You will go on 1st safari within 10 yrs of joining

[Cucuy]

I recently noticed that I joined AH on July 26, 2015. I was starting to think about a safari for my 50th back then. Ended up celebrating a pandemic instead. Fast forward a few years and I’m taking my family on our first safari this summer. We land in Namibia on… July 26, 2025! Weird.

Coincidence?

AH determines your destiny?

Residual juju from reporting African spammers for peddling boner spells?

I think I know the answer, but did it take anyone longer than exactly 10 years to go for the first time?

 

[K-man]

I don't think my experience is the norm for most A.H'rs. I lurked for a couple years, went on 2 safaris, then joined when I felt I had experience to offer. Looking back, no reason to wait. This is the only social media site I belong to. Good luck on your upcoming hunt!

 

[dailordasailor]

I joined after a gun show and guy was selling African hunts and I couldn’t believe they were “affordable”. Always thought was the filthy rich that went so wasn’t on my radar. Joined AH following week. That was shortly after my 25th birthday. Officially booked my safari for 2020 and we all know how that went. Made it over a few months after my 32nd birthday. If wasn’t for AH I would of never gone.

7 years for me

 

[revturbo9967]

9 years for me

 

[odonata]

I lurked here for a couple of years but having no African experience other than taking my daughter on photo safaris, I never posted anything. As I approach retirement, a hunting buddy of mine suggested a couple of times that we should go to Africa & knowing him, I thought there was a probability it might actually happen. So I joined the site & started getting a bit more involved just so I could learn some stuff & become more informed.

Then I found out I preferred discussing hunting & rifles with the people here more than anywhere else. I've met a couple in person which has been great. While I don't have a really high message count, this is one of the few sites I visit every day. I still read more than I write.

1.5 years for me.

Hanging out in the Chobe National Park in Botswana with my daughter. She had just finished an agricultural research project in Mozambique so she's wearing her University of Arkansas Horticulture shirt.

 

[Trogon]

I found this site when looking up handloading info for a Ruger No. 1 I bought in late 2018. Started reading more and more on this forum and seeing all of the sponsors offers pushed me to go to the Eastern Cape. So about 2.5 years but should have been 1.5 years. First trip scheduled for 2020 pushed to 2021 because of the Kung flu. Made a few good friends here too along the way!

 

[Tundra Tiger]

I see my join date was the last day of May 2019. I don't think I had seen the site prior to joining. I joined to educate myself and seek out a decent deal for a first trip. (Thank you Wik at Game4Africa!) I went on my first safari in Msy of 2021 and my second in June 2023. I had hoped to go this year and meet @PARA45 but a divorce derailed that.

So... almost 2 years to the week for me.

 

[mark-hunter]

I think I know the answer, but did it take anyone longer than exactly 10 years to go for the first time?

I always wanted to go to safari, and it took me 46 years to get there.

Actually, it took me one year only after joining his forum. (one year and three weeks to be exact)

When I joined the forum I was certain I am going, but had no clue, where and what. I needed fast education in African safari geography.

So, I was collecting information at fast pace. And motivating factor on this forum is high!

 

[mark-hunter]

To add to previous:
Main stream media, who puts hunting away from public focus like national geographic, discovery channel, animal planet, was so overwhelming before the advent of internet, and in those dark ages I had no clue that modern safari is possible.

Internet verified information made me realize it is possible. And this place is hot spot!

 

[wesheltonj]

About a year. Went to DSC one year obtained info on outfitters, narrowed my list down, joined AH and another site, requested intelligence from those sites about outfitters, made decision. Went to DSC next year, booked hunt and made vacation/hunting trip plans.

 

[PARA45]

I joined AH in 2010 when I was looking to go on my first safari. I went two years later, and then I did another safari 10 years later (2022). I'm going on my fourth safari next month. I wasn't planning on going this soon, but a good friend wanted to go on his first, and I said why not.

 

[CBH Australia]

I think it took me about 10 months.

I found out early that it was cheaper than I thought. I opted for a cull hunt. Flights and all included came in at under 10K US currency

 

[BeeMaa]

Booked our first safari in February 2017.
Joined in June 2017 for the purposes of research.
Went on safari in May 2019.

However, I'd say that 10 years is about right from joining to booking a safari.

This is us on safari in 2019.

 

[Philip Glass]

It took me all of 5 seconds to decide to go on safari back in 1997 when one of my friends was organizing a group! I found AH while looking up references for a Zim outfitter back in 2015. Wow it's been 10 years for me on AH!

 

[Hooked Now]

Mine is about a negative seven months. Like @dailordasailor I always considered Africa only for the well heeled. A buddy had been going for a few years at that point and I didn't think it was for me. Did an antelope and mulie hunt in WY and as we were recapping the less than stellar experience my Africa buddy dropped the "you know what we'd get if we spent this much in Africa?". So fast forward I did my "I swear it's only this once for a bucket list trip" in 2024. Four days in I realized I had a problem so Im Hooked Now.

I joined here about 7 months after I went.

 

[Rellik]

I have been dreaming of hunting in Africa for as long as I can remember. Being in the gun/ammo/hunting industry for 40 plus years has exposed me to a lot of people who have been there, most of them more than once, and they have been an invaluable resource. I booked my first trip just over a year ago and I joined the forum a couple of weeks later. Like much of the internet, once you filter through some of the strong opinions and obvious BS offered up by some, and come to grips with your own financial reality, the additional information, advice, and first hand knowledge available here is almost overwhelming. My first trip was an unforgettable experience. I will be going back, and probably hunting with the same PH.
The only advice I can offer up is to not look at the cost as a deterrent. For many, myself included, it is just an issue of perspective and priority. Once you make the choice to drive your paid for truck, instead of buying a new one for $60-$80K, hunting in Africa (or almost anywhere else ) becomes a very attainable reality.

 

[Fatback]

I joined AH in 2022 prior to my first buffalo hunt. I had previously been to Africa hunting in 2009, 2011 and 2013.

I will say that AH has been a tremendous resource for info on rifles, ammo and planning future safaris. Since joining AH, I have been on safari in 2023 and 2024 with site sponsors on great deals and am booked for another safari with a site sponsor in 2027.

My hunt this year was put together by my long time PH/friend that I started hunting with back in 2009. We are fortunate to have such supportive and knowledgeable community here.

 

[Bandera]

I went on Safari in 23 then joined.
While searching for my next Safari I found AH and then joined.

 

[bakerb]

I joined about 8 months after my 4th safari. My third and fourth safaris were only 3 months apart and I finally hunted dangerous game on those trips. I couldn’t stop thinking about dangerous game and how it made me feel. So I joined up to live vicariously through others

 

[crossone]

I'll bet lots of folks join AH when they're starting to plan their first safari. Lots of fantastic advice on this site.