quote:

I mean really, isn't Mexico just an extention of Texas or Arizona so culturally

NO

I do envy those of you with a spouse who enjoys the hunting trips. Unfortunately, mine was a high-maintenance type who, even in European cities, wanted her comforts. The kids would even get upset with her. My daughter would go with me at times, but never shoot. Have a grand daughter who has decided Grandpa will have to take her hunting (even claimed my lefty mini-mauser).

Ran into an interesting variation on this question in Namibia last May. At two different sites we had the PH's wives out here with us! In that case, I'd say they would be the "entertainment" for a hunter's wife, and possibly the best way to bring a woman into hunting. At another concession in RSA, the PH's wife handles entertaining the hunter's wives with trips to Kruger and other points of interest in the Limpopo.

LLS

I am a lucky man. I proposed to my then girlfriend on a VT Moose hunt (she was the one who drew the tag). I finally shot the cow moose on the last morning of the hunt & since there were just the two of us, I had to leave her with the dead moose (her first dead animal experience and all) while I went for help to get it out.

I was very excited to go on honeymoon The first morning with her in tow I shot an elephant within the first hour! 7 days later her honeymoon started in Vic Falls. Hard to beat that guys.

When I took two of my children -- then ages 11 and 14 -- to Africa my 80 year old Mother went with us. She was not able to walk any distances, but she enjoyed the bush and the hunt tremendously riding and watching from the truck. She saw every animal her grandchildren took.

The PH staff treated my Mother like royalty with fresh cut flowers every morning, tea and biscuits served in bed, and her fresh laundered-iron clothes laid out for her every morning.

On one day the PH's wife took my Mother to town to shop for souviners and trinkets.

My Mother had never been treated so well in her life. She talks about it to this day and frequently ask about when we're going back.

Wish she were able to go.

My first safari exceeded all my expectations. The only thing missing was I wished my wife had been there to share one of the highlights of my life.

Second trip I took the wife. She really was not thrilled to go, but did it to humor me. She is a city girl - doesn't hunt, doesn't camp. And this was a 15 day tented camp buffalo/plains game hunt in the Zambezi Valley and Save Conservancy.

She planned to go out with us at times, but mostly planned to sleep in and spend time around camp, reading and relaxing while on the hunt. She was looking forward to going to Vic Falls, doing national park tours and some shopping after the hunt.

She ended up hunting sunup to sundown with us every day and loved it. Shopping was not the highlight of her trip. It was hearing lions roar from camp at night, stalking eland with us on her hands and knees, experiencing the buffalo stalk in think bush, seeing the lion tracks over her own when walking back to the Land Cruiser, etc.

In other words, even though she had no desire to shoot, she became totally and unexpectedly into the hunt. And it meant more to me because I was sharing it with her.

I still do some hunts without her, and some with her. But I always make sure she knows she is welcome to go.

Maddenwh,
maybe my doubt is caused by the fact that English is not my mother tongue, BUT the two phrases together

quote:

That's when the viagra really comes in handy.

"Sometimes nothing can be a pretty cool hand."

My wife has come to Africa twice with me. Once on a plains game hunt to South Africa. She did tour's while I hunted. The next time she visited friends in South Africa while I hunted Zambia. She met me in camp on the last hunt day and we spent the next month traveling to photo camps and enjoying that part of Africa.
She's not a hunter but we've worked through that.
I wouldn't and haven't taken her on any of my DG hunts, but if she was a hunter I certainly would.

I do not see going to africa without my wife. She is invaluable as a videographer and there is no one better at keeping the Ph's flattery from going to my head.

We are off on a Bongo hunt in a little over 3 months, with several pre hunt days in Paris where she will undoubtedly fill out her wish list and I will get to return to the Museaum le Armee. It would just not be the same without her.

At least they can feed lions and hyenas.


Oooooooohhhhhh God I did it. I wrote it.

I have to be honest: I bited my tongue and my fingers from the beginning of this discussion, but it was painfull. Now I am free to read your no-no comments.

I have to confess to you; I love desperatly the women

Maybe my answer has to be shifted in Humor section

My wife and I had a great time. She was right out there hunting along with us. I think that Africa is best as a shared experience!
My wife is ready to go to Africa, when I go again!

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Malinverni:
At least they can feed lions and hyenas.


Oooooooohhhhhh God I did it. I wrote it.

I have to be honest: I bited my tongue and my fingers from the beginning of this discussion, but it was painfull. Now I am free to read your no-no comments.

I have to confess to you; I love desperatly the women

Maybe my answer has to be shifted in Humor section

Feel better now?

Like a feeded lion

I have been very fortunate. My wife has been with me on six safaris. She hunts plains game and does the camera on DG. She has been right there for Buff,Lion,and a couple tuskless cows.
I dont think she or I would do it any other way. It also gives you something else to do when the generator goes out at night.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Malinverni:
Like a feeded lion

Who has just taken over a new pride

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Malinverni:
Maddenwh,
maybe my doubt is caused by the fact that English is not my mother tongue, BUT the two phrases together

quote:

That's when the viagra really comes in handy.

