I am taking my wife to Namibia this September and part of the trip is a 7 day plains game safari. She has never gone hunting before and I wanted to get some suggestions from you guys that have brought their wives along. I have read some posts here where the women totally fell in love with Africa. Any suggestions or ideas would be welcome. She really takes to some things well if they are presented in the right way but can get turned off permanently if they aren't.

Thanks guys

I know you said "non-hunting" but you might want to be sure there is a rifle taken along or available in camp that SHE can shoot. You may be surprised!
Other than that several books or whatever she enjoys just sitting around doing. If you take her along in the truck she'll probably enjoy it but remember, there's no sit-down toilets in the bush!!!!
You'll want to prepare her for that. If she can't quietly participate in the stalk it can be a long wait back at the truck especially if she's not comfortable there by herself or with an acompanying employee. Best scenario since there is plenty of time is to communicate with your outfitter NOW about what may be available to pass her time.

Oh yeah, wouldn't be a bad idea to communicate with HER ahead of time to!

My wife only missed one half day of hunting when we went to Namibia. She loved getting out and has a new found appreciation of what fair chase is all about.

I did communicate with the Namibia PH & his wife before the hunt and they offered activities like horseback riding and such if it turned out that Joyce got "bored" tagging along.

Like I said, the opposite happened. The only reason she missed the one half day was a trip to see the PH's Parent's garden and house.

There was another experience that you probably aren't going to find outside Africa. They raised the Baboon from birth.

Video

As silly as it sounds, my wife's enjoyment of our outdoor pursuits increased greatly when we discovered a handy little "portable female urinal" device which makes it easier and more comfortable for her to attend to business when far from porcelain.

As long as she has her binoculars and her "portable plastic pee-pee palace" she can enjoy any outdoor activity.

My wife's must haves are: Kindle with about 20 new books on it, hairdryer and voltage converter (if in a camp with 220v), artificial sweetener for coffee, her own camera and binos, drink packets to pour into bottled water, TP, moist wipes, travel pillow, eye mask.

My wife also looks for naturally occurring shapes that resemble letters of the alphabet and photographs them. When she returns, she uses those photos and crops and merges them to to spell people's names, their initials, etc. Framed, it makes a really unique gift.

She also likes to photograph game and birds as well as flora and unique rock formations. She constantly looks for land snail shells and porcupine quills.

Finally, take an active role in your wife's choice of footwear, etc. Make sure she has the gear to make her safari enjoyable. Nothing worse than bad boots, clothing, gear, no gaiters, etc.

rxgremlin

Sadie who has been my partner for 30 years has missed one day of our 14 safaris. A truly sick headache kept here in camp in Botswana while I took a red lechwe. This from a from a girl that never has had any desire to actually pull the trigger. If your wife likes the outdoors she'll love safari.

Mark

I wanna take my wife with me as well, but i'm really not so sure she would shoot anything. I don't want her to be miserable while i'm having the time of my life

Is it possible that if she happened to wanna shoot something, she could pay the non hunter fees and then take one of my animals instead of me? Or does she have to buy licenses and such like in the US?

When I opened the African hunting forum, the title of this thread (Tips for non hunting wife) was immediately above the thread "Tips for PH and Staf." Seeing them together, my first thought was that anyone who wound up tipping a non-hunting wife 10% of the daily rate would be getting off cheap.

Bill Quimby

I took my wife to Namibia. Here is the very best advice I can give you: Consider spending a day or two on the front end recovering from the flight, staying in a hotel, letting her rest up. Very important, women and children do not travel well compared to we hunters who have been across the pond, used to jet lag, etc.


It can really ruin her trip if she starts out tired, then because she is run down, catches a bug.

You may know, Windhoek is a neat and friendly town. The Kalahari Sands is right downtown, and a nice enough hotel, with a very decent restaurant, movies on tv etc.

Just outside of downtown, is the Country Club Hotel. Lovely grounds, two levels, pools, golfers teeing off for 18 by the pool, a poolside Bar.

Lots of the locals I noticed leave their wives sunbathing by the pool while they golf. Also a lovely place.

Let her sleep in some mornings, my wife did not like getting up at 5:30. Books, and even movies on a laptop, or DVDs, with a voltage converter.

If one is not hunting, there really is very little to do in a hunting camp-

Dear RX

My family always want to go on safari.
Wife, son 12, daughter 9.

