I don't know if I will ever get the chance to go to Africa but I was wondering about something...if you book, say a 7 day buffalo hunt and you manage to get your buffalo on day 2, 3, or 4, what do you do with the extra time? I would think that with plane reservations and such you couldn't really leave early, but you are technically done hunting, so what do you do with the extra days? Just wondering.

Anything you like that's available. Fishing and game viewing are usually popular options.

work something out to get a couple head of plains game, perhaps a zebra for a rug. Warthogs are always fun.

Rich
Buff Killer

Photography, bird watching, shopping, looking for gemstones on the ground (but don't pick up Namibian diamonds in the rough as it is illegal), learning about the fauna and flora of the area from the trackers, visiting local settlements, exploring archaeological sites, riding horses or camels or ATVs, just so many things that you can't possibly cover in 7 short days.

Also, some PHs will allow you to hunt jackals and baboons for free. I've never been bored in Africa. Too many things to do, see, experience. Just ask. Most PHs will be very happy to accomodate.

Namibiahunter

Are you kidding? I haven't been to Africa yet either, but my long-dreamt-of safari is booked for this year. If I were to tag out, with no options for more hunting, I would just spend the extra time...BEING IN AFRICA!

John

This is one of the great things about an African hunt, unlike most North American hunts the professional hunter (guide) will not try to kick you out the door when the primary animal is down. When evaluating outfitters and areas, select one where there is additional plainsgame on quota, bird shooting, fishing, exploring, game viewing, etc as mentioned.

Sadly, it is possible to leave early and some clients do. But on a 7-day hunt, you will absolutely not be bored. In fact, if on a 7-day hunt, I'd book extra days for touring/exploring. Most every area where you can hunt buffalo has wonderful stuff to see and do.

congomike

I often get this question and my reply is always the same. Going on a 7-day buffalo hunt means you are going on a 7-day safari, during which you will hunt buffalo and a number of other animals depending on the area - for 7 days. If you get your buffalo on day 1, that is great and it leaves you with six more days to hunt other animals and to take in everything. Remember that you are buying an experience - not just a chance to hunt and kill a buffalo. That is just a part of it.

I had a guy in Reno a year or three ago insisting that I give him a rundown of the probability of getting abuffalo within 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, and so on. His line was that he was more than willing to pay for the whole safari, but is a very busy businessman and that his time was just not available to "spend 7 days running around in the bush". After a little discussion I told him I had the ultimate - and optimal - solution for his demanding schedule.

I told him the perfect solution would be to send me the money and I'll send him the trophy. That way he can get his buffalo witout missing even one day at work ... zero days in the bush and 100% probability.

He did not book. I wonder why!

The Summit Club might be nice.

http://www.summitclub.co.za/Home.html

I am teasin of course....

I always book 2 -3 days on the front end of my safaris for getting over jet lag, having the days in case bags dont show up, see a few sites and to get my legs under me. I also usually have a day or two on the end as well just to be able to do something I didnt think of. It has worked for me.

On day 8 of a 10 day hunt I killed my last animal on license. The next two days we had just as much fun (if not more) taking pictures and sightseeing. We stalked buffalo with a camera and ran with the herd and took some great pictures of a croc on top of hippo pod. Those were some of the more special memories of the whole trip.

quote:

Originally posted by Bahati:
congomike

I often get this question and my reply is always the same. Going on a 7-day buffalo hunt means you are going on a 7-day safari, during which you will hunt buffalo and a number of other animals depending on the area - for 7 days. If you get your buffalo on day 1, that is great and it leaves you with six more days to hunt other animals and to take in everything. Remember that you are buying an experience - not just a chance to hunt and kill a buffalo. That is just a part of it.

I had a guy in Reno a year or three ago insisting that I give him a rundown of the probability of getting abuffalo within 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, and so on. His line was that he was more than willing to pay for the whole safari, but is a very busy businessman and that his time was just not available to "spend 7 days running around in the bush". After a little discussion I told him I had the ultimate - and optimal - solution for his demanding schedule.

I told him the perfect solution would be to send me the money and I'll send him the trophy. That way he can get his buffalo witout missing even one day at work ... zero days in the bush and 100% probability.

He did not book. I wonder why!

Johan,

Sounds like he wanted a canned buffalo, wonder what kind of lion hunt he would be most likely to book...

In 2008 I was finished with my planned PG hunting in 6 days which left me a full day campside.

I took the tracker with me and we stalked for baboons along the banks of Limpopo River.
Just the two of us walking out of the camp, taking photos, sneakings in on baboons, photographing crocs and bushbucks.
A pleasant and relaxing day in AFRICA

Thanks for all the great and quick answers. I will get there somehow.

