There's a long story leading up to this, so I won't bore you with it. My wife and I were watching OLN the other night, don't remember which program (Where the hunter/PH? puts a frontal brain shot on the Ele bul with a 577 Holland & Holland) and she said, I'd like to do that. Meaning she'd like to go as an observer on a hunt with me. To say the least, I was shocked! She never hinted before that she was interested.
I've always dreamed of Africa, it just never seemed within reach.

That said, I have been visiting this website as a lurker mostly, for probably 5 years. I don't post much, preferring to read experiences and gain knowledge from those who have done it, rather than spout off about "things I've heard". Anyway, I'm going to have a lot of questions in the near future, about things I can't find in searching through here, or can't remember.

With no kids in the house now, and me looking to do something different from the usual whitetail deer hunting, a trip to Africa sounds do-able, if I get my finances in order.

First question, any recommendations for an outfitter/agent for a 1 hunter 1 observer trip for some plains game and possibly buff?

I really liked "dogcat's" "Things I've learned in two years on AR" thread, very informative.

We have friends that live in Las Vegas, and we try to visit them every year, so which organization holds their yearly convention/show there, and which one is in Reno? Does anyone know the dates of this years shows? How about a link?

Meeting outfitters and agents at a show seems to be the recommended manner in which to get the best results on finding an outfit that suits a client. To me that makes a lot of sense, and I'd like to do that.

Thanks in advance for the opportunity to pick your brain, and hopefully, in two years, we'll be experiencing all the things you folks have been tantalizing me with.

Mark

There is no annual in Las Vegas. The shot show used to be there and will return in 2008, but other than the NFR, nothing. As far as a recommendation goes, if you want to PM me I will glady pass on some information to you on a possible PH. If you are interested in elephant he has that available as well.

there are any number of outfits that will meet your requirements. By all means please take your wife with you. Mine wouldn't go for several years, and then after the 1st time I couldn't leave here at home again. She come along and does the photo work. It really gives the trip another dimension. I know some guys son't like the idea, but for us its great. If this is your first trip, I would think about places such as RSA, Namibia, or maybe zim. Look through the forums here and I believe you'll find several things to look into.

I would suggest that you plan to attend either the Safari club convention in Reno or the Dallas safari club show. Both are in january and bring together a multitude of outfitters, phs and brokers. It is a great place to window shop or really shop. I suggest that you review the trip reports and create a list of people that you would like to talk to, then seek them out.
I have had good experiences with Mark Kyriacou's big game and bird safaris in Botswana, hunting in the Okavango delta. Botswana is not cheap, but Mark seems to be the best buy there. My Ph was Glen Munger, I highly recommend him, but I believe that he is now mostly guiding on his own ranch. Botswana is experiencing a growth in ranch hunting which is cinsiderably cheaper than hunting in the Delta. No Buffalo on the ranches though.
Good luck and good hunting

TerryR

Hello Mark & welcome to the club.

If Africa is your goal, I would go to SCI; especially if it’s your 1st convention. It is quite a show.

Here are the links & schedules:

DSC: http://www.biggame.org/
Convention: January 11-14 , 2007

SCI: http://www.safariclub.org/index.cfm
Convention: January 24th – 27th, 2007

S.

Mark,

I work with some very good outfits and can probably put you together with the right one to suit you and your wife's needs.

As a start I would decide on exactly which animals I wanted to hunt most. Then start checking some web sites. One to try is www.hhksafaris.com in Zim. There are many others that others here can post. Then call some booking agents such as Anne at Aspen Hill Adventures, Adam Clements, or Atcheson and Sons in Butte Montana. Then meet these same people at the SCI convention in Reno or Dallas safari Club convention in Dallas.

465H&H

MS,

You haven't indicated what you want to hunt, but if this is your first trip to Africa, I'd suggest going to the Republic of South Africa or Namibia for a plains game hunt to get your feet wet. It is by no means necessary to go to one of these conventions to book a hunt, although many do. I would not over-buy (many of the agents will want to over sell) a hunt, and I'd not rush to get everything mounted and shipped home after your hunt. Take tons of photos and video and post them in your den. It will leave you more money for your next trip (which will probably be the next year), and will keep your life less complicated (said the guy who is having to add rooms for his trophies!) Kudude

Oh Boy! Lots of great replies so far!

Thanks for the help so far. I will answer all the PM's I've received from you booking agents/outfitters, but it might take a few days. Besides, there's no real hurry yet.

Terry R and Seq, thanks for the convention info.

As for game species, the only real important ones are seemingly everyone's favorite; kudu, warthog, impala...as for anything else? Who knows, it depends on what species are available in which area.

Kudude, interesting observation about trophies, I would be planning on skull mounts, maybe a shoulder mount for Kudu, only because they are so beautiful. But, your suggestion meant no trophies brought home? That's thinking outside of the box for me, but interesting.

More later, after I do some digesting and talking, I'll be back for more.

