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i am planning a hunt in 2012 for buffalo.What did you not count on that you wished you had prepared for ? I have so far been told get in shape you will need good endurance | ||
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Depending upon where and what time your hunting Buffalo, that could be good advise. Being in shape is always a plus no matter what/where your hunting. In some countries it is an absolute. LDK Gray Ghost Hunting Safaris http://grayghostsafaris.com Phone: 615-860-4333 Email: hunts@grayghostsafaris.com NRA Benefactor DSC Professional Member SCI Member RMEF Life Member NWTF Guardian Life Sponsor NAHC Life Member Rowland Ward - SCI Scorer Took the wife the Eastern Cape for her first hunt: http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6881000262 Hunting in the Stormberg, Winterberg and Hankey Mountains of the Eastern Cape 2018 http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4801073142 Hunting the Eastern Cape, RSA May 22nd - June 15th 2007 http://forums.accuratereloadin...=810104007#810104007 16 Days in Zimbabwe: Leopard, plains game, fowl and more: http://forums.accuratereloadin...=212108409#212108409 Natal: Rhino, Croc, Nyala, Bushbuck and more http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6341092311 Recent hunt in the Eastern Cape, August 2010: Pics added http://forums.accuratereloadin...261039941#9261039941 10 days in the Stormberg Mountains http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7781081322 Back in the Stormberg Mountains with friends: May-June 2017 http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6001078232 "Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading" - Thomas Jefferson Every morning the Zebra wakes up knowing it must outrun the fastest Lion if it wants to stay alive. Every morning the Lion wakes up knowing it must outrun the slowest Zebra or it will starve. It makes no difference if you are a Zebra or a Lion; when the Sun comes up in Africa, you must wake up running...... "If you're being chased by a Lion, you don't have to be faster than the Lion, you just have to be faster than the person next to you." | |||
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Wasn't prepared for the addiction the first safari would cause!!! Had more fun than I had ever imagined! Regards, D. Nelson | |||
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Familiarity with shooting off sticks is a big change for American hunters, but is the standard in Africa. Get (or make) a pair and start practicing with them. A bench is only useful to see what the gun & load are capable of...after that, it's up to you! | |||
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endurance,, we walk, run, treadmill etc. If you can walk with your gun and pack on weekends for extended treks you can better check if you are in shape, especially in some places where the soil is soft, inclines etc. Exercise everyday but go on extended hikes on days off and see how you hold up,, you will need to do that everyday for several weeks. I assume you will be wearing the same boots here as well as there,,, right??/ you can make more money, you can not make more time | |||
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Endurance and wind issues - climbing steep and rocky hills is very different exercise from long fast walks with a pack in local parks. High Temperatures - up to 115 degrees F in midday. The weather forecast for Harare is no indicator of the weather in the Zambezi Valley. "Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult." | |||
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I have to agree with Biebs. Shooting off those damn sticks is a discipline unto itself. Prcatice using them and I suggest taking your own sticks to afarica with you. Each one of the homemade jobs I've used in the bush has been different. You will definitely not be prepared if you have not prracticed with them. I hate to admit it but I was not prepared on my first trophy elephant hunt for the brain shot. I had myself convinced that I would just take a heart/lung shot so why would I need to know about a brain shy? Stupid!!!! We could not see any part of the elephant's shoulder that I shot. Total obscured by low but thick bush. I learned about the brain shot from the PH drawing pictures in the sand just 30 yards form the bull. Funny now but I was kicking my ass at the time. I did at least knock down the bull on my first attempt at the brain so all went fine but it gave me pause to reflect on perhaps not being the fundi I had thought I was. Mark MARK H. YOUNG MARK'S EXCLUSIVE ADVENTURES 7094 Oakleigh Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89110 Office 702-848-1693 Cell, Whats App, Signal 307-250-1156 PREFERRED E-mail markttc@msn.com Website: myexclusiveadventures.com Skype: markhyhunter Check us out on https://www.facebook.com/pages...ures/627027353990716 | |||
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Spot on - add a serious effort of runing uphill after spooked herd (sure you don't have to and you can stop anytime), and you will feel it (heat stroke) coming...this is nuts but it did happen to me and my Northern radiator will never be up to task as much as I'd want it to be. Other than that do some duck walk and try to find appropriate kneeling or squat pose that you could maintain for some time without moving. On final aproach stay as close to the PH as possible - 2 steps behind is 2 far. Besides learning to shoot off sticks learn to shoot off hand - it may save your bacon. | |||
