Same as the rest, I just wished I'd have gone sooner. My first trip at 33. I should have gone the first trip I had planned at 27--just thought I needed a new car, I should have just held off and went on the South Africa trip--oh well, going back next year, and will not look back on that one.

Ed

There is a chunk of Africa on the Kafue river that I once sought. The game had been hammered into near exctinction and the river bank housed poachers and other criminal elements.

My first night I listened to the persistant yapping of dogs, the cackle of chickens. During the night I heard a shot and had to accept that there were some obstacles, some challenges that I could not overcome. Although it was Africa and the bush was hauntingly beautiful the game had gone and the wilderness was no longer there.

It was still dark in the morning when I decided to abandon this place and I remember sitting around the fire with a cup in my hand. A distant and mounful sound stilled the cackle of fowl and the howl of hounds. A hyena had survived and had dodged bullet and snare. It was for me the sound of the wild, a cry of hope. I unpacked my car and decided to stay.

Two years and all my dollars later I listen to Hyena and now and again the deep rumble of Lion. The elephant come in the dead of night to feed on the lush floodplains and I watch them in the moonlight. The land is wild again and it was worth every cent and every effort.

By no means has it fully recovered but to witness game on once empty plains and the trackes of buffalo is enough for me for now.

You may say this has very little to do with the post and what is the point? Well gentlemen all who have posted here are the men who keep wild Africa alive and hats off to you all.

Andrew - It's certainly my pleasure. And thank you for the part you do in keeping those places wild. That's why we come there - to see those places, to witness the sights, sounds and smells, to walk through the wet grass in the splendor of the morning, or in the heat of the afternoon, with gnats and mosquitos buzzing about our ears, in the hopes of catching a glimpse of our quarry, or just to revel in the magnificent landscape that is Africa!

quote:

There is a chunk of Africa on the Kafue river that I once sought. The game had been hammered into near exctinction and the river bank housed poachers and other criminal elements.

My first night I listened to the persistant yapping of dogs, the cackle of chickens. During the night I heard a shot and had to accept that there were some obstacles, some challenges that I could not overcome. Although it was Africa and the bush was hauntingly beautiful the game had gone and the wilderness was no longer there.

It was still dark in the morning when I decided to abandon this place and I remember sitting around the fire with a cup in my hand. A distant and mounful sound stilled the cackle of fowl and the howl of hounds. A hyena had survived and had dodged bullet and snare. It was for me the sound of the wild, a cry of hope. I unpacked my car and decided to stay.

Two years and all my dollars later I listen to Hyena and now and again the deep rumble of Lion. The elephant come in the dead of night to feed on the lush floodplains and I watch them in the moonlight. The land is wild again and it was worth every cent and every effort.

By no means has it fully recovered but to witness game on once empty plains and the trackes of buffalo is enough for me for now.

You may say this has very little to do with the post and what is the point? Well gentlemen all who have posted here are the men who keep wild Africa alive and hats off to you all.

Andrew, how about a picture as a visual? Thx in advance.

why would i have regrets? it's my money to spend as i see fit. my idea of a perfect life is to draw my last breath and spend my last dollar simultaneously! insurance and investments will take care of my wife.

quote:

Originally posted by 505 gibbs:

quote:

There is a chunk of Africa on the Kafue river that I once sought. The game had been hammered into near exctinction and the river bank housed poachers and other criminal elements.

My first night I listened to the persistant yapping of dogs, the cackle of chickens. During the night I heard a shot and had to accept that there were some obstacles, some challenges that I could not overcome. Although it was Africa and the bush was hauntingly beautiful the game had gone and the wilderness was no longer there.

It was still dark in the morning when I decided to abandon this place and I remember sitting around the fire with a cup in my hand. A distant and mounful sound stilled the cackle of fowl and the howl of hounds. A hyena had survived and had dodged bullet and snare. It was for me the sound of the wild, a cry of hope. I unpacked my car and decided to stay.

Two years and all my dollars later I listen to Hyena and now and again the deep rumble of Lion. The elephant come in the dead of night to feed on the lush floodplains and I watch them in the moonlight. The land is wild again and it was worth every cent and every effort.

By no means has it fully recovered but to witness game on once empty plains and the trackes of buffalo is enough for me for now.

You may say this has very little to do with the post and what is the point? Well gentlemen all who have posted here are the men who keep wild Africa alive and hats off to you all.

Andrew, how about a picture as a visual? Thx in advance.

