What are some of the things that you have learned to do or not to do while on a safari?

Two lessons I have learned are:

1. Don't go anywhere without your rifle.
I was down at the river looking for a crocodile and taking some photos. I wasn't going to shoot one, so I didn't take my rifle. Ended up running across a hippo on the river bank. The PH had his rifle and covered us as the hippo made it's way back to the water. It was close enough that I felt uncomfortable. From now on I will always take my rifle with me.

2. Always carry a flashlight (surfire) when out hunting even if you plan to be back before dark.
Had to come back in the dark after sinking our boat (long story) in croc & hippo infested water. There were 3 of us plus 2 trackers and none of us had a flashlight. It's amazing how dark it is in the middle of Tanzania at night. The stars sure were pretty though!

What have you learned?

Keep shooting until the game goes down. Being fixated on one-shot kills will cost you trophy fee(s) some day.

If you don't like your PH, ask the outfitter to change PHs.

George

I assume nothing...I ask questions about any thing and everything...

Mike

When spooring wounded, dangerous game, it is the tracker's job to track. The hunter should not be looking down for sign, but should be looking for the actual animal. It is now the hunters job to protect the trackers.

Great thread.

1. (Reiterate) Always carry your rifle.

2. Take a digital camera and fill up a 1 GB card with pics (esp. non-trophy pics). Take pics of everything: The plants, animals, vehicles, showers, kitchen, trucks, trackers, skinners, skinning shed, flat fixing, skinning, laundry day, everything.

3. Buy Air Evac insurance.

4. Always make sure someone has some bottled water for you when you leave the truck - no matter how short you think the stroll will be.

5. Carry candy and gum in your day bag for the trackers.

6. Take an extra pair of sunglasses, contacts, reading glasses etc.

7. Take a journal and use your downtime to write about your trip. I read my journals from past safaris and it's the best reading I've ever done.

8. Take an extra pair of binocs.

9. Take a day off and go bird hunting.

10. Put on the damn sunscreen.

11. Double check the contents of your day-bag and kit everyday before you get on the truck.

12. There are emotional peaks and valleys on a safari, be prepared for them. Your team will feed off your emotions, be upbeat and everyone will work harder for your success.

13. Relax and have fun. If you don't laugh everyday something is wrong.

quote:

Originally posted by MHC_TX:


What have you learned?

1. No matter what kind of shape you are in, you should be in better shape.

2. No matter how skinny you are, you are still too fat.

3. No matter how many practice rounds you fired, you should have fired 5x that many.

4. No matter how little luggage you take, it is still too much.

5. No matter how much money you bring, it is still not enough.

Some good ones already posted.

Take some time during the trip to just soak-in and enjoy the surroundings - take a half day off from hunting to go fishing, photograph birds or capture some good photos of the game. The trip - at least to me - is so much more than just the hunting.

Phil

Forrest # 13 is the most important...

Mike

Take off your watch as soon as you hit camp. It is time to eat, sleep, hunt, drink, lie, laugh, hunt, sleep, eat....did I mention...unwind?
No phone, no TV, no problems...life is good.
Hang the leopard bait on the limb so the leopard has to have his butt to you when picking up the bait...lesson learned from old friend George Hoffman.
I also second all Forrest B had to say.
See you all in Reno or Dallas of Houston or maybe Africa!

Many good ones already; especially having fun!
my additions;
1)Keep a journal.
2)Practise getting on the target quickly.
3)Let the PH glass, you get ready to shoot.
4)Take time out to see something of the countryside and people. Tour a National Park.

BigBullet

I would add:
Always cycle your ammo through the rifle you plan to carry, especially if it's borrowed or rented from the PH. While it never happened to me I saw it happen to and experienced DG hunter at the worst possible time with a not yet dead but mighty pissed off buffalo (of course that's when it always happens). Don't take this little item for granted cause it could be very costly.

Looks like things have been covered pretty well. I would reiterate something 500 Grains wrote, but state it differently:
The better shape you're in, the more enjoyable the hunt.

I now wear glasses with clear lenes, especialy on the back of the truck. Keeps debris from getting in the eyes as well as protecting from branches.

It is amazing how cold it can get in Africa in the mornings and evenings. Bring warm clothes for these times that can be easily removed and aren't noisy.

Don’t get chummy with the staff and do not give them your address. They don’t really want to be your pen pal and will solicit you for money later. Do not ship your scopes on your guns- always hand carry all optics and have a spare. Choose your hunting partner carefully as you are in close quarters for the duration and we all get irritable when stressed or tired. Separate sleeping tents are nice so you have some quiet time alone. Again get in your best shape and shoot as much as you possibly can before the hunt. Practice shooting up to 250 yards with your big gun as it is sometimes necessary and it will easily reach out there. Everything else I have learned is already covered nicely. Enjoy!

Carry an Extra set of Scope Rings and a Scope for your rifle.

Carry at least 20 of the little wrenches for your Scope Ring Screws. Bend them into key chains and such.