Mark

MS
Your wife is 1 out of 1000. An African safari, especially if it is your first, is something that will never be forgotten. You will long remember your evenings around the campfire watching the sun set.
We have one concession in Botswana with an 8 ele quota. Three were taken over 65# this last year. The price--all inclusive--is $23,000 for a ten actual hunting days. Door to door, includes licenses, trophy fees, transfers, You only pay staff gratuities.
Jerry Meyers
209-865-2449

oops--wrong area code on the phone no.
208-865-2449

quote:

Originally posted by m stevenson:
There's a long story leading up to this, so I won't bore you with it. My wife and I were watching OLN the other night, don't remember which program (Where the hunter/PH? puts a frontal brain shot on the Ele bul with a 577 Holland & Holland) and she said, I'd like to do that. Meaning she'd like to go as an observer on a hunt with me. To say the least, I was shocked! She never hinted before that she was interested.
I've always dreamed of Africa, it just never seemed within reach.

Mark

Sounds like you have a keeper.

Mark,
No, I would leave everything, but I'd be very selective about what I mounted. I'd do some mounts, some rugs, some plaques, and some Euro-mts.
I'd plan some side trips an pick up some "Africana" and turn the whole thing into a nice room. Kudude

quote:

You haven't indicated what you want to hunt, but if this is your first trip to Africa, I'd suggest going to the Republic of South Africa or Namibia for a plains game hunt to get your feet wet. It is by no means necessary to go to one of these conventions to book a hunt,

I agree, it's almost as expensive to go to SCI as it is to go on a PG hunt in Namibia! The "daily rates" are outrageous and the airfare/hotel is not exactly peanuts either. Then add up all those restaurant meals and you can just about pay for your hunt for the same amount of money.

In these days of the internet, you can do as much research as you can mentally process, you can get a darned good idea of what you are buying, you can ask more questions than most folks at the shows have time to answer, and you can check references. All without leaving your home.

And you can probably get a better deal online than at the shows. (Who do you think pays for those outfitters to trek all the way from Africa to Nevada together with their trophies etc?)

Given your choice of species, I would pick Kwazulu Natal or Limpopo Valley in RSA. The Impala in the Valley are bigger but the warthog are less plentiful and generally more expensive. I would not go to Namibia, the Impala and Warthog in particular tend to be more expensive and it's an extra flight. The reason to go to Namibia is if you want to take a bunch of Kalahari species eg Oryx, Hartebeest, Springbok, Eland...and/or because you have already hunted the lowveld of RSA.

Regarding buffalo, neither of these locations is a particularly good choice because buffalo are very expensive in SA and very limited in Namibia. If you want to make this primarily a buffalo hunt with PG thrown in, and you are on a budget, then you should consider Zimbabwe. In my opinion, buffalo hunts are not very wife-friendly because you can end up doing a lot of arduous tracking and this is a serious business, best conducted without too much of an entourage. So I would recommend that you leave your buff for next time, solo.

Now that you have narrowed the field down to about 500 outfitters, how do you pick one? Style of hunt (on foot for example vs. mainly from vehicles will get rid of about half of them); degree of luxury in the accommodation will narrow the field down further; eliminating outfitters that don't own their own land (some of whom think it's OK to ship their hunters around to two or three properties during the hunt...the infamous tarmac safari! or are not owner-operated (who wants to deal with an employee?) gets rid of a bunch more; and finally it comes down to references (quality of trophies, setting/ambience, size of property, and degree to which the outfitter "puts out" for you); and then perhaps price (too many people start with price and that can be a big mistake...).


Or you could contact a couple of booking agents, tell them what you do and don't want, how much you want to spend, and then let them save you a lot of aggravation.

Mark,

I've been on AR for some time now, read a lot and even posted a few times. But in all my reading here I've never seen such good, balanced and appropriate advice as what Russ Gould has given in his posting! Read what he said again, and heed his advice! [Even though he is just a booking agent! ]

When you've done that please contact me: A 'one man show' Hunting Outfitter where you deal only with the boss and his wife! After a quarter of a century in the business I know how to look after a man and his, to use Nitrox's expression, 'keeper' wife, while etting you good trophies with real ethical walk 'n stalk hunting!

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren

quote:

Originally posted by Russ Gould:
...eliminating outfitters that don't own their own land (some of whom think it's OK to ship their hunters around to two or three properties during the hunt...the infamous tarmac safari!

Russ, sound advice! I agree with you on all the points you've raised save the one I have quoted you on.

A reasonably busy Outfitter can hunt anything from 200 animals per year upwards. Unless the Outfitter / Landowner runs a "put and take operation" by stocking his property with game prior to the hunting season, not even a "large" game ranch (by South African Standards) can sustain the taking off of that number of animals each year - especially given the fact that different species of animals are hunted - all of them not being herd animals such as e.g. Impala.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying that "tarmac" safaris are the way to go. But practically speaking, we sometimes have no other choice than to hunt on land and make use of accommodations that we don't own.

I must agree with Chris. Even if you own the land, it is good practice to take only 30% of trophy animals in a year. How many 50"Kudu does a normal 1500ha area hold? 30% of that.......?? If you are not doing it, you end up buying trophy animals on auctions, and get sucked into the "put and take" business.

It makes sense to hunt a variety of areas, but I agree, hunt in one place, and do not travel between hunts.

nifinito, could you explain your post a little better for me? Do you mean, that an operator should take a client to one ranch/concession for their hunt, but an operator may need to move around a bit and hunt different properties?

Sorry, infinito, I tried to edit my spelling mistake, but my 'puter wouldn't allow me to edit