Top 10 First Safari Mistakes

[Philip Glass]

Great video! I have a group going with me in 2027, I am going to forward this video to them. On our last trip one of the guys who was going to go was very opposed to shooting off the sticks, called them training wheels. I was very happy when he decided not to go.

I would add not practicing shooting from different positions to the practicing off sticks. Crawling up on game and then shooting from your knees is not something most people practice.

Best of luck with your safari group and have them watch all my safari planning videos.

 

[Philip Glass]

By posting on this thread I'm in direct violation of Rule #5, however-- My trip - day 1 sleep and hunt one location, morning of day 2 up at 4 am to drive two hours away and go straight to the field. Different lodging night 2. Day 3 hunt in area, come back to lodging. No laundry had been done. 3 days no laundry done. Day 4 I wore an extra shirt I had brought and the pants I wore on the plane. Skimping on packing is nice in theory, but doesn't always work.

I dont like those type of safaris where they drive you all over RSA unless it is some type of specialty hunt.

 

[Philip Glass]

Well done, sir. I was guilty of a few of those things on my first trip. It is an interesting dynamic, though. For many people, the first safari has been romanticized for quite a long period of time with tons and tons of research and watching different videos. At least for me, I felt the need to have so many of those things that I saw on YouTube, etc. in order to have the “full” Africa experience. Definitely not the case, but often the romantic idea of something overpowers the practical need of those same things for the experience. Not sure if that makes sense or not.

Yes it certainly does. You don't need a huge knife or a pith helmet!

 

[D-Orcutt]

My biggest mistake was not bringing enough clothing, after being hooked on this forum I only brought 3 total sets. One pair of pants was being washed one ended up getting put in the wrong persons cabin. Bad timing led to us leaving to drive a few hours to bird hunt. No big deal until I tore the crotch out of my pants and had to go to dinner with a bunch of locals missing the crotch of my pants but at the end of the day it made a good story.

 

[meigsbucks]

Well it is one that annoys me tremendously, can land you in jail or just miss the plane, and is totally avoidable. That is why it's number one. Can mix and match as you like!

Here is the other video:

I have a list of questions I ask the outfitters at the shows. I’m always adding to it and it’s about three pages with room to mark my answers. I print out about ten copies so I can ask all the outfitters the same questions.
I also always ask for references of hunters who have hunted the last two years. You can often tell by a how good the hunt was by their enthusiasm talking about it.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Another mistake for first timers is sitting at the bar until the wee hours and then the following day's hunt, expecting the PH to give them the EASY button.

 

[skydiver386]

Yes it certainly does. You don't need a huge knife or a pith helmet!

I think @Kevin Peacocke might beg to differ.

 

[coreydb]

Not bringing a backup rifle.
Not bringing enough cash

 

[Manny R]

#11 Should be #1
Doing Research on the area you will be hunting and Research on the PH !!!

 

[Hedge774]

#11 Should be #1
Doing Research on the area you will be hunting and Research on the PH !!!

Amen to that. My Limpopo outfit is Boddington endorsed. Love him or hate him, he's not going to slap his name all over something that's not legit!

 

[375Fox]

I was thinking before I watched then it was addressed in #5. I couldn’t agree more strongly. Everyone enjoys their first safari but they haven’t had the ability to compare. Take the advice of someone who has done one safari for what it’s worth, but don’t rely solely on their advice. I also think too many first time hunters get stuck on one outfitter for too many trips. Try a different outfitter next trip then cycle back in a few years if they really were the best.

I generally agree with all the advice given but slightly disagree on a few. I always pack to 20 kg/44 lbs. I see no reason not to. You are bringing a bag anyway. I’ve changed camps and run out of water before, so you can’t always have laundry done daily. I also think the big shows like SCI or DSC are better after you’ve gone on first safari and have a better idea what you are looking for. Almost Everyone is going to enjoy their first safari, but it’s going to be a learning curve and will help you identify what you are looking for on your second trip. Nothing wrong going looking for your first safari but it’s an expensive few days and you don’t really know what you are looking for anyway.

 

[Altitude sickness]

By posting on this thread I'm in direct violation of Rule #5, however-- My trip - day 1 sleep and hunt one location, morning of day 2 up at 4 am to drive two hours away and go straight to the field. Different lodging night 2. Day 3 hunt in area, come back to lodging. No laundry had been done. 3 days no laundry done. Day 4 I wore an extra shirt I had brought and the pants I wore on the plane. Skimping on packing is nice in theory, but doesn't always work.

This post is potential for another line item. Ask when booking if you will hunt wear you sleep and if not how far will you be driven.

There are too many outfits that don’t drive you on dangerous roads at night to go to somebody else’s ranch to get one animal. To book with outfits that have to do that.

Most brag about total acreage or hectares, but don’t tell you each piece is two hours away. This is common in the eastern cape driving to different ranches to shoot different species.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

This is common in the eastern cape driving to different ranches to shoot different species.

Can't speak for others but its because we hunt self sustainable animals in their natural habitat, sir. Not going to shoot a Bushbuck or Blue Duiker next to a Lechwe.
I don't think that there is an area in the whole of Africa as diverse as the Eastern Cape.
We are home to 6 out of the 8 possible biomes found in Africa.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Don’t pre pay for package animals. UNLESS it’s clearly stated you are allowed to move the value of that trophy fee to another species.

Compare trophy fees for that region. Daily rates may seem cheap until you see the trophy fees.

 

[Altitude sickness]

KMG, I don’t mean to disparage the Eastern Cape or species not being next to each other artificially. As stated above, I would prefer separate trips than spending half my time driving to ranches hours away.

 

[dchum]

Amen to that. My Limpopo outfit is Boddington endorsed. Love him or hate him, he's not going to slap his name all over something that's not legit!

lol think again

 

[Franco]

Not asking the right questions, because you don't know them. Been multiple times and I still don't know them all.

 

[Hedge774]

lol think again

Certainly. Please share.

 

[375Fox]

Certainly. Please share.

It’s a paid service. Look at it more as advertising than a recommendation. That’s why his list changes every year. Most of the outfitters he lists have good reputations though, but paid advertising is why a name you’ve never heard of is there one year and not the next.

 

[Hedge774]

That makes sense, and I was sure that CB was getting something out of it. The outfit that I was speaking of, RW Safaris, was amazing, so he did well on that one. Thanks for the info!