I'm about ready to celebrate a 10-year anniversary, to the day I first went hunting in Africa. What has happened to me I ask myself, as I look at all these walls filled with heads and all the floor space covered with life size mounts?

I was only supposed to be going over to hunt a sable. I never wanted to hunt an elephant because I'd be too sad to watch it die. Cape buffalo heads reminded me of the hairpieces worn by soldiers in revolutionary war photos. I'd never shoot one of those I had told myself.

Man how life has changed over the past decade, 19 safaris later. I guess all addicts start out saying, "I'm only gonna try it once."

I never got into drugs or booze so I guess this is my addiction. Nothing in North America even excites me. I tried bears. Hell I can't shoot one of those things from a boat! Black hairy fella didn't even notice the boat floatin' down the river. Told the guide to turn the boat around and head back to the lodge. The guide thought I was crazy! (Not the first time a guide/PH thought that of me, and certainly it won't be the last.)

I'm still with the same wife, throughout all this addiction. I bet a few of you guys have gone through a couple of those, or perhaps some of you wives have gone through a couple of husbands!

I look back at some of the stuff I've done asking myself, do I have a death wish, do I think I'm Superman or am I just stupid? What is wrong with me and why do I push myself to such limits? You know African trophy hunting can make you do some crazy things!

I'm a bongo, sitatunga, and lesser kudu way from completing everything I want. Wait a minute. Didn't I just tell myself back in 2001, that all I ever wanted was a sable? Will it ever stop?

Please tell me I'm not the only fool out here with this sickness. Curious how your illness got started.

Marc,
I never even thought about it but my first safari was June 6 2000, I booked with Phillip Bronkhorst Safari's. I purchased his "Magnificent 7". It was a Kudu, Zebra, Wartog, Blue Wildebeest, Steenbok, Gemsbok, and an Impala. if I remember it was 5400.00 all in. Prices are still about the same eh? My PH's name was a young Pieter Peacock, we became and stayed friends. I see him every year either I go over there or he comes this side. Many times I just give myself an extra day or two in Joburg passing thru from Zambia or even Bots.

As a matter of fact he went with me when you and I were hunting together in opposite camps in the delta in 2006 was it?

Africa and Safari can really impact our lives if we will only allow it...

Great topic Marc,

Thanks Steve

More thoughts,

If I would of or even could have known back then the adventure's that awaited me, the beauty, the wild and peaceful places. The magnificent beasts and the extradinary places that they inhabit......

I am truly a lucky man.

I laid one night on a matress sleeping in the open on the Kafue flats, I was treated to an evening with Abie duPlooy, the things this man has seen, the things he's done, the tales he tells.

Yep,my life has been a gift.

I've never been to Africa and will never go. And I don't like single malt or good cigars.
When I was 8 or 9 years old I didn't read J.A. Hunter at the local (and not incidently) air conditioned library when it was too hot to do anything else during the hot afternoons in South Georgia in the 1950's.

And... now a bit more truthful, if I cared about awards, I'd get the "fingers and toes" times to Africa medal this September when I go to Chete for the leopard that has continued to avoid me.

My ex-wife didn't understand, my wonderful sweetheart doesn't understand, my office staff doesn't understand, my mother doesn't understand... but my daughters sure as heck do because, as so well said here, they, too, have smelled the smoke of Africa.

God bless the little old lady that took my sweaty hand and took me down the stacks of books and pulled out Roosevelt, Hunter, Baker and even Hemingway. She kindled and encouraged something within me and I've never looked back.

I was born here and really what else is there to do?

This year happens to be my 10yr ann. of Africa as well. In March 2000 I was a 22 year old with a duffle bag heading to Africa to work for a year as a grunt for a small outfit in Limpopo.. I was paid with a room, food, a small bakkie to cruise around in, and some great hunting, memories and experiences that I will treasure forever and with the hospitality that made me feel like family from the second I arrived to the day I left. I returned back to Texas a year later with tears in my eyes from having to leave a place that I had truley fallen in love with. It was as if I had left "home". I was scared that I would never find a way to return. I literally obsessed about getting back from day 1 of returning. It took me a few years to get the money saved, but as soon as I did, I was on the 1st flight I could book, with new wife in tow to share with her what I held so dear to me. Since that 2nd trip, I've made it over every year since.. This year I'll make two trips to celebtate the 10th year.. Came back last month from the 1st of the year and I'll leave again in Oct for another trip to Zimbabwe.