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My arms and shoulders were not prepared for carrying a rifle for 8-10 hours a day on 15 mile walks. I did work out my upper body some prior to going, but not enough, it turns out! It didn't cause any problems, other than some discomfort at times, but I'll be better prepared next time. Also, I was totally unprepared for the number of staff I was expected to tip. Ask your outfitter (not your booking agent...the person you'll be hunting with) for a full list of camp and hunting staff, and customary tips for each, prior to leaving. I found that I had way too many $100 bills (easier to carry), and not enough smaller bills. Also, I brought a few "trinket" things for small gifts, but didn't have enough to go around, and was scrambling to dig up things to make up the difference. Use enough gun... Shoot 'till it's dead, especially if it bites. | |||
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Take PLENTY of water whilst in the bush, don't wait until you get thirsty, drink more than you think is necessary. After the hunt, beer is mandatory.  | |||
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Take plenty of film/memory for pictures. Take pics of everything and when you think you have taken too many--TAKE MORE!! If you can get/hire someone to film your hunt, DO IT! I had a "training" cameraman with part of my hunt in Zim. It was his first time of filming a hunter. After watching my hunt 4 months later, I was amazed how much I had forgotten. For my next hunt I will have it prof. filmed! Filmed Hunt=Priceless! Skip Nantz | |||
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It is all good advice. It really is. And you should listen to all of it. But don't forget the most important thing...you are going to encounter something you are not prepared for. No amount of questions or advice is going to change that. And it is ok. Keep a positive attitude, do your best, listen to the PH, follow the trackers, learn something everyday and don't sweat the small stuff. Don't forget to soak up every little thing that comes your way, take none of it for granted. Just live every second of it. Cheers, Brian "If you can't go all out, don't go..." | |||
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+1 to Allout's post. It seems as though it was yesterday when I posted the same basic question on this forum. Now we are getting ready for our fourth trip in 2 1/2 years and I am figuring out how few things I can bring. The first trip I was not prepared to be as rushed as we were getting to the concession and back. Book and extra day or two or three on the front end and back end. It helps the jet lag and depending on where you are the local culture can be interesting. | |||
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When we got close to an ele mother and her calf then as we walked away with my back towards them I turned around and saw the mother starting a charge.She covered almost half the distance between us before she backed off.I was caught off guard with a soft in my chamber and the safety on.When you are near ele be prepared for a charge at any time even if there is no warning. | |||
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All really good thoughts. Fitness, sticks, tips (whatever you're told before hand, there will more hands held out). Also, depending on where you're from, the sun and heat can be oppressive. Coming from Alaska it takes me almost a week to get anywhere remotely used to it. Plus, because my skin is covered most of the year, it tends to get soft and will cut and scratched very easily. I find that after a period of being in the African sun my skin gets much tougher. | |||
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Yep a couple of days of tiger fishing before your hunt is a great way to get over the jet lag and travel stress (or lost guns, ammo, and luggage) and catching tigers is the most fun fishing I've ever had. Paul Smith SCI Life Member NRA Life Member DSC Member Life Member of the "I Can't Wait to Get Back to Africa" Club DRSS I had the privilege to fire E. Hemingway's WR .577NE, E. Keith's WR .470NE, & F. Jamieson's WJJ .500 Jeffery I strongly recommend avoidance of "The Zambezi Safari & Travel Co., Ltd." and "Pisces Sportfishing-Cabo San Lucas" "A failed policy of national defense is its own punishment" Otto von Bismarck | |||
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I would say 2 things. In Africa, there is no schedule. Things don't move like they do here. Relax and don't get too worked up over it. The second is the dryness. Africa is the only place where I have ever had my mouth/throat so dry they hurt. I now carry Jolly Ranchers with me. Works wonders. | |||
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Best advice I got was from Retreever, he said never get off the truck without plenty of water. Our first step off the truck to "scout" some buff tracks ended up in a fifteen mile hike! Both my wife and I were thankful we put 3 liters of water in my pack! Don't depend on the PH to bring enough, they are all a bunch of camels! DRSS(We Band of Bubba's Div.) N.R.A (Life) T.S.R.A (Life) D.S.C. | |||