"Sometimes nothing can be a pretty cool hand."

Just my favorite quote from a favorite movie... Obviously, you're not a golfer.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Malinverni:
At least they can feed lions and hyenas.


Oooooooohhhhhh God I did it. I wrote it.

I have to be honest: I bited my tongue and my fingers from the beginning of this discussion, but it was painfull. Now I am free to read your no-no comments.

I have to confess to you; I love desperatly the women

Maybe my answer has to be shifted in Humor section

Again, maybe the language barrier is an issue here because I do not love desperately this humor. Not worthy of being moved to the humor section my friend. Maybe, if you would have said, "they can be primped up and used as bate for male baboons in season" it would have worked better. A for effort though.

quote:

Obviously, you're not a golfer

Ooh!! I got that!!!

This discussion has taken a nasty turn!

Maddenwh,
yes language barrier can be a trouble, moreover if one is not a golfer.
But in the translation, putting together the viagra that really comes in handy and the all the possible meanings of the golfer motto .... well it can get something a completely different and nasty.

It is the same for the "feed" word. It takes a lot of meanings in Italian, maybe I used the wrong word.

However I need the meaning of the words "primped" and "bate", because I do not find them on English-Italian dictionary and I'm afraid to loose some important detail.

From www.dictionary.com:

primp (prÄ­mp) Pronunciation Key
v. primped, primp·ing, primps
v. tr.
To dress or groom (oneself) with meticulous or excessive attention to detail.
v. intr.
To dress or groom oneself with elaborate care; preen.
[Perhaps alteration of prim1.]


bate /beɪt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[beyt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation verb, bat·ed, bat·ing.
–verb (used with object)
1. to moderate or restrain: unable to bate our enthusiasm.
2. to lessen or diminish; abate: setbacks that bated his hopes.
–verb (used without object)
3. to diminish or subside; abate.
—Idiom
4. with bated breath, with breath drawn in or held because of anticipation or suspense: We watched with bated breath as the runners approached the finish line.
[Origin: 1250–1300; ME, aph. var. of abate]

I think that "bate" is a typo for "bait."

I agree, prof. I just looked up a definition based on Steve Malinverni's question. I looked at the first post containing "bate" and obviously, the poster meant "bait"

I actually used the term primped b/c I did not think that our Italian friend would be privy to such lexicon...

Furthermore, the "obviously you're not a golfer" statement was taken a bit out of context here I think. It is a reference to the movie "Big Lebowski", in fact, it's a direct quote. Maybe a little too generational.


Lastly, I was just giving steve a hard time, and I was attempting to go along with the joke, so to speak. I made the mistake of incorrectly spelling bait... no spelling bee in law school.

However, thanks to all for the spelling lesson. I learn something new here every day.

Steve- I apologize, for I had no reason to think you would no what primped meant... thus the reason for the joke as it is related to language barrier.

Only pun intended.

quote:

Furthermore, the "obviously you're not a golfer" statement was taken a bit out of context here I think. It is a reference to the movie "Big Lebowski", in fact, it's a direct quote. Maybe a little too generational.

To enlighten those who have not had the good fortune of seeing The Big Lebowski :

"Obviously, you're not a golfer" is something that one would say to somebody who observes something that is absolutely obvious to any reasonable person, yet they completely baffled by what they are seeing.

*Warning, small spoiler ahead*
In the movie, Jeff Bridges character (Lebowski) is assaulted by a man in his home. The man is looking for a bag of money and finds Lebowski's bag containing his bowling ball. He opens the bag and removes the ball. Having no idea what a bowling ball is, the man says "What the f*** is this???". An exhausted Lebowski replies "Obviously, you're not a golfer".

Now go watch the movie. And in keeping with the original topic, take your wife on a safari!!

quote:

"Sometimes nothing can be a pretty cool hand.'

My other favorite quote from the same movie, "What we've got here is failure to communicate" Spoken by "The Captain", Strother Martin, and Paul Newman - Cool Hand Luke.

Dear friends,
thank you all, seriously, for your help.
maddenwh, don't apologize please, it should be nearly impossible for you to understand many italian jokes even if you spoke Italian fluently, moreover if a dialect is used.
USA used Navajo Code Talkers during WWII, Italian used Sardinian people during WWI.
This time you used a golfer language. Recently I saw again BAT21 with Gene Hackman. In the film golf language was used as a code.

quote:

Originally posted by maddenwh:
Going to tanzania for 10 days with my brother and my old man in 09. My brother and I are going to shoot a couple of cape buff and pg in between.

