The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting African Big Game Hunting Safari....alone?Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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Out of my 4 safari's all except for 5 days of my first were shared with either family of friends. Being able to share the experience is something special, but so is your first safari. Hunting alone is a misnomer. you will not be spending hours sitting around the campfire alone. Instead you will have your PH sitting there with you, doing his best to make sure that you are enjoying your hunt. PH's, by and large, are quite good at campfire talk, be it about hunting, nature, history of the area, or life in general. So long as you do not have a personality conflict, and they are experienced at dealing with all personalities, you should have a great time. | |||
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I've made one trip "Alone".. and it was not much fun. Now I go with my wife, and we have a great time even though she shoots as much as I do. Remember, forgivness is easier to get than permission. | |||
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I've done two alone. One was great the other was not so great. | |||
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I have hunted both ways I prefer hunting alone. Hunting with a friend can be fun, but sometimes jelousely can get in the way. IMHO leave the wife home. I took mine in 2006 and she will not ever tag along again. | |||
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First time I took my wife, second time I took my son. Next time I'm going by myself. My wife has a tendency to talk too much and at the wrong time. My son (14) eats too much. I agree about being able to share with a friend or relative, I just don'r like having to share my dinner. You can borrow money, but you can't borrow time. Don't wait, go now. Savannah Safaris Namibia Otjitambi Trails & Safaris DRSS NRA SCI DSC TSRA TMPA | |||
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Dis two safaris alone. There will be other people around you like your PH and others who may be hunting or working on the hunt - you will be fine. Sometimes if someone is not as enthusiastic as you it would take something away. I also like to hunt alone a lot at home so I can do it my way without someone else messing up my hunt. Don't be afraid to try it. | |||
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I've gone to Zim three times. First with a buddy, second alone, third with wife. The buddy, I was quite amazed, was just about the best traveling companion a guy could ask for. Africa was all new to both of us, so there was no jealosy, griping, or whatever. He just can't get away from work as much or afford to go as often, and that's fine. If you have a decent PH, there shouldn't be a down side to going alone. I enjoyed it very much. I'll probably go alone again someday soon. I do think there is a somewhat, I'd call it an immature attitude in our beloved USA, that if you're seen alone, you must be a loser. There are people that won't eat out alone, even if their traveling on business, because they don't have the self confidence for it. Have you every watched a Japanese tourist group closely? There are lots of folks by themselves, seeing the world's sites, and they don't think a thing about it. | |||
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This was exactly my thought when I read your original post. Have a great time! | |||
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I did Cameroon alone in 2004. Look under the hunting pages and you'll see the write up here http://www.accuratereloading.com/2004cameroon.html. Had a really good hunt. I've also done a couple safaris with my father. I wish he could have done the Cameroon trip, but his health went bad. But, even alone, Cameroon was great. | |||
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My first was to Zim and I was alone. I had a young eager PH and we had a great time. However after 4 or 5 days of being together from before sunup until bed time, we did run out of conversation. I finally told him to retire for the evening when ever he felt like it. I explained to him that I was a big boy, knew where the bar was, that I was quite capable of throwing another log on the fire when necessary and could find my own way back to my tent when I was ready to turn it. This worked our very well. On my second trip, I had a close friend with me. We were both doing a 1 x 1 and things worked out great. I will be doing another 1 x 1 in late October with SBT. We will have a great time also. Either alone or with someone the trip will be great. I will go back any time I can. I would prefer having a buddy along, but if no one wants to go and I can go, then I am gone huntin!!!! Good luck. | |||
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I have gone on multiple trips with buddies and really prefer it to going alone. | |||
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I did my first alone with no one else in camp. I missed the evenings around the camp fire with no one to share my experences with. Pictures do not convey the true adventure. With me taking a partner is the way to go, you can still hunt 1/1. | |||
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Billsan That's perfect. You just can't make people understand about safari by showing them a bunch of dead animal pix. Sadie has been on every safari with me and I cannot imagine not sharing the adventure with her. After a day or two once the PH has figured out what Sadie's participation in the safari will entail we all get along as a team and generally have a good time. If a guy thinks that his wife or significant other is even remotely interested in safari he should bring them along. I think this works most of the time with excellent results for all. 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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I went on my first African safari last year with a good hunting buddy, my wife, and her folks. My wife and her folks did some side trips while we hunted. If I had to do it again I would go alone or with just a hunting partner. It was nice having someone sharing the campfire that was also hunting but we could still hunt 1x1 during the day. I would still enjoy having the wife go along but would rather do a week before or after the hunt. Thanks, Greg | |||
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Out of 7 Safaris to Africa I have only been on one alone, and that was not really out of choice, as my wife was teaching school and couldn't go. My wife and I have such a great time that I would only go alone if it was absolutely necessary. Of course, that means that all Safaris are more expensive, but it's well worth it.  | |||