I've got a pretty good visual of the description. Nice post Fairgame!

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:
There is a chunk of Africa on the Kafue river that I once sought. The game had been hammered into near exctinction and the river bank housed poachers and other criminal elements.

My first night I listened to the persistant yapping of dogs, the cackle of chickens. During the night I heard a shot and had to accept that there were some obstacles, some challenges that I could not overcome. Although it was Africa and the bush was hauntingly beautiful the game had gone and the wilderness was no longer there.

It was still dark in the morning when I decided to abandon this place and I remember sitting around the fire with a cup in my hand. A distant and mounful sound stilled the cackle of fowl and the howl of hounds. A hyena had survived and had dodged bullet and snare. It was for me the sound of the wild, a cry of hope. I unpacked my car and decided to stay.

Two years and all my dollars later I listen to Hyena and now and again the deep rumble of Lion. The elephant come in the dead of night to feed on the lush floodplains and I watch them in the moonlight. The land is wild again and it was worth every cent and every effort.

By no means has it fully recovered but to witness game on once empty plains and the trackes of buffalo is enough for me for now.

You may say this has very little to do with the post and what is the point? Well gentlemen all who have posted here are the men who keep wild Africa alive and hats off to you all.

Fairgame

That sings to the heart

SSR

Nice post Fairgame![/QUOTE]
Dinkum one at that, got a lump in my throat and there is smoke in here.

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:
There is a chunk of Africa on the Kafue river that I once sought. The game had been hammered into near exctinction and the river bank housed poachers and other criminal elements.

My first night I listened to the persistant yapping of dogs, the cackle of chickens. During the night I heard a shot and had to accept that there were some obstacles, some challenges that I could not overcome. Although it was Africa and the bush was hauntingly beautiful the game had gone and the wilderness was no longer there.

It was still dark in the morning when I decided to abandon this place and I remember sitting around the fire with a cup in my hand. A distant and mounful sound stilled the cackle of fowl and the howl of hounds. A hyena had survived and had dodged bullet and snare. It was for me the sound of the wild, a cry of hope. I unpacked my car and decided to stay.

Two years and all my dollars later I listen to Hyena and now and again the deep rumble of Lion. The elephant come in the dead of night to feed on the lush floodplains and I watch them in the moonlight. The land is wild again and it was worth every cent and every effort.

By no means has it fully recovered but to witness game on once empty plains and the trackes of buffalo is enough for me for now.

You may say this has very little to do with the post and what is the point? Well gentlemen all who have posted here are the men who keep wild Africa alive and hats off to you all.

Andrew, if you are half as good a PH as you are a words-smith; well, you must be a damn fine PH.YOU HAVE REALLY GOTTEN TO THE HEART OF WHY WE LOVE AND RETURN TO AFRICA!

quote:

Originally posted by OldHandgunHunter:
African hunting is one of those things that make life worth living.

Very, very well said!

Absolutely NOT!

Africa is a dream, you save, you do without, and you spend years perhaps; planning your dream hunt.

You get on that plane, you fly, you land, you get thru customs with your PH, and you and your gear are in the Bakkie headed to camp.

And then there are those glorious sunrises and sunsets that are uniquely Africa; and in between you and your PH are looking for those game animals you have chosen to hunt for.

And if the Lord blesses your efforts, you have skins in the salt, game heads to admire, and the best fresh steaks every night for dinner.

And then, you wake up and it is time to retrace your steps to back home. And leaving Africa is such sweet sorrow. But then there is the anticipation of waiting for your trophies to arrive from the taxidermist and be hung in your special room.

And then, the best part, planning your next trip.

They say humankind originated in Africa. Sooo, I/you/we are returning to the ancient homeland...

Rich

and for me, I hope, April of 2012 is homecoming

No regrets.

quote:

Originally posted by 505 gibbs:

quote:

There is a chunk of Africa on the Kafue river that I once sought. The game had been hammered into near exctinction and the river bank housed poachers and other criminal elements.

My first night I listened to the persistant yapping of dogs, the cackle of chickens. During the night I heard a shot and had to accept that there were some obstacles, some challenges that I could not overcome. Although it was Africa and the bush was hauntingly beautiful the game had gone and the wilderness was no longer there.

It was still dark in the morning when I decided to abandon this place and I remember sitting around the fire with a cup in my hand. A distant and mounful sound stilled the cackle of fowl and the howl of hounds. A hyena had survived and had dodged bullet and snare. It was for me the sound of the wild, a cry of hope. I unpacked my car and decided to stay.

