Hello. I've hunted since I was a teen, but never hunted in Africa. Now I am willing to go on my first Safari, and don't want to spend a fortune. Trying to get a sense of the continent and experience the whole thing then decide if I want to go further.

I'm looking for recommendations regarding several points.

1 Where to go to have an authentic African experience, 100% fair chase without fences or enclosures?

2 Is it realistic to expect a good plains game safari for about $5-6000 on top of airfare?

3 What plains game will be challenging to hunt, look good in my trophy album, and in the same time are edible because I only kill what will be eaten by myself or locals.

4 Considering all of the above, do you have names of companies or people that you recommend?

Please NO solicitation private messages. I am looking for information and recommendations from other hunters in the community and I will research them and decide. Thank you very much.

Airfare $2000.00 Shipping Trophies home $1800.00 That won't leave much for hunting. Most of South Africa is high fence. Namibia is mostly Private property with no fences.

I would go to Kowas Safaris in Namibia. See my hunt report noted below as a father/son eland hunt.

Or to Tholo Safaris in Botswana. They are exceptional and very reasonable priced. See the hunt report below as well.

Then, go to the Dallas Safari Club show in January to meet a lot of outfits.

Tholo - the fence is irrelevant given their acerage.

Mike

quote:

2 Is it realistic to expect a good plains game safari for about $5-6000 on top of airfare?

Probably not very realistic. I would love to get to the point in our safari where nobody want's more money.

I like African Dawn Safaris. I am booked for the 6th time. Beautiful country and excellent operation.
Here is the address; http://www.african-dawn.co.za

quote:

Originally posted by dogcat:
I would go to Kowas Safaris in Namibia. See my hunt report noted below as a father/son eland hunt.

Or to Tholo Safaris in Botswana. They are exceptional and very reasonable priced. See the hunt report below as well.

Then, go to the Dallas Safari Club show in January to meet a lot of outfits.

I've been to Kowas Adventure Safaris in Namibia twice - highly recommended.

Double,

It is your money and your safari. What do you want? Do you want heavy brush and mopani forests? Do you want open plains, Kalahari desert? Are you ok hunting high fence land?

What is an authentic experience to you? Ask yourself these questions, then begin shopping around.

At your price point you can do a pretty affordable safari in South Africa.

You have 4 basic costs:
1. Daily fees
2. trophy fees
3. airfare
4. taxidermy (includes dip/pack, import fees, actual taxidermy, etc.

Your taxidermy fees can be as much as your whole safari.

I was going to mention Tholo in Botswana but I see it was mentioned already twice. IIRC, around 300,000 acres. I wouldn't worry about the fence. Trust me on this. You won't find a better place for plains game hunting.

http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/5591093112

You are all great. I looked at the suggestions and I think I will go with Kowas on the "First African Safari" or "Second timer special" packages. Thank you for the help.

You are welcome. You will have a great safari with Kowas, I think.

Your #1 = authentic African safari

You need to answer what this means to "you".

Although I had a great time on my first safari. It was not the Africa I imagined. It came down too the big 5. Without Lions and Elephants it just wasn't authentic to "me". I was planning my return on the way home!

DR

There's no such thing as what you've described you want. All you can do is "jump in" and see where it leads. Africa hasn't stood still just because you were getting ready. "Old Africa" experiences are hugely expensive, tented safaris included. (They know what they've got and need to have paying clientele.)

Cheers!

Barry

quote:

Originally posted by Double Rifle:
You are all great. I looked at the suggestions and I think I will go with Kowas on the "First African Safari" or "Second timer special" packages. Thank you for the help.

You won't regret it. I've been there 3 times, and will return some day. You will not meet better hosts and will have a fantastic time.

My first safari was to hunt plains game in a Namibia on a large tribal conservancy and some smaller unfenced private parcels. I look back with great fondness on that trip and only one regret - I didn't shoot a giraffe. Plan for unexpected opportunities. Save for another year or two and have a little extra trophy fee money in your pocket. Have fun!

Talk to Mark Young on this forum. He will help with the details and put you in front of some great animals based on your budget.