1. Have some day trips lined up for the wife.
Visit the local village, attraction. Horse riding, 4x4 and she drives. Cooking class.
Visiting the local school with some local aid is also a good option.

2. Make sure they have her fav coffie and drop for the night time.

3. Pay her attention at lunch time if back in camp.

4. Get the PH wife to visit each day she is in camp.

5. I get my girls to sleep in then they come on the afternoon hunt.

Just make sure what ever is lined up for your wife is in writing and there is a grogram. As the focus tends to be on hunting.

6. Make sure there is a rifle she can use.
A good place to start is to get her to hunt some meat for the local school. Usually FOC. You need to start some where.

7. Some thing to look forward to after the hunt. Maybe some time on the coast for a few days before you go home.

Next thing you know she could end up like mine, wanting a Blaser, smit scope and an African croc hunt.

In the book list you might want to include a couple of classic Capstick and Ruark books. They might seem more pertinent to someone when they are in the bush.

my wife has been with me 9 times now. she doesn't hunt, but loves the cameras, this has given us stills and movies that i never would have been able to do should i have been alone

If she is like my wife I would leave her at home for the week and have her fly in for a tourist time when you are not hunting.

Going by the heading, I would have thought a couple of big ones to stay at home and maybe go shopping.

"Tips for non hunting wife"

I'm sure furs make lovely tips.....jewelry also likely acceptable! She'd certainly appreciate them more than your PH!

Brett

quote:

Originally posted by Brett Adam Barringer:

I'm sure furs make lovely tips.....jewelry also likely acceptable!Brett

Or a CZ 452 American.

I took my wife on her first safari last year. I made sure when we stayed in Jberg. we had a great hotel. after the safari was over we did a lot of touring. She went on every hunt and had a great time shooting the camera and not the rifle..Great pictures. At the end we stayed at a great hotel in Cape Town. Now she wants to go back

My wife went my son and I on our first African safari. She loved seeing the animals and our visit to the school with SCI sponsored Meds. She is not going back to hunting camp in Moz this year but is very anxious to go back on a photo safari. If I was doing both this year, she would definitely be in. She just isn't wild about hunting camp so I would plan both plus shopping for African crafts, if I were you.

If she is open to it, give her some shooting lessons before the hunt. My wife took an impala on her "observation" hunt and the next time she went with me she was also a hunter.

Does she hunt at all? Does she shoot at the range? I think those issues are the key.

My wife like the odd shooting session on the range. She gets a bit competitive sometimes! She has never shown interest in hunting animals but likes to see them and take pictures. If I took her on safari I have a good idea what she will like and what she will not.

Good luck on your trip and hope you both have a great time together.

A lot of what Will Parks recommends is accurate. My wife went this past year with me to Namibia and loved it. We began the trip with two days of sightseeing in Etosha National Park, which was excellent for photography. It also got me use to seeing wild game. My wife also did not like getting up at 5:30 am so I hunted alone in the morning and after lunch and a nap, she joined us for the evening portion of the hunt. My wife is also a reader and spent some time sunbathing and relaxing. I think without Etosha, she would not have enjoyed the trip near as much.

My wife and I took hundreds of photos and they now decorate our house. She also has a much greater appreciation for the game I shot and is more accepting of me hanging trophies in the family room instead of the finished basement.

We had an undependable electric grid. She said one of the best items we packed were a couple of Surefire flashlights.

Thanks everyone for your replies. My wife is not much of an outdoor girl but she has surprised me by enjoying somethings I didn't think she would like.

We do have a full schedule, RSA first for Kruger and Cape town then off to Swakopmund then Windhoek to be picked up for a 7 day hunt.

I have to admit it was a bitch to plan (but fun too) and make everything work logistically. I took great pains to make sure that we are staying at nice places with things for her to do. In fact the safari company has two luxurious camps in two distinctly different types of terrain so she will get a change of pace during the hunt.

You people are welcome to send me your wives, I'll look well after them!

http://www.kapstadt.de/schindlers-africa

Before you go, if she doesn't have her own set of GOOD binoculars, take her shopping for some. Then take her out where she can try them out looking at birds or game so she gets a feel for using them and watching wildlife.
Make sure she has a decent camera and knows how to use it.
She will be fine and don't be suprised if she decides she wants to try shooting something.

quote:

Originally posted by rxgremlin:
Thanks everyone for your replies. My wife is not much of an outdoor girl but she has surprised me by enjoying somethings I didn't think she would like.

We do have a full schedule, RSA first for Kruger and Cape town then off to Swakopmund then Windhoek to be picked up for a 7 day hunt.

