From reading through the forums seems to be a fairly diverse mixture of those whose wife/gf joins them on safari and those that don't.

Some that go hunt, some that go don't.

Please share your dynamics, tips to get the wife to go, if she hunts with you stays at camp, ect...

I'm a ways off from any African hunting at this point but figure it could be interesting to see where this goes.

My personal situation:
My wife is not anti-hunting but she isn't a hunter so I know she wouldn't be interested in seeing me shoot a Kudu but I think she would enjoy the hunt to find a Kudu. Unless going with just my father, I would want my wife to go with me since it's Africa!

So what tips/advice/experiences for hunting & non-hunting wives

My wife is no hunter but she supports my affliction. I asked her not long ago if I saved up and went to Namibia, would she like to come. She said "Nope". She has no interest in even looking at the wildlife.

Pick the right time of the year. Not too hot and not so many bugs.

Pick a decent lodge/camp. Roughing it usually doesn't appeal to women.

Pick a place where it is not too difficult to do other things even if it as simple as a game drive.

Figure how to explain the dangers where she understands but isn't freaked out. I have had to tell my wife that she cannot run for exercise under any circumstance as something will eat her.

My Lady loves it BUT those early mornings and long tracking stints can be more than enough so it's good to have a good camp for her to enjoy some time out.

My wife has been a couple of times and was quite useful!

My wife likes that she doesn't have to cook or clean or do laundry while we are there. Sometimes she will go with us while we're hunting and sometimes she will stay in camp. If it's a hunt where we come in for lunch she will pick morning or afternoon to go out with us.
Most safari camps are probably a lot nicer than most non-hunters would imagine.

My wife has been twice, to South Africa, but doesn't have any desire to go to Zim or Moz or any place that doesn't have alternatives to do. Like Shopping!
Plus she doesn't like the flight time, even in Business or First class.
I'm taking her favorite grandson to Africa when he graduates college and I might be able to get her on board for that one.

my wife is not a hunter. But, she loves Africa. We have taken the family 3 times. On Plains game hunts, she goes out on the truck and spots game with us. She takes photos and stays with our daughter as the boys and I head out on a stalk. When I hunted Buff in the Omay, she and the kids that were not with me, fished on Lake Kariba or went to a reserve or the croc farm etc. They were not with me when I shot my Hippo, but were there within an hour for photos, skinning, etc. We all went to Huange and Vic falls together. In RSA when I was stalking a sable with a bow, she and the kids went to lion reserve. We went to a game auction, a helicopter ride for a game count over the hunting farm. I think the key is schedule plenty of non hunting activities to do with her on the trip that are all unique to Africa. You can also schedule some non hunting things for her to do while you are hunting, like visiting a local village, school, market etc. Do it right and she will be hooked just like you are

My wife and I love to go to South Africa together. She does not hunt and usually does not go on the hunt with me. She does go on walks and game viewing drives each day. You have to go to a hunting operation that will really encompass the non-hunter. We have gone to Africa Dawn Hunting Safaris many times and my wife always has a wonderful experience. She take walks in the bush with an staff member there who is a naturalist .

We spent one week at a hunting operation then explore South Africa and/or Namibia together for about 6 weeks. Sometimes we go with a tour guide.

Things to see in South Africa:
- Colonial battle grounds and Hotels.
- Boer war museums.
- Soweto
- Kruger National Park. (Go with a tour guide company.)

Go to Naminbia and visit Etosha Park.

Best guest house for a "spring board" to South Africa adventure is Africa Dawn in Johannesburg.

My wife has been to South Africa twice...

First time round she stayed for 20 years....

Second time round she stayed for 20 days...

I don't think she'll go back now - we tend to vacation in other parts of the world we dreamt of, when we lived in Africa ...lol

More stuff to do:

- Stay at The Haven on the Wild coast.
- Addo Elephant Park.
- Mountain Zebra Park.
- Great fish River.
- Graff-Reinett and Craddock. (Amazing little cities in the Karoo)
- Sani Pass to Lesotho.
- Tribes Resuarant in JoBurg. ( get a ride from the guest house. Never go out alone in Joburg after the sun goues down.)
- Aparthied Museum in JoBurg.
- Craft/Art market held weekly in Joburg. I think it's called the Rose Bank Market. It 's held on the roof top of a mall on Sundays.