(I have never had loose scope rings, but I did have to change a scope on a caribou/sheep hunt. And I am glad I had a bunch of them.)

If your Stock Screw Bolts are a Hex or a Philips, make sure you have a Tool with you that you can tighten them if they come loose.

I had a friend who brought a rifle on our hunt to RSA, half way through the hunt the rifle wouldn't shoot. Loose stock screws were the problem.

(I recommend a small kit of different size hex heads and others. If yours or other hunters stuff falls apart; you are now promoted to Mr. Fix It.) I gave my set to my PH, as a small portion of his tip and he loved it.)

Don'y get upset when you or one of your party screws up.

In fact, look forward to these mishaps, and enjoy them. You will find that they occur much more frequently than you have ever thought before.

If you have the time in your schedule and your hunting near a national park, then take a few days before your hunt starts to go on a photographic safari. This will allow you to get over your jet lag and settle into the new type of environment, heat etc.

Great example is if your hunting in Zambezi valley then goto mana pools for a few nights before!

Go with an open mind and then open it up some more.

Take time to properly set up your trophy photos.

Some excellent suggestions already...how about these:

Unless you absolutely can't afford it or you are hunting with a family member, hunt 1x1, you will enjoy the experience much more!

Listen to your PH, but only YOU know your sight picture through the scope...don't shoot until you have the shot YOU want.

Good one Wink

here's another,

Be aware that much of Africa does not normally run "ontime". If you are an "A" personallity, you'll have to put it away for your safari. Be patient, things will happen, flat tires (tyres), engine problems, a little lost, it's all part of the experience. You must relize that certain things will happen that will be out of your control that you are going to have to live with. Its no big deal. Go with the flow.

BigBullet

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
Don'y get upset when you or one of your party screws up.

In fact, look forward to these mishaps, and enjoy them. You will find that they occur much more frequently than you have ever thought before.

Well said. Next time it could be you, and your friends are saving your but. Also, the mishaps, or screwups are almost better to tell around the campfire on later hunts. I have had a few told about me such as shooting trees and the such.

Be disgustingly polite at the airport.

This thread should become a sticky! Great thoughts on here from folks who have obviously been there, done that. One emphasis, if I may:

When it comes time to shoot, only YOU are looking through your scope. DO NOT let the PH talk you into shooting through brush that he may not see. It's simply not worth it when you wound game due to a deflection and have to spend valuable hunting time tracking before you find it (or worse, don't find it). After you've made this mistake once, you'll never forget the feeling.

In my opinion, if I need to bring scope separate, extra tools, extra rings, etc., then I did not do a good job of packing and preparation prior to leaving. I want to spend as little time as possible screwing around "gunsmithing" and as much time as possible hunting, relaxing, and enjoying the trip.

Avoid gun/scope problems by spending the money up front and getting a Tuffpak. Put your rifle(s) in there and forget about carting the rest of the crap along. Check your rifle before you leave and tighten scope mounts, stock screws etc. They will not magically loosen on the ride over the pond.

quote:

Originally posted by douglast:
In my opinion, if I need to bring scope separate, extra tools, extra rings, etc., then I did not do a good job of packing and preparation prior to leaving. I want to spend as little time as possible screwing around "gunsmithing" and as much time as possible hunting, relaxing, and enjoying the trip.

Avoid gun/scope problems by spending the money up front and getting a Tuffpak. Put your rifle(s) in there and forget about carting the rest of the crap along. Check your rifle before you leave and tighten scope mounts, stock screws etc. They will not magically loosen on the ride over the pond.

I'm going to argue the point about bringing tools.

I have never had a problem with scopes getting knocked out of alignment on flights. I have seen rifles with scopes attached get dropped on rocks and have seen a scope fog up. I have also had a scope cap disapear. To this day I don't know how. I cannabalized an extra off the extra scope I brought. Murphy is always around, and an extra $40 bucks for rings, and the extra $400 bucks for a scope is worth it. Especially when you just dropped $10,000 on a sheep hunt or $5,000 or more to hunt in Africa.

I don't plan on doing gunsmithing on a trip, but if you have to, tools are nice to have. Extra tools will maybe weight 13 oz. At least the last time I weighed mine they did. A little Brownells wrench that you can stick 3 different heads in the handle is small but good to have.

I actually left my extra brand new Leupold VX-III with my PH in Africa, he had a cheaper fixed 4x scope, and as a tip I offered him a choice of cash or the extra scope I had. He was thrilled that I offered him the scope.

I (knock on wood) have never had a problem with scopes besides the scope cap incident.

I have had to work on a friends rifle, a Remington, in RSA on safari. My rifle was good to go but his wasn't. He still thanks me to this day for helping him out by bringing tools.

Hey we all have are own opinions on what to bring. Bringing tools, extra rings, and a scope is just insurance for me. I hope that I don't have to bring them but if I do, I am sure glad they are there.

Thought of one more thing:

Bring about 20 to 30 $1 Dollar Bills for all of the porters in the Joberg and other RSA airports. If you know your way around, you don't need them. BUT if you don't know your way around. They do help you out.