I have to admit it was a bitch to plan (but fun too) and make everything work logistically. I took great pains to make sure that we are staying at nice places with things for her to do. In fact the safari company has two luxurious camps in two distinctly different types of terrain so she will get a change of pace during the hunt.

Make sure you have a fish dinner at Kuchi's Pub in Swakopmund. Great food with a noisy local pub feel.

The "Living Desert" tour is also worthwhile.

Who are you hunting with?

Hello,
I joined my husband in Zimbabwe for a plains game hunt last June. I had not hunted before. It was a life-changing experience for me. I would be more than happy to share my thoughts with your wife if you like.
We hunted for 8 days; I joined Neil on all hunts and was amazed at how much I loved the ENTIRE experience. The people, our hosts, dark-africa, the adventure, the unknown, the danger, the sky, the hunt--- All of it --- moved me forever. Only you and she know what she would enjoy and be comfortable with... Please have your wife message me - I really needed a woman's perspective before I went last year-- and did not get one early enough. I would love to talk with you or she.
Warmest regards,
Stacy

quote:

Originally posted by Blueeyes:
Hello,
I joined my husband in Zimbabwe for a plains game hunt last June. I had not hunted before. It was a life-changing experience for me. I would be more than happy to share my thoughts with your wife if you like.
We hunted for 8 days; I joined Neil on all hunts and was amazed at how much I loved the ENTIRE experience. The people, our hosts, dark-africa, the adventure, the unknown, the danger, the sky, the hunt--- All of it --- moved me forever. Only you and she know what she would enjoy and be comfortable with... Please have your wife message me - I really needed a woman's perspective before I went last year-- and did not get one early enough. I would love to talk with you or she.
Warmest regards,
Stacy

Sound advice and a nice offer. My wife also talked with other women before our trip both huntresses (if there is such a word) and observers. She got some nice tips I had not gotten from males.

One tip was these tap lights which we used at the bedside. They worked great and were easier to find in the dark than our regular torches that would roll on the table.

quote:

Originally posted by Wink:
In the book list you might want to include a couple of classic Capstick and Ruark books. They might seem more pertinent to someone when they are in the bush.

Ruark's Horn of the Hunter would be a good one. It would be a good primer for your wife on how to behave on safari...like maintain a good nature and drink heavily throughout the day.

However, it's probably best to not let her read Hemingway's The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber.

Full Text of "The Short Happy Life..."

quote:

Originally posted by Blueeyes:
Hello,
I joined my husband in Zimbabwe for a plains game hunt last June. I had not hunted before. It was a life-changing experience for me. I would be more than happy to share my thoughts with your wife if you like.
We hunted for 8 days; I joined Neil on all hunts and was amazed at how much I loved the ENTIRE experience. The people, our hosts, dark-africa, the adventure, the unknown, the danger, the sky, the hunt--- All of it --- moved me forever. Only you and she know what she would enjoy and be comfortable with... Please have your wife message me - I really needed a woman's perspective before I went last year-- and did not get one early enough. I would love to talk with you or she.
Warmest regards,
Stacy

Welcome to the FORUM. As a huntress myself (and yes Frostbite I think that is a word) it is great to see another woman become an African affectionado!

Rxgremlin: You, and your wife, have been given excellent advice here. I, personally, can't think of anything not covered. Actually, even after 10 safaris there is some advice here that I will take!

Best regards, D. Nelson

quote:

Originally posted by D. Nelson:

quote:

Originally posted by Blueeyes:
Hello,
I joined my husband in Zimbabwe for a plains game hunt last June. I had not hunted before. It was a life-changing experience for me. I would be more than happy to share my thoughts with your wife if you like.
We hunted for 8 days; I joined Neil on all hunts and was amazed at how much I loved the ENTIRE experience. The people, our hosts, dark-africa, the adventure, the unknown, the danger, the sky, the hunt--- All of it --- moved me forever. Only you and she know what she would enjoy and be comfortable with... Please have your wife message me - I really needed a woman's perspective before I went last year-- and did not get one early enough. I would love to talk with you or she.
Warmest regards,
Stacy

Welcome to the FORUM. As a huntress myself (and yes Frostbite I think that is a word) it is great to see another woman become an African affectionado!

Rxgremlin: You, and your wife, have been given excellent advice here. I, personally, can't think of anything not covered. Actually, even after 10 safaris there is some advice here that I will take!