We usually go touring with a guide. Safer and we learn alot more and see way more birds and animals.

The more that you read and study about South Africa before you go, the more you will get out of your time there. ( If you want some historical High Adventure read Commando by Deney's Reitz.)
There are some great movies out, to learn what makes South Africa tick. ( Invictus, Red Dust, Color of Freedom, The Bang Bang Club, Etc.) Google South African Newspapers. ( Always a good laugh to read about ZUMA. It will cheer you up about politics at home.) Brian

On our 2 safaris we have always planned some sightseeing along with the hunt. First time was SA and we had tours of Kruger and Vic Falls along with the hunting. Mrs Blacktailer got into the spirit of things and even though she had never hunted big game before s, she took a bushbuck.
Staying in lodges and a very family friendly outfitter did the trick.
Our second safari was in the Selous. Again we did a photo safari first and saw several of the parks. Mrs Blacktailer said she wanted a zebra rug so she was tasked with shooting one. The fact that I bought her a tanzanite that was the equivalent of a buffalo trophy fee probably didn't hurt either. After the safari we spent a week on Mafia island .

Wifezilla's idea of roughing it is not being able to get room service after midnight.

Mine hunts, too. The daughters preferred sleeping in but enjoyed the evening hunts.

As to talking her into anything, your relationship already tells you how that will go. The only thing I'd offer is -- will she have another lady to shop/share time / etc. with?

quote:

Originally posted by Bakes:
My wife is no hunter but she supports my affliction. [...] She has no interest in even looking at the wildlife.

Pretty much sounds like my wife. On the flip side, I can't stand sitting at a beach all day, yet my wife seems to love it.

I'm a lucky guy. Joyce has always wanted to see the next bend in the river, what's over the ridge, and loves eating game meat of any type.

She's tough as nails and has very good field craft. Hunting came natural over time.

Larry offered some good advice that would apply to most of us, at least those taking our wives for the first time. Those of you who have wives who like to hunt and don't mind roughing it a bit, I'm envious.

My wife is coming with me in 2017 for the first time after years of invitations and a lot of encouragement. She does not hunt, but does cook and eat game (or we'd starve).

So, instead of Western Tanzania in October for example, we're going to Masailand in July-August, dates not totally set. It is a very pretty place and will be a lot cooler with no tsetses. Only line in the sand she drew is no charters, as she is afraid of small planes. By going to Masailand, we can drive in from Arusha, albeit a long drive.

Going with an outfit that I've hunted with several times, so no surprises. And, they are known for luxury camps and great food, wine, etc.

For my wife, it will be like staying in a four star hotel, only with much more majestic vistas. I hope she goes out with us some, but I suspect she will stay in camp a lot with a book. (Not much shopping nearby there). I'm sure she will enjoy it and I bet she wants to go back in 2018.

Good luck and hope she enjoys it.

My wife is not a hunter, but she has been to SA three times with me. She had no interest at first, but ladies at DSC convinced her to go. She ended up going with me on almost every stalk. She ruined a few stalks, but you have to take the bad with the good. Some of my favorite photos are her snapshots when I didn't know I was being photographed.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
I hope she goes out with us some, but I suspect she will stay in camp a lot with a book.

When you return to camp be sure to tell her about the brightly colored birds and their calls, how "cute" the Warthog family was, and of course how amazing the art of tracking is.

Don't just talk about hunting.

Jane (aka the She-Wolf) has been my constant hunting companion since before we married 27 years ago...and I wouldn't want to contemplate being in the field without her. She's pure hell-and-death on anything within range and capability of her old .270, cheerful in all weathers, and keeps me from wandering too far off track before reeling me back in.

She loves to see new country and meet new people and, while happy in the back of beyond, I make sure that our camps are comfortable and clean...no sleeping on the ground for us anymore!

I found early-on that (what a surprise! she needed gear that actually FIT her. Clothes, boots, the whole kit...not my old cast-offs, but stuff that really FIT her. I want to be comfortable; I figure most everybody else does too!