I have filled out early a couple of times on elephant hunts. We used the remaining days to track elephants and for the PH to teach me more about tracking and hunting elephants as well as getting some pictures of eles. It is a great way to learn

465H&H

We ahd two days left onours, we spent a day in Kimberly, the bog hole is pretty impressive, the jewellry store there is excellent(just ask my wife), we visited some Boer war memorials. The other day we went fishing for yellowfish on the orange river which was lots of fun(I got to re-establish my superiority over my 18 year old son that I had lost on the safari).

It was fun everyday.

Ive been on the other side of a packaged PG hunt and ran out of days!

If I ever do another I think I may add a day or two, like others have said or implied there's always something to do.

Tiger fish!

I had a 14 day hunt last September in Zimbabwe. I took my tuskless elephant on day one and my buffalo on day three.

I thought about what I would do for the next 11 days and decided to try to get a hyena, bushbuck and grysbok. It took eight days of hard hunting to get a bushbuck, and I struck out on the grysbok and hyena. These animals are hard to get when you are purposefully after just that animal, instead of just gettng one as a target of opportunity.

As stated above, the options are endless and you won't be bored!

If I'm in Zim, tiger fishing is the way to go... If in SA, I'm leaning the way of the summitclub idea!!!

It's your safari, you can do whatever you like. We spent a couple of days hanging bait because I wanted a hyena (I still want one), went looking for a warthog one day, killed a hippo another day (the rest of the day spent enjoyably watching some fisherman bring it to shore and butcher it), visited a village, chased after herds of buffalo to see what bulls were in them, stalked in close to elephant so my wife could get good pics and video (great fun getting in close with the elephant!), etc. There's a million things to do and places to explore.

I would rather spend my days in Africa just doing nothing than to go home early but that's not a worry because there's always something to do.

CM,

Everyone's given you ideas on what to do should you bring your primary animal to bag quickly.

Behind the advice is the reality that you will discover quickly once you get to Africa: hunting there is a broader experience than you can conceive right now. Just being in the bush is satisfying, all the more so if you are in places that warrant being armed. But, even a plains game hunt in Namibia with hours of walking in thornbush to hunt, or to just follow an aardvark camera in hand, or just glass some wildebeeste's antics or to look over a pair of Damara dik-dik is good...

Regards, Tim

Bring a shotgun for birds.
We shot quite a few animals early in one day...we spent the time after lunch and before supper shooting over a pan near the lodge.

This question is like asking "if I have extra days in Heaven, what will I do??"

Just sitting in a camp chair reading a book, puttering with your camera, filling in your journal, sucking on a lucious Cuban, listening to the birds...

This is a problem I'd like right now.

Hello congomike,

Regarding spare time on any safari, you will have less of it than you might think, especially on a 7 day one which is as you will find out, way too short for getting totally unwound. However, just in case, it's good to allow yourself enough extra money so that you can try for this or that lesser species. Generally speaking, there is always some animal that is common in many areas of Africa but in a given geographic area they'll be known to grow larger horns than some other areas where they are found. If you are a trophy horn hunter, it might be your chance to sack something exceptional like that, near your buffalo camp.

I've only hunted two countries of Africa during three trips, so I am a beginner. However, one area I've hunted is the Limpopo District of South Africa. It is known for (among several other things) to have some very huge horned waterbok or waterbuck. If I were a trophy horn hunter (I'm not really a trophy guy in the common definition of the term) who was in Limpopo for other species, but found myself with extra time on my hands, I'd probably want to try for a big waterbok.

Another place I hunted was Namibia, about 40 miles from Keetmanshoop (spelling?) and that area is known for among other things huge gemsbok. My hunting partner for that trip, shot a true monster bull gemsbok. The horns looked like two surf rods against the horison.

I enjoy seeing large trophy animals, huge horns/tusks, etc however, I prefer to try for old geezer/past breeding prime animals, even if their horns are worn down or even broken off from fighting. The "Record Book" means nothing to me. Nothing. Therefore, my "spare time in Africa kit" always includes a 4 piece flyrod, a reel and flybox with a few diversified patterns. I've really had a good time fly fishing in Limpopo when I had a bit of time on my hands. The Highveld there has some excellent trout fishing and the Lowveld has bream (a bluegill of sorts), as well as other gamefishes.

Before digital cameras everyone used to say; "bring lots of film."

Hunters are at the top of the food chain. Non hunters are just scavengers. If you are typical hunting stock, you will never be the same after hunting in Africa.

Happy Travels,
Ard

I spent a lot of time bird watching while hunting baboons. The PH was a keen birder and we had a ball, plus we put some serious pain on some chimp wannabees.

My wife and I look for bargain closeouts on tee shirts and pencils and paper. We also take a good supply of individually wrapped candy. A visit or two to a village or school and passing out that treasure will be one of the best days you will experience on Safari.

Agreed.