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I've done two safaris by myself. We had great fun both times.  Seriously, between the time one spends trying to talk a companion into going on a safari then trying to coordinate schedules and such, you can wait a long, long time before you set foot in or return to Africa. Partners are great, but don't let that keep you from going to Africa. "...Africa. I love it, and there is no reason for me to explore why. She affects some people that way, and those who feel as I do need no explanation." from The Last Safari | |||
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All the ones I have planned have been alone. I have done most of my traveling alone and prefer it. Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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I've been on 3 and the first was alone while the last two included my son. My wife has no desire to go on a hunting safari. Having my son with me on those two trips has created a lifetime of memories that seem almost overflowing. However, there were a couple of times that having him created tension that I plan to avoid on my next safari. As a dad, you quickly learn that you have one primary objective when taking a trip to Africa--and it's not having fun or filling your bag--it's getting your son home safely. Nothing else matters. When you're involved with dangerous game, along with other inherent issues that can come into play when visiting a 3rd world counrty 8,000 miles away, you find that you're taking a loved one into a risky situation that developed because of your own interests and desires. If anything bad happened, there's no way to forgive yourself or ever to be forgiven by those at home. So you've gotta be careful. You begin feeling that you've got to look out for your family member that you brought into this environment. You feel a sense of responsibility that can't be ignored. You feel a combination of excitement and relief when you finally get home. There were times when hunting in close quarters in the Selous where I felt the rage of a nearby buffalo tingling my own skin as I questioned the sensibility of having my son in that situation. On my next hunt for elephant (whenever that happens to be), as much as I'd love to have my son by my side, this will be a hunt where I relax and accept all of the responsibilities and risks that come with the decision to go and take on a tusker, and I think I'll be able to enjoy it even more knowing that loved ones are safely at home. | |||
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Vic How young or old is your son? While assuming he is not a toddler and if you really want him to participate in this sport which I fear may end up not being possible for your great grandchildren (given all the crap being dished out by the antis and their likes) I would be looking at taking him wherever you go and give him this possibility to learn and appreciate what hunting is all about and creating an addition to the existing community of hunters (our strength is in numbers). Just take precautions where and when necessary. Whatever is destined to be cannot be altered - when the number is drawn you can be eating an ice cream or out hunting. | |||
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Don't worry, he's 23 and a huntin' fool. He's now finished with school and picked his job based on the fact it's near a duck blind, deer stands, dove shoots, gobblin' turkeys, a few coveys of quail, and fish that sometimes bite.  | |||
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My first safari my wife went as an observer and enjoyed it very much. I really enjoyed having her there. My next safari (hopefully 2010) I will be doing alone. I will miss her, but there are also some pluses (besides lower cost ).I will check out some night varmint hunting, visit some historical sights (primarily Anglo-Boer War sights), and have more space in the truck for my gear .DSC Life Member NRA Life Member | |||
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+1 I did my first South African hunt with 3 friends, my second Zim/RSA and third RSA hunts I did alone. Like has been said, you have your PH in camp and around the campfire, but it's not the same as sharing it with friends. I have some buddies that I hunt antelope with every year in eastern Montana. I generally hunt alone, but we have a great camp together. I do most of my other Montana big game hunting by myself, including two of my successful sheep hunts, two goat hunts, most of my deer and elk hunts, and one of my moose hunts. It would have been nice to have had some help packing some of those elk and that bull moose the 3-5 miles out of the wilderness. NRA Endowment Life Member | |||
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SilentT, My one and only safari was with my wife and three sons. I suppose it depends on individuals' relationships, but I thought having the family with me is what made it so special. You can relive the shared memories for the rest of your life. That said, I'm not the type that has many friends. I pretty much do everything with the family. Mike Dettorre, Your comments on "What I have learned on AR" should be framed and sold on AR. Truer words were never written. Tanzania in 2006! Had 141 posts on prior forum as citori3. | |||
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The hunt to me is a very personal and some time private thing. To be done alone. BUT camp at night is a social thing to be enjoyed with friends | |||
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PS i do like haveing a wittness sometimes when I make a unbelievable shoot !! YOU know the thrre hundred yrds high wind snow blowing in your face and you hit the running chipmonk and just clip his tail as you told your buddy you would   | |||
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I really like the hunt reports where the whole family is along, especially when everyone is passionate and excited about it.I would go alone or with family. | |||
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Don't get me wrong. I would prefer the wife go with me, but with the limits on time, money, and air miles she decides to save hers for something else then I will go alone. Actually she initially held tickets for herself for the next trip because she was on the fence, but did not book the tickets. DSC Life Member NRA Life Member | |||
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