Two years and all my dollars later I listen to Hyena and now and again the deep rumble of Lion. The elephant come in the dead of night to feed on the lush floodplains and I watch them in the moonlight. The land is wild again and it was worth every cent and every effort.

By no means has it fully recovered but to witness game on once empty plains and the trackes of buffalo is enough for me for now.

You may say this has very little to do with the post and what is the point? Well gentlemen all who have posted here are the men who keep wild Africa alive and hats off to you all.

Andrew, how about a picture as a visual? Thx in advance.

Poachers camp and drying rack



Dormant land.



No regrets.

quote:

Originally posted by els:
Does any one regret the money that they spent hunting in Africa. Years later or right away did you think " I wish I had saved that money" or "spent it on something more practical" ?

No. I used to calculate any money making opportunity as to how many safaris it would buy me.

Yeah, sometimes, usually around 3:30 on a Friday afternoon and payroll is not quite covered; or, when IRS comes demanding money reserved to pay suppliers; then I ask myself just what the hell am I doing spending money on fun.

My two safaris make for some of my greatest memories in my entire life. About a year after the last one, the economy turned bad, and it has gotten worse for me ever since. In the past year I have had to almost totally drain my retirement fund and put groceries on the credit cards. I sometimes ask myself if I would have been better off not going and having saved the money; the answer always comes back as no.

Horizon is brighter. I will soon be changing practice location and becoming an employee of a hospital. More money, less call, but most importantly stability and I can see a return to the Dark Continent in a few years.

Like a lot of folks here, I can't really "afford" to go on guided hunts, in Africa or anywhere else. That's not to say that I have pissed away all our money on hunting trips. The mortgage is getting paid-- ahead of schedule-- we give a good chunk of our salaries to charities every year, we eat well and our kids get opportunities to do things that cost a bit. But we're not saving much for college for them.

As it is, I can only go to Africa every four or five years. Some would argue that I shouldn't even be doing that. But like many of you, I have had friends and family die young or suddenly become too sick to do something like chase elk at 10,000 feet or walk mile after mile after elephant, buffalo or eland. I ask myself, if I don't go now (or next year, or whenever I am planning on going) when will I go?
As long as I am reasonably responsible towards my family, I have no regrets. The kids can find a way to pay for college themselves, as I did. And I suspect they will view it as more of an accomplishment if they do.

I suppose that if have any regrets at all about the hunts I have done, it would be to have skipped my first trip (in RSA behind game fences) and gone straight on to the sorts of hunts I did next. On the other hand, I did that hunt with a great friend and hunting partner who now has health issues that will keep him from ever going to Africa again.

Regrets Hell.
If I didn't have my hunting trips to look forward to, I couldn't get out of bed and work like a dog. My trips are what keeps me focused and moving forward. They prevent me from getting too wrapped up in the day to day BS that comprises 98% of life in the good ol USA. They are the key to my sanity and they are my salvation.
I regret NOT doing things.

thanks for the responses.

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:
There is a chunk of Africa on the Kafue river that I once sought. The game had been hammered into near exctinction and the river bank housed poachers and other criminal elements.

My first night I listened to the persistant yapping of dogs, the cackle of chickens. During the night I heard a shot and had to accept that there were some obstacles, some challenges that I could not overcome. Although it was Africa and the bush was hauntingly beautiful the game had gone and the wilderness was no longer there.

It was still dark in the morning when I decided to abandon this place and I remember sitting around the fire with a cup in my hand. A distant and mounful sound stilled the cackle of fowl and the howl of hounds. A hyena had survived and had dodged bullet and snare. It was for me the sound of the wild, a cry of hope. I unpacked my car and decided to stay.

Two years and all my dollars later I listen to Hyena and now and again the deep rumble of Lion. The elephant come in the dead of night to feed on the lush floodplains and I watch them in the moonlight. The land is wild again and it was worth every cent and every effort.

By no means has it fully recovered but to witness game on once empty plains and the trackes of buffalo is enough for me for now.

You may say this has very little to do with the post and what is the point? Well gentlemen all who have posted here are the men who keep wild Africa alive and hats off to you all.

A very eloquent, elegant statement.

Hi to all of you
I was raised in Africa and started hunting with my dad when i was 6 years old, if i was to die today and have a chioce to come back i will do it all over again, same time same place, once you have drank the waters of Africa it runs through your veins like fire, its addictive, Money is something that can be taken away by may meens but an experiance can never be taken away and the chioces lies with us are we going make that experiance happen or not?

