Which season do you prefer or don't you mind..

[Jono Joseph]

South African hunting season is is dictated to the residents by the MEC and it generally falls into our winter months we can hunt through out the year though with the correct legislation, docs etc.
do most of you out there in AH world prefer the winter hunting in South Africa ( -2C to about 25C) to the summer month (25C to 35C) or would you hunt and if your opportunity arose you would be off disregarding the local wether ( Southern Africa)... I have seen but never experienced the extreme cold of Norther America and the mountains to hunt sheep and so on. I am talking about would you hunt in 35C after Elephant and buffalo should this opportunity arise? what do you have to contribute... I know i would hunt all day everyday ..

Shot Shot

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I live in an oven in the summer months here in Phoenix, Arizona. When the cool months arrive, the last thing I want to do is get on a plane and travel a long distance to get back into the oven. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if those in the north land of the U.S. look forward to leaving there winter wonderland for a couple of weeks of warm weather in Africa.

 

[TokkieM]

Depends on the species I will be hunting, Kudu I would hunt in winter months,the same for Elephant. All the others dont really bother me,except maybe the Tiny Ten which I would prefer to persue in winter too.

 

[Royal27]

My personal preference is to hunt when the hunting is best, but I don't care if that is hot or cold. I'm good with either. I'll hunt rain or shine!

 

[IdaRam]

I am more of a cold weather type. I just plain don't like hot weather, so I guess I would fall into the winter hunting category.
However I would rather be hunting in the heat than not hunting at all Given the choice I think I would choose May through August or September.

 

[JustinC]

Year round but prefer to Bow hunt during the warmer months and rifle hunt during the colder months.

Regards

 

[gizmo]

I'll pretty much hunt any time or anywhere. That being said, I would much prefer it to be cool outside.

 

[JTEX]

I love to go to Africa to hunt because it gives me a break from the heat here at home. My vote is Winter time. Our Hunting seasons are closed during the African winter months also, so it gives me a longer hunting season and I don't miss good hunting times here at home!

 

[ActionBob]

For me it is anytime with several caveats.
The easiest time for me to get away is during our cold months thus the hot months in Africa. And our summers go by so quick that we hate to miss too much. However I hate the excessive heat so would love to go in late July or anytime in August. My wife just plain refuses to come along hunting if too cold but she will bear the heat. Of course there really is no such thing as too cold in Africa!

We have only been to Africa twice, April and November and I would do both again in the right circumstances. I want to try March and would even consider January and February in the right circumstances.. anything to chop off some of our winter! Maybe less hunting and do some fishing?

I also generally hate the laying around in the mid day that seems so popular with African citizens (not that I want to be out in the severe heat, just cannot usually sleep). So if the African PH's are willing to go all day in the cooler months, I might prefer that as well, especially if the days are a bit shorter. So as I get older and hopefully have less commitments at home, I hope to do some cooler weather trips.

Then there is the hair slip to worry about as well so might need to go in cooler weather for certain species.

So almost year round.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Cool weather any day of the week.
Here is one of the best reasons!!!!!

http://www.africahunting.com/threads/the-black-mamba.2655/page-9

 

[CAustin]

If I could I would retire and hunt year round! However I hunt deer and hogs in the US during our fall and Winter. Then the trips I have made to South Africa have been in the US Spring and South Africa Fall. Works out real well for me. Temps have been very comfortable during April in South Africa. Not too hit and not too cold.

 

[billc]

That picture of that snakes reminds me why I hunt late july early aug.

I would like to try a hunt in may or june when the kudu are rutting.Have no real desire to hunt the real hot month unless it was just one of those deals you cant pass on.

 

[ActionBob]

....unless it was just one of those deals you cant pass on.

That's what really got me there in November.

 

[billc]

Thats the kind of deal I was talking about bob the one you just cant pass up.Then dam the snakes I will go.

 

[Scott Slough]

Put me down for cooler months x 2. My mind certainly connects hunting and cold temperatures and it is very difficult for me to make it to Africa other than in June and July.

 

[Velo Dog]

Hot weather puts me off a bit.
In fact it is reason #362 that I live in Alaska.

However, I am capable of putting up with heat, in exchange for good hunting and fishing, if the deal is too good to pass up (as others have already said here).
My only problem with the hot season in Southern Africa is that it can often be the rainy season as well.

I like to think I've hunted in the rain, the soaking wet swamp grass, the mud and the mosquitos for the last time many years ago, when I quit hunting hooved game in Alaska.
My personal experience with moose leads me to suspect they are somehow related to frogs, because they surely are some serious rain, swamp and deep mud loving sons of guns.

The sad part is that May through September is the very best time window of the year up here where I live, and I have to leave it in order to go to Africa then, if I want to have higher odds for dry/cool weather.

For me however, it is definitely worth it though and actually it is only a small price to pay, when I think about how incredible the hunting is there, compared to how feeble it has become in AK.
I even found the grouse hunting in South Africa (Limpopo area francolin fowl) to be much better than my own local favorite grouse woods here.

(This is all of course, with the exception of bear hunts - at the moment up here it is some of the best in the world, grizzly and blackbear both).

 

[Grumulkin]

I prefer to hunt when it's a bit green so I guess that means in the spring or summer. It never gets cold enough in South Africa to bother me and it doesn't get too hot either.

 

[tarbe]

Grew up in Wisconsin. Live in Houston and hate the heat.

So count me as a cool to cold weather hunter. Preferably below 50F.

But like the others, will hunt when I can! I have deer hunted in South Texas in 90F!

 

[PeteG]

If hunting is on the agenda, it doesn't matter too much whether it is hot or cold.
Hunting in the rain sucks, but still wont put me off.
Hunting in 40deg October valley heat sucks, but still wont put me off.
Hunting in -5deg Bloemfontein winters sucks, but still wont put me off.
Any time in between is perfect

 

[peras]

You will always get better deals in Feb/March or October/November in South Africa. The hunting is a bit harder but the heat is tolerable. I don't mind I hunt year round.