The addiction started long before I ever put foot down in Africa for the first time. Stories of the dark continent, pictures, articles, everything just added to it. Then there was the three year wait from the time I booked my first safari until the time that I went.

A very good friend of mine told me many many times how he wishes he could replicate his first day on safari. It was not about what he shot but about the experience, the truck, the trackers, the PH, the landscape, the people, the smell, the feeling that only happens once.

I have had many special days in Africa and some that most likely will never be replicated.

There was just something about that first day. Seeing my first African animal in the wild on the way to camp; an Impala. Nothing special to most people but it was the first animal that I saw in the flesh in the wild.

Having not had my duffel bags or rifle case arrive, I was fortunate to have the operator lone me his rifle until we got this other stuff figured out.

Off to the range for a couple of shots and then we were going hunting in Africa. Hunting in Africa. A tingling feeling that is hard to describe for most people. The adrenaline was pumping and we had not even left the lodge.

Driving up the road and we stop. In a language I did understand or worry about, Barry my PH, and Benji my tracker are pointing and chatting. They have spotted the flicker of a Kudu bulls ear and a portion of his horns. I see nothing!!!! I thought I had good eyes, not on my first day in AFrica that is for sure.

Finally he takes a step and there, the animal I have dreamed of his staring at us a few hundred yards away. I am in awe of the Grey Ghost. He is to small and we move on. I am in awe of Africa. My first Kudu bull and he is gorgeous and amazing. To young but a sight to behold. One step and he is gone again.

We amble up the road and up above us we spot a Warthog boar feeding in a small open area. I am glassing the boar and not knowing if he is a trophy or not but he looks big to me.

Immediately we are leaving the truck and the stalk is on. My first stalk in Africa in Levi's, Dr. Martens and a polo shirt. No hunting clothes as they are lost in space but I am in pursuit.

We close the distance and there are two Warthog boars. I still don't know if they are big enough and I am carrying a rifle that is not mine and I have only test shot twice. The boars are behind some brush and feeding; no idea we are there. Does it get any better than this?

Barry asks Benji for the sticks and tells me to get ready. I had practiced at home but this was the real deal. No rehersal. No practice. It was actually going to happen if the boar fed out of the brush. The anticipation, emotion, and adrenaline were amazing. I was quite calm actually.

I was in Africa!!!!

The boar feeds to the left at just under 100 yards, time stands still as the safety is released on Barry's command and I put the crosshair of the borrowed 30.06 in the bottom 1/3 of the shoulder.

On the shot, the boar takes off to the right at full speed. Acting like nothing is wrong and I am in shock as we are in pursuit. It was to easy, he cannot just up and run away. This is not happening; is it?

Barry says the shot was good and everything in Africa runs away. We are in pursuit not more than 50 yards and there is my first African animal. A face only a mother could love. I am overcome by emotion. A reality has struck in; I have made it to Africa and I have succeeded. The trophy is great but everything that has led to this point to make this a reality sinks in. The smile is bigger than I can imagine. I am at a loss of words.

We take the ceremonial trophy pictures and load him up and are off in pursuit of something else. Does it get any better than this?

We walk a cut line and have a Bushbuck approach within 10 yards and feeds onward. We see Impala rams on the skyline, another Kudu bull is feeding our way and catches our wind and gives the bark of a Kudu and the gray ghost disappears. I will never forget hearing that bark and I love to hear that sound when not having him in the scope.

I am unaccustomed to not having to skin, prep, my trophies and actually think this is quite nice. I could get used to this.

We return to the lodge well after dark for what would be the first of many gatherings and meals. All the hunters and staff talk and jabber about the days events. I shake my head at rugby and cricket and the staff yelling at the TV screen about the Springbok and them losing or winning.

It is truly an amazing experience and the reality of my first safari sinks in. What a day! What an experience. If every day is like this; what a little piece of heaven I am experiencing.

I have a great safari over the next 10 days and as I sit and write this post today that has been just over 2 years ago. Nothing will compare to that first day in Africa. It is so addicting and something to experience. Few people, not part of the AR hunting community, understand the addiction, attraction and why I am so consumed with the dark continent.

It is why I do what I do. I love and do everything possible for my kids but I dream of Africa non-stop. I pray this feeling never goes away.

