WANTED: Husband Hunt Non Hunting Wife Enjoyment

Take your time getting this one right, and make her part of the decision process. Try not to make any assumptions. My bride and I travel together a lot (a real lot), and have a great time playing tourist. However, she is not into the whole African game experience. Probably something about having her fill of the great outdoors hauling water and herding sheep and cattle on a remote Kansas farm in all weathers growing up.

I dragged her to Namibia once, where we had very, very comfortable quarters, and fun doing some of the local cultural things to include the Skeleton Coast. (I particularly enjoyed educating our guide on the Herero War (y) ) However, every day you are doing that, you are not hunting. And if she really isn't into the bouncing around the bush, optional things can get limited pretty quickly over a week or ten days. And make sure you are there when the weather allows use of the pool, etc. If it is a warmer month, make sure she really is OK sitting around reading a book while you are playing Ernest Hemingway - mine doesn't do that all that well.

For us, Africa really is too much of a hunting commitment to work well as a thing for us to do together. As others have noted, other non-hunting spouses have a totally different reaction and experience.

We have found what works for us is the three-day hunt combined with a week of playing tourist in Europe or South America. We will be doing that in Argentina in July and Austria in September. I then tend to go to the wild places in Africa on my own.

You have one shot to get her first experience in Africa right (no pressure at all!) - spend some time working on it.
 
Good day sir, it seems like you have so many options now but also feel free to please visit our website. www.spearsafaris.com. We have some great options for family hunts. Hope to hear from you
 
Take your time getting this one right, and make her part of the decision process. Try not to make any assumptions. My bride and I travel together a lot (a real lot), and have a great time playing tourist. However, she is not into the whole African game experience. Probably something about having her fill of the great outdoors hauling water and herding sheep and cattle on a remote Kansas farm in all weathers growing up.

I dragged her to Namibia once, where we had very, very comfortable quarters, and fun doing some of the local cultural things to include the Skeleton Coast. (I particularly enjoyed educating our guide on the Herero War (y) ) However, every day you are doing that, you are not hunting. And if she really isn't into the bouncing around the bush, optional things can get limited pretty quickly over a week or ten days. And make sure you are there when the weather allows use of the pool, etc. If it is a warmer month, make sure she really is OK sitting around reading a book while you are playing Ernest Hemingway - mine doesn't do that all that well.

For us, Africa really is too much of a hunting commitment to work well as a thing for us to do together. As others have noted, other non-hunting spouses have a totally different reaction and experience.

We have found what works for us is the three-day hunt combined with a week of playing tourist in Europe or South America. We will be doing that in Argentina in July and Austria in September. I then tend to go to the wild places in Africa on my own.

You have one shot to get her first experience in Africa right (no pressure at all!) - spend some time working on it.
This is really, really good advice.

Just because there is no greater joy than sharing what we like, it is natural to try to get a truly loved spouse to share in everything. It worked well for my wife and I for an amazing number of things: long range adventure dual sport motorcycle ridding (she rides her own BWM GS), rock climbing, mountaineering, sky diving, skiing, even 3-position 22 lr. rifle Olympic target shooting, etc. and it started great for hunting ... until she met death. She cried...

And she too would get restless by the pool and I am not sure how many game drives she would enjoy in succession. As to Vic Falls, Kruger, etc. I suspect it would ruin her experience to do it alone (i.e. without me)...

I support the eyes wide open approach and a very candid discussion about the realities of: I) unless your spouse if a non-shooting hunter, i.e. she will be actively hunting with you, there is a very high probability that II) you need to double the costs so that she has her own daily program - IF (big IF) she is interested in visiting places alone (mine is not); or III) she will likely get bored because 7 or 10 days by the pool can get old, game drives can get repetitive, and good hunting camps are generally not close to ... anything. And by the way, best hunting season is not best pool season, as least not by the Cape in SA.

Based on the rationale that it is hard to have a mutually great dinner at the steakhouse with a vegetarian, or to enjoy the sushi bar with someone who does not like raw fish, we consensually decided that I would go hunting alone. Same for fly fishing: she gets bored out of her mind. This is not being egoistical but realistic. We use the same logic when she visits her mother and sisters in France for a week and I am happy to let her go alone. In both case, one of us would be bored senseless after a day or two, and that would ruin the other's pleasure, so we are happy to let the other go alone and enjoy without constraint.

This is not meant to downplay the incredible efforts deployed nowadays but many outfitters to develop "spouse programs" but the hard reality is that if you cannot be 100% heart, mind and soul focused on your hunting experience, without time, place or thoughts constraints, you will likely not enjoy it as much ... and she might not enjoy it either, resulting in a lose/lose $15,000 morose safari.