And clothes were only the start; when I really bothered to SEE when I watched her shooting, I found that no rifle she'd ever used fit her worth a damn. Proper LOP was easy, but she had NEVER shot ANYTHING that actually allowed her a solid cheek-weld. Much experimentation with moleskin pads followed until we had a stock that placed her eye behind the scope EVERY TIME she shouldered it, and then I got McMillan to make a fiberglass stock to those dimensions. As battered and blue-worn as that old M700 is after 25 years of hard hunting, I think she'd sooner part with a few of her diamonds than give up that rifle!

I'm incredibly fortunate to have the She-Wolf for a partner, but she has always loved the outdoors...I just made it easier for her to enjoy our time afield. I wish you and your wife as much happiness in the outdoors as Jane and I have been blessed with!

Mark

I would only take my own wife on safari. Never anyone else's.

Good advice Michael!

My wife never hunted until our first trip to South Africa......now I can barely afford her trophy fees.....

She has been with me on every trip 2 to Zimbabwe and 4 to South Africa......and getting excited a out number 5 coming soon.

.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Larry offered some good advice that would apply to most of us, at least those taking our wives for the first time. Those of you who have wives who like to hunt and don't mind roughing it a bit, I'm envious.

My wife is coming with me in 2017 for the first time after years of invitations and a lot of encouragement. She does not hunt, but does cook and eat game (or we'd starve).

So, instead of Western Tanzania in October for example, we're going to Masailand in July-August, dates not totally set. It is a very pretty place and will be a lot cooler with no tsetses. Only line in the sand she drew is no charters, as she is afraid of small planes. By going to Masailand, we can drive in from Arusha, albeit a long drive.

Going with an outfit that I've hunted with several times, so no surprises. And, they are known for luxury camps and great food, wine, etc.

For my wife, it will be like staying in a four star hotel, only with much more majestic vistas. I hope she goes out with us some, but I suspect she will stay in camp a lot with a book. (Not much shopping nearby there). I'm sure she will enjoy it and I bet she wants to go back in 2018.

Good luck and hope she enjoys it.

Make sure they have some French wines in camp or bring some and she might not miss Paris too much, mate

Yep! My wife thoroughly enjoys Africa!

I have done a couple of hunts where either the wife or girlfriend and/or children joined the hunt. In 2 cases the wife was not a hunter but they joined us in the hunt and they enjoyed it. Both were enthusiastic photographer and I have put them up in a bow hunting hide next to a waterhole with a picnic basket, which they enjoyed very much and got some very good photos.

Husband and wife hunters had a lot of fun among them sharing their experiences of the day.

I never had a problem with women or children in the camp, in fact they were a lot of fun and kept the men on their toes

The big thing is that they must love nature and the outdoors

My wife does not hunt and has no interest in going on a hunt with me. One of my daughters went with me once, but only because I added one week of camping/touring to the trip.

My wife has travelled her whole life and continues to do so. She was born in Africa, we were married in Africa and we lived in 3 different African countries for a total of 12 years. She is definitely not afraid of going there, just would rather spend her travel/vacation time doing something else then hunting.

My advise is to treat the hunt as a holiday and not a frantic pursuit of game. Save the best time of day for your partner. Game rich areas with few tsetse flies are a bonus and your power supply in camp must be able to run a hairdryer.

I have taken my wife 3 times. She killed an impala on the first hunt and went as a hunter on her last two.

Go to the right place, at the right time with the right people. The latter we dound out our first hunting trip. We were 2 couples. The guys rose early to hunt, the girls got up when they felt like. The girls had a late breakfeast, a little pool time and maybe a couple of hours game drives. We shared lunch some days and dinner and evening every day. Great trip.

WOuld bring her along if it were only us 2 aswell, but then the hunting trip would be shorter before we would do something else. We have talked about a trip to Namibia to hunt 5 days and sightseeing the rest. If the camp is good she would enjoy for 5 days. Good luck!

quote:

Originally posted by Svinejakt:
Go to the right place, at the right time with the right people. The latter we dound out our first hunting trip. We were 2 couples. The guys rose early to hunt, the girls got up when they felt like. The girls had a late breakfeast, a little pool time and maybe a couple of hours game drives. We shared lunch some days and dinner and evening every day. Great trip.