You are probably wondering why I have written this post. I am hoping to hear of your first day. Your experience. Your emotions and feeling.

Justin

Justin,

I cannot remember my first day but your emotions are the same as mine when I conduct a safari. Sometimes I feel I am more excited than the client.

Obviously I do not show it.

Well written by the way and you are passionate about your sport.

Gotta love the smell of dust and cordite. The musty odour of the first rains.

Cheers

LittleJoe,

With a few timing differences my 1st day in "The Continent" was the same as yours. The exuberance, excitement, the adrenaline rush, the sights & sounds were all I ever imagined 1000 times over.

I had a 2 1/2 hour drive from Tambo to the lodge. Upon arrival after storing my gear in this thatched roof chalet complete with zebra & impala floor rugs we had dinner. The PH's entire family (wife & 2 young sons) were present. It was at that 1st nights dinner table where I discovered that I was to be the guest of honor for the next 10 days. The cook was chided somewhat by the PH's wife; the dinner plates had not been warmed. WOW, HEATED PLATES FOR AFRICA HUNTING. The meal was fantastic.

The 1st morning the PH knocked on my door to awaken me: little did he know I was up and ready a half hour before he knocked. Off to the range we go; a couple of shots & an elevation adjustment. Into the back of the truck in the crisp, cold South Africa morning.

The 1st game to be pursued was Red Hartebeest. We find them.

The PH singles out the Hartebeest we are to shoot. He says get ready. I take careful aim and CLICK. IN THE EXCITEMENT I DIDN'T CHAMBER A ROUND. The PH cooly says "now that we have the practice shot over let's do it for real" Man, that demeanor made me feel real good after blowing my 1st attempt. Well I got the hartebeest.

Those 1st 24 hours in Africa for me have only been excelled by one other event (and she was beautiful).

LittleJoe everyone should have that experience in Africa.

Impala in Zim 20+ years ago - remember it like it was this morning.
Awesome - thanks for the reminder of that day!

The first day of my first trip was spent on the road. What I vividly remember was the southern cross in the night sky.. I was up and outside well before light the first hunting day and all I did was sit and gaze at the Southern Cross...

This September 12th I will be gazing at the Southern Cross once again.. :-)

LittleJoe - You are right - it just does not get any better than this! With 5 safaris under my belt, I still remember that first day in Africa like it was yesterday. We were on the tracks of a dagga boy, I was hunting in Africa with my best friend, and we were carrying Searcy .470NE double rifles we ordered as a pair over a year before. We never caught up with the buffalo that day, but I did take an old waterbuck late in the afternoon. There is just nothing like that first day in Africa.

Well written!

Thanks for the memory! My first trip was in 2009 , making the long drive from Windhoek to Outjo in Namibia...and seeing all those warthogs feeding alongside the roads. It took me three Africa trips to finally shoot a warthog ( with many plainsgame & a dagga boy in-between) but that warthog is my dearest trophy.

I remember the pure awe of seeing more game in one hour than I'd previously seen in my whole life. Gemsbok, wildebeest, zebra, kudu, warthogs, and impala. (That was just the first hour)

My first stalk was on an impala that was approaching a water hole as we approached from the opposite direction. I was convinced it would detect us and blow out before I got a shot. How could I get a shot on my very first stalk?

Well, he didn't detect us and I did make my first ever shot off of the shooting sticks. He dropped on the spot. Too cool!

Justin, you and I are a couple of sad saps. We go to work everyday and go home every night, but we struggle to get Africa off the brain. I went shooting last Saturday. I wore my safari gaiters.....just because. Just because life is better in safari gaiters.

Africa.....

I think I wrote this up on AR sometime ago so I'll do an abbrevaited form for those that might not have read it.

My very first day of safari was spent mostly in camp because the PH was too drunk to get up. That is a story unto itself and it actually worked out OK.

The first hunting day we had just left camp early in the morning and a elephant bull charged out of the bush and up onto the road. He immedaitely started false charging the open Cruiser Yeah! The ones with no top or doors. I was thinking let's get ta !@#$ outta here but the PH calm as cucumber says "you have better binos than mine. See what is on his forehead". I looked at the bull's head that filled the lenses on my Swaro and sure enough there were two huge oozing sours there from a failed attempt to brain him. That explained the bulls fowl mood.

