Larry:

Thanks for the offer. I am glad to hear NM is warm. It will be a relief to escape the 1-2 feet of snow and freezing temps. I'll be leaving Early Thursday morning and should be rolling in to Socorro that night. It will give me all day Friday to get one more day in if shooting!

Oryxhunter1983:

Great advice; I have been assured by the outfitter as well as a reference that they will only allow me to take great trophies. And yes, I will have company. My wife is going with me. She was not going to miss this trip. She has even said she wants to take 1 or 2 animals!

Just got back from NM and was fortunate enough to harvest an oryx. What a great, fun experience. I'll definately be motivated to take a nice Gemsbok in SA!!

I always take a spare scope.

Good to see on here, Jason. I don't frequent the other site hardly at all anymore.. Glad to see you made it over here and are getting some great info from the AR crowd.

Glad to see you makng your hunt plans turn into reality. Best of luck on the hunt. You are going to have a blast for sure. Be forewarned though, it can become quite the addiction!

See you around here, bud!

Jason:
1. Take your own gun, it isn't that much trouble and Steve with Travel w Guns can walk you right through the red tape. You will have too much invested to chance a shot of a lifetime to a loaner!
2. If you haven't had to change the memory chip in your camera twice by half way throught the hunt you aren't taking enough pictures. A small video digital recorder is great to have as well. My buddies and I video each others hunt, shots, tracking, camp life etc.
3. This may seem strange, take a journal and write down "everything" even if it is at the end of the day. What you saw, where you hunted, what you ate, miles walked or traveled etc. You will be surprised how all the facts will run together by the end of the trip and especially when you get home. I get out old journals I made from previous hunts and it is amazing what all you forget, relive them sitting by the fire. I never keep a journal of my hunts in the US but there i always do.
4. wear what you can hunt in on the plane including shoes! put spare socks, shirt, underwear etc in carryon. The luggage monster can ruin a hunt.
5. Do not over pack! My first trip I had tons of crap I never looked at, left it in camp for the locals. Hard not to pack extra crap when you don't know what to expect. Seriously you can make it easily on 3 sets, chnages of clothes.
6. Shoes/boots They better be dang comfortable and well broken in. Your feet are the most important part of your body on this trip and take care of them.
7. I don't care how tough you are to cold,, take a compressable jacket/vest combo. You hit a weird cold front and there can be snow/ice to deal with riding in an open vehicle. a knit cap as well, they make great exit gifts as well.
8. As all say,, it is Africa,, you are on "its" time, deal with it. Take what the bush gives you, and I don't mean take inferior animals, take the trophies that appear,, if the Ph says,, this is a great mmmm,,shoot!
9. As an aside, I would mount less animals and do less taxidermy and return to hunt more often and it is easier to say when the walls are full.I love my horn mounts and my rugs, the shoulders are nice but eat alot of space and money.
10. Start planning your return trip! Africa is the most addictive thing I have ever done in my life, you will find out,,I can smell the mopane wood and kudu steaks right now........

A big hell yes to 9 and 10 above!!

TAKE YOUR OWN RIFLE!!! I have used Air 2000 in SA with no problems whatsoever. Only a non gun nut would want to use a loaner rifle. That would be like going on a vacation, leaving your wife at home, and taking a strange woman with you.