Long time lurker, with maybe 3 posts since 2003.

I’ve finally decided it’s time to head to Africa. I plan on hunting Namibia in the Khomas region in either May or September. The weather should be nice both times of the year, mostly likely similar.

May is the Kudu rut, big plus. The trick will be accruing the needed vacation time. Doable but would have to put off a vacation with the wife until later in the year.

Any pros or cons or advice would be welcome.

Thanks

Chris35w

I have hunted Namibia twice now both times in july and have great luck. If kudu is your main animal I would say may for sure. That rut just brings the big bulls out.

Sept does start to get warmer but is not crazy hunt out yet. The hunting for all the other animals I would say would be the same.

I would say all depends on how the wife feels about it all and how hard it will be to keep here happy. LOL

I’ve hunted Namibia four times, as early as early May and as late as mid August. I prefer the earlier hunt- it’s much greener then, and the critters haven’t been hunted hard for 3-4 months. I’m heading back for Namibia trip #5 in May 2019. Ive written Hunting Reports here on AR for all four of my previous hunts.

Another advantage to going in May is cheaper airfares. For my May 2019 roundtrip airfare on British Airways, I paid $982 all in from Chicago to London to JoBerg to Windhoek.

Thanks for the replies.

Bud, Any issues traveling with firearms on BA through Johannesburg?

I’m considering flying Qatar as they have a flight direct into Windhoek from Doha.

I gave up flying with my own guns years ago. I use camp rifles and don’t even check a bag- I can fit everything I need in my Red Oxx carryon bag. The baggage handlers in Jo Berg are notorious for pilfering luggage and I don’t give them a chance. Frankly, TSA and US Customs are a bigger pain than Customs in Africa.

I take my guns each trip use SAA but that may not work so well coming from co. I flyout of jfk which is a 11am flight get to jo-berg at 8am back on plane to Namibia by 930am or can do the 1 pm flight.

Be careful which way you fly there if taking guns as some routes have extra paperwork so your legal to travel with the guns.

I have flown SAA 6 trips now to Africa and never had any major problems at all.

Lot of perfect advice....I've done both...just like above..
Would definitely pick May and you should have no problems getting your rifle(s) through. Bud and Bcap summed it up perfectly. Depending on connections either check them direct through where you do t have to clear guns or use a service if you do.
Consider the direct Delta flight out of Atlanta. Only 15 hours...then 2 more to Windhoek.
Good Luck!!

Just went for the first time this year to Namibia. The wife and I went in June as an anniversary celebration, otherwise we likely would have gone a bit earlier to catch the rut on Kudu.
There was still some activity, as the bulls were focussed on the odd cow that didnt catch the first go. (I scored on a beautiful 56" bull that got caught thinking with the wrong "head")
Never been anywhere in Africa prior, and took the chance at getting my own gun there to hunt. We flew in directly to Namibia and had no issues. I found Namibia to be extremely gun-friendly, but I admit, I was in a major panic to get all the paperwork complete and back before the hunt. It wasnt Namibia, but all of the different countries we passed through and the different airlines. Make sure you dot all the "I's" and cross the "T's".
Namibia itself is the easiest paperwork, and they will actually just do it for you when you arrive, but it is much faster if you can email it to them before you leave.
I made a point of steering clear of the Johanesburg route, as I heard lots of banter about new gun regs, etc.

If you fly straight threw on the SAA flight you never touch your guns in Jo -berg no extra paperwork at all. Flying throw jo-berg is only hard if you don't do your homework.

Great responses, most helpful.

Jimmy, I know you flew out of Canada, but what airline and what route did you take?

Congrats on the 56” Kudu, must have been a monster.

If you are going to fly BA, Chris, double check to be sure the flight they book you to Windhoek will take firearms. French friend got his rifle left in Joburg when he flew BA there and then COMAIR, I think, to Windhoek.

I have hunted in Namibia almost every year since 1994 and go to Byseewah Safaris, a place your wife would like. (see some pix in my thead .303 double rifle below). Their website is www.Byseewah.com. I hunt their in August, but have hunted as ealry as March. It's all hunting, just different.