Eventually after a few more minutes of butt pucker charges from the bull he decided to head back to the bush. The PH explained in this communal area his responsibility was to put down wounded and dangerous game so we pursued the bull. We found him after a short time with his head behind a tree and completely unaware of us being there. The PH pulled me to the front, showed me were to aim and said "this is your elephant". Huh??? I took the shot and the ele wheeled 180 degrees and blasted off followed by two more 500 gr solids. He ran about 40 yards and piled up.

That was my introduction to African hunting. A bull elephant on the first day, the first hour of the first safari. I think if I say I was in kind of a daze for the next couple days following that incident folks will understand why.

Mark

Ain't nobody topping Mark's story!

On my first hunting day in wild Africa, I experienced the same feelings you and other posters did, Justin. I thought I was in heaven, or at least the Happy Hunting Ground.

The sheer number of game animals was staggering. And no people, no livestock, no agriculture. It was like going back in time.

On my first hunting day, with the help of a great PH and hunting team, I managed to stalk and kill, in this order, a southern impala, a common waterbuck and a Cape buffalo. In one day! We had plenty of food for camp, and plenty of bait for simba and chui.

We did nothing but chase game, from dawn to dusk, with a pause for lunch under a thorn tree, for many days. I became completely addicted in very short order.

There's nothing else like African hunting for me. Nothing even close.

Mike,

That first safari was a few years back and since then I've been fortunate enough to have spent more time than I can really afford in Africa. The awe is still there for me but I think I enjoy it more now. The anxiety seems to be gone about whether I'll shoot this or that and I'm really comfortable just being on safari. There's nothing quite like it.

Mark

I always plan some sightseeing for the first few days of a hunting trip so if there are any luggage snafus it has a better chance of catching up so my first few days of Africa were spent at Kruger. I still remember our guide dutifully stopping the van as we exclaimed "Oh look! Impala!" By the second day we would drive by a herd and just say "BMI" (Bloody more impala).
My first hunting day in Africa the PH said "You want a cape buffalo don't you?" And we were off after black death the first morning and had 1 in the salt by early afternoon.

Well written LittleJoe. I remember my first day in the same vein - a mix of pinch me disbelief and joy resulting from the beginning of a dream come true, capped by a great long stalk and mountain zebra kill. Thanks to your nudge, I'll dig out the journal from that trip and re-live the details.

I got to witness the same sense of wonder in my son in 2006 in SA and my wife in 2011 in Namibia and hope to see it my daughters in the coming years.

Good stuff Justin...love the read...Both my son and I feel like that as well...I wake up everyday thinking about it and go to sleep often just the same

Mark I remember that story...glad you shared it again....AWESOME

Roland

I appreciate the responses. Nothing can compare to Mark's; I don't think. Wow.

I was thinking today of walking up to that Warthog and getting the smell of a stinky pig.

Remembering watching him run off and knowing I had missed when in fact I had made the perfect shot.

Watching a Cape Bushbuck walk within 10 yards and thinking he was huge when in fact he was not average.

Smelling the veld after a rainstorm a couple of days later.

Africa is so so much more than just pulling the trigger.

Oh I remember my safari well.
Passed my first live elephants 80 lbs on one side, none on the other ( no BS ) because I thought two tusks looked better. Look on my PH's face was priceless. I still see his look and his head shaking. Can even imagine his thoughts LOL.
Took 15 days ( last afternoon) to find 40 pounder.
No regrets though, experienced two weeks of hard elephant hunting, few good charges and one real ( we killed cow at 10' ).
I'm actually glad to this day I passed that big bull, because I would never experienced the whole hunt.
For that my first safari was and is most memorable.
Fanie Steyn is hell of a PH. Always positive and never without smile and good ribbing.