I could not imagine not going from now on. Its not just something and somewhere I love, its become part of me. There is just too much to see, too much fun to be had, and too much life to enjoy in Africa while on safari. I love all if it. With any luck, I'll be able to hunt Africa for many decades to come. And I want to see it all!

At the time I sat glued to the television or movie theatre watching Tarzan (good ol' Johnny W.) it never dawned on me there were no Tiger's in Africa; Crocodile's weren't made out of rubber; wild Chimps didn't hang out with humans and all those Follywood fantasy's were just that: fantasy's! But it kindled an ember in my soul. I would later (as a teen) start to read every magazine that had something about hunting the big 5 or a month spent just looking for a piece of a thing called Bongo, that lives in some deep, dark jungle in Africa. My next step was to learn Taxidermy. I began at the age of 16 when I convinced my Father to give me $10 to buy a set of books from the J.W. Elwood school. I took that to the next level when I turned 21 and was hired by a Nashville studio, where I continued the profession until 1985. During that time, I met Dave Jobert and Geoff Broom who were outfitting in Rhodesia. Thus began my "booking" career and later my African addiction. I go at least once every year and hope to continue until I am unable to move. It is in my blood and it's my passion. I love hunting anywhere, but Africa is a disease all to itself!

Christ Andrew, can't we just have a little fun dreaming whilst stuck, this side.

Are you coming for Reno this year?

Steve

I grew up in India with stories of my dad shooting tigers & leopards. My early kid's animal book had pictures of Marco Polo sheep & Markhor - very unusual for 1962!

I read Jim Corbet for the first time in 1967 & JA Hunter in 1970.

I hunted deer, pigs & small game in India. But I have always wanted to hunt Africa - I wish I could hunt Buffalo, Kudu, eland and a nice leopard. My dad's was 7' 6"...any chance of matching that?

Dreams are free! Sigh....

In 1994 my hunting parnter and I were on our annual trip to the Eastern Outdoor Show in Harrisburg looking to pick up a moose/woodland caribou hunt in Newfoundland. We spent the better part of the day talking to every outfitter there from Newfoundland and decided on the one. When we went to their booth to set up the hunt they informed us that they didn' have anymore combo hunts for that year but they were requesting more tags and would you like to go on our waiting list..........no thanks.

So we sat down and discussed our options. My partner really wanted to go with that particular Newfoundland outfitter, big mistake. So we booked a hunt with him for the next year.

So there is a gapping hole in our 1995 schedule and my partner blurts out, "Let's go to Africa!". Having done zero research into the matter I was not really interested and besides at that time there were few African exibitors at the show.

My partner then says, "Let's go talk to Jimmy McCarthy!".

Seems Jimmy and his associates were way too busy to talk to us.

I checked the event brochure for the African exibitors and off we went talking to them.

It came down to one outfitter in South Africa and one from Zimbabwe, we went to Zimbabwe on a ten day PG hunt that cost $6,000 for Eland, Kudu, Tsesebee, Zebra, Steenbok, Impala, Duiker, Warthog. I also shot a Blue Wilderbeest for the trophy fee, my first African animal as it were.

During that hunt we ran into Sables everyday and I knew I had to go back just to shoot one of them.......and I did.....on a different ranch.

quote:

Originally posted by Nganga:
Christ Andrew, can't we just have a little fun dreaming whilst stuck, this side.

Are you coming for Reno this year?

Steve

I don't do shows and besides if I want a holiday then I go off hunting. I have only left this place twice in the past ten years and will not make that mistake again.

My next vacation is in a couple of days and me and a couple of mates will be basking on some papyrus island in the middle of a no name swamp poking around for giant Lechwe. Will let you know how we get on.

My wife on the other hand decline my offer and has chosen to go shopping in Dubai instead.

No name swamp.............

Dubai shopping trip.......

