I am looking at booking my first safari in the near future. I am either going to book a buffalo/sable hunt or a buffalo leopard. Which would you book on your first safari. How much time did you spend hanging baits etc? Did it take away from you pg hunting? I have a pretty long list of plains game id like to take as well.

I don't know that I would do a cat hunt on my first trip. You will spend a significant amount of time hanging and checking baits until you get your cat, if you get your cat. Cat hunting tends to be pretty boring right up to the point of him jumping into the tree.

It's just an opinion, but you will have a lot more action on a Buff/Sable hunt. You also have a pretty good expectation of being successful on that hunt whereas cat hunting is much more of a crap shoot.

what area are you considering ? Leopard baits take time but for me its very special animal to hunt in Africa. Go for 21 days and you will have alot of time.

With 3 kids under six 21 days is a bit long. I have been leaning towards the sable/buff hunt. Hopefully if the first trip goes well, i can do a dedicated leopard hunt a few years later.

I went on a plaines game hunt for my first African hunt. 10 days for kudu, wildebeest, impala, gemsbok, warthog, zebra, jackel. I suggest a plaines game hunt of some sort for a first hunt. Nothing beats success like killin lots of stuff.

The leopard could take an awful lot of time unless you are extremely lucky which does happen. If it doesn't, there can be hours and hours of riding daily to check baits.

I would do the plains game first.

Leopard buff is the way to go IMHO.

In a top area, such as the Save, you'll have a great chance of getting the leopard and the buffalo and you can shoot a significant amount of PG at the same time.

Because of the routine of shooting baits, hanging them, and checking them, you'll spend the vast majority of your safari in the field with a minimal amount of down time and camp time.

Finally, don't underestimate the difficulty of getting a mature, trophy sable. A sable is a trophy for a discriminating hunter IMHO. You don't want to shoot a young or small sable because you've never been to Africa before and you want to shoot something to add to the body count.

Shooting a bull sable in modern Africa is akin to shooting a lion. They have delicate social structures, and you'll be looking for bulls that are no longer in herds and that are no longer breeding. Done right, it is rewarding hunting, but it can also consume a safari. I've looked for the right sable better than 60 days and I've not pulled the trigger yet.

For leopard / buff, look at the Save. For buff / sable, look at Makuti (CMS) or Matetsi (Mark Element).

Regardless of what you choose, you'll have plenty of fun.

Its nice seeing some of the different perspectives on what hunt to do. Thanks for the input.

Having only been on two PG hunts in the same trip, I can't tell you everything. It was nice to take 12 animals, but I almost wish I had a dugga boy on the wall instead of some nice PG mounts. My next hunt will likely be buff, but I still want that kudu that eluded me.

Tuskless Elephant
Dont fanny about, if you got the cash go and hunt Ele with Buzz. You can shoot some plains game while you are there.

Doesn't matter which you choose. You will be going back regardless.

Buffalo and Sable would be a great combination. You are always on the move and the two occur in the environment. Not sure about Zim but in Zambia the best time for Sable would be after the early burns in May/June and the new grass attracts them from out of the hinterlands. The weather is also very pleasant then.

Best area has to be Makuti in Zimbabwe based on the many recent reports posted here.

Mozambique is another option as so is Zambia but you will pay more.

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:
Buffalo and Sable would be a great combination. You are always on the move and the two occur in the environment. Not sure about Zim but in Zambia the best time for Sable would be after the early burns in May/June and the new grass attracts them from out of the hinterlands. The weather is also very pleasant then.

Best area has to be Makuti in Zimbabwe based on the many recent reports posted here.

Mozambique is another option as so is Zambia but you will pay more.

+1
Northern Mozambique would be good for both after July but it is then starting to get hot.

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:
Buffalo and Sable would be a great combination.

I agree. You will do lots of stalking and get some good action.

Time of year and area will dictate which is a good option to start working towards....

?????

TX308 sent u a pm.

Mike

I say you book "what you want". Listen to the advise of the guys here on what each hunt will be like. There is no bad choice. Just go to a place that can produce what you you want to shoot.

Caution on the Sable. Some guys go to a game ranch for Sable. Nothing wrong with it, as long as you know that is the plan. Cawston is a great place for Sable, and some guys split up the hunt with a few days at Cawston or another good ranch where quality Sable is abundant, and then go where good Buffalo are abundant.

If you go Buff/Leopard, look at Save Conservancy. Lots of Plains game there too. Do the Buff Leopard in the same area. Don't split that up. You may need all 16 days.

Either way, you can't go wrong.

quote:

Buff/Leopard

ONLY SELOUS IMO

The only time you HAVE to make a decision on which way to go is when you put the deposit down. And don't worry, you will be planning your next hunt before you even leave the hunting camp on the first trip. Besides, if you go and take everything on the first trip that you want, you won't have a reason to explain to the little lady about "well, I really want a leopard snd didn't find one the first time"

quote:

Originally posted by mboga biga bwana:

quote:

Buff/Leopard

ONLY SELOUS IMO

For sure that is probably the best but that is 21 days (or at least a 21 day License) which is big $.
Tx308,
PM some of our resident booking agents and they can steer you right

tx308, I know that leopard hunting can be very fustrating so I would suggest the buff/sable hunt first. Do leopard next time.

