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They had a table at a local gun show, seemed OK, but I am still overwhelmed trying to find a first safari.

Anybody here heard of them?



I haven't called them yet.

3 friends and I are looking for ~10 days, a first safari, we don't want a put-and-take operation, we want wild self-sustaining populations of ordinary plains game.

Their prices seemed ok, not as cheap as a lot of package deals I have seen.

They said they are 90 min from Johannesburg, is that too close to a big city for real hunting?

We don't want a canned hunt.

I have asked here before about Namibia, but my friends like the idea of Delta from ATL to Johannesburg, no foreign layover and permitting. We will fly out of LAX.

Thank you all.

quote:

Originally posted by delloro:
They had a table at a local gun show, seemed OK, but I am still overwhelmed trying to find a first safari.

Anybody here heard of them?



I haven't called them yet.

3 friends and I are looking for ~10 days, a first safari, we don't want a put-and-take operation, we want wild self-sustaining populations of ordinary plains game.

Their prices seemed ok, not as cheap as a lot of package deals I have seen.

They said they are 90 min from Johannesburg, is that too close to a big city for real hunting?

We don't want a canned hunt.

I have asked here before about Namibia, but my friends like the idea of Delta from ATL to Johannesburg, no foreign layover and permitting. We will fly out of LAX.

Thank you all.

Not familiar with them.
1) based on what you said there are many many options.
2) flying into Joberg is what most of us do and that Atlanta flight is great (United is also direct now out of Newark)
3) flying into Joberg you are going to overnight no matter what you do near or at the airport. You can transfer that day ANYWHERE quite easily.
4) the Eastern Cape is a beautiful option with many great operators
5) you could transfer to Maun Botswana…Windhoek Namibia, Mozambique, Zim…or drive to the Limpopo

You said something important… you don’t want “put and take” or at the very least you don’t want to “feel it” basically
I’d guess this place is a 5k acre high fence (I could be completely wrong). I found the Limpopo area to be this way more so than any other area which is what you will see in any 2 hour drive from Joberg

You take a 2 hour flight instead of a 2 hour drive that next morning and SO MUCH MORE opens up to you

That “beginner safari” and “plains game package” are great ways to start and the Eastern Cape would likely give you many easy options

deloro,

You've been given some good info. The Eastern cape offers some good hunting on some large unfenced areas. It's not a place where you can really say "I've hunted Arica" though. Technically you have but RSA is far removed from wild Africa. Don't misunderstand! You can and I have had some big fun in RSA but it's more like hunting Montana.

What I suggest is to book a PG hunt in a wild area with the BIG 5 around. You can book that at PG rates and the overall experience is so much better. You'll be thanking yourself for years. Hearing lions calling in the night is very special! You will never forget it.

If you'd like more info let me know. I've been arranging first safaris for many years.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
deloro,

You've been given some good info. The Eastern cape offers some good hunting on some large unfenced areas. It's not a place where you can really say "I've hunted Arica" though. Technically you have but RSA is far removed from wild Africa. Don't misunderstand! You can and I have had some big fun in RSA but it's more like hunting Montana.

What I suggest is to book a PG hunt in a wild area with the BIG 5 around. You can book that at PG rates and the overall experience is so much better. You'll be thanking yourself for years. Hearing lions calling in the night is very special! You will never forget it.

If you'd like more info let me know. I've been arranging first safaris for many years.

Mark

This is absolutely true and great advice which is why I mentioned the “two hour flight”
Mark, for example, represents Mokore Safaris.
The Save Valley in Zim and Coutada 9 in Mozambique are not even comparable in terms of truly wild plains game. Incredible quality and experience. It might cost just slightly more than a high fence package hunt but based on what you said….this is highly recommendable.
Won’t be quite as cheap but plains game in these areas are just $500 a day.
If you are really keen on Kudu and Eland…then you take a two hour flight to Maun Botswana and you got to Ghanzi area with Tholo or Matt Egan across the road…Without a doubt the best kudu hunting in Africa and very inexpensive for all plains game.
This area has Kudu, eland, gemsbuck, impala, blue wildebeest, zebra and others at literally the highest possible quality and lowest relative price…period. (I took 8 kudu one week and 5 another and I mean big ones and free range)

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
deloro,

You've been given some good info. The Eastern cape offers some good hunting on some large unfenced areas. It's not a place where you can really say "I've hunted Arica" though. Technically you have but RSA is far removed from wild Africa. Don't misunderstand! You can and I have had some big fun in RSA but it's more like hunting Montana.

