What to hunt?

[Countrylife]

I've never been to Africa (yet). I'm hoping to go in 2018 and looking to get: Elephant, Buffalo, Sable, Kudu, Impala, Warthog. The first 2 are causing me to wonder if I'm biting off more than I can chew. First, I want to ignore the cost for now, I have an agent working on that and we'll see if it's affordable at that point. The question is: Is it practical/advisable or just not a good idea to do 2 DG animals back to back? I have no interest in any of the other DG animals and my wife is interested in the Sable & Kudu, but is unlikely to do any shooting. My hunting in the US would put me in the "not very much" and "new hunter" category. Right now, we want to go sooner than later because we're not getting any younger and are concerned about how much longer we can make trips like this. At the moment we have no physical limitations, but don't move as quickly as we once did.

 

[Mekaniks]

Welcome to AH!

The great thing about hunting Africa is you can do it however you want and it's defiantly possible to hunt all the animals you listed in one trip....

That said.... I wouldn't do it all at once. Figure out what your priorities are then an hook up with an outfitter and ask LOTS of questions. Africa is addicting you will want to go back so plan it in several trips if you can and make sure you have fun!! And lots of fun in the planning!!

 

[Neale]

Welcome to the family of Africa addicts.
It would be my suggestion for you and your wife to have a Plains Game hunt to South Africa or Namibia as a first trip. There are a host of good outfits on this site who are sponsors and there are some very good deals .
If you say you are a "new hunter" a PG safari will give you a good feel for what is involved in planning. (Which by the way is fun.) You could do all the planning directly with the outfitter which would then put you in a more familiar place when you decide to do a future DG hunt.

 

[rinehart0050]

Welcome to AH!

I'd say go for it! The first animal I shot in Africa was my lion, followed by various plains game after that. The first animal my wife ever hunted and shot was her sable. We're extremely happy with the safari we went on and can't wait to get back to Africa for more.

I would recommend finding a reputable outfitter/PH (lots of them on AH as sponsors, members, etc). Let the PH know your background and experience so that they can set you up for success. The good ones will work their butts off to get you lined up for the best shot opportunity on the animals you're after. They will also tell you everything you should do to prepare for the hunt. There are many great posts here on AH that cover all aspects of safaris, from DG to tiny ten, from RSA to Ethiopia.

Also, practice practice practice. If you have limited experience shooting bigger caliber rifles, now is always the best time to hit the range and get familiar with your weapon system and with shooting off sticks and off hand. If you're planning on borrowing a rifle from your outfitter, given the time you have, you may want to buy a similar make/model/caliber in the US and practice with it. There's no such thing as too much time spent at the range.

 

[LivingTheDream]

My first animal in Africa was a lioness so it can be done. I think if you are in the new category of a hunter I'm not sure I would jump right in to DG. When you say new hunter category, how long have you been hunting? How many days do you hunt a year? How familiar are you with Big Bore guns and shooting? Not trying to judge, just want to give you the best answer possible.

 

[petrusg]

Welcome to AH

The trip you specified is definitely possible! Elephant and Buffalo together might be challenging on the body but it has been done numerous times before. The plains game species specified should not be a problem to hunt within a couple of days. To be conservative ill do this hunt over a 2-3 week period.

Best of luck on the planning and hope to see you hunting in Africa soon

 

[CAustin]

If time in the country is not an issue go for it. Non exportable elephant can be done at a reasonable cost and Cape buffalo can usually be found in the same area.

 

[BSO Dave]

My hunting in the US would put me in the "not very much" and "new hunter" category. .

I agree that it is feasible to hunt got dangerous game on a first safari, but your words above raise some concern. I would hate to see you get gored or trampled because you froze up on the trigger at the moment of truth. Hunting dangerous game is no joke. Just because an outfitter is willing to take you on a dangerous game hunt, doesn't mean it's wise. To quote Clint Eastwood, " A man's got to know his limitations." I would think long and hard before adding dangerous game to the first safari list a s a "new hunter". Besides, it gives you an excuse to go back again.