That, my friend, is what a perfectly balanced marriage is all about. Hell you should sell the idea to any marriage guidance councillor, it can only enhance their reoutation.

The excitement of it all...........should have read REPUTATION.

My first trip was way back in 1983, at the ripe old age of 24. I was doing a fair bit of hunting in Alaska at the time, and decided that Africa was very interesting. I'd been doing some reading on African hunting, including buying a 1st edition of WDM Bell's 'Wanderings of an Elephant Hunter' when I was 18 years old. I finally decided that I needed to see what Africa was about, so I asked the Alaskan outiftter who I'd been hunting with, and he suggested either Hugo Saea (sp?) in South West Africa, or Peter Johnstone in Zimbabwe.

A few months later, I got a phone call from the president of the Sacramento Safari Club, asking if I might be interested in a donated hunt that the Matetsi Wildlife Area wanted to sell to obtain some computer equipment. It turned out that they did not want to donate it to SCI, as they feared it would sell cheaply, and they'd never get their computer system. What they wanted was someone to purchase the exact equipment they wanted, and in exchange they'd provide an all inclusive 21 day safari for Elephant, leopard, 2 buffalo bulls, kudu, sable, waterbuck, bushbuck, zebra, impala, klipspringer, sharpe's grysbok, duiker, warthog, plus baits and birds. Well, $27,000 later Matetsi Wildlife had their computer system, and I was going on safari.

I was on my way to Zimbabwe to hunt with Rosslyn Safaris, who had donated the outfitting and guiding, and Roy Vincent, who was Peter Johnstone's PH at the time. Little did I know what I was about to experience. I extended the hunt to 24 days, and bought a short 5 day hunt for my fiance to see if she'd like hunting or not. Only mistake I made was not extending to 28 days, as they'd add a lion for the trophy fee on 28 days. The very first animal we saw on the first afternoon was a magnificent lion just outside the Wankie Park border. We were hunting in the Deka Safari Area, and that was the only lion we saw, but what a beautiful, heavy maned fellow he was. If I'd done the extra days, I'd have taken a lion better than any I've ever seen on my three subsequent safaris.

Deka was a very good big game area at that time. Over the course of my 24 days, I took everything on license except for a bushbuck. My elephant was a very nice bull for that area, and we shot him at 10 yards coming for us. My leopard hunt was short, as we took a big tom the first evening of sitting, an hour after he walked right up to our blind an hour before the sun set. We enjoyed fantastic buffalo hunting day after day, and I ended up taking a pair of heavy bossed bulls that each had spreads in the low 40s, between 41-43". The kudu, sable and waterbuck were all outstanding quality and I realized that hunting could not get better than what I'd just experienced. My fiance took a kudu, sable and impala in 5 days of hunting, and best of all we got to enjoy 3 1/2 fantastic weeks with Roy and Rene Vincent, and their very young children Alan (an oustanding PH in his own right today) and Diana (who now lives in southern CA, after graduating from University of Southern California). Roy and Rene became dear friends who we enjoy seeing every year, and now that they're living in the USA, we hope to spend more time with in the future.

That was my first African experience.

And it all happened because the Matetsi Office didn't want to auction that hunt through SCI....

Age nine, I read that captivating phrase by Robert Ruark, Cape Buffalo: "...they simply look at you as if you owe them money...".

Things were never the same after that.

Rich
DRSS
two trips now, and planning a third

quote:

Originally posted by Neil-PH:
No name swamp.............

Dubai shopping trip.......

That, my friend, is what a perfectly balanced marriage is all about. Hell you should sell the idea to any marriage guidance councillor, it can only enhance their reoutation.

Actually she is a councilor, how did you guess?

My first hunt in Africa was in 2000. I had never read any of the African hunting books as a youngster all my hunting thoughts were of Pa Whitetails. My first hunt outside of NA was for Red Stag in 1997 with my son. Our outfitter on this hunt was Malcolm Harmon and he talked about hunting Africa and how great it was and he introduced me to Mark DeWet. I hunted with Mark in 2000 and have missed hunting Africa only 2 years since (I missed Africa dearly those 2 yrs) then having taken a retrun to Scotland and a journey to New Zealand. I will return to Africa every year that finnces and health will allow, weather I hunt or not.