What I suggest is to book a PG hunt in a wild area with the BIG 5 around. You can book that at PG rates and the overall experience is so much better. You'll be thanking yourself for years. Hearing lions calling in the night is very special! You will never forget it.

If you'd like more info let me know. I've been arranging first safaris for many years.

Mark

Mark makes valid points. There are excellent, totally wild places with no fences where you can hunt plains game, yet encounter some of the Big 5. For me, hunting where dangerous game is present is an important part of the experience.

Mark I am interested, will speak with my friends and get back to you one way or the other.

Thank you again.

Hunting South Africa is of great enjoyment.

You will have a great time, as long as you do not hunt a small farm.

It doesn’t compare to hunting the true wilderness like Tanzania or Zimbabwe.

But still fun.

PM sent Sir!

delloro,

There are good comments on this thread.
Saeed's summary is right on, as far as I am concerned.

I would like to add my perspective as hunter who loves "true wilderness" but always hunt in South Africa because it fits my limited budget.

For example, I am an avid cape buffalo hunter and thanks to the South African farm system of hunting I have been able to afford 13 cape buffalo hunts and I am booked for six more in 2025. I would sure like to hunt in "Old" Africa but I could barely afford one buffalo hunt in those beautiful places.

I and my family usually hunt in the Waterberg Mountains in Limpopo Province and have found some beautiful and vast properties to hunt on there.

The only point that I want to make, other than, your hunting dollar goes a long way in South Africa, is that with the right attitude on the right property you can have a rich African hunting experience in South Africa.

The trick is with South Africa is in finding the right hunting farm for you. For the last 12 years I have always done my own research in finding an outfitter and it got me into a couple of crumby hunts over the years.

From now on I am using a well known agent, like the ones advertising and posting on this forum. I have learned that a good agent will get me into a good South Africa hunt as long as I am clear with him/her about what I want. And, so far they have saved me money too!

You will find a great hunt with your attitude/patience and the help of some of the savvy hunters on this forum.

Brian

I agree with Mark Young. The difference between a buffalo hunt in wild Africa and one on a fenced ranch in South Africa is the same as the difference between rounding Cape Horn in a modern luxury cruise liner or going around it under sail.
In Zimbabwe or Mozambique your buffalo wont have a hole in it's ear where the plasic tag was removed the last time it was in a cattle crush.
There are proper wild buffalo hunts in South Africa but they are not cheap either.
Talk to Mark.
There are

Opinions on hunting in South Africa vary.

I’ll throw my 2 cents in here with a few disclosures. I have no knowledge of CJ Safaris. I’ve not hunted South Africa.

With that being said, I’ve had experiences in wild Africa and on a farm hunt. Like many, I cut my teeth on African hunting with a very cost-effective hunt on a private farm in Namibia. I had a great experience with some wonderful people. It was a very “tame” experience as compared to later hunts in unfenced areas.

Do I regret that first hunt? Hell no!

Do I prefer the wild hunting areas? Hell yes!

They are different experiences and as long as your perspective and expectations are aligned appropriately you can have a wonderful trip either way. As noted by many, they are different price points. Going on a well-researched farm hunt in South Africa is waaaay better than not going at all IMO.

PAGuardian, Very well said! Brian

PA Guardian is right, hunting South Africa is WAY better than not hunting Africa at all and for plains game, particularly for those species with a restricted range it is very cost-effective.
I've hunted three very large ranches in SA, all over 70,000 acres and all with buffalo and other DG on them. The behaviour of the buffalo on those ranches was noticeably different from buffalo further North. MUCH easier to approach.
You pay your money and make your choices but sometimes paying just a little more can give you a very different experience. There are sacrifices to be made in order to hunt Africa. I sold my car and spent everything I had to pay for my first hunt in Kenya.

On some private properties in RSA the buffalo are much harder to approach. Also there are, like you say, lots of very large hunting properties in RSA and some unfenced places too.

Still the way of life, ethos and the bush are not the same as places like Mozambique, etc. "Old Africa".

Some hunter are able to spend $30,000 USD on a double rifle, and the same amount on a cape buffalo hunt every year and fly business class to get there. That is not me.

Some are able to scrape by with a basic rifle and a farm cull hunt in South Africa maybe once every few years. That's me. (I even built my big bore buffalo rifle out of a $200 shotgun.)

Most folks will never be able to travel to Africa so they happily hunt at home.

We are all very fortunate if we are able to hunt at all.

I wish all of us 'good hunting' and I make an effort to not be too judgemental about where or how we hunt.

Brian