We were met at the airport by a 6' tall blonde babe named Leandra. That in itself was almost worth the plane ride.
WE CARRIED WAY TOO MUCH STUFF! Too much of our own clothing plus 3 bags of humanitarian clothes & supplies. Got nailed $2300.00 for excess luggage & weight in Germany. ouch.
As we were driving into the lodge on the sand road, all the extra weight, plus Leandra being blonde & not very good at driving in the deep sand, we got stuck.
She was upset & got on the radio to get help.
My wife & I are too much in awe of everything to even care about being stuck. There are blue wildebeest, gemsbok & zebra all standing a couple hundred yards out watching us watch them.
Leandra is constantly apologizing, we could not have cared less about being stuck, WE WERE IN AFRICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then reinforcements showed up & they all had to apologize. We didn't care. WE WERE IN AFRICA!!!!
This all took place before noon, so after unpacking & getting settled in, we had a terrific lunch then relaxed a couple of hours while the ever popular siesta was taken by everyone else.
About 3pm we went & re-sighted my 300wm, then went "looky-looky".
We stalked into a water hole that was devoid of game when we arrived, but within just a few seconds eland started coming in. We were right out in the open & could not believe this herd of eland were no more than 30yds. from us. Last to arrive was an excellent blue bull that I have yet to see one as good as him after 3 safaris. Joof puts the sticks up & tells me to shoot him, problem was I did not have a round in the chamber & when I worked the bolt eland scattered like a covey of quail.
Joof is pissed because I had not heard him tell me to bolt a round when he first spotted the eland. I didn't care. I WAS IN AFRICA!!!!!!!!!!
Besides I was not suppose to hunt on the first day, so I figured that the missed opportunity did not count. Besides, I WAS IN AFRICA!!!!!!!!
Slept like a baby that first night & everyone afterwards. I WAS IN AFRICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for starting this thread LJ, it got my juices flowing. May have to get that 300wm out & give it a good cleaning, after all, it has been to Africa as well.

Wow! great thread 7 posts.

I have paid my deposit & now I plan & dream. the first of the books I bought has just arrived. I need to get some more books particularly on birds.

Dang,
You guys didn't leave anything for me to write. After 6 trips, none of the awe has disappeared.
Congrats to all.

First night in Africa....some a-hole tried to brain ME with a 50 cal. Seeing/hearing a tracer and few rounds snap by and hit the embankment behind me sure got my attention! The next day I found one of the bullets laying in the dirt which I still have in my collection of recovered bullets (thankfully the only one fired at me). My next trip (elephant) was much more fun, but that was certainly memorable!

Bob

quote:

Africa is so so much more than just pulling the trigger.

There! You've hit the essence of the experience. Too bad everyone contemplating a first safari or going on their 10th safari did not grasp that.

Mark

And you are right Mark.
Everytime I go, I tell PH, don't worry if we don't shoot anything.
Im having fun one way or the other.
Something magical out there for sure

Leaving again October 1. It will be a successful safari regardless of the trophy fees incurred. Mark, and others, have all said it well. It's really just about being there. Listening to the sounds at night, the hyenas, the bushbabies. The birds. Bumping elephant unexpectedly or a chance encounter with a bushbuck while tracking buffalo. Sitting at the fire with a warm whiskey because there is no ice, looking up at the Southern Cross, listening to lions sounding off in the valley, and watching the lightning in the distance at the start of the rains. Wouldn't trade it for the world.

First trip to Namibia was just last July. Arriving in Windhoek the relief that my PH Jan du Plessis was there waiting for me at baggage claim. The 300+ mile drive to the Outjo area flew by as we dodged warthogs and baboons on the B-1 highway and talked hunting and guns. Time to zero guns and eat a gourmet meal before an earlybed time. Wake up to doves cooing at the nearby waterhole and after a hearty breakfast we're in the field at first light.On the drive to our first spot we flush vast herds of gemsbok and zebras. By 11:00AM I've shot my first African animal- a gorgeous 40" gemsbok bull joined later in the day by a trophy warthog. The smell of mopane coals cooking gemsbok filets while smoking a good Cuban cigar and sipping on a gold Tafel beer just can't be beat. Those memories are etched in my mind and hooked me on Africa

Yes, remember it well, being only a year ago!

Arrived after a couple days eff'ing around in Frankfort with Cindy and Trish, wife and SIL. Kobus meets us literally at planeside, gets us thru customs, off to dump the heavy cases at his home, then off to Eros airport to fly to the Caprivi in his 210. Girls sleep, I fly right seat. (flown so much right seat this last year, I'd be more than half way to pilots license, if I had started).