Els: Thanks for starting this thread and giving folks like Fairgame a chance to respond so beautifully.
I first hunted in Africa in 2007, at age 54. It was everything I hoped it would be (except for some lousy shooting by moi).
Now, less than 18 months from the big six-zero, I am much more aware of time stalking me, and how the odds can tip suddenly.
I recently had an MRI and heard the only phrase that is sweeter than "Let's go back to Africa"
and that was "It's benign."
Hope to celebrate my 60th in Zimbabwe.

I think regrets change with age. Regrets you have at 55 can be quite different than those you have at 70.

Even my two sons don't regret their old man having the time of his life doing something he never thought he could/would do----spending their inheritance on Africa!
I may end up regretting not have taking a darted Rhino before now since this has gotten all political and I have yet to do it....planned for 2013 IF RSA doesn't fugg it up.....

I should have gone sooner,, eyedoc on Ar here tried his best to get me to go. Trying to run a practice, small town, trying to keep patients with doctor to cover, etc.always a reason not to,,. saving for retirement,, then I realized,, what friggin retirement,, the market tanks, the government taxes me to death,,I can make more money,, I can't make more time,, football knees,, hard to walk,,knee fixed, shoulder fixed,,,one month back from last safari.. Time to start planning the next safari!!! It takes me about a month to get over the flight home to want to go back. When the Africa bug bites you there is no cure....

Drwes
I know how you feel. The eternal delayed gratification may have been good at one time in a different culture but boy as I look forward now I'm not sure.
It is going to be hard to tax, means test and seize memories.

I'm embarrassed to comment after some of the moving passages I have read about regrets as they relate to African hunting. My only regret is that I didn't start it earlier. I had money but I worked hard, which took time. I went to Africa the first time at 49 when I should have gone at 39. I have taken both my sons and they have now done their own trips. So my only regret is that I didn't see them as kids on safari but only as young men. I could have done it cheaper, more often and maybe better if I had done it earlier. MMP

Allen Day said it best, IMO:

"Life is to be lived to the fullest and enjoyed to the fullest, and there is nowhere else that I feel as alive as I do in Africa."

Do I regret going to the place that makes me feel more alive than any other place on earth?

Nope. Not for one minute. Not ever.

Will,

Perfect! Once you experience that feeling almost everything pales in comparison.

Mark

I was very fortunate to survive a serious car accident shortly after returning from my safari, and since then have lost a couple of friends and family members to unforeseen ailments and mishaps. Whenever one of these things occurs, something that underlines the fragile and transitory nature of life, my standard observation is "I am soooo glad I went to Africa!"

My regret? I wish I had taken my wife with me on that trip. She wasn't certain that she wanted to go, and I wasn't certain that she would enjoy it if she did, so she stayed home and I spent a bit more on trophy fees and shipping than I might have otherwise. Now, in hindsight, I know that she would have loved it, and I will never go back without her...and, hopefully, we will be taking my granddaughter along as well.

In fact, that is one of the wonderful things about Africa: it can be shared with family members and loved ones who would never enjoy most other hunting trips as observers.

John

No, I do not.

How much does a new diesel truck cost in the US?? Probably around $60k.

People will buy a truck like this (which makes no difference to me). Then, they might complain about paying for Africa lol.... Its all about experiences...

If your family is taken care of, why would it matter??

Who coined the phrase: "Hearses don't have luggage racks"???

I have no regrets.If I didn't spend my money on hunting I would die of depression. I'll die of depression if I come back back without having shot anything too!

I have had some amazing experiences in my previous safaris and Ovis/Capra hunts over the years. My only regret is my last safari where I hunted with an inexperienced PH who oversold his abilities and operation. It did teach me a lesson to only go with operations/PH's/guides who are proven and are the best of the best. I am now doing more research to find that right operation so I do not waste my time and money in the future.

On day 6 of a 7 day buffalo hunt and no buffalo in the salt, I did think to myself maybe I should have spent this money on a new car. On day 7 when my buffalo was in the salt ... I couldn't remember why I had wished I had used the money to buy a car just the day before.

Go now or forever regret it. Writing the check for the safari is a little painful, but you wont remember that when you get back.