My first safari was supposed to be in the Save in Zim. But it was closed 3 weeks before we were to leave. Having a local US agent is essential when shit happens. And in Africa, it can happen a lot.

He talked us through the options and I feel we ended up with a better safari in the end.

Especially for a first timer, I couldn't stress this enough. Mark has saved me thousands of dollars and made my safaris the best they could be.

With one of those two hunts + 10 percent of the total in tips your right at $10,000 by the time your trophy's arrive in the U.S. Having your trophy's mounted on average are $1000 a piece. Just a rough estimate. Just a thought but to see the Big 5 in Namibia you would have to go to the National park or the Northern part of Namibia in the Big Game areas.

Zimbabwe probably offers the best "open-range" hunting that would give you a taste of old-time safaris.

Shipping trophies home is fairly expensive. I have just spent $2k to get a buff head and cape to Denver. Taxidermy will add a lot more cost. There is also the question of tips, which can cost you another $1k.

If you just want to go and shoot some good plains game open range, check out Mbalabala Safaris (blog "INTO THE JESSE").

PH Lin Standon will give you honest rates and good value for your dollar.

Some outfitters charge you extra for pickup and drop off at the airport, etc. Whatever Lin agrees to he will stand by his word. No surprises.

BH63

Double Rifle,

Too bad you don't want any offers from operators or agents. You've probably severely limited the amount of information needed to make an informed decision.

Cheers,

Mark

Double Rifle,

Actually Mark has a good point there. Agents and operators will give you details that won't show up on this blog. They are not pushy or overbearing as a rule.

More free advice: (worth every penny)
Also, find out how may hunting parties will be in camp when you are there and how far to drive from the camp to the hunting areas. Some places it can be an hour or more. (bad deal!)
If you go to Namibia, Etosha Park is a great place to spend a day or two.

If you go to the Eastern cape (Greater Karoo) check out Victor Watson on this sight. If it was me I would check with Mark before I send the deposit to any place.

I think it is beneficial to read a bit of history, before you leave home, of the area that you are going into.
It gives you much more depth when you are there. ( Your stocks will go up with the PH and operator.) Learn a few words in Afrikaans from google before you go. You will blow away the tracker.

"Dankie" ( pronounced "donkey") means "Thanks". Pronounce "Buy-a-donkey" means "thank you very much" ( No laughing- it's true!) Say, "Dankie. Knap Gedaan." when you tracker and PH lead you to a good trophy. ( Thank you. Well Done.)

You will have a good time! "Smell the smoke of Africa."

If I wanted to experience Africa as Africa "used to be"...I would 'highly' recommend the Bubye Valley Conservancy.

There...you will experience big 5 encounters as you hunt plains game. The plains game hunting is outstanding.

I would also highly recommend Nigel Theisen as a PH there for a truly traditional old school style safari.

Thanks all for the great recommendations. To answer the question about "authentic experience", to me it means taking my chances with free roaming animals then either hunt something or come home empty handed. I am reading a lot of stories about canned hunting and fenced animals, watched that horrific Louis Theroux documentary, and don't want anything remotely close to that. Regards.

I have not hunted Africa but planned a trip a few years ago and had to pull out.

You have 2 great options in Kowas & Tholo. I would compare them carefully with a spreadsheet since you have budget limitation (like I had).

I had been very tempted by Kanana (owned by Jason Bridger who is now PH at Tholo).

Just the Eland is a bonus. I'll let you work it out.

Please PM me your email and we can compare our spreadsheets.

Check out my report below. I just did this last month and can easily be done within your budget. Wade Derby (posts here) at Crosshair Consulting was the U.S. booking agent. Best hunt of my life and looking to do it again soon.

Honestly, you need a good agent to help you through the maze of offers. With 5000 safari companies in South Africa, 500 in Namibia and less in dangerous game areas - you do not have the knowledge to work through it all.

There are several excellent agents who post her - Mark Young, Greg Brownlee, Wendell Reich, and others.

An agent is actually your best protection on your first hunt. There are many ways you can make a decision that seems good but turns out bad. Get with any of the above, talk to them, listen to them, then go on a great trip.