Right now, my dad and I are having trouble figuring out what to do with the wives. What will they do all day... neither one of them is a typical sit around and sun bathe type gal. I'm more concerned that my wife will try and bring back some native kid in her purse

For those of you that have gone before, what do the women do, and have they enjoyed it?

Neither of them enjoy hunting, so we're probably going to just send them to the beach if we can. Suggestions?

Okay, I just gotta ask.... If you going with your dad and your brother to shoot cape buffalo, why in god's name would you be taking your your wives. Either leave them at home or send them to Paris or something. This is a time for the boys to bond with the old man and if your wives can't understand that, get new ones.

Dave

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bush: send them to Paris or something.

Should I be thinking about organizing a new service here?

Dear friends, I found another langauge trap
This phrase made me bite again the fingers.

"This is a time for the boys"

My first and immediately answer has been: it can be time for the boys also for them (the girls)

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bush:

quote:

Originally posted by maddenwh:
Going to tanzania for 10 days with my brother and my old man in 09. My brother and I are going to shoot a couple of cape buff and pg in between.

Right now, my dad and I are having trouble figuring out what to do with the wives. What will they do all day... neither one of them is a typical sit around and sun bathe type gal. I'm more concerned that my wife will try and bring back some native kid in her purse

For those of you that have gone before, what do the women do, and have they enjoyed it?

Neither of them enjoy hunting, so we're probably going to just send them to the beach if we can. Suggestions?

Okay, I just gotta ask.... If you going with your dad and your brother to shoot cape buffalo, why in god's name would you be taking your your wives. Either leave them at home or send them to Paris or something. This is a time for the boys to bond with the old man and if your wives can't understand that, get new ones.

Dave

You must not be married.

You might also consider that perhaps we wanted them to come. Despite news to the contrary, some guys enjoy spending time with their wives. Would you pass up an opportunity to go to Africa if your wife was going with her family... considering you've never been before?

Dude, I been happily married for 36 years. However, when I go to Africa in 09 with my son, I won't have to worry about where to park my wife for the day. She will be home. She wouldn't dream of intruding on a father/son hunting trip. This is something for the old man and his son to enjoy together.

I just see a hunting trip, a vacation, or a business trip for that matter as travel for different purposes. I think when you take a hunting trip, with the main purpose of the trip to be hunting, if you try to make it a vacation with non-hunters, you are going to compromise the goal of the trip. But of course no one should tell someone how to plan their safari. There is another topic going on right now where some individuals think you should not drink alcoholic beverages when you are on safari. If someone enjoys a hunting trip more by taking their wife, so be it. If it was a RSA low daily rate ranch hunt, and the non-hunting wife just wanted to see Africa, then I would take them. If it was a CAR LD/Bongo or Ethiopian Mountain Nyala, no way. I am not talking about hunting wives, if she wants to grab her rifle and go - come on. When you look at the high daily rates that some charge for observers, it might be cheaper to plan a separate holiday trip to Africa at another time.

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bush:
Dude, I been happily married for 36 years. However, when I go to Africa in 09 with my son, I won't have to worry about where to park my wife for the day. She will be home. She wouldn't dream of intruding on a father/son hunting trip. This is something for the old man and his son to enjoy together.

Gotcha dude. Difference is, I'm 26 and have only been married for 8 months. Also, my wife knows how to park her own car. That said, I smell what you're stepping in about a father son trip, but that is what we are trying to decide; should this be a father son hunting trip or not.

As of now, that's the way it's going to be, and I won't lie, I'm happy about it because with too many people to satisfy on a trip one can get distracted from the hunt. A one on one trip with the wife would be better and totally different that having 5 people with two women on a safari.

My wife is a delight to have around and we have been married for 36 years, but I had to make a decision to include her on my Namibian trip or buy a new Chapuis DR, so I did the right thing and bought the Chapuis. Maybe next time honey.

quote:

Originally posted by BEGNO:
My wife is a delight to have around and we have been married for 36 years, but I had to make a decision to include her on my Namibian trip or buy a new Chapuis DR, so I did the right thing and bought the Chapuis. Maybe next time honey.

I like our thinking. Yu should buy a safe for your Chapuis and tell your wife it's for her jewelry... worked for me.

Maddenwh,

We do think alike, I bought the new gun safe last month. It holds a lot of jewelry.

I am taking my wife in May. At first she was just an observer. She's never been big game hunting in her life. All I had to do was buy her some safari clothes and she was in. She wants to go to the range every weekend, doesn't mind the $300 a month to reload for three rifles, in fact won't shoot anything but the actual safari load. After the first trip to the range she started referring to my 1946 Brno as her rifle and left me a note today to get her a 375 H&H on a mauser action.

Bad news is some of the animals I have been thinking about hunting for years, she'll now be hunting.

Good news is she is already talking about the "next" safari.

This is being said only semi-humorously, but with a lot of truth:
Does She Have A Sister?