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Fellas, Not trying to share too much personal stuff, but I need a sounding board so I thought I would ask for the opinions of those with more African experience. Ever since my 2010 safari I have been saving for another one. I had enough money saved up for a safari in 2012, either a bang up PG hunt or a buff hunt. Unfortunately my wife has had some health issues over the last 6mos and there were a few things we had to pay out of pocket. So I kicked in some of my safari funds to cover the costs and to help keep our savings account intact. We pray she is on the mend and this is behind us. All that said, I’ve got enough left over to do a PG hunt for a few of the less expensive critters: Impala, Common Duiker, Steenbuck, etc as well as airfare/day fees/gratuities. However I don’t have enough for dip/pack and freight home, so I would just take photos. That doesn’t bother me as I don’t have anymore room for trophies anyway. I have also considered a cull hunt I see advertised on here from time to time. I’m not a tape measure hunter, but I don’t think that’s for me. I’d rather get one decent animal or none at all than a bunch of cull ones. 30+ years experience tells me that perfection hit at .264. Others are adequate but anything before or after is wishful thinking. | ||
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Adam, Save your money and try to pick up a late season quota clean up for Buffalo and plains game The past couple of years they have have been more affordable than some PG hunts.Good luck,and I hope your wife is doing well. | |||
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Without question I would do the PG hunt now. I have done both PG and DG hunts, and my opinion is go on the one that you can afford NOW. Who knows what awaits tomorrow, perhaps a windfall, or, as you found out, perhaps a trip and a fall. Go enjoy the hunt, take home the pictures and the memories and begin saving for the next one. | |||
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Adam, Going on a longer "proper" safari is the way to go. I've chosen in my own African hunting to go less often but stay longer and I've never regretted it. I think you'll be sorry if you book an adventure that is really not what you wanted. 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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Since you "hope" shes on the mend, i would wait until next year and save up some more. Matt u makes a good point. With no improvment in the economy in sight, there are bound to be some great deals next year. I have walked in the foot prints of the elephant, listened to lion roar and met the buffalo on his turf. I shall never be the same. | |||
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Adam, contact Roger Whittall for the best buffalo and or plainsgame deal available in the Save Conservancy. No shortcuts - I guarantee you will have a fantastic hunting experience - but Roger is an accommodating man and will arrange a competitive deal for you. When you speak with him, mention I suggested you stay as a guest in his house, to cut costs. Staying at the Whittall house would be an African experience the likes of which no camp or lodge will ever match! Dave | |||
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You may also want to look at picking up an auction hunt at your local SCI banquet. You can often times get PG hunts for next to nothing. Just make sure you read the fine print. A friend of mine is actually on the "budget" hunt that you described. It included trophy fees for eight animals for two guys, observer fees and five days daily rate. Total cost for the package: $1,000.00. Buy the package, then use your leftover money to "upgrade." Pete | |||
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I'd say do what you think is right for you. I've had this discussion with a friend of mine who's over 65 and a prostate cancer survivor, and he decided he needs to hunt Africa every year (and keeps going to Namibia every year). I have only been twice in the 8 yrs. I've been interested in Africa, and have been to Namibia, RSA, and Zim. Not having a limitless budget I have to make choices and I choose to save and wait for less frequent but more adventurous hunts. As for your situation, that's something that you have to decide which is your priority going now, or risking not being able to go at all in the future. If my crystal ball wasn't in the shop I could tell you which was the better plan.  Caleb | |||
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I think family comes first so making sure your wife is really on the mend would influence my decision.One thing is certain,, as we get older,, there are more health care risks and we never plan on getting sick or old,, it happens! Either to us or our family. Go when you can,, make more money and return again... My father never hunted,, he loved to fish,, I always tried to get him to go to Mexico to one of the hot lakes and catch a 100 fish a day,, he was always worried about us being gone at the same time out of the office,, before I got him convinced to go,,,, at 62 he fell dead in the office of a cerebral anuerism,,we had tickets for the next morning for a mountain vacation with all his grand children,,,it happens,,,,still my biggest regret in life was not to get him on a dream fishing trip... There are no do-overs... you can make more money, you can not make more time | |||
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I think it is better to do it right, so I also voted save and wait. Best wishes for your wife's full recovery. Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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I agree with other posters in first insure your wife is on the mend, then take your time and save up for a great hunt where you can take a great buff or tuskless. Thoughts are with you and your wife. Thanks! Brian Clark Blue Skies Hunting Adventures www.blueskieshunting.com Email at: info@blueskieshunting.com African Cape Trophy Safaris www.africancapesafaris.com Email at: brian@africancapesafaris.com 1-402-689-2024 | |||
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Thank you for all the replies and well wishes. Of course my wife and family come first and I would never go anywhere if they werent OK. We were actually talking about this last night which is what made me post the question. She had said she wanted to go on a trip somewhere once she had recovered and then asked me if I could still do a safari sometime next year. I'm acutally surprised at the poll results. I thought most folks were of the "go now" crowd. Since my African experience is limited to having taken kudu, gemsbuck, zebra and blesbuck, I think I would get equal enjoyment out of hunting any species I have not taken, be it impala or buff! Thanks! Adam 30+ years experience tells me that perfection hit at .264. Others are adequate but anything before or after is wishful thinking. | |||