WOuld bring her along if it were only us 2 aswell, but then the hunting trip would be shorter before we would do something else. We have talked about a trip to Namibia to hunt 5 days and sightseeing the rest. If the camp is good she would enjoy for 5 days. Good luck!

My wife and I have done exactly this a couple of times - works well.

But like everything else in life people are different.

Namibia is a brilliant country to visit - easy driving, safe and good accommodation - some brilliant camping if that is your thing (it is mine). A huge country with a very small population. It is Africa and some common sense is still required.

My wife does not hunt but comes along when I do - I don't really understand how anyone could not find drifting slowly through the bush with your own Bushman tracker fascinating

Maybe that's just me?

My wife doesn't hunt, but she went along and became the official photographer. She had a great time and we also did some touring together after the hunt was over. One of our best trips ever.

My wife is a non-hunter but has been on all 3 times I've gone.
Plenty to see & do for the non-hunting wife if you go to the right places.
Most outfitters are accustomed to this & know how to make them feel welcomed.
We also take breaks from hunting for sightseeing days & she really appreciates it.
I don't consider a safari, just hunting, it's about the whole African experience.
I can't imagine going without mine.

If your wife or girlfriend ever joins you for any hunting trip, not just to Africa, be sure that there are things for her to do that you know she will enjoy. While that's stating the obvious, it's easy to get lost in your own excitement and leave the poor girl on the outside.

Remember that just because every aspect of the hunting trip is a thrill to you, it's not necessarily the same for her. Be prepared to sacrifice some hunting time in order to make sure she enjoys the trip as much as you.

If you aren't willing to give up a little of your trip for her, then it's best for the both of you to go with a friend or other family member. You'll both be happier that you did.

My wife has never hunted with me. Either at home, or the western US trips I've taken.

I certainly can't blame her on my western hunts, as luxury is not a priority of mine. She's smelled me after 8-12 days in the mountains with no showers. I usually don't make fancy camps, and eat freeze-dried foods, and frankly and honestly, the camping aspect of it isn't much fun or very comfortable. The hunting is wonderful though

We're going to try Africa as a couple this year for our 10 year anniversary. It's a very short hunt, just 6 days, solely because she is along. Followed by 3 days of power-sightseeing in Cape Town, and 3 days of the same in London.

We're both really looking forward to it. My wife is a little worried about getting bored in camp. She says she has no interest in going into the field, but I think she'll change her mind. Hope so.

Tim,

I always encourage my clients to go as a couple. It makes the safari "Their Experience" and not just the safari that the wife tagged along on. Couples often find the whole safari thing to be quite romantic and the wives can get quite absorbed in it all. My S.O. of 35 years is a non-shooter but she loves the hunt. We've done 18 safaris in 8 countries and she loved every bit of it. If your wife has any love of nature and is the slightest bit adventurous you guys will have a ball.

Mark

My bride of 34 years goes every time. Would not go without her.

She has braved CAR, Cameroon twice, Zim, Zam, Namibia. We are headed to Ethiopia next year.

Hunting is not about "heads on a wall" but about the experience. You should experience Africa with the only love of your life.

quote:

Originally posted by dogcat:
My bride of 34 years goes every time. Would not go without her.

She has braved CAR, Cameroon twice, Zim, Zam, Namibia. We are headed to Ethiopia next year.

Hunting is not about "heads on a wall" but about the experience. You should experience Africa with the only love of your life.

X2. My wife also hunts and always goes with me. Even to Burkina faso or moose hunting in the yukon in a tent. I enjoy watching her shoot so much that she has to beg me to shoot.

This kind of says it all.

(Barnes TTSX she recovered.)



Yes, Biebs, that IS a Blaser.

quote:

Originally posted by rodell:
This kind of says it all.

(Barnes TTSX she recovered.)



Yes, Biebs, that IS a Blaser.

Oh I thought you were talking about the Blaser....