I didn't really understand your reference to the 21 day safari being rather too long with 3 children, do I take that to mean your family will be with you? My first safari was a package deal that was 10 days and was a Leopard and 5 plains game animals. I got all but the Klipspringer and that was because those little buggers are both fast and sneeky. The opportunity presented itself but my speed wasn't up to the job. I did not at all mind shooting the bait animals and hanging the baits nor building the blinds. I think we got the Leopard about the 5th day. Of all the animals I have shot in Africa and that's quite a few species including several elephants, buffalo is the only one I would NOT hunt again. I found it a greatly over rated experience,but I am aware that is not the concensus of most on these forums so don't flame. Of all the animals in Africa that I have taken ,the Kudu is the one I treasure most as to me it epitomizes Africa and all it's game. I have taken MANY and the thrill is always the same. Different people have different views on what to them is their most important game animal. I actually went to Africa on my first safari with absolutely no pre-concieved desires as to selection of animals and to this day after 8 safaris only give the elephant any special place in my 'most desirable' list and I dearly loved hunting them although it was to me the most diffcult of all hunts.

Generally speaking I don't recommend any cat hunt for a first safari...it's too easy to get side-tracked when you should be focusing on hanging baits, checking baits, sitting over baits. It does depend a lot on the area and the length of the hunt...you can accomplish more in a great area than in an average area (but great areas usually cost more). Obviously you can do more on a 21-day hunt than a 14-day hunt but, as noted, 21 days is a long time for many people to be gone these days. In the right area you can do a buff/sable hunt in 10 days, but 14 is more leisurely, and will probably result in a bigger bag. I would save the leopard for a follow-on hunt when you can really concentrate, but there are no real rules...as somebody said, book what you want!

Thanks for the replies. I wont be taking my kids with me. Ill be taking my dad as an observer. Zimbabwe, i just dont have much of a desire to be away from my family for that long.

Should the opportunity ever arise for me to do an African hunt, the only one that I have ever considered would be for buffalo/eland/greater kudu and possibly gemsbok. Being able to shoot 2 buffalo on such a hunt would be a plus.

This reminds me of what C.J. McElroy once told my grandfather. "Whenever you take time away from work and family to travel half way around the globe on safari, you should take full advantage of the opportunity and (1) stay as long as you can and (2) hunt every possible species that you can."

Love or hate C.J., this is good advice. There are so many fixed costs in taking a safari, that the cost of adding days or adding species really pales in comparison to the greater cost of taking multiple safaris to the same area to accumulate the trophies that you could have shot on a single hunt had you elected to do so.

As C.J.'s advice applies to your situation, I guess I'm suggesting that you look into an 18 day hunt for leopard, buff, AND sable. It's only three more days than a typical buff & leopard hunt. Even if this translates to $4500 in day rates, that's basically the cost of international airfare and charters on a subsequent trip. Plus, 18 to 21 day hunts are fantastic as far as letting you really settle into your safari and your African experience.

Finally, several countries offer good hunting for buff, leopard, and sable. Zimbabwe, Moz, Zambia, and Tanz all come to mind.

Safari- I have been talking with mark younr, and that was his suggestion as well. Adding three days, doesnt realy add much cost and it would give me an oppertunity at all three animals. Thanks again for the input.

The advice Craig gives is the same advice he was giving in 2003. I was glad I saved the leopard for a future safari where I could concentrate. I took a huge leopard on the 14th day of a 14 day hunt. Might not have been as special on a first safari as only bait animals were taken before the leopard. Already having a buff and many of my plains game on the wall helped me personally. But hey, do it any you want....it's only the beginning.

I say do whatever fits your interest, and your time and financial budget. You won't be sorry if you do it the way you want.

My first safari was a bit unconventional, as I hunted 24 days, and took leopard, elephant and 2 buffalo, along with some great plains game. While not for everyone, I never regretted doing it all a bit. In fact, my only regret was not making it 28 days and adding lion. I'd have shot one hell of a fine lion had I done so.

Figure out what you can afford, how long you can go, and what you want to do, and then go for it.

IF I could only go for 10-14 days, I'd do the buffalo and sable hunt, as they're both great animals and very fun to hunt. I'd only do a cat on a long hunt, at least 14 days minimum.

I'm with Will on leopard/buffalo as a great choice. Leopard/sable is an excellent combo, too, as is leopard/roan.

I think the decision regarding hunting leopards on a first safari should be very area specific. In some areas, you'll get your leopard if you put in enough days, and you'll have a great time hunting other animals while you're waiting for hits on your baits. On my first safari, I hunted leopard, sitatunga, and sable on a 17 day hunt and got all of my target animals (as well as a monster kudu and lots of other great trophies) with time to spare. If I'd followed the "no cats on a first safari" rule, I would have had to go back and dump another pile of money to get the cat I could have killed on the first hunt. And if we hadn't killed the leopard on my first safari, I still would have had an unforgettable hunt.

Areas that are a little thin on plains game (some Zambezi Valley areas, for example) aren't the best places for leopard on a first safari, but those areas aren't the only choices you have. Zambia has many areas that provide very high success on leopard, and all of them also offer either sable or buffalo, or both. As I understand it, there are equally strong options in Tanzania. And, as Will noted, Zim's Save is another great choice.