See MANY elephant from air, have to buzz Lienshulu strip to clear the zebras before landing. Unloading, the boys from camp scream up in a mad Max looking Unimog " saw big elephants, must go now!!!". "Must go now", became the rally cry for the next 14 days. Grab minimum gear, off for the first stalk, before we even head to camp.

Arrive at camp - girls are WTH??? Tents? Mikee you are in BIG Trouble! Where is the deluxe lodge we saw at the show??? Pool? Got to share it with hippos. Kobus gets the ladies fed, a couple glasses of wine, they are better, kinda warming up to the adventure. Whilst they cocktail, I get a couple check shots off, and we head to the river, get in the boat.

Wow, so many animals, we got out and made what seemed like a dozen stalks on the little dry land we could find. Kept seeing one real big guy, on Botswana side. Just at dark, caught him on our side at edge of Kwando river. Easily 3 ft taller than anything else we saw, that day or the next week. Unlike Boarkiller, I didn't pass, trusted PH to make right call, and a pair of 65 pound tusks were the right call.

That was the first day of a hunt that saw elephant, hippo, buff, sable, gemsbok ( dozens culled ) aardwolf, and more.

Leaving next Thursday for return engagement - Caprivi again!!!

Not sure when the bug hit me. I'm thinking it at least started as a kid anxiously waiting on Sunday evenings to see Marlin Perkins and Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. So many years later I was at a bowhunting seminar whose featured speaker was an extremely successful FEMALE bowhunter who presented her story of hunting Africa. Finally I got to see how just affordable a PG hunt can be when attending the International Sportsman's Expo that comes to Phoenix as well other western U.S. cities every year.

I finally booked a PG hunt with an American outfitter. Since we were going to RSA, we decided a few days at KNP was in order and we scheduled this at the beginning of the trip.

So after a day in Jo'burg off to Kruger we went. A couple of hours after getting there, we went on our first evening drive. No more than a few hundred yards from camp we came across two lions and a lioness just a few yards from the truck. Africa had now firmly set her barbed hooks into me. After a few days of shooting lots of animals with the Canon it was time to head back to Jo'burg for a nights stay at the Afton GH. The next day we'd be leaving for Kimberly and it would finally be time to hunt.

So I'm sitting out in the garden at Afton on a nice cool evening, a cold beer in one hand and a fine cigar in the other. A smile on my face that I didn't think anyone could remove when my wife came out and proved me wrong. She came over and said there was a phone call for me that I needed to take. I knew this could not be good.

Long story short, I was NOT to get on the plane the next morning for Kimberly. I would NOT be hunting with my American outfitter. He had to cancel my hunt, I won't boar you with the details. This was at 6pm in the evening. It was actually my outfitter's mother on the phone and she had been trying to get me scheduled with another outfitter but had not been successful. This was in 2010 right in the middle of the World Cup. So neither would I be hunting, but I also wouldn't be going home as all the flights were booked.

It was a sleepless night. At about 6am I got up and took a shower and mentally prepared myself for what promised to be a challenging day trying to get home. I had just come out of the bathroom and was getting dressed when my cell phone rang, it was my outfitter's mom again. She called to tell me she had me scheduled with another outfitter who was open that week. It was up to me if I wanted to take the chance on what was an unknown to me operation.

Well I had my laptop with me and checked out his website. What the heck, I'm probably not going to go home, so why not?

Here's where it gets kind of funny. The day before we woke up at the Tremisana lodge near the Balule reserve, about 20 minutes north of Hoedspruit. Where was the outfitter located? About another 15 mins further north. So we rescheduled our Kimberly flight for Hoedspruit and were there by 2pm. We drove right by the lodge where we'd been the day before.

Since the PH and I had never spoke before, on the drive to the lodge we discussed what animals I was after and what they had on quota. When we got to the lodge at about 3pm, we quickly got our luggage (way too much of that) into our rooms and got dressed for possibly hunting. First things first though and it was to the range we went. The rifle needed just a small adjustment so we were done quickly and had a couple of hours to hunt.

