quote:

Originally posted by butchloc:
5 things hit my head
1 - you have to find people that really want to go
2 - they have to be able to afford it
3 - they have to get along together
4 - have them be able to commit to a time period well in advance - in my experience this is the hardest part
5 - safety - safe gun handling - you don't need one clown in the group

Correct and one of the reasons I am planning a Kafue hunt end of season so the team can get its act together. Normally we get together via a group thread and I ask one chap to help coordinate the safari.

The cost is the attraction and designed for those who could not afford a full blown safari. Also consider that you share transport cost, tips etc.

There maybe some who can only afford the lesser PG or indeed one trophy however they get to hunt amongst elephants and will hear the call of the Lion.

Tell you what gun safety is at it's best on these hunts.

Around the campfire is AR live.

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:

quote:

Originally posted by butchloc:
5 things hit my head
1 - you have to find people that really want to go
2 - they have to be able to afford it
3 - they have to get along together
4 - have them be able to commit to a time period well in advance - in my experience this is the hardest part
5 - safety - safe gun handling - you don't need one clown in the group

Correct and one of the reasons I am planning a Kafue hunt end of season so the team can get its act together. Normally we get together via a group thread and I ask one chap to help coordinate the safari.

The cost is the attraction and designed for those who could not afford a full blown safari. Also consider that you share transport cost, tips etc.

There maybe some who can only afford the lesser PG or indeed one trophy however they get to hunt amongst elephants and will hear the call of the Lion.

Tell you what gun safety is at it's best on these hunts.

Around the campfire is AR live.

For me, I get weary of traveling and hunting alone. The plane trip to Africa is very long when you are alone. A traveling partner and some one to talk to after the days hunt in my opinion is a good thing. And you can get along with almost anyone if you put the effort in. Quite a few camps, Africa, Canada etc. I have been in I have met another hunter just finishing or in the same camp with a different PH. We got along fabulously every time and several of us have kept up over the years. I'm all in for a group hunt and tried this year with Phyllips Gotche North offer to get a couple to go along. It is difficult to get guys on the same schedule, kinda like the herding cats quote. 2014, given enough time to prepare, reasonable costs and I am available.

Full Roar, funny coincidence. You're able to go in 2014 and so am I, and we're practically neighbors, at least by AR standards. I live in El Dorado Hills, and we have a place at Incline.

We should connect up someday and talk about this. Maybe the next time I go to Cabelas I could give you a heads up to meet.

quote:

Originally posted by DLS:
Full Roar, funny coincidence. You're able to go in 2014 and so am I, and we're practically neighbors, at least by AR standards. I live in El Dorado Hills, and we have a place at Incline.

We should connect up someday and talk about this. Maybe the next time I go to Cabelas I could give you a heads up to meet.

Sounds Good. I live in Verdi just off the Gold Ranch Exit prior to Cabelas. Maybe a little informal AR meeting at Boom Town with liberal doses of good scotch. There are a couple other AR guys who live in Reno. Double Rifle Shoot in Reno????

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Fulson:
From an agent point of view, scheduling is the big one for me. Trying to get agreeable dates with 3 or more guys is like herding house cats.

Dave,

I agree 100% but I don't think this hunt would be quite as bad because I think if the participants have the right attitude their expectations might not be quite as rigid as they would on a full price deal. I would hope they'd be there mostly for the experience that they probably could not afford otherwise.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:

quote:

Originally posted by butchloc:
5 things hit my head
1 - you have to find people that really want to go
2 - they have to be able to afford it
3 - they have to get along together
4 - have them be able to commit to a time period well in advance - in my experience this is the hardest part
5 - safety - safe gun handling - you don't need one clown in the group

Correct and one of the reasons I am planning a Kafue hunt end of season so the team can get its act together. Normally we get together via a group thread and I ask one chap to help coordinate the safari.

The cost is the attraction and designed for those who could not afford a full blown safari. Also consider that you share transport cost, tips etc.

There maybe some who can only afford the lesser PG or indeed one trophy however they get to hunt amongst elephants and will hear the call of the Lion.

Tell you what gun safety is at it's best on these hunts.

Around the campfire is AR live.

I'm a good pick to go cause' I have never shot anyone unintentionally

DAMN BRAD, YOU ACTUALLY SMILED IN THAT PICTURE- of course you had a damn good reason to!

I have hunted with Andrew on a group hunt and found my experience excellent. As Andrew mentions we share a common interest and found everyone got along well.
In my opinion timing is a con but outside of that it is a very enjoyable cost saving way to hunt Africa. I will try my best to be on the next group hunt with Andrew and company.

It Sounds Great to me, Sharing and learning in Africa, the Real Africa, I would love to be included.

I went on Andrew's inaugural AR group hunt along with 505 gibbs and a few others and it was all that I hoped that it would be and then some. The Kafue portion wasn’t plush but it was Africa at its purest and I wouldn’t have changed a thing about it. It was a blast plain and simple. For someone like me, how else was I going to experience Zambia and hunt Kafue lechwe at that price? If you have an open mind and understand that Africa is Africa at times as well as a good sense of humor, you will thoroughly enjoy this trip.

Planning will always be a challenge for groups. If I had one bit of advice for Andrew (from my point of view) it would be to plan the 5 day hunts to begin on Sunday and 10 day hunts to begin between Sunday and Tuesday so that they take place over one or two business weeks as opposed to two or three, and avoid peak travel periods since this is billed as a budget hunt.

Andrew, with all that I have going on at the moment I can only pray that I can make a hunt happen, but I would love to hear the details of what you have to offer. I need the motivation.

George

Been on a few group hunts throughout my life in the USA and in Africa. Enjoyed most every one, with a couple exceptions.

The good ones are very good. The bad ones are like a colonoscopy without anesthesia.

I've done one group hunt outside of my regular group of friends. It was an excellent time and very affordable. We all hunted many species but only took a few each..it's a great way to experience the taking of many species for a lower price. There was one of our group of five that was a pain in the ass the entire time but we all tolerated him. His friend that invited him even (unnecessarily) apologized on his part. I'd definitely be up for trying it again in the future.

As long as people come with the right expectations, group hunts are fun. It is when you get someone more interested in being pampered and inches that it can be a drag on the festivities. Getting to see new ground, visit Africa at a time few get to(start of the rains), hunt with people from around the world potentially, and having a chance at a trophy to remember the hunt by are good expectations.

I´m just a greenhorn with only three African PG safaries under my belt.
All three times I shared camp with some other guys, and so far, no problems at all.

We only saw each other at breakfast, somethimes at lunch, and then dinner and around the campfire at night.

In 2008 I teamed up with some boys from NY Bowhunters, (firefighters, da pilot).
They adopted me as their Oom as I was the oldest man in camp,great guys all of them.


But I presume that a tented bush camp for DG hunting might be a bit different from a "domestic" farmed-based PG camp.

Well you have my attention. In my mind its a lot of fun to meet new people and to see new country. I had E-mailed Andrew earlier this year. Would love to hunt with you. If I can make it work.... It really sounds like it could be a lot of fun. Keep me posted!!! Bruce

I'm interested. When will you have more details?

I am totally up for it in 2014! If you do decide to offer one, please keep me in the loop.