Conversely, if she loves hunting, or if she loves lounging by the pool, you are golden. Buy her a pair of top notch 8x Zeiss binocs ... or a couple new bikinis, and enjoy the trip.

Just my candid $0.02

PS: if you are really lucky, she is a good videographer and photographer with the mind of a reporter...
 
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I am looking for a first time Africa plains game hunt for my wife and I. She is a non hunter and to be honest not a “tent” camping person at all. Is there any hunt available at a reasonable cost she could enjoy as well? Thanks so much for your input!
Dear Rare Breed
We cater not only for the hunter, but the non-hunter as well.
We invite you to visit us to view the various options and packages.
Enjoy the planning phase of memories to be gathered to be cherished for a lifetime.
 
This is old thread. But I will kick it to life.
Recently my non hunting wife expressed the wish to go to Africa with me.

So, to all other hunting clients on forum, with similar experience:
I am open to suggestions!

How to organise a hunting safari plus additional activities with non hunting wife?
What did you do? How did you organise? Where did you go?

Note: at this stage, I am not looking for outfitters offers for couples, I am just looking for some ideas from your experience as clients with non hunting wives.
 
This is old thread. But I will kick it to life.
Recently my non hunting wife expressed the wish to go to Africa with me.

So, to all other hunting clients on forum, with similar experience:
I am open to suggestions!

How to organise a hunting safari plus additional activities with non hunting wife?
What did you do? How did you organise? Where did you go?

Note: at this stage, I am not looking for outfitters offers for couples, I am just looking for some ideas from your experience as clients with non hunting wives.

Chat to @markouelette He is on here
 
Ann went with me to both Zimbabwe and Mozambique and when we went to New Zealand she was along on the hunting portion there too.

Zimbabwe - We did 10 days hunting followed by 2 days fishing on the Zambezi (she's a fishing nut). We bought a really good DSLR Camera and she took 3200 photos over 12 days. She went out on every day's hunt and the PH assigned one of his crew to watch over her as we hiked in line. And of course, she caught the biggest tigerfish as well as a red eye tilapia which hang on the wall here in Florida.

Mozambique - we did an extra day in Maputo on the way to camp to lounge at the hotel and see the local sites including the railway and natural history museum. Then 11 days in Niassa province. Afterwards, we stayed at a beach resort near Maputo and went deep sea fishing. She caught a 175 lb blue marlin and a 20 lb yellowfin - which we ate at dinner. We also saw a green sea turtle laying eggs when we went for a walk on the beach.

The best part for me was having someone to share the experiences with and she rode in the cab and in her way engaged with both PHs. Which enabled all of us to learn more about each other than we might have otherwise.

We're looking to go in 2024 to the Caprivi and include days in Windhoek and Victoria Falls on our next trip.
 
...

So, to all other hunting clients on forum, with similar experience:
I am open to suggestions!

How to organise a hunting safari plus additional activities with non hunting wife?
What did you do? How did you organise? Where did you go?
...

My partner does not want to see animals die (fine with shooting birds herself or fishing, so go figure :unsure:) so her accompanying me as an observer is out of the question.

We did glamping at Zimbabwe for 10 days. Hwange National Park and Victoria Falls. Did a few walks with an armed guide as well. She fell in love with Africa.

After it was over, I put her on a plane to go home and took a charter to Nyakasanga to hunt the next day.
 
@Tanks

You reminded me on the first safari to Zimbabwe. Ann was fine with the first two - buffalo and bushbuck. However, my 3rd animal - Impala was different. The PH, trackers and I are High-fiving standing by the impala. Ann walks up, camera in hand, and in her most serious and sad voice she could muster, "You killed Bambi." Everyone went quiet. Then she starts laughing, "Gotcha!"
 
This is old thread. But I will kick it to life.
Recently my non hunting wife expressed the wish to go to Africa with me.

So, to all other hunting clients on forum, with similar experience:
I am open to suggestions!

How to organise a hunting safari plus additional activities with non hunting wife?
What did you do? How did you organise? Where did you go?

Note: at this stage, I am not looking for outfitters offers for couples, I am just looking for some ideas from your experience as clients with non hunting wives.
Don't worry Mark. There is hope! I went back to Zimbabwe in August. This time my non hunting wife wanted to go. I was told that I had a choice of the tent camp or the lodge with swimming pool, A/C, 24/7 electricity, etc. Acting like the good husband, I chose the lodge. When we arrived at Jo'burg we first flew up to Victoria Falls. We spent three days seeing the falls, touring Chobe National Park, and goofing off, then back to Jo'burg for a night at Africa Sky. Then up to Bulawayo where my old friend and PH picked us up and out to the hunting property. When we arrived we were told that the lodge was full, so we would be in the tent camp for three days and then we would be moved to the lodge (uh-oh!)