So off we go down a two track paralleling the Oliphant River. Up ahead 3 Nyala bulls launch across the path coming up from their evening drink and into the brush they go. While I am obviously new to African hunting, I know two of these bulls are at least worth taking a second look at. My PH asks if I was interested, this was an animal we had not discussed but was on my list, so I give a definite nod. We continue on past where they crossed to get downwind and bail out of the bakkie in pursuit, coming back down the road before heading into the bush. Just before we headed into the bush, I "loudly" whispered Ian (my PH's name). He stopped and looked back with that "what" look. I pointed up into the bush, where I had spotted one of the bull's looking back at us. Ian looked up and saw him and then looked back at me and said something along the line of "good eyes." We continued on and then into the bush slowly following the tracks. We finally spotted one of the bulls in the thick stuff at the same time. Ian also spotted the best one a bit behind him and working towards us. Light is fading fast and Ian asked me if I wanted to attempt a frontal shot. But in the dark bush and with a dark animal I said no. After what seemed an eternity, the biggest bull came out into a small opening that was a bit brighter and he is now broadside. Ian stops him for just a second with a bark and I pull the trigger.

Glee turns quickly to concern. I knew as I shot that I pulled it a bit and that the shot was back of where I wanted it. Ian thought it was good, but I told him it was back. But the animal did react as if it were hit hard. We decided to move in to where he was standing when I shot, no blood. We then turned and looked in the direction of where the bull went and sure enough just 20-30 yards away, he was down, still alive but down. A finishing shot and it was over. The first shot was indeed back, but the TSX clipped enough of the lungs to put him down.

It's now 6pm. 24 hours ago I was on the highest of highs only to sink to the lowest of lows thinking that I'd finally made it to Africa only to be going home having hot happened. And now 24 hours later I'm standing over my first African animal. Ian only added to this high later complimenting me on my spotting skills and knowing where my shot had gone.

Over the next several days I took a Kudu, a very nice Waterbuck and a couple of nice Impalas. About day 4 or 5, my wife whom I had been trying to get to hunt with me for nearly 19 years of marriage pipes up and says, "I'd like to give this a try." So on our last day, we devoted it to her with the intention of shooting an impala. During this hunt we experienced those days where there were no shooters, getting the Kudu was very difficult. But Impala are everywhere, so I'm thinking this will be easy and a good start. Nope, blown stalk after blown stalk all day long. The wife is getting discouraged and wants to call it a day. But with about 15 minutes of light left we come across 3 impala rams just a short ways off the road. One of which is ancient, his horns are really worn down. I guess he decided that this evening was as good as any other to call it a good life. Ian and Donna used what little cover there was to sneak back on the rams after we'd gone by. Her first pull of the trigger and nothing, the safety was still on. Ian moved up and took the safety off. The second pull of the trigger on that .223 and all I heard was the thump. I knew it was a hit, but how good was it? It was perfect, right on the should just as we'd been telling her. Her reaction was like watching a kid open up a present on Christmas morning they'd been wanting all their lives.

A perfect ending to a perfect first safari. Okay, that was a bit more than My First Day in Africa, thanks for bearing with me.

7mm that is quite the story. Thanks for sharing!!!! I am glad it worked out. Interesting read for sure.

Mark - I totally agree with your "more laid back, enjoy it all" attitude towards Safari. I was just over for the 15th time, spent 35 days total in Mozambique with my PH friend. Experienced everyday camp life, helped with some chore type things, tagged along with some clients to shoot Leopard bait, spent some time alone in the bush, saw some new Country in the Northern part of Moz, and did manage to bag a really nice Buff.

My first Safari was all that has been mentioned by most folks. Mine was a bowhunt in RSA with quite a few really nice specimens taken, nice camp, great food, and awesome people. Set the stage for all my return visits for sure.

Larry Sellers
SCI (International) Life Member

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Mike,

That first safari was a few years back and since then I've been fortunate enough to have spent more time than I can really afford in Africa. The awe is still there for me but I think I enjoy it more now. The anxiety seems to be gone about whether I'll shoot this or that and I'm really comfortable just being on safari. There's nothing quite like it.

Mark

Larry, I would love to do what you have done. Go hang out for a month and whatever happens; happens. Now that would be fun. I can wish.

LJ - It was a true pleasure. No definite plans for the next day, just let it play out and take what came about. Always something happening with different clients around, coming and going to the different camps, taking lots of pics, checking Leopard/Lion baits, watching the native mechanic replace a hub on a Cruiser, etc. Only serious when hunting Buff, and one needs to be serious in that endevor. Looks like plans are in the works for a repeat next year.

