning my 2nd trip on an Airplane napkin & the flight from Windhoek to Frankfurt hadn’t left the gate! Happy Trails!

 

[375Fox]

You should put a bushbuck on your list. I find most African animals are very similar hunting styles. Bushbucks, elands, and warthog are always unique hunting to me. Bushbucks are opportunistic or you’ll slow walk in areas they are known to be in. Warthogs are usually from a waterhole but I’ve also hunted them in very open areas. I would rather hunt eland than buffalo. They are big, cover huge distances, very alert, and are hunted for age not so much horn length. Comparing them to a cow is very incorrect. There is a major difference of many of the too young eland bulls that get harvested and a true trophy bull. The save appears to get some really nice eland bulls (this one is from caprivi).

 

[Backyardsniper]

That is a hell of a set of horns

 

[Red Leg]

The difference between shooting and eland on a game ranch, and trying to walk down a huge old bull as you pick up his tracks at dawn in a free range environment (low fence conservancy or true wilderness) is an enormous one. After hours of steady tracking your hard earned trophy will look no more like a Brahma bull than your Cape buffalo will resemble an angus bull.

 

[Dawg2019]

Kudu, which is on your list is a must. I will have to agree with the waterbuck and warthog comments above, neither animal were even on my radar for my first safari, but make the list for next time.

 

[CBH Australia]

I think everyone will agree on the beauty of Impala but for me, it was Warthog. These ballsy little guys that as comic as they are defensive and are - at least for me - as much about the essence of Africa as any of the more iconic species.

FN

Warthog, they are cool.

The cheapest part of my cull hunt but I reckon they are great.

I did like the look of Gemsbok/Oryx but not on my list.

I took impala and Kudu, still got excited by Pumba, no-one ever gets tired of shooting pigs.

I regret not buying a Zebra skin at the airport.

Add some hogs to your list but leave some for us.

 

[IvW]

Depending on which area you are actually hunting in the SVC I would not pass up on good specimens of the following....

Livingstone eland
Bushbuck
Tsessebe
Sharpe's grys buck
Serval
Klipspringer
Genet(small and large spotted)
Caracal
African wild cat
Big common duiker
Side striped jackal

 

[IvW]

The difference between shooting and eland on a game ranch, and trying to walk down a huge old bull as you pick up his tracks at dawn in a free range environment (low fence conservancy or true wilderness) is an enormous one. After hours of steady tracking your hard earned trophy will look no more like a Brahma bull than your Cape buffalo will resemble an angus bull.

Hunting large old eland bulls on foot in such an area is a lot more difficult and satisfying than hunting cape buffalo....

 

[K-man]

Having just hunted the Save, I would also add the fuzzy Waterbuck to your list. Really cool trophy and not available just anywhere. Zebra, Kudu and Buffalo are abundant in most areas. I think the Impala is an underrated trophy, possibly because they are so common. Klipspringer and Duiker should be on your list as well. The main thing is not to pass on any trophy the trackers and/or P.H. get excited about!

 

[mdwest]

A few people have mentioned impala.. I sincerely really enjoy a good impala hunt, and have gone after them on every hunt I have conducted in southern africa... I also really enjoy warthogs and will try to get a shot off on any decent old boar I can manage to get to stop moving for at least 2 seconds..

as far as unexpected animals taken on a first trip.. for me that was a really nice waterbuck.. Prior to my first hunt in South Africa I barely knew what a waterbuck was.. I had seen a few pictures, but never saw one live in a zoo or on other non-hunting trips I had made to Tanzania, South Africa, Kenya, etc..

The moment I first saw them in the field, I knew I had to hunt one.. There were a couple of bulls and a group of cows in a small herd (maybe 8 total waterbuck?) that we spotted while out looking for kudu and one of the waterbuck bulls just stood there majestically like he was boss of the entire veld.. The kudu hunt became a waterbuck hunt, and a waterbuck ended up being the second African species I ever took (an impala was the first).. While it was short, its still one of my more memorable hunts..

 

[RockSlinger404]

+1 on bushbuck!!!