I have been on a dozen trips. My only bad experience was when I booked my own trip without an agent. Never again.

Dogcat, I've been to South Africa on a plains game hunt, and want to go back and hunt most of the same animals with a few changes, this time in Namibia. I know you hunted with Kowas safaris. Who did you use as an agent?

Double Rifle.

I'm Just trying to help. Not all "farm/ranch hunts" are the same. One advantage of a farm hunt is that the perimeter fence helps to keep the poachers with AK47 rifles out.

Have you read the my hunting story Cape Buffalo Hunting Story, "Never mind the Bull" on about page 5 or 6 of this Africa Big Game Hunting Forum? That is just one example of a good farm hunt. It took place in the Lowveld on a farm ( BuffaloLand Safaris.) near Kruger Park.

On one year my son Russel, and his PH and Tracker, all fit young men, chased the spoor of a awesome Kuku for 4 days from morning till night before they got it. They never saw a fence on the 9000 Hectar farm.
This was at Africa Dawn Safaris that I mentioned in my first post to you. They wanted this one particular Kudu that they had hunted two years before.
One hunt there at African Dawn Safaris I walked and stalked, stooped and crawled for 13 Km before I killed my second cape buffalo at 40 yds. I was 69 years old and it really played me out.
My point is that you can have a hell of good hunt on a farm hunt.

PS. I just remebered something: The horns on that kudu were really impressive and they had long white tips.
Trophex Taxidermy stole those horns and attached a lesser set. We have the photos of the origonal horns. This is another lesson. Beware the Taxidermist. I can recommend Bullseye Taxidermy if you are hunting in Limpopo.

Namibia is a politically stable country with very good plains game. Some places are high fence but large in size; 50,0000 or more acres. Be very selective on taxidermy, liberal with your photography. A thirty caliber with good bullets will be sufficient. Use a broker if you prefer and ask a lot of questions. Outfits prior mentioned have good reputations but there are many others. Dangerous game as in Zim or Tanzania is very expensive so start with plains game. Getting a good mountain zebra is a real treat and reasonable cost. I have heard good reports on Crusader Safaris and African Field Sports in South Africa but have no experience with them. Check websites. Hunting South Africa abbreviates the travel fatigue. The seventeen hour flight to Joburg is plenty.

Good luck. Hold em' and squeeze em'.

I just returned from an outstanding safari with my son (18). We used Wade Derby of Cross Hair Consulting as our booking agent. Wade set us up with Kei River Safaris on the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The PH and owner of Kei River is named Andrew Renton. This was my 5th trip to South Africa and I have nothing but high praise for Kei River, Andy Renton and Wade Derby.

We hunted under a very affordable package that we were able to modify for certain animals we wanted. The accommodations were excellent, the properties hunted were huge, and the quality of the game was top notch. Perhaps my favorite part was that Andy is a true hunter. There was no shooting from the truck. It was all spot and stalk - often on heavily covered mountain terrain. Each animal was honestly "hunted."

I will put together a hunting report with photos soon, but I wanted to share my high praise for Wade Derby and Andy Renton of Kei river Safaris. Give Wade Derby a call. Wade is an AR member and I learned of him through AR.

If you are after free range no fence, you could try a plains game only hunt in Zimbabwe or Zambia. Both have dangerous game operators that do some plains game for less money.

However, the better fenced operations are certainly an option and still a real hunt.

Personally I've hunted the Save with Mokore and Zambia with Muchinga on unfenced areas and been very happy.

South Africa has a different feel to it than the less developed countries, more like the western US in my estimation. It also has a much more developed tourism sector which means less bureaucracy that you personally have to deal with. I haven't been to Namibia so no personal experience there, but folks I know have loved it.

I agree with you in that deciding the big picture on your own is best, but agree with others in that once you know what you want, get a good agent involved. You may well be surprised with some things they can help you with, and dealing with the bureaucracy of hunting requires you to know the right questions, which as a first timer I certainly did not. While I could probably pull off a hunt without the agents now, I refuse to do so since life is too short to spend that much time getting it all done on your own.

