I enjoyed reading over your post as your situation sounds remarkably similar to mine. I too have a 17 year-old high school senior and have a trip planned for Africa with him.

Let me back up a bit and tell you where our idea came from. When I was young boy a dear family friend, Dr Holman, a local OBGYN, took his son on a safari in 1964 during the summer between his son's HS and college. I so remember all the stories about the great elephant (64 lbs), the lion, and the many others trophies that later were on his walls. As the years went by and I hunted and fished with the Doc (still do), I knew that I wanted to take a similar trip with my son, if I ever had one. Well, of course, I now do and he's about to graduate from HS. So last year I started researching safari opportunities. As it worked out, however, to get the hunt that I ultimately decided I wanted, at the time that would likely fit with his anticipated college schedule, our trip got pushed back to July of 2005 as compared to '04 that I originally had in mind. By that time, I was so excited about going to Africa for the first time that I came up with a second safari for last year.... I ended up in Zim and had a wonderful trip.

But it's my trip with my son with Tanzania Game Tracker Safaris for 21 days that I am SO anticipating! We hunt together all the time at my farm here in Georgia and he has been on many other fun hunts with me to places like Alaska, SD, Louisiana, ect. But after hearing stories all my life about how incredible the Doc's trip was, how to this day whenever the two of them are together that's about all they talk about, how the trip influenced so many other members of his family to subsequently go on safaris (photographic and otherwise), I hope that our own father/son adventure will have similar lifetime repercussions that will also build a lifelong source of memories and future hunting inspirations.

I think it's great that you are going on your trip. I'll be looking forward to hearing more about it!

great stories guys... I'm on the other side of the generational gap, at 25, my dad and I are planning a trip to africa for (hopefully) next summer... he keeps telling me I'm spending my inheritance in advance...

I just remind him that I'm his broker and that I'll be the judge of that!!!!

I took my father on our first safari several years ago. It was my retirement present to him. We went to the Eastern Cape of RSA and hunted with Frank Bowker's Thorn Kloof Safaris. Good out fit by the way. I wouldn't hesitate to go through them again for a plains game hunt.

We both took good Cape Kudu, Gemsbok, Impala, Springbok, and Blesbok. Toss in a couple unexpected jackals and a few day in Cape Town and it turned into a really good time. Dad made it back a couple times since on his own dime, but I don't think either he or myself woud ever trade that first trip for anything.

A family that plays together, Stays together. It still holds true.

Mac

Gents,

My experiences in RSA have been great, but not nearly as exciting as the anticipation of taking my best male friend and son...if the hunt is half the fun the preparations have been so far, I'll be very satisfied.

We booked with the same safari company I have been using (imagine that) and just got word that the animals are large and many. Still in RSA, but close to the Zim border. The SG Kudu are huge with a 66" and 65" taken this past season on the concession we will be hunting.

Most of the other hunters in our group take handguns, mainly T/C Encores. I'll be using my Ruger M77 Compact in 300WSM that has served me so well in the past. Mark chose a b-a 300WSM and makes a regular trip to the range.

I'll give a full report on our return. This is my first opportunity to hunt Bushbuck and am very much looking forward to the experience...