There is only one 1st Safari I guess, but all the rest are tied for 2nd. place.

Larry Sellers
SCI (International) Life Member

quote:

Originally posted by LittleJoe:
Larry, I would love to do what you have done. Go hang out for a month and whatever happens; happens. Now that would be fun. I can wish.

quote:

Originally posted by Larry Sellers:
There is only one 1st Safari I guess, but all the rest are tied for 2nd. place.

Larry Sellers

Well said, Larry.

And I'll take second place to a front seat in heaven any and every day.

I can only hope that our children and theirs will have the same or better opportunities.

Day one was not the most exciting day as far as hunting was concerned. Plane landed late in the afternoon, got my visa, cleared customs, took a 3 hour drive on the wrong side of the road to camp, saw some baboons, hastily sighted in my rifle before the sun set, ate some food, removed a frog residing in my chalet, then passed the heck out. It was a great day, I was in Africa.

I leave for my first trip September 16. I'm getting stoked reading some of these.

Great read Justin! I have been there for some of your African experiences and hope to be there for many more in the future.

David

I started reading hunting magazines at a very early age. And the likes of Jack O'Connor and Elmer Keith kept me entertained.

In fact, Jack was instrumental in me building my very first wildcat to use on an African hunt.

A 270 Ackley, which I used on several safaris to shoot several hundred heads of game with. That included everything but buffalo, lion or elephants etc.

A friend gave me a book, DEATH IN THE LONG GRASS, by Capstick.

I read that, and jokingly we talked about going to Africa together and experiencing what Capstick had written about.

Especially cape buffalo.

I went to the US to start a training as a commercial pilot, and had a few weeks before the course started.

I thought I will use that time of seeing what Africa has to offer, and talked to my friend.

He wasn't able to come, so I had to make my own arrangements.

It just so happens that I was in Seattle, Washington, and a quick visit to Klinebergers found that I could go immediately on full bag 21 day safari to Zimbabwe.

I had no rifles, so Mr. Klineberger was kind enough to take me to a gun store, where I bought a 25-06 Remington, in a Ruger 77, and a 375 H&H Remington Safari, plus some ammo.

In those days people bent backwards to help. Because I was flying to England, and was planning to fly from there with my girl friend to Zimbabwe.

Klinbergers arranged for my rifles to be taken to Zimbabwe, for me to collect at the air port.

We arrived at Vic Falls, and there I met my PH, Roy Vincent.

It was in the morning, and as we were driving to camp - about 100 km from Vic Falls - he asked what animals I wanted to shoot.

I told him anything on license.

Got to camp and met Peter Johnstone of Rosslyn Safaris, where we were hunting, had lunch, sighted our rifles in the afternoon, and went hunting.

We found a waterbuck which I shot, and taken back to camp.

That was over 30 years ago, and next month I will be hunting with Roy and his son Alan again.

My first hunting day, as well as that whole safari, is still ingrained in my soul. My favorite go to sleep tool is to start that safari over, in my mind, from flying out of the states and beyond. I never seem to make it very far and I am off in a deep sleep.... My first day on Safari was in Tanzania hunting the Lobo block. Ridge Taylor was running it then and he had a first class operation. I was paired up with Gerard Miller and didn't have a clue who he was at the time. We hit it off great as I have always done with all my different PHs. I was amazed at all the Bird life and the constant humming of Bees above my head. The sweet and dusky smells in the air. The way that all the wood was completely burned and to a very fine ash the next morning in the fire pit. The zipper being opened on my tent that first morning and a barely audible "Good morning bwana" with hot coffee in hand and a fresh hot basin of water to wash and shave in. The grounds all manicured no trash about. I grew up cat hunting with dogs from a very young age on foot so I have a what some say is a good natural sense of direction but in Africa I was always checking the sun because my inner compass didn't feel right. Many times that day I had goose bumps for no apparent reason, like I used to get before a big football game. I was truly close to heaven and knew it. I had hunted all my life but the feeling I had was like a culmination of all of them together. I have been back many times, hunted with Gerard several more times, and will go back many more times. I took my family to the East cape in July and that was about as close to my first day in Africa that I have felt since. From watching my son stalk and take a rather large selection of plains game... to riding around with my wife, daughter, and son just enjoying things like taking family pics by a crystal clear slow moving river. For those folks that never get to experience that first day in Africa........ Touche, or in Texas spelling.... Tooshay.