Regards, Tim

In my case, hunting with someone else's rifle is third prize. I like to take a rifle I have built or customized on my hunts. Last trip, I took my own "Bad Boy" sxs 20ga Brenneke gun, plus a Marlin 336 that I had rebarreled in 375 JDJ. The latter topped with a cherished Weaver V4.5 that I bought in Johannesburg back in the 70s when it was an AOK place. Prior trip I used a 404 Jeffery that I built on a 98 Mauser, but with P14 bottom metal for a 4+1 setup. Hunting with my personal firearms has always added to the enjoyment for me.

My experience with BA is that if there is a way they can make your life a misery with firearms, they will. Done the same to my clients. Give them a very wide berth. Unfortunately, this means you might have to fly SAA or Delta and transit thru JNB. If you can avoid an overnight, you can avoid the SAPS.

Russ,

I agree about hunting with my own rifles. I plan on taking a .35 Whelen I built and a .270, both commercial Mausers. It just wouldn’t be the same if I rented rifles there.

Chris

Anyone flown Qatar Airways through Doha with a direct into Windhoek? It adds a day or so, but the prices seem better than I’m finding on other airlines.

I'll be there the last week of April, I've gone as late as August but that's the windy month of the year.

I agree,go in the Early Season.

quote:

Originally posted by Chris35w:

Anyone flown Qatar Airways through Doha with a direct into Windhoek? It adds a day or so, but the prices seem better than I’m finding on other airlines.

I fly Atlanta - Doha - Windhoek four times a year. Will not fly through Johannesburg ever again unless I have to travel to SA. Qatar Air offers great service and the Doha airport is easy as you do not have to touch your checked luggage and you do not clear customs as long as you do not leave the airport. You can check your firearms all the way through to Windhoek.

In regards to May vs September, May is early season September is more mid/late season. September can be quite cold and windy as others have said. There are generally better grasses in May and that tends to scatter the animals more, but if you are hunting behind high fence, it really doesn't matter much.

They are still around in October. Here's the second kudu bull I took in 2016 with Osombahe Nord.

img width=800 height=450]http://www.australianhunting.net/gallery/1007-040118213318.jpeg[/img]

We are doing Qatar next year. No more JoBerg ever. Have done the Air Namibia via Frankfurt as well.

I don't know why so many have issues with JoBerg/JNB...
I've never had any issues whatsoever...
Went through twice this year...no problems.

We went in May 2015 and both of us killed big bulls. We are booked again for next May. We are flying Qatar, Miami - Doha - Windhoek.


Safe travels and good shooting...….LL

quote:

Originally posted by Poyntman:
I don't know why so many have issues with JoBerg/JNB...
I've never had any issues whatsoever...
Went through twice this year...no problems.

Me either SAPS is much more gun friendly than friggen Atlanta......

.

The challenge with JNB is having to clear customs, grab your checked bags, then overnight in JNB, then go back through the same happy dance all over again the next day in order to catch a flight to Windhoek.

By flying through Doha, there is no customs BS and no having to collect your checked bags. You walk off the flight, check into one of the lounges or the hotel at the airport, grab a nice dinner and 6 hours of sleep and then stroll to the gate 30 minutes before your flight to Windhoek. The total trip time from Atlanta to Windhoek on Qatar Air is the same 33 hours it takes to do Delta/SAA via JNB - the only difference is the elimination of the shuffle and headaches in JNB and you arrive much more rested and ready for action.

Plus for those who do a lot of travel to Africa on Qatar Air, the travel rewards are MUCH better and the flights do not compare to any US carrier or SAA.

+1 on Qatar airways. I try to avoid Joberg if at all possible but 14 hrs from now I have to claim bags there and recheck them on Air Botswana to Maun( sitting in Dubai business lounge right now). Luckily, no firearm dance....

I'll be flying to Windoek trough Amsterdam in April. What about the Dutch? Are they antiguns and antihunters?

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
+1 on Qatar airways. I try to avoid Joberg if at all possible but 14 hrs from now I have to claim bags there and recheck them on Air Botswana to Maun( sitting in Dubai business lounge right now). Luckily, no firearm dance....

Have a GREAT trip and safe hunt!

I'm flying Ethiopian Airlines from LAX through Addis Ababa and then direct to Windhoek. I'll have to go through the extra check in Addis Ababa but I have a four hour layover so it shouldn't be bad.

My only concern is that on the way home I fly Addis Ababa to Vienna and have to change to Austrian Airways. I haven't found anything online with issues traveling with guns through Vienna and they are code share with Ethiopian Airways and have a baggage handling agreement, so I don't expect any issues.