So after my last Africa trip in Sept 2016 I decided to spend less time hunting in Africa and more time fishing. Went on an awesome saltwater fly fishing trip to Christmas Island this past November and was preparing to plan a couple more saltwater trips.

Then a good friend of mine asked me if I would go Buffalo hunting with him. He has never hunted Africa and really wants to hunt Cape Buffalo. How could I say no??

So here I am, planning a buff hunt for us in 2019 and now I'm researching a hunt in Uganda for myself as well!!

It's time to admit I am addicted and I have fallen off the wagon again! Almost no interest in hunting North America anymore but all it takes to draw me back to the Dark Continent is one hunt report on AR....

African hunting, in a properly wild area, cannot be compared with anything else.

I get invites to go hunt all over the world, but, with what little time I can devote to hunting, Africa is the only place for me.

Plenty of exciting hunts here in US on public lands and wilderness and DYI to boot

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
African hunting, in a properly wild area, cannot be compared with anything else.

I get invites to go hunt all over the world, but, with what little time I can devote to hunting, Africa is the only place for me.

+1

quote:

Originally posted by boarkiller:
Plenty of exciting hunts here in US on public lands and wilderness and DYI to boot

I love hunting North American big game, but for me,...hunting elephant and buffalo in a wild area is a lot more exciting.

African hunting is the most packaged hunting vacation sold.

It’s fun and all but it requires little actual skill beyond wiring money.

I will go back and occasionally hunt africa but fishing for gaint trevally appeals far more to me these days.

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by Texas Blue Devil:

quote:

Originally posted by boarkiller:
Plenty of exciting hunts here in US on public lands and wilderness and DYI to boot

I love hunting North American big game, but for me,...hunting elephant and buffalo in a wild area is a lot more exciting.

Agreed - Exactly why I think looking into hunting Buffalo in Uganda...

I am going to have to take my friend to probably Zim or RSA for Cape Buffalo first though, Uganda is out of his reach I'm afraid.

I interesting part of going to Uganda is it would be a new adventure, somewhere I have never been...

You want a challenge? I have been on over 60 hunting trips and the most challenging one I have been on was a Dall sheep hunt. Nothing even came close.

Just to things up a little, the reason so many people like hunting Africa is because depending on how picky an individual is
and how much they wish to spend, a hunter can go to Africa with a shopping list of species and kill all of them on one hunt.

That is basically impossible on a hunt here in North America.

Here we have to deal with seasons/regulations and access issues.

It is easy to understand, a hunter in Africa, again dependiong upon their personal goals and pocketbook can kill a dozen species on one hunt something that cannot be done in North America.

I too, truly love African hunting. Only been 7 times and am going back this year for #8.

However, I truly love NA hunting as well. Antelope, Deer and Elk are my main quests, with Antelope hunting my favorite followed by Elk and then Deer. And hunting birds over my dogs with my Citori Grade Six 16 ga. is something that is pure joy.

However, Africa allows me to use my Big Bores (40 cal. and bigger) which I dream of hunting with often. And I use my medium bores in Africa like I use small bores in NA. Shoot everything with them except DG. There's a certain feeling of comfort hunting with a 404 Jeffery or 458 Lott in one's hands. Just makes me smile.

Addictive? Not only yes, but hell yes!

quote:

However, Africa allows me to use my Big Bores (40 cal. and bigger) which I dream of hunting with often.

I have killed javelina and whitetails here in Texas with a .458 Win. Mag.

Having checked the hunting regs over the years in many states/provinces in North America I have seen plenty of regs concerning MINIMUM caliber requirements, but NONE concerning MAXIMUM!

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:

quote:

However, Africa allows me to use my Big Bores (40 cal. and bigger) which I dream of hunting with often.

I have killed javelina and whitetails here in Texas with a .458 Win. Mag.

Having checked the hunting regs over the years in many states/provinces in North America I have seen plenty of regs concerning MINIMUM caliber requirements, but NONE concerning MAXIMUM!

Well, there you go. Guess I'll try hunting Antelope next year with my 505 Gibbs.

Nah, just too big! Wouldn't feel right shooting a little Antelope with a 50 caliber.

But my 470 Capstick...

quote:

it requires little actual skill beyond wiring money.

One of the main reasons why a foreign hunter is accompanied by a PH; they apply their skills in getting the job done.

If you want to test your woodsmanship in Africa you ought to try and book one of those DIY hunts.

