plains game or cape buffalo

[revturbo9967]

i joined this site to get info on a plains game hunt in SA and have found nothing but friendly people with a ton of knowledge. it actually has made things more difficult in making decisions. SO in my search i have found some really good outfitters and really good prices on game. now the biggest issue i just recently found is i have found a fairly affordable cape buffalo hunt. In the end it will end up costing the same amount of money as a 6-8 animal plains game hunt after taxidermy , plane ticket, ect. Which do i go with? I mean i want it all but that certainly cant happen financially.

decisions decisions....

 

[Royal27]

I'm going to give advice that is exactly opposite of how I did it.

Start with PG and then go back for DG. Buff is in my opinion the pinnacle of hunting. I only started there because of circumstances and going with my cousin who was on his third safari. I knew I was doing it backwards.

Here is the thing. You will be back. Accept that fact now. So get your 6-8 animals and then buff. You'll also have a much better idea about what you want in a buff hunt by then. For me, buff was all about the experience and being out in old wild Africa. It wasn't about the trophy size at all. I wanted to hunt hard and work for what I got and I did.

I shot my buff on day eight of a twelve day hunt. It certainly wasn't a hunt that I would have wanted to do more quickly. It was also a non-fenced hunt in zimbabwe. Just a completely different hunt than PG, although I did take PG as well.

Enjoy the planning, it is half of the fun!

 

[revturbo9967]

the way you described your buff hunt is how i want to hunt it. i want the hard work that goes into a true DG trophy. i feel the exactly the same way about buff being THE DG trophy of Africa to take. Kind of like that black bear i shot 2 weeks ago, i want the hard hunt.

i do feel like PG is a good place to start just because of the over all experience may be better on a first timer. but there is heavy temptation to go after the DG

 

[brushmore]

I know the feeling! There are so many great people and deals here it's extremely difficult to decide. The challenge is not finding a good deal here, it's deciding on which one!

I had the same exact dilemma myself on which type of hunt. What I am going to do is to follow Royal27's advice. I am going to go on a plains game hunt this April in South Africa. Then, God willing, I'll be back with my family for a serious buffalo hunt. Being a beginner, the problem is that there's a lot that I don't know of what I don't know about Africa. I figure the plains game hunt will give me my best start. The way I see it back in the golden ages of the African Safaris people would go to Africa and spend months there. But for us, we have modern travel convinces so multiple trips over a lifetime are very practical. For me I am going on my first trip and plan on enjoying it as if it will be my one and only chance to hunt in Africa. But I'll plan on doing what I can to be back in a few years.

I got that issue solved now I just have to pick which outfitter. I have meet great people offering some great really nice deals for a first timer on this site. Now trying to decide on who to go with is killing me.

 

[revturbo9967]

i feel your pain!!! thanks for the advice. im glad im not the only one with this dilemma

 

[Royal27]

Like in said, you will both me back!

 

[James.Grage]

Different ways to look at this.

I will go with the Cape Buffalo hunt, provided it is an open range package like, Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tanzania. I definitely would stay away from a package where you have 3 to 5 days for a Cape Buffalo hunt.

I have hunted both open range and fenced plains game. This is what i have observed and if the weather remains constant. Weather fronts like Rain and strong winds will change games feeding patterns.

In a fenced area (and it does not make a difference the size of property) the same animals will be in the same areas daily, it is just like clock work. First day driving around the property, if you pay attention to details, you will notice that around this corner is waterbuck, the open area are blesbuck & impala, kudo by the dry creek bed, wart hog on the east side of the pond. You will drive one way in the AM for an area and in the afternoon another area all to coincide with the way the plains game move and feed. If you pick your land marks it is easy to be prepared with your camera to take pictures of game before they move off.

However, In an open range area, i have found that some animals are in the same area sometimes, however that is not true all the time. So you are really out looking for the game, and there are times when you beat the trackers in spotting game.

 

[ActionBob]

Do you have family to take with? If you want to take kids, definitely PG, probably in the EC where you can incorporate other activities. And if taking a wife or girlfriend, depends on her level of adventurousness! And how much hunting have you done? I was an avid small game and deer hunter as a kid and into my early 20's... And on and off a little but had not done a serious deer hunt for 25 years when we went to Africa. And my wife hunted squirrels very successfully as a kid and went deer hunting a couple years but never shot one. So we felt starting with PG was appropriate. And we were gone 23 days with a 9 day hunt so get a pretty comprehensive look at the EC of RSA from North of PE down to CT and the actual Cape as well as farm country to the North a bit.