I had given up hunting for a variety of reasons, then my sons came along and decided to give it a try. We started on deer and birds.

Next thing I know a friend talks me into sending my sons and the sons of two other families to RSA for a hunting school. The rest of the families went over a week later and we were hooked.

Next trip to Zim with HHK for buff and my wife and daughter were hooked.

Went to Alaska for sheep and swore - never again! Why go there when you can go to Africa!

Heading out again and will report later.

I have been blessed with my very limited budget to hunt on four continents. And in places as exotic as Alaska, Turkey, Germany, Spain, Namibia as well as all over the United States. I have also lived on four continents, and in 5 countries other than the United States.

I don't think one area of the world has any more draw to me than another. I have a travel bug, but not so much an Africa bug.

I think a lot of hunters grow up hunting whitetails and to them Africa seems amazing, so many different species. I guess for me at least, as someone who grew up hunting in Wyoming and Montana variety was the spice of life.

I would imagine that is why I am not drawn to hunt only-Africa as many of you are. Africa is just a place, but so is everwhere else.

I like hunting in the mountains, and mountain type animals. Loved hunting baboons, greater kudu, and mountain zebra in the mountains north of Windhoek, but not really anymore than hunting anyplace else I have been.

I just love hunting.

Very well, Thank you the first animal has been a chackal in Namibia, and I shot it for free

The year, 19--. My grandfather started to teach me to read even before I was in school, first the Sunday comics, then Field & Stream. That did it. My "need" to hunt Africa was born.
Went over to Iraq in Jan 09. Took my R&R in Namibia for a safari (from one shooting match to another; yeah I'm crazy). Cannot wait for the next trip. See you all in Dallas for the DSC show in January.

My desire started at age six, while listening to Mr. Kelly, a friend of my grand father, tell of the dareing do he experienced in Africa in the 1920s. He let me hold the H&H 500/465NE double rifle he had used on my lap whilewhile I listened to his tales of hunting Africa and I dreamed of hunting there someday myself. In my youth, this seemed like an imposible dream for a poor ranch kid from the hill country of Texas at the end of the great depression, but somehow it came about.

for a long time i was a dyed in the wool sheep hunter. nothing else mattered but sheep. We had just started FNAWS when one of the guys brought a life sized nyala to a show. next thing you knew I was nyala hunting. there are a lot of beautiful animals in the world, but in my mind nyala are still at the top

quote:

quote:
Originally posted by Neil-PH:
No name swamp.............

Dubai shopping trip.......

That, my friend, is what a perfectly balanced marriage is all about. Hell you should sell the idea to any marriage guidance councillor, it can only enhance their reoutation.


Actually she is a councilor, how did you guess?

Been a PH for too long.....doesn't take a genius to figure out how to keep a PH/Wife happy.

Visited South Africa for a month after graduating college in 1992 and had a great time and said to myself I would get back and hunt sometime.

My best friend was living in Africa in 2003 and said I had to come over. Told my wife I just wanted to get over there to say I had hunted Africa. Had a great time and haven't looked back since. Set to do my 5th hunt in 2011.

So much for one and done.

Well guys, my story is a simple one...sort of?

2007-I had always wanted to hunt in africa, but never dreamed that I would be able to afford to go...then I got a great job...so I decided I would do on a bison hunt, wanted something outside of texas, that was big...so I looked into going to Wyoming/colorado to hunt one.

My taxidermist of 10 yrs shot a monster bull in Kansas, and so I went to speak with him one day. After discussing the price of the hunt, he threw me the line "well for just a little more, you could go to africa with me!"

Well a little turned out to be A BUNCH...however I'm fixing to head out on my 3rd safari to include leopard...(can't believe I'm hunting one of the Big 5) I've made some incredible friends, and it changed the direction of my scientific research.

That trip literally changed the path of my life. At the time, it was quite a bit of savings that I had taken in over 3-4 yrs with 3-4 jobs a week...but it has led to so many experiences and opened so many doors that it was worth every penny.

This shyster sold me a hunt and then......