Best regards, D. Nelson

You were the head huntress advice giver and I thank you on Joyce's behalf.

My suggestion is to buy her about $4000usd worth of video equipment so she can have something to prepare for the safari too. Once she knows how to use it you wont be able to keep her at home while you go on safari, and you'll not only have her company, but some good documentation as well.

The love of my life was a city girl - never hunted or shot firearms in her life. After the first trip 4 years ago she is addicted to Africa (Namibia) as I am.

1. Whether she "shoots" or not get her some good glass.

2. Make her the "official" photographer - that will last about 1 day!

3. Make sure you tell the PH that she is part of your team and BOTH of you treat her that way. If she gets tired you both get tired - follow? She may well surprise BOTH of you!

4. Utilize her to as a way to take an extra rifle or two that you may want to "blood in Africa" - just make sure it is one she can handle and shoot well in case her huntress fangs grow out.

5. Said earlier - take/plan a couple of days at the front end to rest before your PH picks you up. Also allows your "stuff" to catch up with you in case something comes up missing. Let her plan some the pre/post hunt sight seeing and YOU follow HER for a day or two.

If you love her, this will pay off back to you 1000 fold and she will be hooked for life too. And you will have a willing partner/accomplice on your NEXT trip (and there WILL be a next trip) instead of an adversary.

I can't say enough about my love - her huntress side came out and she looks more forward to hunting in Africa than touring Paris or Rome now - win win for me!!!

quote:

3. Make sure you tell the PH that she is part of your team and BOTH of you treat her that way. If she gets tired you both get tired - follow? She may well surprise BOTH of you!

Mr. Taco,

Most PH's will understand in a day or two how much of the safari the observer wants to be apart of but I think it is an excellent idea to have the conversation with the PH. He needs to know that regardless of the outcome of the safari that it is important that the observer be included in all parts of the safari if this is what you want. This has worked beautifully for me.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by ForrestB:

quote:

Originally posted by Wink:
In the book list you might want to include a couple of classic Capstick and Ruark books. They might seem more pertinent to someone when they are in the bush.

Ruark's Horn of the Hunter would be a good one. It would be a good primer for your wife on how to behave on safari...like maintain a good nature and drink heavily throughout the day.

However, it's probably best to not let her read Hemingway's The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber.

Full Text of "The Short Happy Life..."

Forrest, that's great!
I still recall Virginia's "pinched" look until she got a "nutritious delicious".

Mark:

Thanks - like I said, mine WAS a city girl, had never seen an animal hunted, shot, killed, butchered etc.

First animal I shot (she saw), she saw the bullet impact and the animal ran a ways and had expired before we got there. She was very quiet (first time she had seen a dead animal up close and personal). The PH went off to get the Baki and we had a chance talk about it and by the time the PH got back she was back to her normal bouncy self.

Second animal I shot, she didn't see the initial shot, but she was there for the up close "finishing" shot. Same drill - she was very quite, PH goes for the Baki, we (she) has a chance to talk it through and in a few minutes she is back to her bubbly self.

Third animal she sees from start to end. This time her reaction was, "when can we eat it?".

Get home I get her "her own rifle" (Marlin 45-70), start her at the range with low power loads and two years later she bags her first big game animal (Gemsbok), one shot (130yds) through the heart with a 300gr Nosler Partition at 2000fps.

This year she is after Kudu and Mountain Zebra.

I have FINALLY found a keeper.

Thanks to everyone for your replies! Especially thanks to Blueeyes for her kind offer (she sent you a PM), M3taco you are my inspiration, that is exactly what I am hoping happens.

We did go shopping for binos and she chose a pair that she likes. She also bought a Tilley hat which shocked me because she says mine is heinous but she likes hers enough to post on Facebook. I hope this keeps up!

Jon

Not my wife... but several years ago I went for Plains Game in SA - one of my younger sisters came along - She took photos - of my two trips to Africa the best photos I have are on that trip with her. The "cute" PH talked her in to getting her first animal - a Mountain Reedbuck - it hangs on her wall and after the week of hunting we took a tour of the wineries and had a great time.

Man, I am so glad Ms AZWriter has no problem with bodily functions in the outdoors. Last August we were attempting to summit a mountian in the Himilayas; she wasn't feeling the greatest and the call of nature was at hand. Unfortunately, there was no place with privacy; we we roping up and putting on our climbing harnesses and crampons to go up a glacier near the summit. Everyone just turned their heads while she squatted.