My 2¢...

1. Reconsider and use a booking agent.
2. Save more money
3. There are places in Africa where having a fence won't be the determining factor of "fair chase" ..Bubye for example.

I don't think the word Safari and don't want to spend a fortune really go together, but you may be able to shoot a couple animals and have a great experience in your price range. I am by no means any kind of expert, but I was in your same shoes several years back and one thing that stuck out in my research is people said to go to a dangerous game area, even if you are only hunting plains game. You will hear Lions roaring at night, might have a Leopard in camp, have to take a detour around Elephant's while tracking, run into some Cape Buffalo, etc.

to answer your question's in my opinion

1) Save, Bubye, Nuanetsi, Coutada 9

2)No, not in a dangerous game area, Maybe in a Nambia or Bots at Tholo

3)The easiest ? to answer of all, Eland

4)Mokore Safari's, CMS, Kowas, Tholo, etc

Do yourself a favor and call some agent's

good luck, exciting times

Having been to Namibia three times and Zimbabwe twice my advice would be to start with Namibia in one of the large communal conservancies in the northwest part of the country. The Torra conservancy is excellent with Savannah Safaris Namibia. Forget about the booking agent. Do your due diligence and research yourself. Having hunted in 19 different states and seven foreign countries over 36 + years I can speak from experience that using a booking agent does not guarantee a trouble free experience. Sometimes I've used them, sometimes not. For example, go look at the fine print RIATA hunting sends out. They flat out state they take no responsibility and can not guarantee anything they advertise related to any hunt they book. And you'll be giving them like most booking agents 10 - 15%! Better yet get a copy of the 11 page hunt contract that comes with one booking agent who constantly advertises on AR.

I haven't hunted S.Africa so can't really comment. What I have done though is 3 trips to Namibia on management hunts.
The first was a warthog hunt in the Hochfeld Coservancy. We shot a lot of warthogs and the farmers were delighted ! We took a few management animals also,oryx,red hartebeest and a battered blue wildebeest.
The hunting was great. We got to stalking the warthog in the bush. Highly exciting. They are very alert animals.
Last year having got the warthog itch off my back I developed a strong desire for another oryx. We took an oryx management hunt package in the Etosha Conservancy.
The package was 40 animals,4 hunters,10 days.
This was now my second hunting trip to Namibia. The guys with me were on their 10th,11th and 13th trips respectively to hunt in Africa. They has all previously hunted South Africa. After the first couple of days they cornered me over a bottle of Jameson. "How did you find this place"? I was a bit aghast as I had trawled and researched over the internet many a long night. I thought I had done ok. I asked what was wrong. " it's brilliant ". It was. Ten great days hunting, 34 oryx,a couple of management animals extra,zebra and blue wildebeest.
My companions booked again for this year. They leave in just over 10 days for 10 days out there.
This year I hunted Damaraland, this borders the Etosha Conservancy. Remarkably different landscape,much harsher ad drier even though they had rain this year.
Again this was a management hunt with oryx and mountain zebra on the list. This was visually a bit more interesting as the farm had a number of kopjes to be climbed to spot for Game. So great views over the 25,000 acres we had to hunt on.
These are primarily cattle farms. Yes they are fenced but the fence is 2 or 3 strands to keep the cattle in the field. The Kudu fly over the fence and the oryx do an amazing job of sliding under the bottom strand. Field,Ha! Fields of 1700-2000 acres in size ! That's big by Irish standards.
Are the animals free range ? Absolutely! Oryx,zebra and wildebeest compete with the cattle for the grass so they have to be kept in check.
You can take a trophy if you want but you will pay the full trophy price. Oryx were $500. We took a cull kudu,wildebeest,warthog and giraffe on top of the package which was $3000. On top of that we gave tips to the trackers and skinners who had to work hard some days and our PH Henku.
Game Ranch Transvaal. Take a look at their website.
Or go to the Namibian tourism website. You will find the hunting portal. Jump in,look at the websites. Some will interest you. Ask,everyone offers packages but everything in life is negotiable.
Finally the importation of firearms into Namibia is a doddle