My father was a barber. He used to have a lot of hunting magazines in the shop. I would go to his shop after school. After sweeping the floors , I would look at these magazines. I was always fascinated with stories from Africa and also about ducks. When I got a little older, a show came on TV called "American Sportsman." I couldn't wait to see it every weekend. I vividly remember guys shooting these big double barreled rifles at big animals. I wanted to go everywhere, especially Africa.

Life has been good to me. I have been able to make a lot of trips. I went to Zimbabwe in 1988 as my first safari. My first animal was an impala on the first morning. I have been 15 times now. I return to Zim in October for buff and elephant.

Until this year, I wore the same safari clothes as I did in 1988. Unfortunately, they both got ripped up beyond repair. I was very sad. Those shirts had seen a lot of adventure.

quote:

I vividly remember guys shooting these big double barreled rifles at big animals. I wanted to go everywhere, especially Africa.

Larry, if YOU were a child, they must have been Black Powder rifles!!!!

Hey now, I am only 54!

Read to many books.

Knew an old man that had been hunting in Africa.

Booked a hunt.

Got addicted.

Wife very understanding.

I had always had an interest in hunting Africa, but never even really considered it....until I discovered AR in 2004 while innocently looking for some reloading data.

I did my first safari for leopard and plains game in Zim in 2006, booked another trip for elephant,buff and sable for 2008 while still in camp and just booked a lion hunt for next year.

Between actual safari costs and taxidermy, I figure I push my retirement back a year every time I go over. And it's worth every penny!

Pete

quote:

Hey now, I am only 54!

Damn! Larry said you were late 60s. I'm 58...who is calling the kettle black, huh!!! Biebs

I grew up in Pennsylvania in a non hunting family. After college I did a little bird hunting with the guys from the accounting firm that did our annual audit. Then my brother went to Africa. And went back to Africa. He badgered me until I finally broke down and went to Botswana in 1998, at age 48, to get him off my back. On my first day there, technically day zero as it was a travel day, I shot my first animal that didn't have feathers on it, a cape buffalo. Next year I'll be heading back for my 5th hunt. Really got that monkey off my back didn't I.

quote:

I look at all these walls filled with heads and all the floor space covered with life size mounts?

Any pics of your trophy room, Moja?

It started when I was born. My mother said I was wearing Tevas.

Well, I have been talking about going to Africa since the '50's; however, with servie in the Green Machine, raising a family and all just could not do more than talk, read books, buy a rifle now and again. Then when my usefulness to Uncle Sam ended I had to get a job, still had a family; then after a couple of divorces, still had families to support and still talked about going, but in my mind the possibility was waning. A few years ago I got interested again, but by now the vicisitudes of life made me afraid to commit money to a hunt that had to be planned 2 years in advance. Glenda, finally made me book a hunt with Gordon Duncan, and of course, nature interfered by way of sending a hurricane our way: could not go; so we re-sheduled and finally made my debut. We have now gone across the pond about 6 times and sans a hurricane this year will return in October. I have to tell you that the experience has been every bit as wonderful as I always expected. just sorry it took so long.

A wee too much bourbon at a Coastal Conservation fundraiser auction.

By the time I was old enough to shoot a squirrel, I knew that I wanted to hunt Africa. I listened intently as my grandfather told me of his trips to Botswana, Tanzania, RSA, Zim, and Zambia where he took multiple species of the big four and a host of common and uncommon PG.

Knowing that it took money and time to make these trips, I chose an occupation that I believed would give me a reasonable opportunity for both. Fortunately for me, I did not have to earn 100% of that first safari and the start upon my safari career.

That first trip was in 1997, following a SCI auction where my grandfather purchased a PG hunt in RSA. I asked when he was going to Africa and he responded, "I'm not. You are." So, after my first year of lawschool, at the age of 23, I was off on my FIRST hunting trip . . . to Africa. Talk about a good start!

Now, 13 years later, at age 36, African safari #5 is merely 14 days distant. #6 and #7 will follow over the next two years. I hope I can keep up that pace until the mind, body, and money give out.

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
It started when I was born. My mother said I was wearing Tevas.

Hey Will:

Wasn't that was right at the turn from B.C. to A.D. ? Did your buddy John the Baptist wear knickers and Tevas, too?