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
African hunting is the most packaged hunting vacation sold.

It’s fun and all but it requires little actual skill beyond wiring money.

I will go back and occasionally hunt africa but fishing for gaint trevally appeals far more to me these days.

Mike

Wow!

You must have had some terrible African hunts then!

Trying to com pare fishing with hunting buffalo defies comparison!

Or may be fishing is so bloody difficult it never caught on me

quote:

a hunter can go to Africa with a shopping list of species and kill all of them on one hunt.

That's painting the African hunting industry with a rather broad brush, Old Bean.

I assure you it is not as easy as you imply and neither is there a guarantee in shooting all animals which are available on license - maybe in RSA on one of those high-fenced, put and take deals but then again, RSA is just ONE country in Africa where that kind of shit happens.

Don't go too far beyond the AR members in asking who has been to "Africa" with a shopping list and failed to "clean up" or "fill the shopping cart"?

quote:

Well, there you go. Guess I'll try hunting Antelope next year with my 505 Gibbs.

Nah, just too big! Wouldn't feel right shooting a little Antelope with a 50 caliber.

That is a personal problem. I am sure shooting a Springbok with a .375 is A-OK however!

quote:

Trying to com pare fishing with hunting buffalo defies comparison!

While I know you have this thing about buffalo Saeed, are buffalo all you EVER hunt on a safari?

quote:

That's painting the African hunting industry with a rather broad brush, Old Bean.

I assure you it is not as easy as you imply and neither is there a guarantee in shooting all animals which are available on license -

maybe in RSA on one of those high-fenced, put and take deals but then again, RSA is just ONE country in Africa where that kind of shit happens.

Don't go too far beyond the AR members in asking who has been to "Africa" with a shopping list and failed to "clean up" or "fill the shopping cart"?

Point you miss is that it IS possible to do depending on the hunters PERSONAL standards.

For someone just wanting reptrersentative specimens it is not that difficult.

In North America with or without the draw system, being able to do a three species hunt, elk/mule deer and black bear iods abpout the limit of what a hunter can shoot on one hunt.

I am not disparaging hunting in Africa, I am simply pointing out that the average hunter, depending on how much they wish to spend can kill multiple species on a hunt where as they could not do so here in America.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
African hunting is the most packaged hunting vacation sold.

It’s fun and all but it requires little actual skill beyond wiring money.

I will go back and occasionally hunt africa but fishing for gaint trevally appeals far more to me these days.

Mike

Wow!

You must have had some terrible African hunts then!

Trying to com pare fishing with hunting buffalo defies comparison!

Or may be fishing is so bloody difficult it never caught on me

Let's go to Oman and tag on a monster GT and compare it to a buff

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:

quote:

it requires little actual skill beyond wiring money.

One of the main reasons why a foreign hunter is accompanied by a PH; they apply their skills in getting the job done.

If you want to test your woodsmanship in Africa you ought to try and book one of those DIY hunts.

I may be slow (politically correct word of dumb) but I ain't stupid. I will leave diy hunts to braver souls than me

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:
[QUOTE]Well, there you go. Guess I'll try hunting Antelope next year with my 505 Gibbs.

Nah, just too big! Wouldn't feel right shooting a little Antelope with a 50 caliber.

That is a personal problem. I am sure shooting a Springbok with a .375 is A-OK however!

[QUOTE]

Hi CH,

You missed the spirit of my post. Or perhaps I'm just not good at putting my thoughts on paper.

That's why I mentioned (tongue in cheek) my 470 Capstick!

It's all overkill of course, but what's wrong with that? Nothing!

I remember first reading Edward Matunas' book when he wrote that he did not apologize for hunting deer with his 416 Rigby in preparation for an upcoming safari. I thought: perfect!

So, please understand, I agree with you. Guess I need to work on my communication skills!

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
African hunting is the most packaged hunting vacation sold.

It’s fun and all but it requires little actual skill beyond wiring money.

I will go back and occasionally hunt africa but fishing for gaint trevally appeals far more to me these days.

Mike

Wow!

You must have had some terrible African hunts then!

Trying to com pare fishing with hunting buffalo defies comparison!

Or may be fishing is so bloody difficult it never caught on me

Let's go to Oman and tag on a monster GT and compare it to a buff

Mike

The only time I go "fishing"is with either a spear gun or a camera!

I will leave the cheating to you lot!

Poor fish, being lured with a piece of food just to be killed!

Aren't you ashamed of yourselves