Also, if flying to RSA, you can fill out your gun declaration forms before hand. This helps you speed up the process.

If your 338-50BMG Earsplitting Loudenboomer kicks to much add a breako. Cut the damn muzzlebreak off and recrown.

You will shoot it better, and your PH and the boys will love you for not having a damn muzzle break.

When you open the door of the rover/cruiser and step down take a look first. I stepped directly on the head of a cape cobra and killed it dead. What are the freaking odds? Look before you step.

What I've learned is first if you are as others have stated having a problem with your PH do not just put up with it. Do whatever is necessary to get someone you can get along with.

S--- happens no matter how well you prepare. Taking an extra sighted in scope and a small kit with tools specific to your firearms is a necessity in my opinion.

Book as many days as you possibly can and then add more. You'll enjoy your safari a great deal more. Relax and drink in the experience. Safari is so much more than just hunting that it is a shame to rush through it.

Take your spouse, significant other, parent or child if they show any interest at all. Having someone special with you to share the safari adds a great deal to the adventure.

Hunt 1x1 if at all possible unless you are sure there will be no competition between you and your partner.

Mark

500Grains:

Anybody ever tell you that you are an awful cynic? (Just kidding)

Don't wait until you have "the time" or "enough money." Do it sooner than later. You never know what life might bring that prevents you from going at all.
(I'm planning my first safari and wish I'd gone a little sooner, even if all the loose ends weren't tied).

1. Buy gun insurance; 2. Study, read and reread The Perfect Shot; 3. Practice shooting every single chance that you get; 4. Thoroughly check and recheck the condition of all of your equipment well ahead of your trip; 5. If you can afford it, and the budget will allow, don't pass up any outstanding animal that you come across-the chances are good that you may never see one that good again on successive trips. 6. Take your wife or husband or your significant other. 7. Take twice as many photographs as you originally planned to take.

For our newer Members, Tips and Packing List.

Regards,

Terry

1. don't piss into the wind.
2. even though your buffalo is dead, shoot him one more time.
3. don't shoot if you don't have a clear shot. the ph will tell you to shoot when he thinks you have a clear shot, but if you don't feel good about it, wait until you do. you may have to pass on it, but draw blood, and you will wish that you had a clear shot. it's your money, and if you miss, you will always regret it,.
4. leave your measuring tape at home. You will get better trophies if you aren't worried about "making the book". you will also be a lot more fun to be around.

Some good suggestions, but I'll repeat a few:

1. Keep water handy - twice as much as you "need".

2. Be ready to shoot right NOW. For every shot at a trophy that's caught on video off sticks there's three more where you weren't ready. Literally be ready to shoot in a split second. There may be more game in Africa, but the number of true trophy animals is limited - and shot opportunities more limited still. More than half your stalks will be busted by game other than your quarry.

3. Carry enough gun. "Enough" is as much as you can shoot without flinching. I'm not a fan of pure speed. I like good heavy bullets at 2400-2700 fps.

4. Be in decent shape. I am a desk jockey with 25 years experience. I have to work at it to stay less than 30 pounds overweight! Leave that "fatpack" at home.

5. Go hunting. Now!

I'm going to add some additional comment to my initial post. There is a lot of good advice here, I don't think any of it is bad. But for me the technical and material aspects are much less important than attitude and mindset. You are going to discover a new world, a new environment and new people. Drink it in. Revel in it. Your senses will evolve during the course of the hunt if you are committed to understanding what is going on around you. Let the PH and the trackers explain what they are doing. Provoke it by asking questions. I was so fortunate on my first African Safari in that the PH gave me a little course in identifying signs, recognizing animal droppings and tracks, identifying the sounds you hear, all the bushcraft that make them great people to be with when you are in the bush. He did this in part because I told him I wanted to know. On my first day I couldn't walk through the acacia without getting hung up on every thorn in the area. By the end of the safari I could move with assurance and silence. You will feel your senses becoming perfected. You will smell the buffalo herd long before you see it if you are downwind, you will start to see the animals and not just a wall of scrub. You will know when the baboons have spotted you and are alerting the whole neighborhood and ruining your stalk. This is what will make your safari a unique experience. It is also what will get you hooked on it like no drug you have ever taken.

Don_G made a good point about being ready to shoot quickly, and he is right. On the other hand, if you find the sticks being placed under your rifle by the tracker and the PH saying "Take him!" and you don't see anything and don't know what they are talking about, take your time. If he has set you up on an animal that's beyond a range you are comfortable with, I don't care how big the trophy is, then know that the pressure is not on you, don't shoot. That's the time when you say to your PH "get me closer". That's his job.

Before pulling the trigger, be sure you and your PH are seeing the same animal! In heavy cover it is easy for you and your PH to be looking in the same direction but seeing different animals.

John

Don't book package hunts do day rate and trophy fee!

Don't aim at the forward center of mass on a buffalo standing in shoulder-high long grass.

I know from whence I speak!