If you did spot and stalk bear, and are an avid hunter in general.. I see no reason to not go for DG. If you feel a need to "warm up" first, do the PG.

Our PG hunt was pretty comfortable with an ensuite bathroom in a private chalet.... Our Ele and buff hunt coming up soon is in the wilds of Zim and tented with a shared bath. My wife is good sport and going because she is adventurous and wants to live life to the fullest, but if she is not comfortable, she will grin and bear it and then take a "been there, done that" approach and move on.

We are very pleased with the deal we got and if you checked around, you might know that these wild area outfitters tend to take their profit in the day fees and trophy fees are very reasonable. So we fully intend to take several PG as well, time and opportunity permitting.

Our PG hunt was free range in the EC. And although I fully intend to hunt RSA fenced lion, I have little desire to do a fenced buff or ele hunt.

 

[enysse]

I would say do the buffalo hunt, but be willing to add some plains game in as well. If you do it the other way around, you probably will be passing on animals and only hunting cape buffalo. Just my 2 cents.

 

[ActionBob]

BTW, have you considered a lion or lioness combined with PG? Maybe that is out of your budget but if you can do buff, you could for sure do lioness. And probably a decent enough male lion. And talking to people about lions in general, I'm told that lioness hunts are always (maybe almost always?) for old females that are no longer reproductively sound or at least past their peak. Thus old and been living in pride groups so likely have character from living with other lions, like scratched up nose etc. So in many ways better trophies than a young male or a male raised in a more isolated environment. (see the mount that was just posted!)... An economical way to mount a lioness would be a skull in, open mouth, rug to hang on the wall. Taxidermy is a huge expense, but at least half of it can be delayed for a year or so.

If you do go for a male, definitely shop around and don't go for a young "peach fuss" male. I think you can get a decent black maned male if you shop. Also be sure the lion is in the area long enough and the area is big enough...... And consider joining up to get a discount... They are definitely cheaper by the dozen! (Well by the 2's or 3's anyway

Depending upon your life goals, you may want to take a lion in 2015, just to be sure you get one before politics close lion hunting in Africa. Possibly forever (I was going to say for good, but there is just nothing good about it.)

I have found outfitters willing to do deals on combo hunts. I'm still learning but sounds like RSA lion hunts are in the Kalahari and that is the natural area for Gemsbok and the Kalahari Springbuck. So makes a lot of sence to take those there... Any animal will be it's best in it's natural area... Should be others available as well.

 

[Royal27]

^^^^

And all of these choices/decisions are why you've got to go multiple times!!!

There is just so much to so and see and experience. I'd go back today if I could for the Big five, the Tiny Ten, and everything in between!

 

[enysse]

I just want to add there is great plains game hunting in Namibia and most of the provinces in RSA for good prices. I would definitely state what animals you are looking to hunt, and people can give you an idea where to go, because all destinations are not created equal for the game you are after.

 

[ActionBob]

^^^^

And all of these choices/decisions are why you've got to go multiple times!!!

There is just so much to so and see and experience. I'd go back today if I could for the Big five, the Tiny Ten, and everything in between!

Royal I am with you man! In fact, can't just do it "today"... But I'm planning to invoke my "Nike Rule" on just what you mentioned, at least over time.

 

[Royal27]

Royal I am with you man! In fact, can't just do it "today"... But I'm planning to invoke my "Nike Rule" on just what you mentioned, at least over time.

And you just don't know what you don't know. How ironic that I went on a Cape Buffalo hunt and came back with a strong desire to hunt the Tiny Ten. I barely even knew what a Grysbok was three years ago!!!!

 

[revturbo9967]

Doing both pg and dg is probably out of the question. I was comparing over all prices between the 2 . Seems like the pg hunt is a better decision financially. I'll reply with more when I'm at a computer

 

[ActionBob]

And you just don't know what you don't know. How ironic that I went on a Cape Buffalo hunt and came back with a strong desire to hunt the Tiny Ten. I barely even knew what a Grysbok was three years ago!!!!

Exactly.. Hell I just figured out what a grysbok is about a month ago!

 

[tarbe]

What's a grysbok?

 

[Royal27]

What's a grysbok?

Well, since you asked.

 

[revturbo9967]

I have never considered anything other then pg in SA. Buffalo was only a thought because of the price . I'm looking to take kudu, blue wildebeest, zebra, impala, blesbuck,springbok, bushbuck and warthog. May substitute the warthog for another antelope but not sure which

 

[Red Leg]

Look at Namibia as well. Some great deals and some fabulous low fence opportunities at the animals on your wish list. And like most have recommended, I would take the PG hunt first.