I was a young kid of 23 years old, and I'd already been hunting in Alaska 3 times as well as quite a few western hunts, and Africa was a burning desire for me. I asked a friend of mine, Alaskan outfitter Lynn Castle, for some recommendations on an African PH to hunt with. He gave me two - Hugo Saia from South West Africa (now Namibia) and Peter Johnstone from Zimbabwe. As luck would have it, only a couple weeks after hearing about these two, I got a call from the president of our local safari club, telling me that the biologist from the Matetsi District in Zimbabwe was offering a 21 day safari for one hunter, to whoever would purchase computer equipment for them that met their specification. A local safari operator, one Peter Johnstone, was offering his services as part of the donation. Done deal! I wrote the check for the equipment they wanted, started making plans to go, and had less than a year to do so. I contacted Peter directly and extended the hunt to 24 days, as well as added a 5 day hunt for my fiancé to help her figure out if she liked hunting. This was going to be a grand adventure, with everything on license except lion (had to extend to 28 days to add a lion. Big mistake that I didn't add those extra days!) and I was allowed 2 buffalo!

Just a few months prior to my safari, I had to travel to Saudi Arabia on work and it was gonna be 'touch and go' with getting back in time to go to Zimbabwe. As it turned out, I made it back a month prior to my departure so had plenty of time to shoot and pack. My fiancé and I got to the Vic Falls airport without incident, where we were met by Roy and Rene Vincent, and off we went to Rosslyn's headquarters. The next day, we drove to the Deka Safari Area, with the girls driving in through Robins Camp, while Roy and I went through Wankie. Roy and I arrived in camp first and we had a few hours before evening, so we quickly unpacked and he suggested we go for a ride to see what was around.

I was amazed at the wildlife! There were duikers skirting through the bush, zebras drifting away as we passed, and these crazy impala grunting and snorting everywhere as it was the height of their rut. As we crossed the boundary into Wankie Park, we spotted two old buffalo bulls. Roy told me to grab my camera and we were off after them. We snuck up to about 50 or so yards and I took some photos, then we headed back to the truck. On we drove, and shortly after we crossed out of the park and back into the safari area we rounded a curve in the two-track road and there lay A LION! Roy swerved the truck so that the lion was on my side, only about 20 yards from the truck. I was so excited that before Roy could stop me, I'd grabbed my camera and was jumping out to get pictures. Roy too was jumping out, with his .460 weatherby in hand, while screaming at me to get back in the truck. The lion merely sauntered off, totally disinterested, and all I got was photos of the south end of a north bound lion.

That was my first day, don't remember much of the day after that encounter. Nothing else mattered. We went on to have a spectacular safari, taking better animals than I had any right to expect. There were many elephant, buffalo everywhere, and the leopard was almost too easy. We found plains game without much effort. To this day, it is still the finest hunt I've ever been on. And I'll never forget stalking up to those dugga boys armed only with a camera, or that up close encounter with the lion.

Riverman, getting close to planning our next trip to RSA or Namibia. Just working out the details. Hopefully you will be there as well.

Chat soon.

Hell, you guys are lucky, my first day I got pushed out of a nice cozy warm place, slapped on the arse, washed by total stranger and then shoved into a cot next to a bunch of screaming babies

quote:

Originally posted by gman21:
Hell, you guys are lucky, my first day I got pushed out of a nice cozy warm place, slapped on the arse, washed by total stranger and then shoved into a cot next to a bunch of screaming babies

My first day (July 1977) was spent on the tarmac at the Brazzaville airport, along with about 60 other people, looking up the muzzles of AK-47s while our Air Afrique DC10 was being off-loaded (manually, and the luggage takes a long drop from the aircraft when there are no ramps) and we reloaded on to a UTA flight to Bangui. The previous night had been spent in the aircraft, parked at the end of the runway in Douala. Both were unscheduled stops and we were not welcome and not allowed to spend that time in the airport. By the way, Brazzaville was under a communist régime in those days, and Emperor Bokassa in Bangui was planning his coronation for 5 months later.