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Don't ever get out of the truck without your vest and a bottle or two of water and a pocket camera. Like Larry Shores says, have some candy in your pockets if your system requires moisture and may I suggest a lip balm with SPF protection. African sun can be very tough. Take sunglasses that have some "spring" to the sides of the glasses and you can slide over your hat if you're the kind of guy who finds sunglasses impairing your ability to use sunglasses while looking through binocs. I found myself always moving my sunglasses so I could "glass" with the binocs. | |||
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Not being able to pay attention to every effect and movement of the target animal immediately after shooting it with a high recoiling rifle. I was surprised I needed more work on this. Jack Hood DRSS | |||
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How tough buffalo CAN be. Will J. Parks, III | |||
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One thing I always take is a small headlamp or LED light that you clip on the visor of a ball cap. Many camps in the bush use generators that are shut down at 9:30 p.m. or so (or have unreliable power grids). I like to read at night and a hand free light makes that easy as does it make it a more comfortable trip to the loo... or walking with hands full of guns and gear to breakfast in the dark. I take a quality camera, of course, but I also have had one fail. With a little looking, you can find a tiny point & shoot 8 or 10 megapixel camera now that costs about $100. They take surprisingly good pictures. I always get some back up shots with the extra (I'm a belt and suspenders guy). I also take extra SD cards. I also take multiple batteries for both cameras and a charger that will work with a cigarette lighter socket. You can find replacement batteries and chargers on ebay for less than $20. Make sure they work before you go, of course. Your cell phone, if you have a charger, can be your back up camera, too, even if it doesn't have an Africa sims card... but why not get one of them? JudgeG ... just counting time 'til I am again finding balm in Gilead chilled out somewhere in the Selous. | |||
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Be fit. With fat rendered by regular exercise, and with muscles hardened and ready to go. I have spent a few days getting in shape, while in the bush. Hell, I even started one safari while ill with pneumonia! Not good. But I have managed. Still, it's far better to be fit, healthy and strong from the very start. And know your rifle and how to shoot it fast and fast again. Sticks have never been a problem for me. Not the least little bit. But from what I hear, they're a problem for many, so practice shooting from them. But be fit would be my best advice. None of us is as young, strong and resilient as we might wish to be! Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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I practiced a ton from the sticks and was very comfortable with them. Instead my surprise was how many offhand shots I took. Getting in shape is huge. I lift weights and run prior to going and I find carrying a rifle and walking long distances not to be a problem. It still wasn't enough though. One thing I was not expecting to be so hard was that damn bent over hunch walk while on the final stalk. It severely reduces your lung capacity and it is amazing how quickly you get winded walking like that. Do that walk for a hundred yards and then try to take a shot! The biggest thing I was not prepared for though was the post Safari depression. I went in May 2009 and I dream about getting back everyday. | |||
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Be able to shoot off hand as well as on sticks. When you can hit an 8" plate off hand at 50 yads with 3 shots in 10 seconds, you are prepared. | |||
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Having to shoot a crop-raiding bull hippo at spitting distance at midnight the following evening with my .375, with the only illumination coming from a Mag-Lite with semi-flat batteries, handled by a tracker even more nervous than I was! Luckily the first 300-grain Woodleigh did the trick in spectacular fashion and we spent the rest of the night celebrating and the following day recuperating before setting off in pursuit of the second buffalo! Seriously, though, take the best footwear you can lay your hands on. I took two pairs of trackshoes as it was a late-season hunt and I was anticipating fierce heat (which turned out to be correct), but the first pair of Adidas was so torn up after the first three days that I had to throw them away. I'll take more suitable footwear next time around. | |||
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As my friend Ernest mentioned above, I also like to read. But, I went the hi-tech route. I bought an ipad, and downloaded dozens of free books from www.gutenberg.org. They even had books on Africa. You won't need to worry about the headlamp then. | |||
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The biggest shock to me was the realization that I had brought too much crap with me. I thought that I had packed light, but if/when I return I will have only half as much stuff with me. Also, I took approximately 1500 photos, but now wish that I had taken 5000. | |||