 

[peras]

Go for it. It is surely doable. Enjoy the planning!

 

[Philip Glass]

First you MUST know the cost and if that is ok with you. Do you want a trophy elephant or a nonexportable cull hunt? Big difference in price but not experience. I would recommend a PG hunt first but there is really no reason to not go for a buff the first time. The other consideration is time. If you For sure want the list you posted you will need a 21 day hunt most likely. Remember wild Africa requires many more days per trophy than a game farm. At a game farm if you are lucky yo might get two trophies per day whereas in the real tough wild areas it may take 3-4 or more days per trophy. These are just some initial considerations.
Enjoy the planning here on AH!
Regards,
Philip

 

[rookhawk]

I've never been to Africa (yet). I'm hoping to go in 2018 and looking to get: Elephant, Buffalo, Sable, Kudu, Impala, Warthog. The first 2 are causing me to wonder if I'm biting off more than I can chew. First, I want to ignore the cost for now, I have an agent working on that and we'll see if it's affordable at that point. The question is: Is it practical/advisable or just not a good idea to do 2 DG animals back to back? I have no interest in any of the other DG animals and my wife is interested in the Sable & Kudu, but is unlikely to do any shooting. My hunting in the US would put me in the "not very much" and "new hunter" category. Right now, we want to go sooner than later because we're not getting any younger and are concerned about how much longer we can make trips like this. At the moment we have no physical limitations, but don't move as quickly as we once did.

@Countrylife I see a couple issues. First, you're a greenhorn so you don't know if you're getting screwed by a booking agent and you don't know what to ask yet. Experience is your best guide so you've been hobbled. Further, you don't know your likes and dislikes yet. I'm worried that you may not have the physical and emotional strength to do both elephant and buffalo on a single hunt. Both species can be incredibly draining and physically damage you for several days. (my buffalo stalk was 27km in heavy bush...I did not recover from that trek, soreness and dehydration for four days on safari)

It appears you've been blessed with a comfortable income so as such, I'd encourage you to do a 14 day safari that focuses on a Sable/Buffalo hunt where you can add in additional plains game animals from your list above. I'd also suggest you hunt Zimbabwe or Zambia as it appears you have the means for a truly wild hunt. If you want to go the extra mile (and it is extremely expensive plus a 21 day minimum hunt required) you should look carefully at Tanzania although you will be in the $50,000-$100,000 area depending on what bags you choose.

Welcome to the forum and I wish you much success on your journey! If you want to discuss any of my suggestions further or you want to find an excellent PH, contact me. (my PH is touring the states now and I could introduce you).

Regards,

Rookhawk

 

[spike.t]

Go for it. It is surely doable. Enjoy the planning!

@Countrylife as pieter and petrus say its totally doable. if you can afford it hunt zambia, moz, tanzania or zim , but it aint going to be cheap and make it 21 days min. it will be an amazing learning experience. practice with the rifles you want to use and go enjoy the whole process

 

[cls]

Good day Sir,
Here is my two bits for what it's worth, I would do a PG safari first just to get the feel for it. You won't believe what you will learn from that first hunt. I went on my first safari after 40+ years of hunting in North America and thought I knew it all, well it didn't take long to figure out I was just a piker! I went on my second PG safari last year and am now planning my first DG hunt for 2018. There is so much to learn from selecting your outfitter, to selecting the right caliber for the game you would like to hunt all the way to where and when is the best time to go (planning is half the fun). If I can make one suggestion, please take advantage of collective knowledge of the hunters and outfitters on this forum. You have picked a great place to start your search for your first African Safari.
Good luck and may the African sun soon shine down on your first of many safaris.

 

[Nyati]

I would recommend doing a PG hunt first, to get the feel of the land, to know the way things are done in the African bush.

Hunting a buffalo or an elephant is a serious matter !