I had brought a pair of binoculars for my wife to use and a book of the birds of Southern Africa, and another of African animals. While the PH and I hunted in the mornings she would wander around looking at things and hanging out with the camp staff. One of them took her fishing. After lunch she went out with us. After the three days they were supposed to move us, but my wife was enjoying her vacation as it was and didn't want to leave the tent camp. Go figure.

In the end, she had a fine time and loved Africa. Now I would recommend calling Jennifer Ginn at Travel Express. She is full of good ideas and advise on putting things together for both hunting and non hunting people on safari.
This is old thread. But I will kick it to life.
Recently my non hunting wife expressed the wish to go to Africa with me.

So, to all other hunting clients on forum, with similar experience:
I am open to suggestions!

How to organise a hunting safari plus additional activities with non hunting wife?
What did you do? How did you organise? Where did you go?

Note: at this stage, I am not looking for outfitters offers for couples, I am just looking for some ideas from your experience as clients with non hunting wives.
 
My non hunting wife went with me to Khomas Highland Safari’s in June.

As of the end of the trip with Khomas; she is now my hunting wife. She took initiative on her own to take her hunter safety course when we got back. She is planning on hunting her first big game animals here in Wyoming next year.

She is also now planning “HER” hunting safari with Khomas, while I observe.

Don’t plan too much. Just go and enjoy the ride.
 
My good friends. I started this post almost 4 months ago and thanks to all of you have come so far in so short a time. I will forever be grateful to all of you!!! My precious wife wants an island each year which we both enjoy. Thanks to all of you my son will be joining me for his very first safari in 2024. I am like a kid in a candy store…he is 33 and hunted white tail with me growing up. I have bought him everything…boots, clothes and a beautiful 300WM with Swaro scope to get him ready. This has absolutely re brought my son and I together given his mother my wife of 30 years died. After a long grieving period I remarried and my original post was for my new wife. I cannot tell you what our upcoming safari means to both of us!!! I am just so forever grateful to each and every person on this forum!!!
 
My good friends. I started this post almost 4 months ago and thanks to all of you have come so far in so short a time. I will forever be grateful to all of you!!! My precious wife wants an island each year which we both enjoy. Thanks to all of you my son will be joining me for his very first safari in 2024. I am like a kid in a candy store…he is 33 and hunted white tail with me growing up. I have bought him everything…boots, clothes and a beautiful 300WM with Swaro scope to get him ready. This has absolutely re brought my son and I together given his mother my wife of 30 years died. After a long grieving period I remarried and my original post was for my new wife. I cannot tell you what our upcoming safari means to both of us!!! I am just so forever grateful to each and every person on this forum!!!
Years…actually closer to 5 years
 
My good friends. I started this post almost 4 months ago and thanks to all of you have come so far in so short a time. I will forever be grateful to all of you!!! My precious wife wants an island each year which we both enjoy. Thanks to all of you my son will be joining me for his very first safari in 2024. I am like a kid in a candy store…he is 33 and hunted white tail with me growing up. I have bought him everything…boots, clothes and a beautiful 300WM with Swaro scope to get him ready. This has absolutely re brought my son and I together given his mother my wife of 30 years died. After a long grieving period I remarried and my original post was for my new wife. I cannot tell you what our upcoming safari means to both of us!!! I am just so forever grateful to each and every person on this forum!!!
That story is bitter sweet. Best of luck to all of you on your upcoming safari.

Doug
 
Don't worry Mark. There is hope! I went back to Zimbabwe in August. This time my non hunting wife wanted to go. I was told that I had a choice of the tent camp or the lodge with swimming pool, A/C, 24/7 electricity, etc. Acting like the good husband, I chose the lodge. When we arrived at Jo'burg we first flew up to Victoria Falls. We spent three days seeing the falls, touring Chobe National Park, and goofing off, then back to Jo'burg for a night at Africa Sky. Then up to Bulawayo where my old friend and PH picked us up and out to the hunting property. When we arrived we were told that the lodge was full, so we would be in the tent camp for three days and then we would be moved to the lodge (uh-oh!)

I had brought a pair of binoculars for my wife to use and a book of the birds of Southern Africa, and another of African animals. While the PH and I hunted in the mornings she would wander around looking at things and hanging out with the camp staff. One of them took her fishing. After lunch she went out with us. After the three days they were supposed to move us, but my wife was enjoying her vacation as it was and didn't want to leave the tent camp. Go figure.

In the end, she had a fine time and loved Africa. Now I would recommend calling Jennifer Ginn at Travel Express. She is full of good ideas and advise on putting things together for both hunting and non hunting people on safari.
Thank you Doug!
 

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