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It is almost impossible to hike or climb with a rifle in any area close to my house to train. But hiking around in a hilly area with a backpack comes close, so try doing alot of that. Besides, it will get you outdoors with a purpose. Add a nice big DSLR camera with a heavy lens hanging around your neck will give you something to do: stalk common animals for pictures. _________________________________ AR, where the hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history become the nattering nabobs of negativisim. | |||
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1. How addictive African hunting is. 2. I should have booked more days and brought more money. 3. Take pictures of everything, not just dead animal hero shots. Take Pics of the camp, staff, flowers, bugs, dinner, people doing chores etc. Its digital so snap away. The danger of civilization, of course, is that you will piss away your life on nonsense | |||
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read thisSeven Ways to Ruin an Otherwise Perfectly Good Safari Russ Gould - Whitworth Arms LLC BigfiveHQ.com, Large Calibers and African Safaris Doublegunhq.com, Fine English, American and German Double Rifles and Shotguns VH2Q.com, Varmint Rifles and Gear | |||
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Three days of rain in the middle of July in Zimbabwe. Take some sort of light weight rain jacket. We were cutting head holes in garbage bags. | |||
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Just a note on training in areas where you can't carrey your rifle. Most fitness supply places have a padded bar that comes in diferant weights. I would think careying one that is a little heavier than your rifle would do the job, say a 16 0r 18lb bar to simulate the weight. When you go back to your 12lb rifle it will seam light. Bill Member DSC,DRSS,NRA,TSRA A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way. -Mark Twain There ought to be one day - just one – when there is open season on Congressmen. ~Will Rogers~ | |||
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All the above suggestions are excellent. The only thing I would add is practice working the bolt on your rifle (or moving your finger to the rear trigger on your double) and getting that second shot on target ASAP. Oh, and practice topping up your magazine (or reloading both barrels) from your ammo carrier with your eyes on the target, not on your gun. You're going to have a great time! Enjoy! "Personal is not the same as important", Corporal Carrot, Men at Arms | |||
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You can't carry enough water for a 6-8hr walk in the heat. Use a CamelBak for your day pack and, #2, get some 10 million SPF sun block. | |||
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Stealth stole the thought i had at first beginning reading this thread. Stroke that sucker quic withouf dropping the butt from your shoudle. Load up some dummy rounds. You can practice at home. Regarding sticks, insist that you practice with the guy who will be holding your sticks, be it tracker or PH. I shoot left handed, so it ain't much help if the stick holder is on my right. Different elevations, too. It only takes a couple of minutes to make sure you are on the same page. Have a great safari! | |||
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I was totally prepared for everything. I'd been planning my Safari for 20 years. I could shoot, hike, soak up the heat and beg for more. I was up early every day and ready to go well past dark. I Shot volumes of digital media and wrote damn near a book in my journal. I had the perfect safari wear, boots and hat. In my years of preperation I had read books and watched videos, I had The Perfect Shot book memorized. I can't say that anything really caught me off guard... oh yeah except for maybe Africa itself. There isn't an author or a novelist, a video, magazine or website that can prepare you for the 'experience'. It will change you! Before we boarded our first plane in Milwaukee, we talked about how we hoped the animals would be quality and we wondered what the terrain would look like. On the flight home, we talked about our new friendships and indescribable adventure we'd been on. The hunting was awesome but it was almost secondary. The people, the lifestyles, the culture, the things you see. I spent 7 years in the Navy, traveled to countless foreign ports, islands and third world countries, but Africa... ----------------------------------------------------- Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him. Proverbs 26-4 National Rifle Association Life Member | |||
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I thought I was well prepared for my first safari. But it was quite clear that I missed out on the single most important factor, IMO. Choosing the right outfitter/PH. Actually I did not fully realize this until after the safari, so I had a good time anyway. Anders Hunting and fishing DVDs from Mossing & Stubberud Media: www.jaktogfiskedvd.no ..and my blog at: http://andersmossing.blogspot.com | |||
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If the Safari is to be XY days long, book another two. | |||
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----------------------------------------------------- Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him. Proverbs 26-4 National Rifle Association Life Member | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting African Big Game Hunting 1 safari what did you find you were not prepared for ?
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