No Sir!! I have no regrets! Never seen an armored car in a funeral procession in my life... I am not rich, and basically saved for five years for my first trip, which I just finished a couple of weeks ago. I have never had so much fun in my life. Got to see my wife take her first ever animal, and fall in love with a country and a sport. Got to experience things I used to only dream of. My only regret is that now I have to find a way to make enough money to go back, and believe me I will. Life is too short to drink cheap scotch or only hunt in tree stands.

quote:

Originally posted by els:
Does any one regret the money that they spent hunting in Africa. Years later or right away did you think " I wish I had saved that money" or "spent it on something more practical" ?

Oh, heck no!!!!!!!! With a good PH/outfitter, like others have said, it's just the opposite. Three of us that went a bit over two years ago are going again next year and we're planning another trip after that within the next 5 years for some Big 5 critter action, the Cape Buffalo w/ a handgun.

quote:

Originally posted by JBrown:

quote:

Originally posted by bcolyer:
NEVER have I heard a single person ever say......I wish I would have just saved a little more money.....

But I have heard plenty say.....I just wish I would have taken that "trip"

I notice that everyone who has posted on this thread seems to be of the same mind. I would also guess that you guys are all "older". I don't mean that you have one foot in the grave(well maybe Will....), but that you are closer to 70 than 20.

I am a bit younger than most of the guys here. I began hunting in Africa before I was 25 and I did most of my African hunting before I was thirty. Due to family and finances I have done very little African hunting in the past five years(but I have traveled there a ton).

Obviously you've been smarter/luckier/richer than the rest of us that couldn't get the cash together until we were in our 40's to go. I didn't go anywhere for vacation ever and when it came to deciding where to spend the money, it came down to either spending a ton of cash for some farm raised South Texas whitetail for $10K or looking into South Africa. Wow, what a no-brainer!

quote:

Originally posted by Ske1eter:
Obviously you've been smarter/luckier/richer than the rest of us that couldn't get the cash together until we were in our 40's to go.

Lucky, yes. But I'm sure as heck not rich(nor have I ever been) and if you go back and read some of my posts you will see that I am nearly as dumb as a stump.....

I have done several great hunts in Africa and have done a bit of hunting on other trips that I made to visit friends in Africa. I have spent nearly a year in Africa over about a dozen hunting and non-hunting trips. I was able to do this because I was a bachelor who lived frugally and I worked 50+ hours a week(it was a low paying job though). Part of my reason for getting such an early start in African hunting was that my dad passed away at 29 from a rare heart defect when I was 5. It was not passed on to me, but I am cognizant of the fact that all of our days are numbered.

I am glad that you brought me back into this thread because I wanted to make it clear that, as the one guy who express regrets, I am not down on Africa or African hunting. Quite the opposite. The only time I am truly happy is when I am in Africa. My regret has been due to the fact that I have been trying to move there to live full time. But I was not willing to do it half-assed, and starting a life there takes some capital.

Anyway, I should be working with Fairgame's wife at the American International school in Lusaka, but I am stuck here in the US for the next 16+ years most likely. But once my daughter is grown and settled in college I will take myself live out my days in Africa.

But don't cry for me. Due to the generosity of one of our members I am headed to Cameroon in December for a few weeks of anti-poaching and F.C Selous style adventure.

quote:

Originally posted by els:
Does any one regret the money that they spent hunting in Africa. Years later or right away did you think " I wish I had saved that money" or "spent it on something more practical" ?

I start to evaluate it for a second and then imediately come up with the same answer.......NOPE!!!!!!!! I treasure every day and it was worth every dollar. Hopefully I'll have the same experience as I explore Asia!

Brett

My Dad died when he was 59 and I was 28, leaving me, eventually, with more money than was good for me at the time. I was fresh out of the Marine Corps, back from Vietnam, with some unanswered questions based on losing friends there. I decided that a trip to Africa and a face to face encounter with dangerous game was what I needed to answeer them.

Five years, and three trips to Africa later, there was the Yom Kippur War, the Arab Oil Embargo, the stock market dropped 50%, interest costs soared. I ended up having to sell off much of my stock holdings to pay off the loans they collateralized. When the dust settled and the money was gone, my only regret was that I had not spent more on Africa, instead of watching it go down the drain.

I still feel the same, at age 72. I have just been diagnosed with "central retinal vein occlusion", a condition which will probably cost me the sight of my right eye. Unless I can make some accomodation, most of my beloved guns will just be memories to fondle, no longer something I can use.

Don't put off your dreams. You never know what may happen to prevent their coming true.