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Who are the two oddballs that picked promoting Obama's jobs plan? I hope you two are from Florida and just made a little mistake! STAY IN THE FIGHT! | |||
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I would wait and do it right. | |||
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Continue saving for the trip of a lifetime, instead of doing it now and feeling a little guilty about it.... Figure out how long you can be gone; then block out half of it for hunting and the other half for whatever your fully recovered spouse wants to do together! It really will be memorable that way.  | |||
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I have not gone on an African safari yet. I am now in my 50s and regret not having gone 15 years ago on a PG hunt when I could have easily found the money & paid it off in a few months. Now I am planning a trip in 2013 and it will be for buffalo with any more money saved going towards Kudu, bushbuck and caracal. If the ecoomy really picks up then I would do a 15 day leopard buffalo PG hunt - my budget is $20k total including flights and tips. I will just do Euro mounts and may tan a few hides. Only the leopard will be mounted - probably a rug like my dad's! You will find some real good deals with martien Pieters at end of season - Buffalo hunt for about $10k. Good luck "When the wind stops....start rowing. When the wind starts, get the sail up quick." | |||
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GREAT ADVICE. my first 3 African hunts were for plains game that i picked up at the SCI local chapter banquets and the SCI Convention for literally pennies on the dollar. my very first hunt was an RSA plains game hunt for a hunter and observer for 10 days that included kudu, eland, warthog and impala plus shoulder mount taxidermy for all 4 PLUS shipping of the finished product back to the states- total cost was $3500. i added a blue wildebeast and gemsbok( with shoulder mounts) but still spent less than $5500 for everything! that being said, if i were you, i would save one more year and go on a late season buff hunt. Vote Trump- Putin’s best friend… To quote a former AND CURRENT Trumpiteer - DUMP TRUMP | |||
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If you were there in 2010, and were able to save enough for the 2012 hunt with things the way they were I would save another year and try something bigger. If you can afford PG every 2 years, take a break and go for buffalo after 3-4. As Mark says, the longer the better. I always seem to look back at the end of a 15-18 day hunt and ask "how can I be done already???" I think if you keep doing the every other/3 year PG hunts you will kick yourself 20 years down the road for not trying DG sooner. The short game ranch hunts in SA are not going away, but each year the DG places seem to really inflate, even in bad economies, so it may be your best shot to do it before something unforeseen gets in your way As others have said, sometimes at the end of the year there are some really good deals on left over quota, with good outfitters. If you can schedule your vacation time on reasonably short notice, this may well be the way to go. | |||
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Plains game hunts are very reasonable, so why cut yourself short. I have hunts that cost less than most airfares to Africa, so if you look around, you can have an affordable hunt that doesn't cost a lot. Saving on dip/pack, shipping and taxidermy can pay for another hunt. Take a good hunt, take plenty of pics and enjoy yourself. I would advise one thing; as far as you must go, and the cost of flying there, try and hunt 10 days. 5-7 day hunts are really cutting yourself short. You can find my hunts here on AR or email me and I'll send them to you. There are no corners cut on any of them and it's trophy hunting, not culling or immature game hunting. Gray Ghost Hunting Safaris http://grayghostsafaris.com Phone: 615-860-4333 Email: hunts@grayghostsafaris.com NRA Benefactor DSC Professional Member SCI Member RMEF Life Member NWTF Guardian Life Sponsor NAHC Life Member Rowland Ward - SCI Scorer Took the wife the Eastern Cape for her first hunt: http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6881000262 Hunting in the Stormberg, Winterberg and Hankey Mountains of the Eastern Cape 2018 http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4801073142 Hunting the Eastern Cape, RSA May 22nd - June 15th 2007 http://forums.accuratereloadin...=810104007#810104007 16 Days in Zimbabwe: Leopard, plains game, fowl and more: http://forums.accuratereloadin...=212108409#212108409 Natal: Rhino, Croc, Nyala, Bushbuck and more http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6341092311 Recent hunt in the Eastern Cape, August 2010: Pics added http://forums.accuratereloadin...261039941#9261039941 10 days in the Stormberg Mountains http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7781081322 Back in the Stormberg Mountains with friends: May-June 2017 http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6001078232 "Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading" - Thomas Jefferson Every morning the Zebra wakes up knowing it must outrun the fastest Lion if it wants to stay alive. Every morning the Lion wakes up knowing it must outrun the slowest Zebra or it will starve. It makes no difference if you are a Zebra or a Lion; when the Sun comes up in Africa, you must wake up running...... "If you're being chased by a Lion, you don't have to be faster than the Lion, you just have to be faster than the person next to you." | |||
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Have you both considered one of the AR group hunts that I have conducted? These are specifically designed for those who cannot afford a full blown safari? I have another group hunting Luangwa next month and look out for the report. Otherwise I do agree that Buffalo in Zim is very hard to beat. ROYAL KAFUE LTD Email - kafueroyal@gmail.com Tel/Whatsapp (00260) 975315144 Instagram - kafueroyal | |||
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Do what I did, borrow money, pay it later and over time, if you die before you pay it off, you got to hunt for free. | |||
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I delayed my African trip an extra year to make sure that I could add a buff hunt to the PG trip...just couldn't see going to Africa strictly for plains game. If/when I go back, it'll be for buff, leopard, or elephant...PG won't even figure into it for me, except perhaps a critter or two as a sideline to the main hunt. You've already tasted PG hunting...do something different next time...DG is a must! | |||
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I'd rather go and hunt for a week/10days and focus on one or two great above average animal than for a variety of average/below average animals... | |||
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