go n to africa

[culpritz]

so i was at the arizona sportsmans wildlife conservation banquet last night and bid and got the 10 days in african plainsgame hunt im so excited but know i need to figure out what i want to hunt. i wish i would have checked this site to meet some of the members that went and one have any suggestions on some good gasme animals there to hunt.

 

 

 

also i hope sarah palin runs for president it was so cool to see her in person

[lucky2hunt]

Kudu and a big gnarly warthog... Tops my list! Congrats on the hunt, that's exciting, you will love it! I hope to go back in 2011.

[hunterdude]

Firstcoueswas80 and Scottyboy should be getting back soon they could give you some good info!

[Coues 'n' Sheep]

Any of the spiral horned animals, Kudu, bush buck, etc.... I spotted a huge bush buck that my buddy shot... but never got the one I was after... Depending on where you are at the Greater Southern Kudu or the Eastern Cape Kudu are both Dream trophies IMO. I had to have a Zebra.... to me nothing says Africa like a Striped Donkey! I think an Nyala and a Sable would also be very high on my list and of course the Diuker (sp) and the Griesbok (sp) and the Klipspringer (sp).... Africas smallest game are also on my "future list"... and but a hyena if you get the chance!! They are Awesome... we heard them lots but never saw any.... Best of Luck and Congrats on your purchase! I don't know much... but I'd be happy to share what I do know with you, about my 24 days on the Dark Continent. Also... baboons are great fun... and a must have as a cheap extra!

[billrquimby]

It depends upon where you will be hunting and how much money you have for trophy fees. I suspect you bought a hunt in South Africa, though, and will have a tight budget.

 

If so, I'd concentrate on the species indigenous to only that country, such as blesbok, bontebok, common nyala, Cape grysbok, South African springbok, black wildebeest, Vaal rhebok, southern mountain reedbuck, Cape bushbuck, and eastern Cape kudu.

 

(Nyala also occur naturally in Mozambique and Zimbabwe, but they're best hunted in South Africa's KwaZulu Natal province. Game farmers elsewhere in South Africa also may offer nyala, but beware. Some nyalas are bought at a game auction and released a few days before the client arrives.)

 

There are lots of other antelopes in South Africa. Some of them occur naturally there as well as in neighboring countries; others are stocked on a put-and-take basis (especially the big ticket items such as sable and roan). Plan on hunting these other species where they actually are indigenous on your next trip to Africa, because you WILL go back. South Africa is where I suggest first-timers go first, but you should try Namibia next, then Zimbabwe, followed by Botswana, Zambia and Mozambique as you gain more experience.

 

Be prepared for hunting behind high fences in South Africa. Its laws transfer ownership and management of wildlife to landowners when their land is high fenced, so virtually anywhere you will hunt will be inside enclosures. A few "farms" (ranches) are so huge you will not see a fence again after you enter the main gate; a few are so small you will never be out of view of a fence. Most will be 5,000 to 10,000 acres, though.

 

Needless to say, it pays to know the size of the place and the terrain and density of vegetation where you going to hunt. A 5,000-acre farm in the open veldt seems smaller than one that's covered with thornbush.

 

Another thing to remember is you will pay a trophy fee for every animal you shoot, including those that are wounded and lost. A single drop of blood on the ground can be very expensive, so take your time when shooting. Also, don't be caught up in the belief that African animals are tougher than ours and that you need a bigger caliber.

 

I've shot nearly all of the plains game of southern Africa, from tiny grysbok, oribi, steenbuck and duiker to zebra, kudu, gemsbok, waterbuck, sable and moose-size eland -- and everything in between -- with a 7 mm Remington Magnum and 175-grain Nosler Partition handloads. You don't need a .375 H&H Magnum, no matter what some of the posts on the African hunting websites say. A good ol' .30-06 with a quality bullet will work just fine, too. A .300 Winchester Magnum is just about perfect, if you shoot it well.

 

Too many Americans buy big guns for Africa's antelopes and screw up because they can't handle the recoil.

 

I suggest you buy a copy of the African edition of the SCI Record Book of Trophy Animals (520/620-1220) for its photos, natural history text and maps, and learn more about the animals you'll be hunting.

 

Have a great time. You will never forget your first safari. C.J. McElroy, Safari Club International's founder, used to say he envied no man except the man planning his first trip to Africa. I agree.

 

Bill Quimby

 

One more tip: Your professional hunter will expect you to shoot standing up, using a tripod made of long sticks. This can be awkward for someone who is not used to shooting this way. Get yourself three sotal stalks, tie them together at the top and practice shooting off them before you go. It will pay off and could save you a lot of money on trophy fees for wouned animals.

 

Still another: Don't forget that seasons are reversed in the Southern Hemisphere and you probably will be hunting sometime between May and September. I've seen snow in Johannesburg in July, so take warm clothes, including gloves and something to cover your ears. You'll need them at first and last light when driving around in open vehicles.

[Browning'sCustomMeat]

If I was to go to africa....Cape Buffalo and Sable would be the top two on my list.

 

-Jeremy-

[culpritz]

thank you all for your insight it is much appreciated. hey bill i was thinking ok taking my pse bow 70# for fun and my rifle i was gonna bring is my 338mag

[billrquimby]

thank you all for your insight it is much appreciated. hey bill i was thinking ok taking my pse bow 70# for fun and my rifle i was gonna bring is my 338mag

 

Your bow and a .338 Win Mag should be fine for South Africa, but only if you shoot the .338 well.

 

You should tell your outfitter that you'd like to hunt with the bow. Not all properties have blinds for archers, and he will want to build them or arrange for you to hunt on another farm.

 

 

Jeremyb:

 

I would not want to hunt a buffalo or a sable in South Africa (or in Namibia except in the Caprivi Strip, for that matter). Not only are these animals very expensive in South Africa, but they also are all "closely managed" inside high-fenced enclosures.

 

Although free-ranging buffalo and sable were the first two African animals I took in Zimbabwe on my first safari way back in 1983, at the seminars I moderate at SCI's conventions I usually suggest that first-timers hunt South Africa's antelopes first then work into the more primitive countries as they gain experience.

 

Hunting South Africa after you've hunted Africa's wilder places can seem mighty tame, and that's a shame. It has animals indigenous only there, the people you'll meet are great, and the hunting can be a lot of fun. That's why I tell people to go there first.

 

Bill Quimby